buying vintage lap steel

You can get a new starter 6 string lap for under $100 or a double 6
for around $150. Both are always on Ebay. I would suggest this to see
how you do. The quality is basic but you can learn just as well as on
a $400-500 instrument. This way, if you decide it's not for you, no
big investment.

Joe

2008-12-04 01:29:37 UTC

Post by r***@verizon.net
You can get a new starter 6 string lap for under $100 or a double 6
for around $150. Both are always on Ebay. I would suggest this to see
how you do. The quality is basic but you can learn just as well as on
a $400-500 instrument. This way, if you decide it's not for you, no
big investment.

r***@verizon.net

2008-12-04 01:46:18 UTC

You can get a nice sounding lap for $200-300 on Ebay. Another route is
to join the steelguitarforum for $5 and post in wanted. Members always
have something to sell. Good luck.

ron

olddog

2008-12-04 01:52:25 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.

===============================================

I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.

National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.

If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.

There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you know a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 - $175 to
repair.

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-04 16:33:30 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you know a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 - $175 to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?

I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)

retired54

2008-12-04 18:00:02 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you know a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 - $175 to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?

I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)

========================================================
IMHO

look on eBay for lap steel and keep watching. eventually you'll see one you
like. post it here and we'll let you know what we think.

valco, under several names (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney, Bronson,
Oahu and others), made allot of the older steels that are pretty popular for
their hot pups and solid construction.

most of them look like this. all the p/u configurations are the same except
some have cover amd others don't

http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-VINTAGE-SUPRO-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ290278827634QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item290278827634&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-LAP-STEEL-6-STRING-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ330290005087QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item330290005087&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

Look for older fender's too but they usually get pretty high in price

http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-FENDER-CHAMP-CHAMPION-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ200282558178QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item200282558178&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:2|294:50

The newer chinese made fender lap steels are NOT the same

You could get lucky and find a Fender, Rickenbacker or even a Gibson cheap.

The ones I'd stay away from are the Artisian, Gretch (newer ones), Morrell
(but some of the more expensive models maybe okay). If you watch them on
eBay for awhile you learn quite a bit about them.

Just my 2 cents. I'm just a novice like you really!

Olddog

Tony Done

2008-12-04 21:22:46 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you know a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 - $175 to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?
I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)
========================================================
IMHO
look on eBay for lap steel and keep watching. eventually you'll see one you
like. post it here and we'll let you know what we think.
valco, under several names (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney, Bronson,
Oahu and others), made allot of the older steels that are pretty popular for
their hot pups and solid construction.
most of them look like this. all the p/u configurations are the same except
some have cover amd others don't
http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-VINTAGE-SUPRO-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ29027...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-LAP-STEEL-6-STRING-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ33029...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
Look for older fender's too but they usually get pretty high in price
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-FENDER-CHAMP-CHAMPION-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-NO-RE...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:2|294:50
The newer chinese made fender lap steels are NOT the same
You could get lucky and find a Fender, Rickenbacker or even a Gibson cheap.
The ones I'd stay away from are the Artisian, Gretch (newer ones), Morrell
(but some of the more expensive models maybe okay). If you watch them on
eBay for awhile you learn quite a bit about them.
Just my 2 cents. I'm just a novice like you really!
Olddog- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

I'll second the Valco suggestion, I've got two, a National Chicagoan
and a Bronson Singing Steel. With all their different brand names, you
need to be able to recognise that distinctive "string-through" pickup,
even when it has a cover over it.

A common problem is that, because of the way the pickups are made, the
pickup pole pieces corrode and freeze. Both mine had this problem.
This is fine if the pole pieces are well adjusted, but not so good if
they aren't. In the end I bit the bullet and successfully pulled the
frozen pole pieces on both my Valcos. A bit tricky, but all you need
is a pair of vise grips, hacksaw, file, WD40, 8*32 screws, suitable
screwdrivers and a small amount of (candle or bees) wax. I can explain
in detail how to do it.

Tony D

retired54

2008-12-04 22:08:51 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you
know
a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 -
$175
to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?
I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)
========================================================
IMHO
look on eBay for lap steel and keep watching. eventually you'll see one you
like. post it here and we'll let you know what we think.
valco, under several names (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney, Bronson,
Oahu and others), made allot of the older steels that are pretty popular for
their hot pups and solid construction.
most of them look like this. all the p/u configurations are the same except
some have cover amd others don't
http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-VINTAGE-SUPRO-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ29027...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-LAP-STEEL-6-STRING-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ33029...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
Look for older fender's too but they usually get pretty high in price
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-FENDER-CHAMP-CHAMPION-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-NO-RE...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:2|294:50
The newer chinese made fender lap steels are NOT the same
You could get lucky and find a Fender, Rickenbacker or even a Gibson cheap.
The ones I'd stay away from are the Artisian, Gretch (newer ones), Morrell
(but some of the more expensive models maybe okay). If you watch them on
eBay for awhile you learn quite a bit about them.
Just my 2 cents. I'm just a novice like you really!
Olddog- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Joe

2008-12-07 14:53:08 UTC

Post by Tony Done
A common problem is that, because of the way the pickups are made, the
pickup pole pieces corrode and freeze. Both mine had this problem.
This is fine if the pole pieces are well adjusted, but not so good if
they aren't. In the end I bit the bullet and successfully pulled the
frozen pole pieces on both my Valcos. A bit tricky, but all you need
is a pair of vise grips, hacksaw, file, WD40, 8*32 screws, suitable
screwdrivers and a small amount of (candle or bees) wax. I can explain
in detail how to do it.
Tony D

olddog

2008-12-07 15:25:33 UTC

I found a Supro that is described as in "mint" condition. It looks
very well cared for. But it hasnt been played in many years, the
current owner dooesnt play but heard it played when he was younger.
Would I be taking a huge chance on something like this? Or is it
likely to be fine? I realize there is no guarantee of course...just
wondering about odds.

I dont even know what a pole piece is...;-) But I do have WD-40 and a
hacksaw. :-)

===================================================

Good.

If it plays fine don't worry about the pole pieces. Usually there is no
reason to mess with them.

If it's on eBay I'd ask the seller. "Has the guitar been tested and does it
work?"

If not, like I said, you're looking at anywhere between $80 to $260 in
repairs. New strings $7.50, Tuning buttons $30 to $40 or $75 to replace
tuners and, depending on who does it, about $100 to $150 to get the pickup
rewound. I est. high on the pickup. I got mine rewound for about $75 but
they only did one side and I got it done locally. There are some guys on the
internet that specialize in these pickups but the one I saw was pricey.

If its an old one look carefully at the tuning "buttons". Or knobs. The
older ones from the 50's degrade and always have to be replaced or repaired.
Just the buttons can be replaced but I found it almost as cheap to replace
them with quality in-line tuners. I replaced mine on my own. I got my tuners
from a local shop.

Other than that, If the guitar works you should be good to go. You may have
to replace the cable. Most of the Supros are hard wired (the real old ones)
or have a oldstyle screw on connector that you want to keep. Don't let
anyone modify it to a 1/4" jack. Some music stores carry these types of
cables but they are pretty difficult to find. The connectors are available
on the internet. If it's real old, and the cable looks ratty, you're going
to have to replace the cable. You can use the old connector but the cables
just wear out.

the cables usually look like this

Loading Image...

the adaptors you can get look like this

Loading Image...

But I just repaired my cable myself. A bit tricky but Tony or I can help it
if you have a soldering iron.

Olddog

olddog

2008-12-07 15:50:05 UTC

You know......as a side note.

Since it sounds like you're getting ready to pull the trigger on this. A
little warning:

Lap steel is HARD to play well. I've been a musician all my life and I can
play guitar reasonably well. I have yet to produce anything on my Supro that
I'd be proud to post on the internet. That being said, I've only been at it
for about a year. I have found my square neck Dobro much easier to get a
decent sound out of.

Slide guitar is VERY unforgiving. If you screw up, or just don't hit the
note right, it can sound horrible and worse than amateurish.

I always remember a interview with Duane Allman where he said when he was
learning to play slide, when he would bring out his slide, the band would
collectively moan.

Buying and repairing your lap steel will be, by far, the easiest part of
this adventure. If you are a beginner, be prepared to devote hours and
hours, day after day, year after year to practice if you want to be any good
at lap steel. It's not "Guitar Hero".

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-07 17:39:00 UTC

Post by olddog
You know......as a side note.
Since it sounds like you're getting ready to pull the trigger on this. A
Lap steel is HARD to play well. I've been a musician all my life and I can
play guitar reasonably well. I have yet to produce anything on my Supro that
I'd be proud to post on the internet. That being said, I've only been at it
for about a year. I have found my square neck Dobro much easier to get a
decent sound out of.
Slide guitar is VERY unforgiving. If you screw up, or just don't hit the
note right, it can sound horrible and worse than amateurish.
I always remember a interview with Duane Allman where he said when he was
learning to play slide, when he would bring out his slide, the band would
collectively moan.
Buying and repairing your lap steel will be, by far, the easiest part of
this adventure. If you are a beginner, be prepared to devote hours and
hours, day after day, year after year to practice if you want to be any good
at lap steel. It's not "Guitar Hero".
Olddog

olddog

2008-12-07 18:09:06 UTC

Ah thanks for the reality check. Its pretty much what I expected. I'm
amateurish at acoustic guitar and I've only been playing for 5 years
(starting 25 years too late-people probably moan when I bring out my
acoustic) so I will probably be somewhere between awful and truly
sucky on lap steel. Thats OK. Its just for fun. And most importantly I
live alone with no close neighbors. :-) If I can learn a few simple
licks I will be happy.

If you post something, maybe you can post an abbreviated clip as well.
I'm on dialup. I'm sure you will sound like a seasoned pro to me.

===========================================

It is allot of fun.

I'm limited to playing slide almost exclusively now due to wrist problems. I
can pick a little rhythm guitar and bass but after 10 years of data entry
and guitar practice I lost strength in my left hand and I get sloppy. Too
sloppy to play lead anyway.

25 is definitely not too old IMHO. 20 was about when I started playing
guitar. I could of been allot better but my wrist started giving me trouble
and they won't operate because there isn't any loss of nerve activity. Pain
they don't care about!

If you have a good lap steel player in your area get him to show you some
tricks. I'm trying to find a good Dobro instructor here but I usually learn
stuff on my own better. I picked up a bunch if instructional material when
we passed through Nashville this summer and I'm working through it.

Ahh....no neighbors...explains the dial-up. That's a trade off I'd make!

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-07 20:56:12 UTC

Ah thanks for the reality check. Its pretty much what I expected. I'm
amateurish at acoustic guitar and I've only been playing for 5 years
(starting 25 years too late-people probably moan when I bring out my
acoustic) so I will probably be somewhere between awful and truly
sucky on lap steel. Thats OK. Its just for fun. And most importantly I
live alone with no close neighbors. :-) If I can learn a few simple
licks I will be happy.
If you post something, maybe you can post an abbreviated clip as well.
I'm on dialup. I'm sure you will sound like a seasoned pro to me.
===========================================
It is allot of fun.
I'm limited to playing slide almost exclusively now due to wrist problems. I
can pick a little rhythm guitar and bass but after 10 years of data entry
and guitar practice I lost strength in my left hand and I get sloppy. Too
sloppy to play lead anyway.
25 is definitely not too old IMHO. 20 was about when I started playing
guitar. I could of been allot better but my wrist started giving me trouble
and they won't operate because there isn't any loss of nerve activity. Pain
they don't care about!
If you have a good lap steel player in your area get him to show you some
tricks. I'm trying to find a good Dobro instructor here but I usually learn
stuff on my own better. I picked up a bunch if instructional material when
we passed through Nashville this summer and I'm working through it.
Ahh....no neighbors...explains the dial-up. That's a trade off I'd make!
Olddog

Nono, I started 25 years too late, I'm not 25. I wish. I sing, write
songs, play banjo, guitar, harmonica but I never touched an
instrument until I was in my 40s. I have no expectations (or talent,
except *maybe* at writing), I just want to play. Maybe it will become
like the dulcimer I played twice and never touched again. Maybe it
will become my favorite instrument. Maybe it will become the first
instrument I actually get good at. Maybe not.

At any rate I'm the proud new owner of a VGC Monkey Wards Airline born
in the early 60s like me. Cant wait for it to get here.

Now I need some instructional material. New thread....

olddog

2008-12-07 21:34:17 UTC

Ah thanks for the reality check. Its pretty much what I expected. I'm
amateurish at acoustic guitar and I've only been playing for 5 years
(starting 25 years too late-people probably moan when I bring out my
acoustic) so I will probably be somewhere between awful and truly
sucky on lap steel. Thats OK. Its just for fun. And most importantly I
live alone with no close neighbors. :-) If I can learn a few simple
licks I will be happy.
If you post something, maybe you can post an abbreviated clip as well.
I'm on dialup. I'm sure you will sound like a seasoned pro to me.
===========================================
It is allot of fun.
I'm limited to playing slide almost exclusively now due to wrist problems. I
can pick a little rhythm guitar and bass but after 10 years of data entry
and guitar practice I lost strength in my left hand and I get sloppy. Too
sloppy to play lead anyway.
25 is definitely not too old IMHO. 20 was about when I started playing
guitar. I could of been allot better but my wrist started giving me
trouble
and they won't operate because there isn't any loss of nerve activity. Pain
they don't care about!
If you have a good lap steel player in your area get him to show you some
tricks. I'm trying to find a good Dobro instructor here but I usually learn
stuff on my own better. I picked up a bunch if instructional material when
we passed through Nashville this summer and I'm working through it.
Ahh....no neighbors...explains the dial-up. That's a trade off I'd make!
Olddog

Tony Done

2008-12-10 21:40:02 UTC

Ah thanks for the reality check. Its pretty much what I expected. I'm
amateurish at acoustic guitar and I've only been playing for 5 years
(starting 25 years too late-people probably moan when I bring out my
acoustic) so I will probably be somewhere between awful and truly
sucky on lap steel. Thats OK. Its just for fun. And most importantly I
live alone with no close neighbors. :-) If I can learn a few simple
licks I will be happy.
If you post something, maybe you can post an abbreviated clip as well.
I'm on dialup. I'm sure you will sound like a seasoned pro to me.
===========================================
It is allot of fun.
I'm limited to playing slide almost exclusively now due to wrist problems. I
can pick a little rhythm guitar and bass but after 10 years of data entry
and guitar practice I lost strength in my left hand and I get sloppy. Too
sloppy to play lead anyway.
25 is definitely not too old IMHO. 20 was about when I started playing
guitar. I could of been allot better but my wrist started giving me trouble
and they won't operate because there isn't any loss of nerve activity. Pain
they don't care about!
If you have a good lap steel player in your area get him to show you some
tricks. I'm trying to find a good Dobro instructor here but I usually learn
stuff on my own better. I picked up a bunch if instructional material when
we passed through Nashville this summer and I'm working through it.
Ahh....no neighbors...explains the dial-up. That's a trade off I'd make!
Olddog- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Interesting that you should have got into lap steel because of
physical problems, it is just what I have been advocating for a few
year now, as a partial fix for age-related problems. It is one of the
reasons I keep at it - I see it as retirement insurance.

It certainly isn't an easy instrument to play well (I only put myself
in the late-beginner stage), but it is very easy to make pleasant
noises from the word go. This means that a beginner doesn't get
discouraged by lack of progress. I'm tending to play the electric lap
steel the same way as I play acoustic lap steel (which, FWIW, I don't
think is anything like an optimum approach), and most of my learning
is done by listening to recordings, often off Youtube. I record into a
sound editing progam like Audacity freeware (I use Cool Edit Pro). You
can then slow it down, change key, do loops to identify single notes
etc - essential IMO for some of the fast dobro hammer and pull stuff.

The piece that really got me into lap steel, after a a decade or so of
playing Spanish-position slide was Kelly Joe Phelps "Goodnight Irene",
with its clever jazz-like sounds using of implied chords. These days
I'm working mostly on dobro licks and trying to get good minor sounds
out of major tunings.

Tony D

Joe

2008-12-05 01:46:52 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you know a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 - $175 to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?
I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)
========================================================
IMHO
look on eBay for lap steel and keep watching. eventually you'll see one you
like. post it here and we'll let you know what we think.
valco, under several names (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney, Bronson,
Oahu and others), made allot of the older steels that are pretty popular for
their hot pups and solid construction.
most of them look like this. all the p/u configurations are the same except
some have cover amd others don't
http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-VINTAGE-SUPRO-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ29027...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-LAP-STEEL-6-STRING-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ33029...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
Look for older fender's too but they usually get pretty high in price
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-FENDER-CHAMP-CHAMPION-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-NO-RE...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:2|294:50
The newer chinese made fender lap steels are NOT the same
You could get lucky and find a Fender, Rickenbacker or even a Gibson cheap.
The ones I'd stay away from are the Artisian, Gretch (newer ones), Morrell
(but some of the more expensive models maybe okay). If you watch them on
eBay for awhile you learn quite a bit about them.
Just my 2 cents. I'm just a novice like you really!
Olddog

olddog

2008-12-05 02:22:30 UTC

Thanks for the reply. I like old stuff, so I think I'm more likely to
play one. Plus I presume they resell better than a new cheaper one
too. That is my preference anyway, I dont mind spending a bit more at
first though I'd rather keep it as inexpensive as possible. My friend
got his double 8 for $200 at a garage sale. I may not be able to do
quite as well as he did.
===============================================
I'd say that National Double 8 for $200 is more of the exception than the
rule.
National's tend to fetch a pretty high price on eBay but you maybe able to
find a 6 string lap national on eBay in your price range.
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.
There are plenty of 6 string Valco's (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney,
Bronson, etc...) available at that price. Usually around $300. I got my
Supro for around that price. Make sure the item is working unless you
know
a
good guitar restorer. ( I got lucky with mine and it cost about $125 to fix)
There isn't much to fix but unless you know someone. Real old ones (< 1950)
almost always need pickups rewound and new tuning pegs. About $125 -
$175
to
repair.
Olddog

Are all brands created equal, or are some more equal than others?
I hadnt given the 6 vs 8 string much thought. I suppose even 6 is
about 5 too many for a beginner. :-)
========================================================
IMHO
look on eBay for lap steel and keep watching. eventually you'll see one you
like. post it here and we'll let you know what we think.
valco, under several names (Airline, Supro, National, McKinney, Bronson,
Oahu and others), made allot of the older steels that are pretty popular for
their hot pups and solid construction.
most of them look like this. all the p/u configurations are the same except
some have cover amd others don't
http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-VINTAGE-SUPRO-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ29027...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-LAP-STEEL-6-STRING-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ33029...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50
Look for older fender's too but they usually get pretty high in price
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-FENDER-CHAMP-CHAMPION-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-NO-RE...66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:2|294:50
The newer chinese made fender lap steels are NOT the same
You could get lucky and find a Fender, Rickenbacker or even a Gibson cheap.
The ones I'd stay away from are the Artisian, Gretch (newer ones), Morrell
(but some of the more expensive models maybe okay). If you watch them on
eBay for awhile you learn quite a bit about them.
Just my 2 cents. I'm just a novice like you really!
Olddog

Thanks.

That Fender didnt even sell. How come? Kinda ugly, but it had to be
worth $50 bucks.

I had been looking at that National for a couple days. $50 to ship is
criminal. But if it stays low I may bid, its kinda cool. I know of an
Airliner I can probably pick up for $200 or so offline. I've really
got my eye on another one though, but it may go out of my price range
and I dont want to draw attention to it.

I'm fond of Gibson acoustics, but the BR-9s that seem common are ugly
to me. They look like a 1950s kitchen appliance.

==================================================

Someone might have offered that guy a buy-it-now on the Fender. Believe me
it wasn't going to stay at $50 long.

I didn't notice the shipping. That is high .

Do you mean Airline? - I think that was the old Sears catalog brand. Some of
them were made by valco. You can tell by looking at the pickup.

Might be a good idea to keep it secret. I don't know if there are many
lurkers here.

Those BR's kind of look like toys. I think the BR stands for Beginner. They
usually get a decent price. Too high for me anyway.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out. You might check out some garage
sales like your friend did. Sounds like he made out pretty good. I've been
thinking about going to some estate sales.

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-05 16:49:00 UTC

Post by retired54
==================================================
Someone might have offered that guy a buy-it-now on the Fender. Believe me
it wasn't going to stay at $50 long.
I didn't notice the shipping. That is high .
Do you mean Airline? - I think that was the old Sears catalog brand. Some of
them were made by valco. You can tell by looking at the pickup.
Might be a good idea to keep it secret. I don't know if there are many
lurkers here.
Those BR's kind of look like toys. I think the BR stands for Beginner. They
usually get a decent price. Too high for me anyway.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out. You might check out some garage
sales like your friend did. Sounds like he made out pretty good. I've been
thinking about going to some estate sales.
Olddog

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.

Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....

retired54

2008-12-05 17:10:04 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....

Oh...I'm sure Tony will have some comments.

I use a wide range of amps/recorders and cabinets. Typically a pro slide
player uses a amp with a 15" speaker but those setups are pricey and
probably not necessary for a beginner.

I get good results with my

Laney LC15R 12" Vintage 30

Fender Hotrod Deluxe (probably the best sound)

Gilmore JR through a 12" Vintage 30

I also use a Boss 1600cd (recorder) with Roland Monitors. But that can run
you about $3000 +.

Your Tascam might work well with a set of good monitors. I like Roland Micro
Monitors. That's what I use on my computer. Roland has gone straight digital
with their monitors but they usually have analog inputs too. ( I think)

If you have good computer monitors you could use a Toneport or GuitarPort
from line 6. TonePort (I think) comes with recording s/w.

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-05 18:16:25 UTC

Post by retired54

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....

Oh...I'm sure Tony will have some comments.
I use a wide range of amps/recorders and cabinets. Typically a pro slide
player uses a amp with a 15" speaker but those setups are pricey and
probably not necessary for a beginner.
I get good results with my
Laney LC15R 12" Vintage 30
Fender Hotrod Deluxe (probably the best sound)
Gilmore JR through a 12" Vintage 30
I also use a Boss 1600cd (recorder) with Roland Monitors. But that can run
you about $3000 +.
Your Tascam might work well with a set of good monitors. I like Roland Micro
Monitors. That's what I use on my computer. Roland has gone straight digital
with their monitors but they usually have analog inputs too. ( I think)
If you have good computer monitors you could use a Toneport or GuitarPort
from line 6. TonePort (I think) comes with recording s/w.
Olddog

Yikes, are you joking? Those are gonna cost more than the guit?!

retired54

2008-12-05 18:53:16 UTC

Post by retired54

Post by retired54
==================================================
Someone might have offered that guy a buy-it-now on the Fender. Believe me
it wasn't going to stay at $50 long.
I didn't notice the shipping. That is high .
Do you mean Airline? - I think that was the old Sears catalog brand.
Some
of
them were made by valco. You can tell by looking at the pickup.
Might be a good idea to keep it secret. I don't know if there are many
lurkers here.
Those BR's kind of look like toys. I think the BR stands for Beginner. They
usually get a decent price. Too high for me anyway.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out. You might check out some garage
sales like your friend did. Sounds like he made out pretty good. I've been
thinking about going to some estate sales.
Olddog

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....

Oh...I'm sure Tony will have some comments.
I use a wide range of amps/recorders and cabinets. Typically a pro slide
player uses a amp with a 15" speaker but those setups are pricey and
probably not necessary for a beginner.
I get good results with my
Laney LC15R 12" Vintage 30
Fender Hotrod Deluxe (probably the best sound)
Gilmore JR through a 12" Vintage 30
I also use a Boss 1600cd (recorder) with Roland Monitors. But that can run
you about $3000 +.
Your Tascam might work well with a set of good monitors. I like Roland Micro
Monitors. That's what I use on my computer. Roland has gone straight digital
with their monitors but they usually have analog inputs too. ( I think)
If you have good computer monitors you could use a Toneport or GuitarPort
from line 6. TonePort (I think) comes with recording s/w.
Olddog

Yikes, are you joking? Those are gonna cost more than the guit?!

============================================================

Well tube amps aren't cheap. You could just pickup a cheap solid state
practice amp. There are plenty available

Check Musician's Friend for solid state amps

Small tube amps start at about $300 unless you go with the Epi Valve JR.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Valve-Junior-Combo-Amp?sku=480260

They are going up in price! Real popular with modders

Small practice solid state amp start at about $60. A good thing about SS
amps is they usually have headphone jacks.

Or you could just go the computer/recorder ---> monitor option. GuitarPorts
start at $99 but you need good monitors.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-GuitarPort-XT-Guitar-Effects-Processing?sku=150447

I bought a GP years ago and used it for years with my Roland Micro Monitors
with good results but when I upgraded to Vista I started having driver
problems so I just took it off. But for years it served me well. Roland
stopped selling the Micro Monitors but they sell small monitors for
computers. The monitors I have on my recorder cost about $600 each but
that's NOT necessary. I bought those when I was working and flush with cash.
;-)

I'm sure Tony will have some suggestions. If it was for a elec guitar (and
you wanted a cheap practice amp) I'd try the Roland Micro Cube or the Vox
Pathfinder but since it's for slide I'm not so sure. See what Tony says.

Olddog

Tony Done

2008-12-05 19:25:00 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.

You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.

I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.

Tony D

retired54

2008-12-05 19:43:14 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Tony Done

2008-12-05 20:18:31 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....-
Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.
You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.
I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.
==================================================
replace H&H with H&K and Joe with Olddog. ;-)
Must be very early or very late in your neck of the woods.
I love the sound of all my amps with my valco but the Laney and the Fender
have lots of headroom. I prefer the Eminence over the Celestion speaker.
I'm surprised you didn't get the H&K statesman with the 6l6's
Olddog- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Oops sorry, it was about 5:00am when I posted that. The EL84 version
was what the shop had in, and I like the class A, single ended sound,
very sweet. I wasn't looking for loud, because if need be I can always
use it in tandem with the Blues Deluxe, and any bigger than that I
would go to PA reinforcement. I wasn't my first choice, the first amp
I brought home was a Mesa 525 Express. Killer sound, but too much
noise in the clean channel. I took it to my repair wiz mate and got
him to have a look at it. He fiddled with it for a couple of days, but
said it wasn't easily fixed, so I took it back and exchanged it for
the H&K.

Another amp I like is the Fender Twin and its relatives, but I'm not
into lugging around heavy combos, my neck is already a mess.

Tony D

Joe

2008-12-05 23:50:38 UTC

My friend had a little old 10 or 12" Fender amp/speaker hooked up to
his National. Dont know what kind it was (probably 70s vintage if I
know him) an didnt really get to see what it could do because there
was a house full of people who werent really into 2 guys who dont know
what they're doing on slide, doing it at high volume.
Anyway I dont think I need much volume to start, so I'll shop around
for a deal on a small tube amp/speaker while I use my Tascam-

receiver-->stereo speaker.

This is a valco "string through" pickup

Loading Image...

So anything with that basic style of pup is probably decent sounding?
What other pups are good?
And uh...what exactly does "scream" mean? Does that refer only to
volume or does it have tonal implications? Sorry, I've only had
acoustics in the past, all this is new to me.

Tony Done

2008-12-06 00:28:34 UTC

Post by Joe
My friend had a little old 10 or 12" Fender amp/speaker hooked up to
his National. Dont know what kind it was (probably 70s vintage if I
know him) an didnt really get to see what it could do because there
was a house full of people who werent really into 2 guys who dont know
what they're doing on slide, doing it at high volume.
Anyway I dont think I need much volume to start, so I'll shop around
for a deal on a small tube amp/speaker while I use my Tascam-

receiver-->stereo speaker.

This is a valco "string through" pickup
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/2886558017_ab07e74bb9.jpg?v=0
So anything with that basic style of pup is probably decent sounding?
What other pups are good?
And uh...what exactly does "scream" mean? Does that refer only to
volume or does it have tonal implications? Sorry, I've only had
acoustics in the past, all this is new to me.

olddog

2008-12-06 01:50:46 UTC

receiver-->stereo speaker.

That's the Valco pickup, and I would take a chance on any guitar with
one of those. You can see the screws at each side that hold the cover
in place. Ry Cooder put one of those in a Strat. The other that I
know is good is the Rickenbacker (Richenbacher) horseshoe, but some
modern ones are fakes - they don't use genuine hard steel horseshoe
magnets. The Fender mousetrap string-through pickups also have a good
reputation, but I've never tried one. The modern ones of these are
also fakes, they don't have the two coils like the originals did.

In modern pickups I like P90s, these are big flat single coils with
adjustable pole pieces and a plastic, not metal, cover.

I've never been sure what "screaming" is supposed to mean, but it
doesn't sound that desirable to me. I reckon that what you look for is
something that still sounds pleasant in the very high registers, a
combination of poor pickup and poor amp can sound pretty bad up there.

I think you are right not to go for loud, a big amp with a high
wattage speaker doesn't sound particularly good when turned right
down. Do a bit of research on small tube amps, alt.guitar would be a
good place to enquire. The Epi VJ is sure to come up, but there might
be others.

Tony D

=============================================

Didn't they used to sell those VJ heads for $99? Now they want $200 for the
combo.

$250 for the stack....Still a pretty decent price

Blackheart is another cheap tube amp people seem to like.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blackheart-BH5H-Little-Giant-5W-120V-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Head?sku=483077

OTOH: I went with the Gilmore JR and absolutely love it. 1/2 screaming watt
(whatever that means ;-)

It's a beautiful sounding little amp. Pure tube heaven. Not many people know
about them because you have to assemble them yourself.

http://www.gerhartamps.com/gilmorejr/gilmorejr_order.htm

Richard Gerhart hangs around ag. The guy from Guytronix walked me through
the process. Sweet sounding with the Supro!

Olddog

Joe

2008-12-08 07:04:59 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.
You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.
I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.
Tony D

I can get a used Epi VJ w/Teslas (I've gleaned that is a different
tube), and a Peavey Valve King112, both local. The former is less
than half the price. I can probably finagle them down to 250 on the
Peavey if its worth the effort. Not sure if I will though, but would
the Peavey be a good amp? I'm clueless

Tony Done

2008-12-08 21:38:17 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.
You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.
I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.
Tony D

Well, Peavey has a good reputation and it is a tube amp, one of their
Chinese made ones. My mate had one in his store and it didn't stay
there for long. It could be a good amp, I would do some Googling to
find some reviews ("Peavey Valve King 112 review"), eg Harmony
Central:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Peavey/Valveking+112+Combo/10/1

Or here:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/guitar_amplifiers/peavey/valve_king_112/index.html

HTH

Tony D

Joe

2008-12-08 22:24:04 UTC

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.
You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.
I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.
Tony D

Well, Peavey has a good reputation and it is a tube amp, one of their
Chinese made ones. My mate had one in his store and it didn't stay
there for long. It could be a good amp, I would do some Googling to
find some reviews ("Peavey Valve King 112 review"), eg Harmony
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Peavey/...
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/guitar_amplifiers/peavey/valve...
HTH
Tony D

Tony Done

2008-12-09 06:48:07 UTC

Post by retired54
==================================================
Someone might have offered that guy a buy-it-now on the Fender. Believe me
it wasn't going to stay at $50 long.
I didn't notice the shipping. That is high .
Do you mean Airline? - I think that was the old Sears catalog
brand. Some of
them were made by valco. You can tell by looking at the pickup.
Might be a good idea to keep it secret. I don't know if there are many
lurkers here.
Those BR's kind of look like toys. I think the BR stands for Beginner. They
usually get a decent price. Too high for me anyway.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out. You might check out some garage
sales like your friend did. Sounds like he made out pretty good. I've been
thinking about going to some estate sales.
Olddog

Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look. But now
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now. I hope to snag
something in the next few days.
Looking ahead, what kind of amp will I need? I know nothing about
amps. I think can play it through my Tascam recorder and stereo
receiver at home, but if I bring it anywhere I will need
something....- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

As Joe said, lap and pedal stealers tend to go for big clean tube
amps, and they aren't cheap. This gives them a clean crisp sound even
at high volume, because they have a lot of headroom. To get in the
right frame of mind, you have to think of the amp and guitar combined
as the musical instrument, that the amp isn't just something to make
the guitar louder.I have an Epi Valve Junior that I think is one of
the great all-time bargains in amps, and I think there are a number of
other small inexpensive tube amps out more recently that are similar.
My current lounge room amp is an H&H Dual EL84 Statesman, and my gig/
practice amp is an old Fender Blues Deluxe. These are all tube amps,
and serve for electric, lap steel and acoustic. I use them clean only
and put pedal in front of them for effects.
You sometimes also see the littlle vintage amps for sale that
originally came with these "student" lap steels. The Epi VJ is about
as close as you will get to the spirirt of these originals, cheap and
good, and as Joe said, they can very easily be modded. They aren't PTP
wired, but the printed circuit board is big with plenty of space
between the components. Mine has an L-pad fiited to reduce the output
so that I can get overdriven sounds at lounge room levels. Another
popular mod is to add a tone control or "bright switch", also very
easy to do. A more expensive mod is a better speaker, but again no big
deal compared with the user value of these amps.
I got my Valco National Chicagoan out last night and reminded myself
how sweet it sounds just straight into the clean channel of the H&K,
though a set of replacement tuners wouldn't go amiss.
Tony D

Well, Peavey has a good reputation and it is a tube amp, one of their
Chinese made ones. My mate had one in his store and it didn't stay
there for long. It could be a good amp, I would do some Googling to
find some reviews ("Peavey Valve King 112 review"), eg Harmony
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Peavey/...
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/guitar_amplifiers/peavey/valve...
HTH
Tony D

Fortunately....or...unfortunately, depending on how you look at it. I
had a nasty case of LSAP last night and picked up a Supro to add to my
Airline. hehe,,,sure wish I hadnt done that because I found a really
nice, and cheap National today and I'm out of luck...the Peavey is out
of the question too. The Epi looks cute anyway. :-)

I've banned myself from all lap steel sites/ads for the immediate
future.

Those lap steels do something to your brain, I had seven at one time, three
of which I had made myself.

One suggestion I have for the Epi VJ is to consider adding a "bright" switch
or tone control. The necessary info for this very simple and inexpesnive mod
is easily found, and so easy I would be prepared to tackle it myself. You
might not like the bright setting, but it will give you a chance to try it
and see.

Tony D

Joe

2008-12-06 03:07:10 UTC

Post by Joe
Yeah, I meant Airline. Theres also a couple on ebay now that look in
better shape than the one I know of. Those have a cool look.

I love that look but but I just noticed the jack location on those
Airlines...doesnt it get in the way having the cord there???

But now

Post by Joe
that I've been looking for a few days I see several of the Valco types
that are interesting. I have a new favorite now.

I had a brief love affair with MOTS, but I think I'm over it now. ;-)

Joe

2008-12-06 22:40:42 UTC

Post by olddog
If you have your heart set on an 8 strings there are a few Magnatones on
eBay near that price but I'm afraid National, Gibson and all the good brands
are going to be over $500.

Does this mean Magnatone isnt a good brand? One (6 string) has
attracted my attention. I've seen where even the 8s have gone pretty
cheap so I'm wary...

olddog

2008-12-07 01:08:05 UTC