FDP Forum / Fender Laptsteels: which one (if at all)?/ 9 messages in thread.
1 to 9 of 9 shown.
| barry.b Contributing Member * australia |
Hi<br /> <br /> I've taken a bit of an interest in Steel Guitar, and have started going to a steel users group to learn more. I'm actually a bass player.<br /> <br /> The thread (below) talks about relative merits or otherwise on Fender Pedal Steels. But how about Fender lap steels - any to look for?<br /> <br /> thanks |
| Peegoo Contributing Member ********** ********* That chicken is WRONG, baby. |
The Fender Champion is the one you see the most when it comes to vintage stuff, mainly because it was inexpensive, no-frills, and it sounded pretty dang good. However, Rickenbackers (and Rickenbachers) of the same period had "the sound" because of their now-coveted horseshoe pickup--big, bold tone when you dig in. Supros of the same period had great tone too. They use a pickup design similar to the Ric, but it uses a solid steel plate atop the strings, rather than two halves.<br /> <br /> And remember that the amp you choose is at least half of the reason you get the tone you're producing. |
| SoK66 Contributing Member **** USA We had the hit but Van got the money |
The last response to that thread pretty much nails it. In the early 70s I had the honor of playing in a group with the late steel great Kenny Trantham. Kenny was just a teenager at the time. His step father had found him an old double neck Fender pedal steel which he'd leaned on. Entirely self-taught, he was a monster player at 17. That Fender had the richest tone imaginable but had endless tuning issues from it's cable pulls . They had a host of other design issues that were later overcome by other makers. He eventually sold it off and got a double 10 string MSA, which stayed in tune but never had the tone of that old Fender. |
| amphead4 Cincinnati, USA |
The early '50s Fender Champions have the same pickup as the bridge of a Tele, the real hot Roy Buchanan sound. |
| barry.b australia |
"The early '50s Fender Champions have the same pickup as the bridge of a Tele, the real hot Roy Buchanan sound."<br /> <br /> Did the Tele's of that era have staggered pole pieces? A friend has a dual-6 |
| barry.b australia |
as the OP I should say that I bit the bullet and got a 1955 Fender dual-8 Stringmaster (lap steel, no pedals).<br /> <br /> While I like the tone, I'm battling with finding the right tuning to get all the chords I'm chasing (I can appreciate now why pedals were invented). |
| amphead4 Cincinnati, USA |
You have to tilt the bar to hit the minors. |
| Peegoo Contributing Member ********** ********** That chicken is WRONG, baby. |
Try a C9 tuning. |
| barry.b australia |
thanx Peegoo. looking into it.<br /> <br /> currently I'm using C6 on the main neck and G7 on the "money" neck (it was suppose to be E7 but I'm using lighter gauges because of the longer scale length - keep as much as I can on non-wound strings)<br /> <br /> it's a trick to get both minors and 7ths on the same neck.<br /> <br /> " However, Rickenbackers (and Rickenbachers) of the same period had "the sound" because of their now-coveted horseshoe pickup"<br /> <br /> one of the guys in the steel guitar club just picked up a near-new looking 1940's Rickenbacker Model B Black & White Lap Steel. Everyone wanted a go at the last club meet. |
Copyright 1999-2003 Fender Discussion
Page, LLC. Visit the web site at http://www.fenderforum.com