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  #1  
Old 05-02-2022, 11:57 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Default Converting my acoustic into a Lap steel guitar?

Ok so I prefer the converted sound of an acoustic guitar in to a lap slide guitar than a weissenborn (think Kelly Joe Phelps) I have tried a few acoustic guitars with 13 to 56 strings using a Dunlop extender nut and only 1 guitar im satisfied with its playability.

What I like about it is the strings are a bit loose and the strings sustain all the way to the bottom of the fretboard

Other acoustic guitars sound a lot louder and nicer however the strings feel more tight and it looses its sustain near the bottom of the fretboard

My question

Would actually making a tall bridge like one would find on a weissenborn or a properly converted guitar make it more playable? Would i get my sustain on the lower frets and looseness of my strings?
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Old 05-03-2022, 06:27 AM
OldFrets OldFrets is offline
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A tall saddle will change the break angle, which could change the sustain and the tone. There's no downside to trying it. The only way I can think of that it could affect playability is if you use a different string spacing. When it comes to steels, string spacing and scale length are really the only factors that contribute to playability (which is why they're so easy to set up).

Are you using an open tuning? If so, I highly recommend going with a string set designed for that tuning instead of a standard guitar set. This may mean using a tension calculator to buy a bunch of single strings, especially since you don't want super high tension on a "steel" that wasn't designed for it. Having consistent tension across the strings makes a big difference to playability; it helps keep the bar level and makes it easier to get a consistent sound up and down the board.
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Old 05-03-2022, 03:19 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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[QUOTE=OldFrets;6993328] Thanks for the reply. Yea I use 13 to 56 strings. I usually buy John Pearce Weissenborn strings. The string spacing on my converted guitar is a bit less than a weissenborn. I use a extention nut. This makes the strins sit wider than my fretboard but this doesn’t bother me. I play in open D and DADGAD

Im actually torn what to do because i leave New Zealand to go back to the UK in over a week and I will have to pay loads of money just to bring my cheap acoustic converted lapslide back home. It almost seems like a waste because the only good thing about that guitar is it seems to play well as a lapslide in functionality but doesn’t sound that great when unplugged. I want a better guitar for it but I don’t know it will function nicely till i change the strings and put the extension nut on

I read somewhere its good to do with a 12 string because it has a wider neck and its body can take more pressure but Who knows wether it will have the same issues it has with other guitars Iv tried
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Old 05-03-2022, 08:21 PM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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Too tall a saddle can possibly crack the bridge if it leans.

Try putting a couple of strips cut from a business card under the saddle. See if you like it.

Once back in the UK, try looking around for an old Oahu squareneck, from the 30s. Most are pretty cheap, depending on if they are laminate or solid wood. Most are parlor sized.
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Old 05-04-2022, 03:51 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mycroft View Post
Too tall a saddle can possibly crack the bridge if it leans.

Try putting a couple of strips cut from a business card under the saddle. See if you like it.

Once back in the UK, try looking around for an old Oahu squareneck, from the 30s. Most are pretty cheap, depending on if they are laminate or solid wood. Most are parlor sized.
Yea il try the business card thing. If I ever come across one Il give it a go. Really I want to convert a DreadNaught for the bigger sound. Its just finding one that will work. I want to get a cheap guitar though. The kind of thing that’s kicking around someones house taking up space
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Old 05-05-2022, 10:48 PM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
Yea il try the business card thing. If I ever come across one Il give it a go. Really I want to convert a DreadNaught for the bigger sound. Its just finding one that will work. I want to get a cheap guitar though. The kind of thing that’s kicking around someones house taking up space
"business card" is just one source. I really mean thin cardboard that you can cut and use as a shim.

Here is an example of what I was talking about:

https://www.elderly.com/products/oah...40521915302079
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Old 05-12-2022, 02:02 AM
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Zissou Intern Zissou Intern is offline
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I converted a Blueridge BR140A for lap slide after I saw a converted old Guild with extra high action. At first I just used a metal extension nut. Then I made a new nut and taller saddle. Both were flared, with a slight trapezoid shape to a add bit of string spacing. The bridge was about an 1/8” taller than “normal”. I glued that in with Titebond. It was tuned to DADGAD. It played great and sounded different than the hollow neck and reso I had back then.

I sold all three along the way, but that’s the one I’d like to have back, as it was very versatile. I wonder how it it held up. Most BRs are solidly built, so I am guessing the top didn’t belly too much.
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Old 05-26-2022, 01:21 AM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zissou Intern View Post
I converted a Blueridge BR140A for lap slide after I saw a converted old Guild with extra high action. At first I just used a metal extension nut. Then I made a new nut and taller saddle. Both were flared, with a slight trapezoid shape to a add bit of string spacing. The bridge was about an 1/8” taller than “normal”. I glued that in with Titebond. It was tuned to DADGAD. It played great and sounded different than the hollow neck and reso I had back then.

I sold all three along the way, but that’s the one I’d like to have back, as it was very versatile. I wonder how it it held up. Most BRs are solidly built, so I am guessing the top didn’t belly too much.
Thanks for the reply. Did you feel any significant difference in sustain when you made a new nut and taller saddle?
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acoustic, lap steel, nut extender, slide guitar, weissenborn

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