DIY Lapsteel, need some help from my friends

[ElMano]

Thanks Gerd But that is very easy to realize. I bought a couple of rolls (3) in a blister at a store named: Action I dont know if they had them in Germany but it is a kind of tape they use for making postcards end so on I will used it as fretboard marks on the Lapsteel. If you cant find it pm me and i post some inches the 3 tapes cost me 0.99 Euro

[vancouverois]

Very nice job so far

[ElMano]

After two days with heavy storm i had some time to do some work on the lapsteel. Friday i glue on the top wood and the fretboard. While i was waiting for the glue to dry i make 22 frets from Stainless steel welding threat. This Sunday afternoon i took of the clamps and drilled the holes to put the frets in (i bend the two corners down en hammer them in) The pickup cover fits in the middle. I almost finished working at one side I use some dark wood to get a kind of binding on the top- and back side I havened make the cover for the Volume knob ore the jack. After fixing the other side i used the router to make the edges round on top and bottom. To see of the strings are in line i used some rope as you can see are the strings flat and high above the fretboard.
I got some pictures so fare

[VikingBlues]

I get more amazed with your inventiveness and building skills with every post ElMano. Going great!!

[ElMano]

Thanks VB, You did not to bad yourself whit the strat to i guess. After finished this i will start a Les Paul Neck true whit some special idea's i have for a while. The idea is also a No-budget project. Just as this one. All the wood i have use is from the scrapheap ore from the leftovers of a parquet shop ( beside the sawing machine ) I scored a Norwegian Pine-wood frame of an two sits. I dismantled it carefully, so i will see if it is gonna work out. I got myself a cracked neck Epiphone studio as donor for all the hard ware. Good Pickups, machineheads, trussrod, fretboard, bridge, stoptail, and so on ( cant wait to start it off 0

[ElMano]

Last Thursday i do some shaping and sanding And fix the cavity cover, Just a few spots and a first paint job, an some sanding again. this is the point where i need some help from my friends. I will tell you why. when i start the (first) model someone told me it was quit similar with the Lapsteel that has the name "The New Yorker"I can see why. But i didn't know of that thing at all. When start this (2e try) i keep follow the idea of the skyscraper. before i start with the finishing i want have the name on the headstock. Of course it must be the name of a famous ore similar building. not necessarily in New York. looking at Google i found the Woolworth building

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolworth_Building

But i think that there must be a building that can use the honer of named on my project So please help. in the meanwhile i will do the wiring, and start looking for some fine screw's Put in the shielding and some bits and pieces an thinking of a nice font to print the name. After that starts the biggest challenge off all ...... Playing on that thing
So when it is finished i am vary curios how it sounds. If it sounds well i will start an other project Building a les Paul Neck true of tropical wood and chambered body of orion pine with the top and back like the lapsteel covered i have a crashed Paul as donor for the hardware.

[Strummer07]

When I look at your Lap steel , Great construction btw... well done!!

I can only think of and see the Chrysler Building .............one of the most beautiful iconic buildings in NY .. real style !

[MikeJackal]

Wow amazing woodworking skills!
To me it looks more like a rocket, i'd call it Apollo I

[ElMano]

The lap steel is collecting dust while i was cruising France for 3 months When i was back home is had to do a lot of work in the house. I all so take care of my sons dog while he is to Italie with his wife and the grandchildren. So i have not so much time as i use to be, but i bought myself a nice Drill press and a band-saw machine. Soon as the lap steel is finished i start to build a Les Paul with some custom ideas i have. I collect all the stuff i need in the mean while. I have a donor Guitar (Epiphone les Paul). First i prepare the shack make a bigger working table, and give all the big tools a better place, and try to make the best of it in a the far to small place (is it not always to small for us man??) The junk removal was a kind of treasurer hunt So i when i finished i found some great stuff i collect together for an other project. Because i write a couple of songs myself it is more easy to sing them myself. I wanted a vintage blues sound that i could not found on a modern mic. At a flea market i found an old telefone I took out the speaker an put some things together to make it look old, No wood this time!. The sound is exact what i want. Tomorrow i try it at the practice. I let you know how it works.

Some pics

SP_A0147w.jpg (35.8 KiB) Viewed 10079 times

SP_A0147w.jpg (35.8 KiB) Viewed 10079 times

SP_A0147w.jpg (35.8 KiB) Viewed 10079 times

[HalfBlindLefty]

Looks fantastic ElMano.
Quite a buildjob I'd say

[Blindboy]

Sweet looking mic... Can't wait to hear what it sounds like.

[oneeyedslide]

Glad you're back! Awesome work on the mic too! Wanna hear it now.

[VikingBlues]

You keep amazing me with the way you can make all these things ElMano - how do you know all these things.

Looking forward to hearing the sounds - it looks great.