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Bluestem Strings Beginners Guide To Lap Steel Construction BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LAP STEEL CONSTRUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Thinking of building your first lap steel? Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming to think of gathering all the requisite information necessary to construct a basic instrument, especially if you have no prior experience with musical instrument cnt co . ht e a w . h o w eaels n e o sut n T a sh d e sT e o d e sshp t e fh r i t b n g n it l s eio o t easiest instruments to build, with a basic instrument not much beyond stretching a rubber band over a cigar box and adding a Popsicle bridge. (Remember that first science fair project?) The lap steel in its most basic form is little more than tensioned strings played with a movable slide, so it is the perfect candidate to test out your desire to construct a musical instrument. What follows is a very basic introduction to the construction of a simple lap steel. T igi t en tlh lm t x tnp t lb te e h d in ato e ite ut a isi l e , u r so s u es o m t d a i e s r ga s e s v t pass on enough basic information to create an instrument that can be built easily in te vr e o e h p Y u a eto d u en ha r su et h e g m o . o n s i y ro e t s o i t m n a a h s c u it p o t i t w e fn r construction, or use the measurements as a basis for something a little more advanced. It is recommended to the neophyte builder to complete a basic instrument first, and delay your dream vision until you have the basics mastered. The process of building is enjoyable on its own, and hopefully at the end of your q et o d p i su etht i o ue ay ap us f usyule t a i t m n awlp d c n p y o ro ln u w h n n r t lr m h h making music. Enjoy!
SCALE LENGTH
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T ent m n o n asa nt /Sa nts a ne h su eth w s ll g o 2 12. cll g n ag i r s h a c ee h f 2 ee h c r ay hr f m1 o 6,o h a oe go i lo e od cl nw e o s iw s h sn s d d e fh a a er 7 t 2 t s c aa o m d t r s e length. Different scale lengths can sound better with different tunings, string gauges, and string tensions. Scale length also affects playability of an instrument depending on playing styles and techniques such as bar slants.
STRING SPACING
I would generally suggest that you stick to the plan for a first lap steel, but to quickly summarize the string spacing issue I'll pass along the following information. You can find a more detailed discussion of string spacing on the "Just the FAQs" page. Iee l i y u a i 8r g pc g thU cueht nr l b l m irwt 3 tn ai e Tb as a s g a y u d g t s h / si s n at N e t what most folks seem to prefer although I personally prefer 11/32" spacing and have found it takes very little time to adjust to slightly narrower string spacing at the nut. Most of my steels are built with 13/32" string spacing at the BRIDGE to accommodate commercial off-the-shelf pickups. The difference of 1/32" between the nut spacing and bridge bridge spacing is really quite imperceptible to most people, so these spacings really are a good basis for a standardized instrument.
A string spacing CHART to assist you in the layout of bridge and nut string center distances can be found by clicking HERE. A string spacing LAYOUT GUIDE to assist you in the layout of bridge and nut string center distances can be found by clicking HERE. Be sure to select "NONE" in the page scaling area of the print command box so the guide will print out full size.
BODY SHAPE
I have a strong prejudice toward body shapes that are loosely guitar based. I think the lap steel looks better and is more comfortable to play when it acknowledges its origins of design. Many early laps were guitar shaped because they were a natural extension from their acoustic predecessors. My personal belief is rectangular body shapes were primarily due to economics and the need to maximize profits for the companies that produced these instruments. The plan presented here features a body shape that attempts to strike a happy medium between the guitar-based and simpler to execute rectangular form. All of that said, do whatever your sense of style dictates.
HEADSTOCK SHAPE
Whto k t rte Cas r A y as c ae alos e e l i t e edt k hp? b t ,h sc o s lh o s I ae e r c rh t ea s ro ea t i ttn t to vp f e eo e A y ,sts ai tr g r g a h a r e n f t s l iie e t g sa h si p h the tuning post. The classic guitar shaped headstock can work also, but can be a little more difficult to implement. The shape indicated on the plan is a compromise
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that exhibits the right geometry to work smoothly, but also looks good. As, l rcl ot te ta rclu i t n.taet l ms d n e i s ,a rhn e i n g ut sIt sile o I o o v tap sr h v tat n b o k lt time to adjust to tuning a conventional guitar style tuner and the ease of string changes makes up for the tuner posts not being mounted horizontally in a slotted has c nr a. ei tsw aiue ,n e n ti edt k ru e pn My ys hnt htt sd o ead hr s oh g o o t e g i t b t e n like fumbling with a tuner post hole deep within a slotted headstock on a dark stage. Enough said.
FRET BOARD
I like frets. They are handsome and they make me feel good. You can try your hand at making a fret board, and the lap steel is a great way to experience the joys of learning to install frets. Since there is no requirement here to get it perfect, the pesr s f a pns ls lswtapo uekro o t0 4 r ue fAs lJ aee ult e a t rd cs f fb u 2 s o . m la p y h a e a . is perfect for slotting. Frets can be glued in and filed flush. There are lots of web ttr lo e i ,o e o d e r sa ao d e co , a u uois n r t gs nt w lo ih eA r s o l t n w l t a f tn w w l n t e . f w se i n is a good alternative to expensive wood for your first attempt at fretwork, and mother of pearl position markers can be easily installed in shallow holes drilled in the fret board surface. You may choose to indicate fret positions in some other manner and bypass frets altogether for a first instrument. It is perfectly acceptable to make a thin board and glue contrasting material in the slots where frets would normally go. Glue white plastic in slots cut in a walnut board and sand them flush. Anything goes here, as they only indicate position and will never be touched by the strings. The fret locations as well as all other dimensions are included on the instrument plan.
PICKUP
You could write a book on this subject. For a first instrument a standard Strat-style pickup is probably your best choice. They are easy to work with and can be obtained at a reasonable cost. An alternative to consider would be a P-90 style p kp P9 so n cl n iapi t nc rtai lec iw ud i u . 0 u d xe etn h lao at shtn uneh o l c s e l it s p c i f o f ts be the short scale length combined with proximity to the bridge and the use of heavier string gauges. There are many websites that preview the various types of pickups with sound files so you can preview what any given pickup choice will sound like. Building a basic lap steel is a great way to experiment with different pickup options. A short MP3 sound clip that demonstrates the different sounds produced by various pickup types is available at the end of this guide.
TUNERS
G oe csbc :r i Sa is r so n n h an hr uly rvr at ak 8 t t te e h w e l y te q at 1 1 ao t a o t p na o i enclosed tuner would also be good. Cast tuners with bushings that screw in from the front are easier for the inexperienced builder to work with. A few extra dollars in the instrument budget is a good thing here. Quality tuners allow an instrument
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ASSORTED HARDWARE
All of the other components are obtainable through the usual guitar supply shops and larger music stores. A complete list of all of the items necessary to complete the lap steel is shown on the plan.
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OPEN Em: E / .054w ____ B / .038w ____ E / .030w ____ G / .024w ____ B / .020 ____ E / .015 C6 / Am7: C / .036w ____ E / .030w ____ G / .024w ____ A / .020w ____ C / .017 ____ E / .015 OPEN G: G / .052w ____ B / .042w ____ D / .032w ____ G / .024w ____ B / .017 ____ D / .015 G6: G / .052w ____ B / .042w ____ E / .032w ____ G / .024w ____ B / .017 ____ D / .015 A6: C# /.036w ____ E / .030w ____ F# /.026w ____ A / .020w ____ C# /.017 ____ E / .014
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MAKE BODY
1 C r ul eg i 112 i ok o omb d ak . a fl eo /h k tc r y l e y d jn t c s t f o bn 2. Cut out basic body shape and sand edges smooth 3. Sand front and rear surfaces of instrument body blank to eliminate joint lines 4 Ma ct n f u o d n o d erae f l k . r l ao t rme p n a f a ko i o n 6 f n o t a r c o b n 5 T i r r f edtc e 1 i i 12 ei a n rmte . h a o as k r t 9 6 t n / fhn d w o ne h o a ao / w h o t l e r 6 f h end 6. Taper the rear neck area of the blank 7 T e ek h ud e /h k th tt e n lti nsate . h c o l 4 i e u,a r g p o ulh kes th n s b 3 t c at n p i u t f c 10th fret location 8. Sand the rear surface of the neck 9 Bed h c as c a t nio ei 2 u n e hl . l e ek o edt k err si a a t a rms dr e i n t n th o r a t n r w h d a dn electric drill 10. Round over all front and rear body and neck edges, but leave headstock sides square 11. From this point onward, do not place instrument on unpadded surface
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3. Remove the nut end clamp, apply glue to 15th fret and clamp in position up to 15th fret location 4. Remove clamp over 15-24 fret position, lift board slightly, knife in glue and re-clamp 5. Clean up excess glue and allow to dry overnight
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7 F r 8 4 e ce r ed i e o ni r s . om3 y / ep oktf as f r g u t g c w / b1 d p so h ob d m n se 8 F r 4 1 ep eess ttn o ct n . om1 y /6 e cs r g rp n oao s / b3 d r e asi d i l i 9. Duplicate this row of recesses under end of slot locations 10. Trim out area between the sets of holes with a narrow chisel 1. o oo n i e l eo o y w iu t nrlai ues o pe d 1 D t u t r g a d a ic t vy o ticm l e n m b d p tt b t n lo o c t r t
ADD NUT
1 F r n 8 trm14 i ak a r lbas as . om2 l g y / uo h k l t i r y l b o b 5 n f / t c b n m e a( s m a o e used) 2. Angle top of nut slightly toward headstock 3. Form string slots in the top as per drawing 4. Adjust slot depth so the TOP of all strings are at the same level 5 C nr t g oo 3 edtc ne m y e sd f ei d a o e e . o t sn lr /2 as k eer a e se,l r so ai c 3 h o v b u id r s s v t hold nut 6. Nut can be glued lightly in position
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9. Drill pickup mounting holes 10. Position scratch plate on body and mark outer shape on body lightly with pencil 11. Mark scratch plate pickup opening, volume control, and output jack locations on body 12. Draw shape of body route to accommodate all components and route body for components 13. Mount pickup, volume control, and output jack on scratch plate 1 . r ad odr lcm o etpu t eg i r ru d g 4 Wi le a p nns ls x a 2nt o wr f o n i e n s lo e r 1 l h f eo g n bridge plate
FINAL STEPS
1. Add strings and check output to amplifier 2. Disassemble and finish sand entire instrument 3. Mask fret board if spray paint will be used 4. Apply finish 5. Re-assemble and play
The PDF plan for the Basic Lap Steel plan described in the text can be found HERE.
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2. Split single humbucker at 13 seconds (See lap steel #6463 for an example of this pickup) 3. Series connected humbucker at 26 seconds 4. Parallel connected humbucker at 40 seconds 5. Coil cut humbucker at 54 seconds 6. P-90 at 1 minute 7 seconds The sound samples were all recorded with the same maple-bodied 22-1/2" scale lap steel with each pickup located 2" in front of the bridge. All samples were recorded with an AKG C-1000 small diaphram condenser microphone positioned 6" in front of the 10" speaker of a Peavey 30 watt transistor amp. The microphone was also positioned half way between the center and outside edge. Amp volume was slightly above speaking level and bass, middle, and treble controls were positioned at their maximum values. This resulted in the least amount of coloration from the amp itself. An MP3 is certainly not the last word in fidelity, but the overall tonal coloration of the pickup options does come through. Different strokes for different folks!
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