wow. this is cool and definitely sound like a cardinals loving, truck owning Arizonan would be rocking out to. its not my normal jam but its so well made I found myself jamming along. not only is the music great, im in awe of you building your own instrument. the string glide at the end really was the cherry on the top to finish the track and put an exclamation point on your instrument building story!

wow. this is cool and definitely sound like a cardinals loving, truck owning Arizonan would be rocking out to. its not my normal jam but its so well made I found myself jamming along. not only is the music great, im in awe of you building your own instrument. the string glide at the end really was the cherry on the top to finish the track and put an exclamation point on your instrument building story!

This has some serious attitude. Love the story! for a couple of hours work, its really awesome!

This has some serious attitude. Love the story! for a couple of hours work, its really awesome!

oooh! DIY lapsteel! Sweet! I am mostly familiar and in love with the lapsteel sound that Daniel Lanois makes with his. Which are the more sustained, glassy pad-like sounds. Anyway, about this tune. It definitely has that Americana feel to it. Like trucks driving fast on long stretches of roads in the burning sun.

I feel the mix is mostly good, though I do think it's a bit heavy in the upper mids. Maybe try lowering around ~2KHz with broad band. Don't be subtle about, drag it down maybe 6 or 9dB. Hear how that will bring out the bass. Then bring it back up slowly until you hit the sweet spot. Where the lower mids and the bass get a bit more room to groove. Because as it stands the mix feels a bit more flat than I think it should be. While your low end has a good push.

Overall I think you could play with the various instrument levels a bit more. So they can come front center in one section. And give the limelight to another instrument in the next section. You have some of that going on, but you can go bigger with that.

oooh! DIY lapsteel! Sweet! I am mostly familiar and in love with the lapsteel sound that Daniel Lanois makes with his. Which are the more sustained, glassy pad-like sounds. Anyway, about this tune. It definitely has that Americana feel to it. Like trucks driving fast on long stretches of roads in the burning sun. I feel the mix is mostly good, though I do think it's a bit heavy in the upper mids. Maybe try lowering around ~2KHz with broad band. Don't be subtle about, drag it down maybe 6 or 9dB. Hear how that will bring out the bass. Then bring it back up slowly until you hit the sweet spot. Where the lower mids and the bass get a bit more room to groove. Because as it stands the mix feels a bit more flat than I think it should be. While your low end has a good push. Overall I think you could play with the various instrument levels a bit more. So they can come front center in one section. And give the limelight to another instrument in the next section. You have some of that going on, but you can go bigger with that.

Oops, hit submit too soon. I wanted to add this that it's a catchy tune overall. Well done there PF!

Oops, hit submit too soon. I wanted to add this that it's a catchy tune overall. Well done there PF!

Awesome!

That drive and reverb sounds so good on those cool "slides". And yay for the harmonica that is the star of the show.

Awesome! That drive and reverb sounds so good on those cool "slides". And yay for the harmonica that is the star of the show.

Lapsteel with loads of reverb SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

This is ace, also superb harmonica playing.

Kind of reminds me of something Robert Plant might do post zep.

Lapsteel with loads of reverb SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY This is ace, also superb harmonica playing. Kind of reminds me of something Robert Plant might do post zep.

that sounds awesome, wouldn't call it speedtrash

it sound like "dirty blues", all seems really intended
bit of a DIY, rebellious blues, "Do it anyway" vibe, super cool

also - selfmade lapsteel?! oh wow that's amazing

that sounds awesome, wouldn't call it speedtrash it sound like "dirty blues", all seems really intended bit of a DIY, rebellious blues, "Do it anyway" vibe, super cool <3 also - selfmade lapsteel?! oh wow that's amazing

This is fantastic. Like the sound is so perfectly gritty and sounds "diy" I love it. Can we get photos of the lapsteel? Notes on the process? Tips and tricks? Please?!

This is fantastic. Like the sound is so perfectly gritty and sounds "diy" I love it. Can we get photos of the lapsteel? Notes on the process? Tips and tricks? Please?! <3

Love that dirty blues lapsteel sound on every bend! \m/ so awesome that you made it yourself

Love that dirty blues lapsteel sound on every bend! \m/ so awesome that you made it yourself :o

The intro was so cool and then when it kicked in I was like yoooooo, this slaps dude!

The intro was so cool and then when it kicked in I was like yoooooo, this slaps dude!

Thanks! The glide at the end was the very last thing I did - I was like, am I actually doing slide song and not doing that?

Thanks! It was fun figuring out how to approach the thing - found out that sliding up to a pitch sounded way better than trying to slide down

Thanks for the suggestions! Gonna keep these in mind for the next time I try and wrangle this beast....and hopefully have a little more time

Thank you! I'm so happy with how the overdrive worked on this - ended up working way better (and was a lot quieter) than a single coil pickup wired directly to a jack should sound

That's some high praise, thank you   It was a lot of fun figuring out how to process the slide - yeah, overdrive, trem and ALL THE REVERB Stuff I never really use! It's something I like about using different instruments, makes me think differently.

Thank you! There's something about playing with a slide that makes me accept the dirt and a bit of sloppiness - not gonna hit the note, so play it hard and go for it

Thank you! Shit like this is tree reason I keep boxes of spare parts around, I love it when things come together.

Pictures and process? You bet!

Here's the overall body. The bridge can be hecking high since it's never actually fretted. I used zip ties for relative markers (pentatonic scale with passing notes). I didn't want to actually write on the board since I wanted some marker flexibility - it's like a lute that way, that had tied frets instead of fixed. I looked up what a typical scale length was (23") and used that. It was also pretty much the only thing I measured. Everything is from my parts bin, didn't spend anything on it. (OK, I bought some screws for the tuners).

Tuners! This took the most fiddling - ended up with only three strings because I didn't account for the Fender style tuners and how they had to stick over the edge. The headstock is angled with cuts and sanding, it's not a scarf joint. Just had to make it thin enough to allow the pegs to poke through. Eyeballed the placement. The nut is just a chunk of wood with some slots cut on a band saw - low at the back, high at the front. I was going to use a metal nut, but realized that the angle from the tuners would mess up my string spacing - used wood to keep them in place.

The bridge - I used a piece of mild steel rod for the bridge. Cigar box guitars go simpler and just use a bolt, but I wanted something smooth. Wood bridge just has a rough slot carved into it to keep the metal from rolling off. Back end is angle to allow for the string break angle. Neither the nut nor the bridge are attached - friction holds them in place. Strings are passing through the 2x4 and are reinforced with some leatherwork rivet backs - drilled through them and flared the end to keep the string tension off the wood and onto metal. Strings are just part of a leftover set of basic Regular Slinkys I had. Pickup is from '24 when I repaired my Strat around week 26   Jack is wired straight to the pickup - it's patched right into my audio interface, so there's not much need for volume, I'll deal with that all in the DAW. For a straight single coil, it's pretty quiet!

Thanks! It was so much fun to play and figure out - I've always wanted a lap steel, but never really wanted to spend anything.

Thank you! Glad you liked how it kicked in - the song was mostly done and I didn't like how it started, with distorted steel by itself. It was fun to try out the steel un-amplified and see how it behaved - I just set an SM58 nearby and recorded the sound live. Sounded better than it had a right to!

[quote=monstret]wow. this is cool and definitely sound like a cardinals loving, truck owning Arizonan would be rocking out to. its not my normal jam but its so well made I found myself jamming along. not only is the music great, im in awe of you building your own instrument. the string glide at the end really was the cherry on the top to finish the track and put an exclamation point on your instrument building story![/quote] Thanks! The glide at the end was the very last thing I did - I was like, am I actually doing slide song and not doing that? :) [quote=Jackmsimpson]This has some serious attitude. Love the story! for a couple of hours work, its really awesome! [/quote] Thanks! It was fun figuring out how to approach the thing - found out that sliding up to a pitch sounded way better than trying to slide down :) [quote=electronic_tiger]oooh! DIY lapsteel! Sweet! I am mostly familiar and in love with the lapsteel sound that Daniel Lanois makes with his. Which are the more sustained, glassy pad-like sounds. Anyway, about this tune. It definitely has that Americana feel to it. Like trucks driving fast on long stretches of roads in the burning sun. I feel the mix is mostly good, though I do think it's a bit heavy in the upper mids. Maybe try lowering around ~2KHz with broad band. Don't be subtle about, drag it down maybe 6 or 9dB. Hear how that will bring out the bass. Then bring it back up slowly until you hit the sweet spot. Where the lower mids and the bass get a bit more room to groove. Because as it stands the mix feels a bit more flat than I think it should be. While your low end has a good push. Overall I think you could play with the various instrument levels a bit more. So they can come front center in one section. And give the limelight to another instrument in the next section. You have some of that going on, but you can go bigger with that.[/quote] Thanks for the suggestions! Gonna keep these in mind for the next time I try and wrangle this beast....and hopefully have a little more time :) [quote=djippy]Awesome! That drive and reverb sounds so good on those cool "slides". And yay for the harmonica that is the star of the show.[/quote] Thank you! I'm so happy with how the overdrive worked on this - ended up working way better (and was a lot quieter) than a single coil pickup wired directly to a jack should sound :) [quote=NickLong]Lapsteel with loads of reverb SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY This is ace, also superb harmonica playing. Kind of reminds me of something Robert Plant might do post zep.[/quote] That's some high praise, thank you <3 It was a lot of fun figuring out how to process the slide - yeah, overdrive, trem and ALL THE REVERB :D Stuff I never really use! It's something I like about using different instruments, makes me think differently. [quote=dreat]that sounds awesome, wouldn't call it speedtrash it sound like "dirty blues", all seems really intended bit of a DIY, rebellious blues, "Do it anyway" vibe, super cool <3 also - selfmade lapsteel?! oh wow that's amazing[/quote] Thank you! There's something about playing with a slide that makes me accept the dirt and a bit of sloppiness - not gonna hit the note, so play it hard and go for it :) [quote=neon liminal]This is fantastic. Like the sound is so perfectly gritty and sounds "diy" I love it. Can we get photos of the lapsteel? Notes on the process? Tips and tricks? Please?! <3[/quote] Thank you! Shit like this is tree reason I keep boxes of spare parts around, I love it when things come together. Pictures and process? You bet! Here's the overall body. The bridge can be hecking high since it's never actually fretted. I used zip ties for relative markers (pentatonic scale with passing notes). I didn't want to actually write on the board since I wanted some marker flexibility - it's like a lute that way, that had tied frets instead of fixed. I looked up what a typical scale length was (23") and used that. It was also pretty much the only thing I measured. Everything is from my parts bin, didn't spend anything on it. (OK, I bought some screws for the tuners). [img]https://www.freaksign.org/~paisleyfrog/media/2026/WB26/_Pics/lapsteel.jpg[/img] Tuners! This took the most fiddling - ended up with only three strings because I didn't account for the Fender style tuners and how they had to stick over the edge. The headstock is angled with cuts and sanding, it's not a scarf joint. Just had to make it thin enough to allow the pegs to poke through. Eyeballed the placement. The nut is just a chunk of wood with some slots cut on a band saw - low at the back, high at the front. I was going to use a metal nut, but realized that the angle from the tuners would mess up my string spacing - used wood to keep them in place. [img]https://www.freaksign.org/~paisleyfrog/media/2026/WB26/_Pics/tuners.jpg[/img] The bridge - I used a piece of mild steel rod for the bridge. Cigar box guitars go simpler and just use a bolt, but I wanted something smooth. Wood bridge just has a rough slot carved into it to keep the metal from rolling off. Back end is angle to allow for the string break angle. Neither the nut nor the bridge are attached - friction holds them in place. Strings are passing through the 2x4 and are reinforced with some leatherwork rivet backs - drilled through them and flared the end to keep the string tension off the wood and onto metal. Strings are just part of a leftover set of basic Regular Slinkys I had. Pickup is from '24 when I repaired my Strat around week 26 :) Jack is wired straight to the pickup - it's patched right into my audio interface, so there's not much need for volume, I'll deal with that all in the DAW. For a straight single coil, it's pretty quiet! [img]https://www.freaksign.org/~paisleyfrog/media/2026/WB26/_Pics/bridge.jpg[/img] [quote=Tone Matrix]Love that dirty blues lapsteel sound on every bend! \m/ so awesome that you made it yourself :o [/quote] Thanks! It was so much fun to play and figure out - I've always wanted a lap steel, but never really wanted to spend anything. :) [quote=MrAtlantis69]The intro was so cool and then when it kicked in I was like yoooooo, this slaps dude! [/quote] Thank you! Glad you liked how it kicked in - the song was mostly done and I didn't like how it started, with distorted steel by itself. It was fun to try out the steel un-amplified and see how it behaved - I just set an SM58 nearby and recorded the sound live. Sounded better than it had a right to! :)

That homemade slide guitar looks awesome!

Proper Jack White

That homemade slide guitar looks awesome! Proper Jack White

so BA, and i love that you also made a friggin instrument! really sounds great here!

so BA, and i love that you also made a friggin instrument! really sounds great here!

This fucking rules and that DIY lapsteel is incredible.

This fucking rules and that DIY lapsteel is incredible.

Siiiiiiiick! That lapsteel looks very fun!
Also love the harmonica on this. I grew up listening to a lot of my dad's favourite Australian pub rock, and the song Boys Light Up by Australian Crawl has an iconic rowdy harmonica line and this gave me those vibes, so big thumbs up from me!!

Siiiiiiiick! That lapsteel looks very fun! Also love the harmonica on this. I grew up listening to a lot of my dad's favourite Australian pub rock, and the song Boys Light Up by Australian Crawl has an iconic rowdy harmonica line and this gave me those vibes, so big thumbs up from me!!

Come ON with it! Thanks for linking me here. This sparks such joy in my soul. You should be incredibly proud of this one. What a great tale to go along with it, too. Grinding, driving, crying, wylin'. Damn song has it all.

Come ON with it! Thanks for linking me here. This sparks such joy in my soul. You should be incredibly proud of this one. What a great tale to go along with it, too. Grinding, driving, crying, wylin'. Damn song has it all.

Wow, not only is the sound amazing - ZZ Top is what first came to mind - you also build the instrument yourself. Proper hackaday stuff!

[quote=Paisleyfrog] Thank you! Shit like this is tree reason I keep boxes of spare parts around, I love it when things come together. Pictures and process? You bet![/quote] Wow, not only is the sound amazing - ZZ Top is what first came to mind - you also build the instrument yourself. Proper [url=https://hackaday.com/tag/diy-instrument/]hackaday[/url] stuff!

A real salt of the earth kinda song.
- Spider

A real salt of the earth kinda song. - Spider