We Got Any Lap Steel Players Here?

[TSJMajesty]

Ed just mentioned a 'bender', and made me wonder this.

Just curious.

Or what about playing slide? Anyone?

Tell us about the music you play it in, what guitars (if slide)/amps/effects/etc.

 

[Stone]

@duzie is into slide guitar and technique of late

 

[norminal]

I play a little slide but never touched a lap steel or pedal steel. I would absolutely love to get one.

 

[la szum]

 

[bikescene]

I bought an 8 string lap steel from Rondo Music about 10-15 years ago when I was playing in an indie folk band. I didn’t take it seriously enough to get creative with the instrument. I probably only needed a 6 string model, since I reference transcriptions meant for 6-string C6 tuning.

I sometimes break it out and play an arrangement of Sleepwalk or early 20th century Hawaiian-sounding songs in a method book.

If I’m playing chords, I prefer to play it clean. I’ve mainly used Tweed cleans with it. Once in a while, I’ll play some overdriven stuff, but still stick to classic Fender-y gain voicings.

I remember seeing a guy on YouTube playing Vai on a lap steel and thought that was an interesting application. Here it is:

 

[Fishbulb]

I have a Chandler I bought years ago after falling deep into the alt-country well and seeing Chris Masterson do some really cool stuff with one during a Son Volt show, he may have been playing a Duesenberg with the palm benders. On the whole, it's way easier and more convenient to play slide on a regular guitar in a live setting for me personally, but I should probably get that Chandler out and work on some western swing licks!

For normal slide guitar I just use what I have going already anymore - I used to have a guitar set up with 11s or 12s at all times solely for slide, and would usually patch in a compressor pedal, but at this point I don't want to have to switch guitars so I just use whatever I'm playing into my normal setup. I'll usually have some overdrive or boost on and ride the volume knob so the sound is compressing some from that at least. You can sure spend a lot of money on a slide these days but I usually stick with a glass Dunlop 212 I've had for around 16 years, or a similar sized brass Planet Waves if I'm on acoustic maybe.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I've been meaning to get or make a lap steel for a long time now. I used to play slide guitar more when I was in a particular band around 2000-2005. I like medicine bottle type slide.