Got my Lap King "Bel Aire" lap steel a few days ago, and figured I should post some soundfiles and a photo.
The photo is shot after I started experimenting with pickguard design. Jason DuMont of Lap King Guitars will make me a new one in shiny metal in this shape (more or less),- if that doesn't look cool then I don't know what does.. If you want to see what it originally looked like, you can see it on the Lap King website, it's the one Jason is posing with.
No spectacular playing here, just me noodling around at home, in D13 (CDF#ABD).....
Bel Aire clean
Recorded through my POD, set at "Fender Black Panel", gain and all tone controls at "12 o'clock", with just a little touch of the POD's reverb. No compression or any post-EQ'ing.
Bel Aire overdriven
Same settings as above, but with a Visual Sound "Jekyll & Hyde" overdrive/distortion pedal in front. I am using the "Jekyll" overdrive, set to medium gain.
Volume and tone controls on the Bel Aire are wide open on both tracks. I have not included any examples featuring the lipstick pickup, since the difference in volume between that and the bridge pickup (a Duncan "Phat Cat" on my model) is too much for it to really be useful.
I have made some suggestions for improvements in future models, and Jason is a really positive guy who doesn't quit until you're happy,- a quality that place him right 'up there' with Bill Asher, George Piburn, and other master luthiers in my book.
All in all,- I'm happy and this is a great partner for my Asher Electro Hawaiian,- the difference in sound and looks between the two makes them complement each other nicely, exactly as I hoped.
:)
Steinar
Oh, man! That's a real beauty, and really sounds sweet!
The calico looks like she's happy with it, too.
My cats walk away when I get a guitar out. :lol:
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Hey Steinar, I thought that bridge pickup on yours was a P-90. Over on the maker's site it says it's a humbucker. Which is it?
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I believe he use humbuckers as standards in these models, but I asked for a P-90 and we agreed on using the Duncan Phat Cat pickup,- basically a P-90 in a humbucker sized chrome housing. Pretty much because you really can't have too much chrome on a model like this :lol: , and it makes it easier to replace the P-90 with a regular humbucker later if I should want that.
Steinar
That's cool. I haven't yet gotten a round tuit, but I still plan to build a basic lap steel. I've got a DiMarzio Soapbar P-90 for it.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
S. what classic styling. the lap steel too. you must be happy with this beauty. by the sound of your samples I think you are.
what really nice playing. wow. I cant imagine the result when you are serious. really impressive. I havent tried that tuning yet, but it is now on my list.
I have a Jason Lollar pickup, a Chicago Six, its called. I cant wait to put it in my third lap steel project. Jason makes really good pups. He's great to talk to.
one thing I want to try is to use a humbucker. problem is I can not find any with a nice pole spacing that matches the older lap steels I am playing.
any ideas oh wise Norseman?
Just make sure you get a humbucker with the "F" spacing and you'll be fine. ("F" stand for "Fender", which is wider than a Gibson.) The spacing at the bridge on the Bel Aire is roughly 57mm, which is the same as the National Dynamic I had, and although the 1st and 6th string run on the outside of the polepieces of the Phat Cat I had no problem, just raised the outer two polepieces a little and the string balance was fine.
Same with my Asher, the string spacing on that is 62mm, same as a standard Weissenborn, but I don't have any problems with the balance there either (custom P-90s). You just need to compensate a little when you adjust the pickup...
Steinar
Steinar, thanks for the info. I have experience with strings just outside the pole pieces as you have said.
the Seymour Duncans (Antiquity series) that I used in my first two lap steel projects had the same dimensions.
coming from a vintage lap steel I was worried about sound quality. no problem that I can tell.
by the way. that D 13 tuning sounded nice. it has an eight string sound to it. I think I will try that out. my C6 tuning is good for Spade Cooley's country swing style, but sometimes I feel a need for another voicing.
Ill try D13, but I may have to get an eight string.
a while back you posted a sample wincluding your wah. I went straight home and tried mine out. it's a vintage Vox crybaby. whereas it didnt sound the same as your sample there was a quality that I did like.
I think my wah had been souped up as the treble was way too much and the envelope filter quality was a bit harsh. your wah sounds so much more natural to my ears.
anyway, great playing Steinar. and thanks for the tips.
The difference between my D13 and the C6 is that you loose the 3rd on the top, but get a 7th at the bottom. So the layout is:
C6 - 1 3 5 6 1 3
D13 - 7 1 3 5 6 1
If you look at it like this the difference isn't all that much, but the dominant 7th at the bottom is really nice for diminished chords, plus the obvious 13th and 7th chord, without slanting. I decided to keep it in D instead of E, which is the most common 13th tuning, because I already know the "D" positions well from playing so much in open-D. Another advantage is that all minor chords can be 'calculated' from the 2nd string, which is the same as in standard guitar tuning, so that reduce the confusion even more. If I see an Eminor coming up I know immediately that it is at the 5th fret, and that makes life a whole lot easier...... :lol:
Steinar
you have said in past posts that D is your preferred key..must be those dark nioghts for that dak feel.
thanks, I see the similarities. C6 , and I use a couple of tunings from Brad'sPage of Steel, has advantages, but after listenoing to your sample and rwading this post I will give your tuning a try. I see some potential for me.
plus, my oher lap is almost finished and I may as well have it a designated D13
very nice. thank you Steinar
edited: I wrote D11 dont know why so I went back and changed them all.
must be monday.
I tuned my lap to D13 last night. spent some time with it.
I hear the boogie woogie scale. nice.
there are lots of single note licks that can be very fast. there is a jazzy swing sound to the scale.
I cant find the two note harmony scales tho.
Steinar, where are the slants, if any?
srings 4 and 5 have a forward slant, but it doesnt sound remarkable.
I played along with BelAire clean and couldnt find some of your harmonies.
hmmm.
Strings 1 and 4 will have the same forward 'harmonized sixth' slants as strings 1 and 3 in an open-D (or E) tuning. You can 'walk' the scales with these slants.
Strings 2 and 4 will have the same harmonies with reverse slants as strings 1 and 3 slanted forwards in a C6 tuning (the CEGACE version of C6).
Strings 3, 4 and 5 slanted forwards (keep string 5 in same position) will give you the IV chord, two frets up and you have the V chord.
If you want a major7 triad you slant like this (Dmaj7 in this case): string 1/fret 11, string 2/fret 10, string 3/fret 9. This will give you a very nice major7th chord.
LookNoHands is a great place to work out these things,- you simply write in your tuning and choose what chords/scales you want to see.
There are no slants in the clean sample, everything I play is right there in the tuning........ :wink:
Steinar
thanks for the quick reply. I should say jump start.
I brought my steel to work today. it's in my lap right now.
so I am having the aha! moment.
thanks.
I really like this tuning.
when I charted out the fret board notes I saw those three string slants, but they didnt sink in until just now.
BTW why the C on the sixth string. ?
it sounds out of place,
BTW why the C on the sixth string. ?
it sounds out of place,
It gives me access to dominant 7ths, diminished, and 13th harmonies without slanting. Check this nice move:
Fret 3 - strings 3, 4, 5
Fret 6 - strings 3, 4, 6
Fret 8 - strings 3, 4, 5
You can keep 'walking' this system all the way up the neck. Cool..... 8)
If you pick strings 2, 4 and 6 you have a nice jazzy 13th harmony, and the dominant 7th is obvious...
Plus, all you have to do is a quick detune from C to B and you have a straight D6th tuning with access to the root in the bass when you play minor chords (and it's easier to use when playing single note solos).
Steinar
