artist lap steel

allthumbs · #1 February 22nd, 2005

I almost did something real dumb. I picked up a lap steel 20 years ago for 100 bucks Can. I couldn't get past the basics of lap tunings so I just put it away. I recently thought to see if I could turn it into a slide guitar. I took it to my friend at his guitar shop and he told me it is now worth 500 bucks and has a great loud punchy tone. I almost started hacking at it myself before I knew any better. The question now is do I keep it, even though I won't play it much or sell it.?
Here is what I know about it.It was made sometime between 1921 and 1930 for the R.S. Williams Piano Co. in Toronto by Arther Hensel. Sometimes they were called Hensel and sometimes Artist. I will try and find out more. I don't think you will find many of these kicking around.
allthumbs

Kirk Lorange · #2 February 22nd, 2005

Sounds interesting allthumbs. I'd love to see a picture of it.

allthumbs · #3 February 22nd, 2005

does this forum support jpegs. I have a couple of pics I can upload if it does. I will try tomorrow.
allthumbs

Frankenstrat2 · #4 February 23rd, 2005

Have you ever tried C6 tuning? Is it a 6 string?

allthumbs · #5 February 23rd, 2005

Hi frankenstrat2. Yes it is a six string single cone biscuit style..Solid wood.

I will put pics at the big road blues forum shortly. I tried to upload pics here but, no go. I may just get some lap steel tabs,rather than theory, so I can keep my dropped D seprate from other tunings.
allthumbs

Frankenstrat2 · #6 February 23rd, 2005

I took some lap steel lessons last summer from my teacher. He showed me the basics of the C6 tuning, which is your 'western swing' tuning. Its also great for blues and rock however- the pentatonic type stuff falls pretty naturally in that tuning. You do need to get specific lap steel string sets for that tuning however. I'm pretty sure Elderly.com carries them, and some tab and instructional books and videos as well. Cindy Cashdollar comes to mind.
Lap steel is really fun, very different than bottleneck. You also need a heavy solid bullet slide, like a shubb.
Now that I can play lap just a little bit I can really appreciate what guys like Robert Randolph and Speedy West are all about on the pedal steel.
Deep!

allthumbs · #7 February 23rd, 2005

I just found some info on a dobro I bought 20 years ago.It was made by Arther Hensel for the R.S.Williams Piano Co. in the early 1920's. It was the oldest instrument making comp. in Canada based in Toronto. 1834 to around 1929. The company started making mandolins, banjos, guitars and melodeons in 1855. In 1970, the R.S. Williams Collection became the largest gifted instrument collection given to the Royal Ontario Museum. I hope I can do some further research to find out more about the builder and the exact age of the dobro. I am taking a shot at uploading pics. Anyone know about these? It has a real loud punchy tone that made the dobro player who tried it want to offer allot more than I payed for it. It has fretboard made of some kind of plastic silver sparkles? It is solid wood body, no laminates.
http://www.imagehosting.us/imagehost...jpg/?id=267497

http://www.imagehosting.us/imagehost...jpg/?id=267507

Frankenstrat2 · #8 February 23rd, 2005

Well... lets back up a little bit AT
Dobro and Lap Steel are not interchangeable definitions, at least not AFAIK.
You have a dobro type guitar, or more properly, a resonator instrument, not a lap steel. I cant tell from the picture- it it round neck or square neck?
Anyway- disregard what I said about C6 tuning. This instrument should be tuned as a regular bottleneck guitar would be.

allthumbs · #9 February 23rd, 2005

It has a round neck. I always thought the two terms were interchangable since both were played lap style. I had a National which you would consider a lap steel since it was basicly a board with pickups on it. It always confused me.
allthumbs

Frankenstrat2 · #10 February 24th, 2005

Well the National you describe would be a lap steel. This guitar is a round neck resonator guitar. It can be played either lap style or bottleneck because of the round neck. Generally the square neck ones are always played lap style. Not that I'm an expert, but I think I've figured this much out over time. But looking at the picture, I think the big metal nut and the pearloid fingerboard indicate this was intended to be played lap style. But its still not a 'lap steel'. Those are usually 'planks with pickups'.

LightninBoy · #11 February 24th, 2005

Hot looking reso allthumbs, dig that crazy fretboard.
My '32 Wayne Ampliphonic is similar, mine has a bakelite fretboard, but its black, not pretty n sparkly like yours. (I'd hate to be the one who has to refret it).
Might be worth keeping it as is, and not screwing with it; might be really worth something. (Particularly as its solid timber, not laminated).
Check out Jerry Douglass, he plays lap.

Kirk Lorange · #12 February 28th, 2005

Very neat looking resonator allthumbs. I love it! What a find.

Kirk