10 (mostly) Vintage Lap Steels - Fender Rickenbacker Magnatone Oahu Teisco

Zoom/FaceTime/Skype lessons atlanta-guitar...
Steve Cunningham - Lap Steel
Instruments/Tunings used in order of appearance...
50s Magnatone G-65 Troubadour / C6
50s Rickenbacher ACE / open E
50s Fender Deluxe 8 / C6
60s Teisco 8N / Emaj13
50s Oahu Diana / open E
No-Name 26” scale w/DiMarzios / open E
40s Bel-Tone (Magnatone) / E9
Fouke Industrial ElectraSlide / open E
Peavey Powerslide / open E
60s Rickenbacker Electro / open E
All played through a Mesa Boogie Mark V
Recorded with a Shure SM57

[@jeffbellsey2367]

"Yes, honey, I definitely DO need all those guitars!" Great variety in your musical ideas!

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks Jeff! Luckily, she understands the situation.

[@artiefischel2579]

I like the one with the high action. ;-)

[@SteveCunningham007]

😂

[@DrRussPhd]

A 1950's Magnatone popped up on the local CraigsList for $300. I am considering it after watching you play. I would need lots of practice but you sure made those lap steels sound sweet. thanks.

[@SteveCunningham007]

That’s a great price if everything’s working properly on it. Best wishes to you Russ…and the practicing is the fun part😏

[@mikenagoda]

Beautiful playing on beautiful guitars, Steve!

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks so much Mike!

[@SmokeFlame1]

Fabulous.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks

[@mzinns]

Fabulous playing! Your technique is really fun to hear and watch. The best sounding steels to my ear were the Fender Deluxe 8 and the Oahu Diana. The Faulk and the peavey definitely needed some overdrive and effects to sound decent.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks! Yeah, that Fender does what only a Fender can do, and the darker sound of the Oahu really stands out. The Fouke def sounds better with just a little dirt (also brings out it’s distinctive voice) and to my ears the Peavey wasn’t too bad clean...to be fair, the strings on it are 13 years old, after sitting in the basement without a case.

[@WardWickford]

Beautiful collection

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks

[@motman52]

Gee..no vintage National! Many, thanks, Steve. Getting ready to shell out CDN $ 500 - 800 for a vintage lap and put it through my vintage Regal R - 1130 amp. This has helped me greatly.👋👋👋

[@SteveCunningham007]

I have a National Grand Console that I was too lazy to get out of storage…probably should’ve used it instead of the Peavey, lol. I was saving my other vintage steels to make a second video, but got sidetracked.

[@motman52]

@@SteveCunningham007 It matters not. You are demystifying all this greatly. Now about pedal steel? I can barely comprehend the basis of that monster. Should I ask Paul Franklin? (Joking.)

[@MrCarama]

Thank you. I just had to buy that same Teisco for myself after watching this video. Sounded so amazing to me.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Cool…those Teiscos have a lot of character.

[@joseeduardoleite9867]

Bastante guitarras havaianas. Vc é colecionador.. muito bom.. Very Nice... Espetacular.. parabéns 👏

[@SteveCunningham007]

Obrigado Jose

[@lasalita13gercho34]

Amazing.. play and instruments..!!

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thank you!

[@georgetaylorrva]

Beautiful

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks George

[@mastercylinder1939]

It’s interesting how they all have a different sound.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Yeah, a lot of different pickups and build materials.

[@benbirdsall3547]

This is great, and a wonderful comparison of these guitars! You're not helping me in my quest to not buy more lap steels (I have three, but they're all so affordable compared to similar vintage Spanish guitars...) One tiny nitpick is that the Fender is 50s vintage, not 60s; the sweet trapezoid pickups (my favorite, and what's on my Deluxe too) were only used through 54 or 55.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks for the info Ben. I bought the Fender from Guitar Center several years ago, and they had it listed as a 1960s instrument. Who’d have thought they would get it wrong?🙄

[@peter.halperin]

Whoops!! I found the info.

[@thijshammond8110]

awesome!

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks Thijs!

[@johnsonactivity]

i love your playing. such great tone. what a beautiful selection of steel too! im a new player and curious what kind of volume pedal you use? many blessings for your wonderful videos kind human

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thank you very much. I use a DOD FX-17 pedal when I record through an amp

[@planetpoog]

Hello! I was wondering if you'd be able to provide some insight for me... I am a piano player who is remotely familiar with playing guitar and I've always been in love with lap steels. I am looking to dip my toes and buy one for around $400 for less. I see multiple options on Ebay including a 1961 Valco Airliner, a Teisco 6 string, potentially a gold tone LS-6, etc... I was wondering which lap steel would be best for a beginner? I want a decent sounding guitar but the thing I want most is reliability. On the listing for the Teisco, it says the tension of the tuners is weak and the seller suggested certain tunings to accommodate. Is this a common problem? What should I be looking for in a lap steel in my price range. Many thanks and awesome playing!

[@SteveCunningham007]

www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/G5700ELSTR--gretsch-g5700-electromatic-lap-steel-guitar-tahiti-red

[@SteveCunningham007]

I’d definitely recommend one of these to start out on. A lot of my students use these…they sound great, stay in tune…I’ve never heard any complaints. You can find them $200-$300 used too. Best of luck to you.

[@westernartglass]

Yes

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks

[@beppeblasa7104]

hi, I am looking for a lap steel like yours either Gibson eh or Fender deluxe string master. I am writing to you from Italy, could you recommend me a site or store where I can buy one of those two lap steel at a good price please? I'm also asking you for versatility which one would you recommend for me to play pop and rock, Indy music. Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

[@SteveCunningham007]

I bought most of mine off eBay. Fender might not be the best choice if you’re using high gain sounds, or a lot of effects…might be too noisy.

[@jonmustang]

Say, great playing! What capo is that? Do you have any recommendations or tips on choosing a capo for lap steel?

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks Jonathan! It’s a Beard dobro capo, which I’ve had for a long time. There are several on the market, but I rarely use capos, so I’m not familiar with any of them.

[@songwriter2898]

Love this, Steve!!

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks!

[@peter.halperin]

Please, someone....which guitar is which. I'm a pro musician bur brand new to lap steel, looking for steel. Thanks.

[@DougErwin]

Steve, what is the first steel you're playing in this video? I have one just like it with case, but there is no brand identification.

[@SteveCunningham007]

Hey Doug, it’s a Magnatone.

[@sesa2984]

1!

[@SteveCunningham007]

That’s the one out of the bunch that I still play regularly!

[@Seventysongs]

Coollllll

[@SteveCunningham007]

Thanks!