[Tone.woods]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking at picking up a lap steel type guitar to play some blues. I should begin by saying that I'm not an experienced slide player, this will be a learning experience for me.

Now, I don't want it to be an electric lap steel...cheesy. Acoustic all the way. I'm also a fan of buying a high-quality instrument to begin with...makes you want to play it more and it'll generally get better (as will you) the more that you play it.

So, I pose the following questions, any help would be appreciated:

1. What is the difference between a Lap Steel, Dobro, Weissenborn, etc.?

2. What are the best manufacturers and years (era) to consider if buying a vintage instrument?

3. Who are the best modern builders of these instruments?

Thanks!