I'm Embarrassed to Ask, but...

david moon

Attempting the Blues
A common complaint about solid body LPs is that they are very heavy. So then you reduce the weight of the body, it gets neck heavy. Some of the comments about straps that are less "slick" seem worth looking at. Don't know your situation but maybe add a Strat or Tele style to your collection, many options not just Fender.
 

SuzanneShafer

Addicted to Bikes & Blues
Suzanne- I think you are holding out on us. You have a LP style electric. Now we hear in the strap discussion a Fender parlor guitar. Now a lap steel and a custom one being built. Do you sing?

Could you be a bass player in the closet? It's OK, there are a few of us here. There's no shame in that. (y)

Duane Eddy once said that his biggest contribution to rock and roll was "not singing." I always wanted to be a vocalist, but I suspect everyone will be better off if I adopt Eddy's attitude. As for the bass, I'm not really in the closet. I love bass lines! I played the stand-up bass in my youth, and I will undoubtedly own a bass guitar someday.
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
A common complaint about solid body LPs is that they are very heavy. So then you reduce the weight of the body, it gets neck heavy. Some of the comments about straps that are less "slick" seem worth looking at. Don't know your situation but maybe add a Strat or Tele style to your collection, many options not just Fender.
I've got 3 Gibson Les Paul's. Two have weight relief. Neither are even close to neck heavy. They sit right where I place them. I can't speak for semi-hollow or hollow body Les Paul's except those do not start as a hunk of wood. They have traditional construction and the hollow bodies like an acoustic guitar. You know, your basic neck heavy acoustic guitar nobody really minds....... :Beer:
 

sloslunas

NM Blues
I'm not a luthier, and I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I'm thinking the semi-hollow body plays some role in moving the balance point down the neck even for a short scale.

In terms of slip-resistant straps, I've used these (same strap, just two different colors) on multiple guitars and basses and they seem to do a very good job of holding put for me.

https://www.guitarworksinc.com/prod...ede-leather-strap?_pos=6&_sid=d686e75f4&_ss=r

https://www.guitarworksinc.com/prod...ede-leather-strap?_pos=5&_sid=d686e75f4&_ss=r
Just ordered two more of the tan straps. These are very good straps!! The suede alone is worth $29, and in my opinion you would be hard pressed to find a better strap at that price. I do have some very high priced straps, but this is a no brainer. YMMV

Steve
 

SuzanneShafer

Addicted to Bikes & Blues
I've got 3 Gibson Les Paul's. Two have weight relief. Neither are even close to neck heavy. They sit right where I place them. I can't speak for semi-hollow or hollow body Les Paul's except those do not start as a hunk of wood. They have traditional construction and the hollow bodies like an acoustic guitar. You know, your basic neck heavy acoustic guitar nobody really minds....... :Beer:

Thanks for this post! First, it made me wonder why I hadn't noticed my Fender parlor as being neck heavy. Turns out it is, but apparently the fact that it weighs 2 pounds less than the LP and its neck is set further into the body made that less of an issue for me. Nonetheless, I will be purchasing a suede strap for it as well.

Three Gibson Les Paul's?!? Before I owned the Manitou, I seriously longed for a Gibson LP because I so love their sound. Now I'm not so sure, due to their weight. The semi-hollow Manitou is only 6 pounds, and I understand that Gibson LP's can weigh twice that. How much do your weight-relieved models weigh? I haven't been able to find total weight specs. Also, I'm thinking that if the guitar isn't neck heavy, its total weight might not be as much of an issue---a theory that's likely to remain untested as I haven't found a guitar shop willing to let me stand around for an hour wearing one on a strap.
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Thanks for this post! First, it made me wonder why I hadn't noticed my Fender parlor as being neck heavy. Turns out it is, but apparently the fact that it weighs 2 pounds less than the LP and its neck is set further into the body made that less of an issue for me. Nonetheless, I will be purchasing a suede strap for it as well.

Three Gibson Les Paul's?!? Before I owned the Manitou, I seriously longed for a Gibson LP because I so love their sound. Now I'm not so sure, due to their weight. The semi-hollow Manitou is only 6 pounds, and I understand that Gibson LP's can weigh twice that. How much do your weight-relieved models weigh? I haven't been able to find total weight specs. Also, I'm thinking that if the guitar isn't neck heavy, its total weight might not be as much of an issue---a theory that's likely to remain untested as I haven't found a guitar shop willing to let me stand around for an hour wearing one on a strap.

Les Paul's weigh in about 9-12 lbs, depending on weight relief or not, Sweetwater when they have them in stock gives you multiple views and the weight of each specific guitar, a lighter option would be a SG roughly 7 lbs
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
Thanks for this post! First, it made me wonder why I hadn't noticed my Fender parlor as being neck heavy. Turns out it is, but apparently the fact that it weighs 2 pounds less than the LP and its neck is set further into the body made that less of an issue for me. Nonetheless, I will be purchasing a suede strap for it as well.

Three Gibson Les Paul's?!? Before I owned the Manitou, I seriously longed for a Gibson LP because I so love their sound. Now I'm not so sure, due to their weight. The semi-hollow Manitou is only 6 pounds, and I understand that Gibson LP's can weigh twice that. How much do your weight-relieved models weigh? I haven't been able to find total weight specs. Also, I'm thinking that if the guitar isn't neck heavy, its total weight might not be as much of an issue---a theory that's likely to remain untested as I haven't found a guitar shop willing to let me stand around for an hour wearing one on a strap.
You might look for a "modern weight relief" or "Ultra-Modern weight relief" if you really want something light weight you can look for "chambered." Personally, I think that modern weight relief is enough to get you below 9 lbs. Which are about what two of mine weigh with "Traditional Weight Relief.".

Here is Gibson's discussion on weight relief:
http://legacy.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Gear-Tech/en-us/Wide-World-of-Weight-Relief.aspx
 

SuzanneShafer

Addicted to Bikes & Blues
You might look for a "modern weight relief" or "Ultra-Modern weight relief" if you really want something light weight you can look for "chambered." Personally, I think that modern weight relief is enough to get you below 9 lbs. Which are about what two of mine weigh with "Traditional Weight Relief.".

Here is Gibson's discussion on weight relief:
http://legacy.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Gear-Tech/en-us/Wide-World-of-Weight-Relief.aspx

Thanks much for this! I'll keep that link bookmarked. And I'll visit a guitar shop with strap in hand next chance I get. :D
 

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
PS: I just listened to your Song of the Day...several times, because I like it and because I can replicate, on my lap steel, the part that sounds like a pedal steel but probably isn't. Fun and informative! I'd been wondering how to bring the lap steel into the world of Blues. I'm so used to hearing it doing cowboy music (which I totally love) and country classics like Walkin' After Midnight that I've had difficulty imagining it doing otherwise. But bless that pentatonic scale...which it turns out is almost as easy to play on my lap steel tuned to C6 as on my LP.

Hi Suzanne, what kind of 6 string lap steel do you have? What do you use for C6 lessons? Who is making your 8 stringer? I have an 8-stringer tuned, lo-to-hi...Bb-C-E-G-A-C-E-D. Yes, the D on the first string is lower pitch than the E on the 2nd string.

The video that PapaBear posted is for Open G tuning, which doesn't do you any good if you are in C6.

Here is some Blues in C6 for you....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofrk4lI4Msg
Troy has a bunch of great lap steel lessons in various tunings.

Here is another Blues in C6 video only with the high E string tuned down to D.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGp9zzj3egA
 

SuzanneShafer

Addicted to Bikes & Blues
Hi Suzanne, what kind of 6 string lap steel do you have? What do you use for C6 lessons? Who is making your 8 stringer? I have an 8-stringer tuned, lo-to-hi...Bb-C-E-G-A-C-E-D. Yes, the D on the first string is lower pitch than the E on the 2nd string.


Hi back at ya. I actually have two 6-string lap steels---a vintage (1946) Rickenbacker and a cheap Rogue. Both of them have issues which may never be fixed---the Rickenbacker because I hesitate to risk destroying its value, and the Rogue because it's good enough "as is" for tossing into my bike's sidecar when I head out for a camping tour. My 8-string is being made by Ryan Rukavina, in Missoula, MT. It has been a long wait for that one, but I'm sure it will be worth it. (daddystovepipe, in the video PapaBear posted, is playing a Rukavina.) For lessons, I subscribe to Troy Brenningmeyer's streaming site. I've checked out many online teachers and I think he's tops as a teacher, though not especially so in the C6 Blues category. It's also convenient that he teaches Dobro, as I have a 6-string Gretsch resonator tuned to Open G.

That's an interesting tuning you're using. I think I remember reading that Bobby Ingano uses a Bb on his 8th string, as you do, but I don't recall ever seeing a C6 tuning with D on the first string. What prompted you to do so? Something to do with the Blues? If so, I might need to rethink my own planned tuning for the 8-string---C-E-G-A-Bb-C-E-G. I know that putting the Bb where I plan to will mess things up in terms of using tabs others have written, but I find myself using tabs less and less, and it seems I always end up rewriting tabs others have written anyway, for a better fit with the music in my head. I like lush 7th chords, which are pretty difficult to come by without a string tuned specifically for that purpose, and I decided against putting the Bb on the bottom because it limits my options in terms of inversions. I also play with four picks so I have the option of richer chords.

Thanks for the link to the Chicago style blues video.
 

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
That's an interesting tuning you're using. I think I remember reading that Bobby Ingano uses a Bb on his 8th string, as you do, but I don't recall ever seeing a C6 tuning with D on the first string. What prompted you to do so? Something to do with the Blues? If so, I might need to rethink my own planned tuning for the 8-string---C-E-G-A-Bb-C-E-G. I know that putting the Bb where I plan to will mess things up in terms of using tabs others have written, but I find myself using tabs less and less, and it seems I always end up rewriting tabs others have written anyway, for a better fit with the music in my head. I like lush 7th chords, which are pretty difficult to come by without a string tuned specifically for that purpose, and I decided against putting the Bb on the bottom because it limits my options in terms of inversions. I also play with four picks so I have the option of richer chords..

Ok, will try to keep this brief. On my 8-string I wanted to keep a proper C6 in place on strings 2-7, so I could play/learn pure C6 without issues. I made string 8 a Bb, so that would give me a Dom7 chord with a straight bar. String 1 went to D as a re-entrant string per what George Piburn advocates in the DVDs shown below. Haven't had the chance to do anything with it yet, but I knew what I wanted.
https://www.georgeboards.com/songs.html Scroll down the page and click on "Basics and Blues", "Power Rock Method" and "D String On Top". DSOT is the DVD that corresponds to the tuning I will use. The other DVDs are pretty much the extent of the Blues DVDs available other than the links I posted earlier.

While one can play blues in C6 tuning (actually C6/Am7), the tuning functions much better for CW and Hawaiian music. The 6th of the tuning is a killer for blues playing and so the player must avoid it. It can be done with precision picking but it takes a lot of work.

Ryan makes some really nice guitars. I have seen pics of many of his lap steels.

There is no better forum than BGU for getting info on everything related to regular guitars and blues. I have been a member here for years.

However, since you play lap steel, though we have a few lap steelers on this forum, I strongly recommend you get on https://www.steelguitarforum.com/. Great place to visit for info about pedal steels, lap steels, console steels as it pertains to technique, electronics and gear. A huge repository of knowledge over there too.

Between the 2 forums, if I have a question about gear/electronics, if I can't get an answer, there just isn't one to be had! Well worth the $5 sign-up fee.
 

SuzanneShafer

Addicted to Bikes & Blues
However, since you play lap steel, though we have a few lap steelers on this forum, I strongly recommend you get on https://www.steelguitarforum.com/. Great place to visit for info about pedal steels, lap steels, console steels as it pertains to technique, electronics and gear. A huge repository of knowledge over there too.

Between the 2 forums, if I have a question about gear/electronics, if I can't get an answer, there just isn't one to be had! Well worth the $5 sign-up fee.

Thanks for all the info, and Yes, the Steel Guitar Forum is great. I became a member shortly after I got my first lap steel and it's one of the first places I go for information. Haven't posted since August, mostly due to summer riding, then shifting my musical focus to learning to play my Fender and Manitou...and the Blues. But I still practice the lap steel regularly and have found that the learning I'm currently doing has (much to my surprise!) improved my skills on the lap steel and resonator. Not sure why, as these guitars are so different in almost every aspect.
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Thanks for all the info, and Yes, the Steel Guitar Forum is great. I became a member shortly after I got my first lap steel and it's one of the first places I go for information. Haven't posted since August, mostly due to summer riding, then shifting my musical focus to learning to play my Fender and Manitou...and the Blues. But I still practice the lap steel regularly and have found that the learning I'm currently doing has (much to my surprise!) improved my skills on the lap steel and resonator. Not sure why, as these guitars are so different in almost every aspect.
A rising tide lifts all ships!
 

david moon

Attempting the Blues
Hi Suzanne, what kind of 6 string lap steel do you have? What do you use for C6 lessons? Who is making your 8 stringer? I have an 8-stringer tuned, lo-to-hi...Bb-C-E-G-A-C-E-D. Yes, the D on the first string is lower pitch than the E on the 2nd string.

The video that PapaBear posted is for Open G tuning, which doesn't do you any good if you are in C6.

Here is some Blues in C6 for you....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofrk4lI4Msg
Troy has a bunch of great lap steel lessons in various tunings.

Here is another Blues in C6 video only with the high E string tuned down to D.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGp9zzj3egA
wiki says The standard Nashville E9 tuning for ten string pedal steel guitar is B-D-E-F#-G#-B-E-G#-D#-F#.[1

That seems to agree with my memory of attempting pedal steel years ago. The two "upper" strings are lower pitch than the 3rd string G#, which makes for some nice licks alternating thumb and finger picks without moving the bar. Also has a b7 in the low register. Let's not even go into what the pedals and knee levers do. :unsure:
 
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