I was looking at buying a lap steel (dunno why) and fell over this site http://www.guitarworld.com/diy-musician-how-build-2×4-lap-steel-guitar and decided sod it I’ll bloody build one instead. So a brief hunt through the shed gave me an old timber dining table that deserved to be cut up so that was the wood side sorted but as you can see from the pictures I got a tad carried away in that mine isn’t going to be a single 2×4 I’m going to recess it in to a wider piece. Why? Well I thought I might knock up some legs for it too 😉
When will it be finished? Buggered if I know, probably mid next week – I hate sanding and I’ve got a lot to do although I’ll get the notch cut out of the body to sit the neck in today.
Update (a few hours after the original post): From Picture 7 you’ll see I got well carried away, got it all sanded as well as sorting the ‘neck’ pocket – gettin’ there. It’s going to have a single Strat pup with just the volume control, the input jack is going in the right side of the body – just gotta work out the best way to set the strings, through body or Gibson tune-o-matic style bridge although I’m leaning toward through body.
Update (the following day): From Picture 12 (dunno what happened to 11) you’ll see I’ve dismantled a Strat tremolo bridge and it makes an ideal string mount, I’ve recessed the Strat pup, used a spade bit to make the holes for the volume control and input, cross drilled everthing for the wiring and dry fit it all to make sure I hadn’t stuffed it up.. I even got carried away and milled a track for the pup wiring to sit nicely and not cause any grief with the neck. What you can’t see is the earth wire from the String mount as that’s all through the timber 😉
Update (Yet another day passes): Got the frets marked but for some reason near the pick up end of the neck they are off, dunno what happened there. Also got the Machine head cut out, the tuners lined up and everything varnished. It should be assembled tomorrow. 😉
Update (A good few days later): It’s finished, up to and including making a cover (Picture 12) for the holes that make it a damn sight easier to sort the wiring than not being there, I’m just waiting on a new set of heavier strings and then I can call it completely finished – total build time was six days 😉
Next is going to be a three string CBG or a Cigar Box Guitar, I’ve already started on the neck so drop back in a week or so to see how I’m getting on.