2016 Slide challenge: Octatonic's Lapsteel Build.

octatonic

So my slide-type thing build begins.

I'm going to do a neck through electric lap steel fairly close to the Weissenborn shape.

 

I'm going to shoot for something like this, although with a single pickup and a single volume and tone pot.

I'm using what I think is a piece of mahogany, or perhaps khaya- it was an offcut from the local timber yard.

The entire piece was £40 and I'm using about 1/3rd of what I have so I'm going to price this at £13.

I have a £5 piece of rosewood for the fingerboard.

A lot of my parts will be close to free as I have many old bits and pieces in the workshop- I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to use yet.

I might push the boat out a bit with some of the veneering and some of the details woods- I might put a flame maple cap on it- or use some of the figured walnut that I bought about a year ago.

I might make it as a solid body, or I might make it as a semi-hollow with an whole on the bass side.

We shall see.

 

I have a bit of snakewood and macassar ebony left over from a previous build that I'd like to incorporate- I will probably bind the fingerboard in one of them, or maybe some flame maple.

I haven't decided if I am going to do for a bridge- I might actually use an acoustic guitar bridge, just to be different (and because it will be basically free).

I've squared up one of the body blank pieces, ready to split up to create the wings for the body.

I next need to square up the neck blank and then glue the wings onto neck.

From there I can shape the body, which I will do on the router table using a hardboard half template that I need to make.

paulnb57

Cool!

mgaw

brilliant would love to see pics throughout the build @octatonic as i have one of these waiting in the wings (ebay bargain a couple of years ago)     

https://www.lollarguitars.com/blog/2010/08/lollar-horseshoe-pickups-available-very-limited-quantity/

Winny_Pooh

I play an old modded mahogany Supro and would only recommend that you make the wings smaller and try and keep the size down. Bigger Weissenborn shape (like the Ashers) sliders are heavy and look better than they feel. Plus I can fit mine into a gun bag which makes it very portable.

Looking forward so see what you do.

http://i.imgur.com/hUpkjtS.jpg

marktheharp

Watching this, excitedly

JookyChap

Duly bookmarked

(I know, don't call you duly)