Airline Lap Steel Guitar Serial Numbers
I snagged an old Airline lap steel today, mostly because I think lap steels sound cool and this one was local. Now I'm wondering what the best way to go about learning it will be. I'm not a hotshot guitarist where things seem to come easily, but I would at least like to try to learn how to play this a little bit in a proper manner. The guy I bought it from just used standard open E with flatwounds but from the little research I did before buying the guitar it seems that C6 is the norm for a six-string lap steel. Would this be the best way to start out on it and what do you guys think is the easiest way to go about learning it?
Is there a 'bible' or anything? 1) Pick a tuning.
Open E, C7, E9, whatever. Just pick something to start. Open (D E A G) trend blues, C7 comes from Hawaiian, and E9 is considered a honkytonk tuning, but you can do many things in many tunings. 2) Play to a CD or a friend or something.
If you're a guitarist, intonation is probably something to do with a screwdriver when you change string gauges. For a steel guitarist, it's something you control with the bar, and you likely don't have it together yet. I know I didn't when I got started. I've got quite a few lap steels.
Brads page of steel (mentioned earlier) is a great reference. Also, go to Youtube and look up lap steel - 'm sure there's lota to see there. Check out the playing of david Lindley (one of my main inspirations). Most of his stuff is in Open E.
Dating Valco Instruments. The most effective way to date a Valco guitar or amp is by its serial number. From the '40s until 1964, the serial could be found stamped into a small metal plate that was tacked onto the back of the headstock or the back of the cabinet. From 1964-1968, the serial was ink-stamped onto a silver foil.
For strings, I go for regular round wounds. You just have to mute them behind the slide bar. I favor the Stevens Bar with the rounded bullet end, so you can do single string slides as well as full chords. When buy strings, I get the sets for 7-string guitar with the high string being either an 009 or 010.
I'll use the six heavier strings for the lap steel, then have an extra 009/010 for any other electric guitar that might break a string. Lesson one - intonation is most critical. Tune to Open E, and then get a 'feel' for where the bar 'should be' for each fret. Play the chord, strum all of the strings, and make sure what you hear is every string where it should be. Practice up and down the neck. Once you get that, then practice sliding up-to correct pitch, then practice sliding down to correct pitch for each chord.
I got a lap steel about 3 years ago, tried every 6 string tuning under the radar, and a few of my own invention. Telecharger Patch Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge Ps3 Release. if you are going for blues or rock, the open E is a great place to start,, country/honky tonk.an E9/7 works good- low to high strings D, E G#, B, E, G# (based on Ralph Mooney's E9) and for hawaiin-swing -early country lap, the C6 is great. A volume pedal gets you some good transitions and effects.the Key and this is really it, spend a few days finding a tuning you like, and stick with it. Learn how to bend the strings behind the steel bar, this opens up lots of doors, let her rip and.enjoy! I got a lap steel about 3 years ago, tried every 6 string tuning under the radar, and a few of my own invention.if you are going for blues or rock, the open E is a great place to start,, country/honky tonk.an E9/7 works good- low to high strings D, E G#, B, E, G# (based on Ralph Mooney's E9) and for hawaiin-swing -early country lap, the C6 is great. A volume pedal gets you some good transitions and effects.the Key and this is really it, spend a few days finding a tuning you like, and stick with it.
Learn how to bend the strings behind the steel bar, this opens up lots of doors, let her rip and. Driver De Zte V8110. enjoy! What style or type of music are you interested in playing? I could reccomend some learning material depending on that.
Lap steels can be simple or as complex as any instrument. Listen to what Jerry Byrd did with one, or Joaquin Murphy.amazing stuff. Jerry: Yes, you COULD just tune it to an open chord and 'go' as some say, and wank away and slide up and down with some heavily overdriven tunes in a wannabee bottleneck rock/blues 12 bar progression.OR you COULD explore the rich history of the instrument, the many tunings, the role it had in early western swing and country music, the huge and beautiful cannon of Hawaiian music and learn to really play it. Unfortunately most people choose the first option, untill they get bored and then tuck the instrument away in a closet for eight years.