How to convert an acoustic guitar for lap style playing!

[guitarbench]

Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!

Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
of Slide". Check it out here:

http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-guitar-for-lap-style-playing-from-the-world-of-slide-tom-doughty/

I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.

Terence
www.guitarbench.com

[Tony Done]

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-guitar-for-lap-style-playing-from-the-world-of-slide-tom-doughty/
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

Thanks for posting that.

See nut raiser on my flickr page (below). I make a hobby of converting
flattops to lap steel and back again, like pickup swapping in electrics. My
Dobro/Gibson kona prototype looks almost identical to the real deal in the
pics, also on my flickr page. I don't agree that you need a flat
fingerboard, when the nut raiser is installed it makes absolutely no
difference whether the board is curved or flat, because the strings are a
long way off it anyway. You can tell if a guitar will be good for lap steel
just by tuning it to an open chord and playing slide in the spanish
position. If it sounds good like that, it will sound even better in the lap
position.

<g> Just adding my 2c worth on a topic that particularly interests me.

[Mike Brown]

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-guitar-for-lap-style-playing-from-the-world-of-slide-tom-doughty/
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me
$60 odd dollars in a sale.

I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.

I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.

I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).

Thanks

MJRB

[levi]

Post by Mike Brown

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-gu...
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me
$60 odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

I "created" one a few years ago. I started
with an extra 12-string solid top dreadnaught.
Readers here may remember me looking for an
on-line string tension calculator -- I wanted
to be sure that six heavy strings would not
have more stress than a set of 12 lights. No
problem -- for a twelve, anyways.

Next I installed an old dual pickup that I have
from Yamaha, magnetic pickups across the sound
hole, also housing a pre-amp and jack for a piezo
pickup. The `80s vintage piezo was replaced with
a Pick-up-The-World from David Enke. As part of
a smoother sound, I don't use fingerpicks.

It generates a *lot* of interest.

Unplugged, it's loud enough to jam with one or
two other guitars. Banjo, not so much. So
I have a little Roland micro-cube to help out
at larger "acoustic" jams, or to be a personal
monitor in a band situation.

I talked it up a bit at one of the local boutique
guitar shops in MPLS. About a year later,
I met a guy at one of those jams and got to
talking about acoustic lap slide. Turns out,
the luthier at the boutique had made one up
out of a big old Harmony on speculation and this
guy bought it.

Welcome to my world!!

[Mike Brown]

Post by levi

Post by Mike Brown

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-gu...
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me
$60 odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

I "created" one a few years ago. I started
with an extra 12-string solid top dreadnaught.
Readers here may remember me looking for an
on-line string tension calculator -- I wanted
to be sure that six heavy strings would not
have more stress than a set of 12 lights. No
problem -- for a twelve, anyways.
Next I installed an old dual pickup that I have
from Yamaha, magnetic pickups across the sound
hole, also housing a pre-amp and jack for a piezo
pickup. The `80s vintage piezo was replaced with
a Pick-up-The-World from David Enke. As part of
a smoother sound, I don't use fingerpicks.
It generates a *lot* of interest.
Unplugged, it's loud enough to jam with one or
two other guitars. Banjo, not so much. So
I have a little Roland micro-cube to help out
at larger "acoustic" jams, or to be a personal
monitor in a band situation.
I talked it up a bit at one of the local boutique
guitar shops in MPLS. About a year later,
I met a guy at one of those jams and got to
talking about acoustic lap slide. Turns out,
the luthier at the boutique had made one up
out of a big old Harmony on speculation and this
guy bought it.
Welcome to my world!!

If I use picks with mine it is too loud to sing over. With bare fingers
and thumb I can just outshout it.

MJRB

[Misifus]

Post by Mike Brown

Post by levi

Post by Mike Brown

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-gu...
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me
$60 odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

I "created" one a few years ago. I started
with an extra 12-string solid top dreadnaught.
Readers here may remember me looking for an
on-line string tension calculator -- I wanted
to be sure that six heavy strings would not
have more stress than a set of 12 lights. No
problem -- for a twelve, anyways.
Next I installed an old dual pickup that I have
from Yamaha, magnetic pickups across the sound
hole, also housing a pre-amp and jack for a piezo
pickup. The `80s vintage piezo was replaced with
a Pick-up-The-World from David Enke. As part of
a smoother sound, I don't use fingerpicks.
It generates a *lot* of interest.
Unplugged, it's loud enough to jam with one or
two other guitars. Banjo, not so much. So
I have a little Roland micro-cube to help out
at larger "acoustic" jams, or to be a personal
monitor in a band situation.
I talked it up a bit at one of the local boutique
guitar shops in MPLS. About a year later,
I met a guy at one of those jams and got to
talking about acoustic lap slide. Turns out,
the luthier at the boutique had made one up
out of a big old Harmony on speculation and this
guy bought it.
Welcome to my world!!

If I use picks with mine it is too loud to sing over. With bare fingers
and thumb I can just outshout it.
MJRB

One of the reasons I play fingerstyle. If I'm strumming (or careless) I
can't sing over many of my guitars.

-Raf

[levi]

Post by Mike Brown

Post by Mike Brown

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-gu...
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me
$60 odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

I "created" one a few years ago.  I started
with an extra 12-string solid top dreadnaught.
Readers here may remember me looking for an
on-line string tension calculator -- I wanted
to be sure that six heavy strings would not
have more stress than a set of 12 lights.  No
problem -- for a twelve, anyways.
Next I installed an old dual pickup that I have
from Yamaha, magnetic pickups across the sound
hole, also housing a pre-amp and jack for a piezo
pickup.  The `80s vintage piezo was replaced with
a Pick-up-The-World from David Enke.  As part of
a smoother sound, I don't use fingerpicks.
It generates a *lot* of interest.
Unplugged, it's loud enough to jam with one or
two other guitars.  Banjo, not so much.  So
I have a little Roland micro-cube to help out
at larger "acoustic" jams, or to be a personal
monitor in a band situation.
I talked it up a bit at one of the local boutique
guitar shops in MPLS.  About a year later,
I met a guy at one of those jams and got to
talking about acoustic lap slide.  Turns out,
the luthier at the boutique had made one up
out of a big old Harmony on speculation and this
guy bought it.
Welcome to my world!!

If I use picks with mine it is too loud to sing over. With bare fingers
and thumb I can just outshout it.
MJRB

One of the reasons I play fingerstyle.  If I'm strumming (or careless) I
can't sing over many of my guitars.
        -Raf
--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert
Photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafiii
home:http://www.rafandsioux.com

Wayyy back in the day, I was part of a busking
trio on the streets of Athens Greece. Our female
singer was had a powerful, classically trained
voice. She said that I had a nice voice, if I
just didn't try to sing too hard. I often joke
that when it came to my voice, I didn't get the
good wood. On pitch, etc., but I wouldn't want
to listen to me all night "on stage".

After all these years I now only sing songs that
are in a good key for me, sometimes transposing
the guitar, sometimes eschewing a song that I
love to play.

Lately, I've been working with the microphone.
Just a hint of effect (delay and reverb) and
working close to the mic. I'm becoming convinced
that I might actually have something worth listening
to (after mass quantities of beer have been consumed
and the girls drank enough to think I'm handsome).

[Mike Brown]

Snipped

Post by levi
Lately, I've been working with the microphone.
Just a hint of effect (delay and reverb) and
working close to the mic. I'm becoming convinced
that I might actually have something worth listening
to (after mass quantities of beer have been consumed
and the girls drank enough to think I'm handsome).

We won't discuss my voice.

If I drink enough to think that I can sing, I can't remember the words.

Or the chords.

As far as the girls go, I'll quote Chris Smither -


"I never was good lookin'

but now I'm too old to let that get me down"

MJRB

[Kevin Hall]

I suspect D'Addario Flat Tops would make good strings for slide. They're
not like old-time flatwounds on which the windings were flat when they went
on. D'Add. wraps 'em with ordinary round phosphor bronze wire then runs
them through some sort of a burnishing head to just barely knock the tops
off. The end result is a very pleasant string to play in any style; far
less finger squeak, and they seem to last well.

Don't know about down there in the wild and wooly US of A, but you rarely
see 'em in Canadian retail stores, but everyone I've introduced to them has
come back for more.

KH

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-guitar-for-lap-style-playing-from-the-world-of-slide-tom-doughty/
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me $60
odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

[Misifus]

Post by Kevin Hall
I suspect D'Addario Flat Tops would make good strings for slide. They're
not like old-time flatwounds on which the windings were flat when they went
on. D'Add. wraps 'em with ordinary round phosphor bronze wire then runs
them through some sort of a burnishing head to just barely knock the tops
off. The end result is a very pleasant string to play in any style; far
less finger squeak, and they seem to last well.
Don't know about down there in the wild and wooly US of A, but you rarely
see 'em in Canadian retail stores, but everyone I've introduced to them has
come back for more.
KH

Post by guitarbench
Have you ever considered playing slide on your guitar? Now is the time
to give it a go!
Slide player extraordinaire Tom Doughty tells you all the ins and outs
of how to do so in his Guitarbench.com column entitled "From the world
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2010/01/06/converting-an-acoustic-guitar-for-lap-style-playing-from-the-world-of-slide-tom-doughty/
I am unfortunately unable to reproduce the entire text here but do
swing by to check out the article.
Terence
www.guitarbench.com

My first lap steel was a converted SX all laminated dread, it cost me $60
odd dollars in a sale.
I fitted a brass nut and saddle, raising the strings to about 3/8" and
flattening the tops. It sounds great, much better than it has any right to.
I've since bought an SX electric lap steel, and at only $300 that is
pretty damn good too.
I use heavier strings than Tom recommends though, and the dread hasn't
collapsed yet (with heavy strings and a really high saddle there must be
quite a load on the top).
Thanks
MJRB

I've used them and liked them, but I don't see them much anymore.

-Raf