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Old 01-27-2015, 08:14 PM
Tone.woods Tone.woods is offline
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Default HELP! What Lap Steel / Dobro / Weissenborns should I be looking at?

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!
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:32 PM
815C 815C is offline
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Welcome to the world of the steel bar!

A lap steel is electric. Looks like a 2x4 with strings and a pickup. Here's a picture of my 1948 Gibson BR9 lap steel



A resonator is often called a Dobro, but Dobro is a brand of resonator (like Gibson, Martin, and Taylor are brands of acoustic guitars). A resonator can have a wood body or a metal body, a round neck that you play like a normal guitar, or a square neck that you play with the guitar laying on your lap.

Here's a picture of my 1980 square neck RQ Jones. RQ Jones is a great vintage resonator.



And the all metal guitar in the center is a square neck Dobro I bought new in 1976 for $350.

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Old 01-27-2015, 08:40 PM
Tone.woods Tone.woods is offline
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Thanks for that quick response, really great pictures. It looks like you have quite the collection of vintage instruments.

Quick follow up question: On a round neck resonator, do you still play that with a steel bar? Is it tuned in standard...think I've played some of these and they played just like a normal guitar.
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:47 PM
Cone Head Cone Head is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tone.woods View Post
On a round neck resonator, do you still play that with a steel bar? Is it tuned in standard...think I've played some of these and they played just like a normal guitar.
A steel bar is usually used for lap style playing, on a roundneck most players use a steel tube or bottleneck on the pinky or ring finger.
For slide, most players use open D or open G tunings, or variations on them.
As far as playability goes, I have three (roundneck) 1930s Nationals, all of them can be played in standard tuning like a "normal" guitar but I only dedicate one of them to that task. The others are in open G tuning (DGDGBD, I use that guitar in DGDGBE for non slide material) and open D tuning (DADF#AD, I also use DADFAD on that guitar).

I should add that when I play slide, I still fret at least half the notes (if not more) conventionally with my fingers.
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Old 01-28-2015, 12:44 PM
stephen mills stephen mills is offline
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Hi strummers and pluckers
and Hi Tone

As usual I am a great/enormous promoter of 'try it first, before you invest in something seemingly much better.

You would be wise to watch some early DVD/Youtube and see the early great players could not spell lap guitar

If you have no idea what you are getting into, use a normal acoustic, raise the 'nut' with a nut raiser- easily purchased, change the bridge bar if necessary
and play. After several sessions you will soon learn whether or not you like the slide method of playing.

Over to you

S

The control /skill needed for playing these 'bad boys' and getting an acceptable fluid sound is extremely difficult, although if you watch DVDs it can look simple--- don't believe it
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Old 01-28-2015, 03:43 PM
mstuartev mstuartev is offline
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I have played and owned a few resonator guitars (National Radio tone, Gretsch 9120), have had some old Harmony acoustics with bad action that worked great for bottleneck slide, and now own and play a Lazy River Weissenborn (lap style, of course). I find it to be a BLAST. The great thing about slide (Spanish style or lap) is you play in open tuning, making the formation of chords and sounds a bit easier. As Stephen Mills noted, the finesse part takes a bit of practice (finger muting behind the slide to quiet the rattly sound of steel strings., etc). But I found it pretty easy to pick up on. I am focusing on weissenborn now. Weissenborn can do blues, but it does smooth stuff a bit better. Dreamy stuff. I see it as my retirement instrument: when arthritis limits my left hand work, I can always work the steel on my weissenborn. the Lazy River is sweet, made in America in a one man shop, and is not terribly expensive. You can get them used under $1k

There are reasonable options $$
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Old 01-29-2015, 02:58 PM
EoE EoE is offline
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early on I worked with a few steel guitar players yea they all had resonators and lap steels the later usually their first steel they ever owned . they all used peddle steels for gigging. the other instruments do have limits and if your in a blues setting you really do not want any chord out of reach. A peddle steel is not chezzy it is the upgrade. while those cats would play there laps for easy country. or even some bluegrass mostly in a informal setting. ( I always got the impression in blue grass they would have preferred the peddle the resonator was more of a prop typ thing).. But when it came to serious shredding the pedal is what they used. Talk to a serious steel player not us cats who have dabbled with it.
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Old 01-29-2015, 10:46 PM
dgaemc2 dgaemc2 is offline
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Great responses so far by many.
However, my response to the OP (Tonewoods) is best with questions back to him:
1. Are you brand new to learning guitar in general or just lap guitar?
2. What or who has inspired you to learn lap guitar?
3. Why do you think that "electrified" lap steel guitar is "cheesy"? This one has me scratching my head a bit...since most players plug in to be heard?
4. It sounds like you are interested in playing a "square neck" type lap guitar which is fine, but have you ever even tried to play one in a music store yet?
5. If you are a novice to lap steel guitar....why would you be so set on a "vintage instrument" rather than just a good instrument to learn on....to determine whether or not it is even something that you want to pursue?
6. My suggestion to you is to first...try to play a "square neck" lap steel guitar in a music store prior to making any decision as to "which vintage one to buy".
7. If you get the opportunity to play one or have already played one (any brand), and are still enthused about it great!
8. I will say that I am very impressed with the Gretsch 9220 Bobtail Resonator (roundneck) that I purchased a year ago. It even sounds good "plugged in" with the included pickup....especially for the price. I did also audition the "equivalent" Gretsch square neck version, but quickly realized that playing a square neck lap style resonator is beyond my ability....at least for now. Square neck resonators (lap steel) is a completely different animal compared to playing "regular guitar style" which I have been doing for many years.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide!
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blues, dobro, lap steel, lapsteel, weissenborn

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