Gretsch G5700 Lap Steel with Duesenberg Multibender

Hot-rodded my Gretsch G5700 with a Duesenberg Multibender, Enjoy! If there are any questions let me know in the comments below.
Also: Check out my band "Long Way Home"
Channel: / @longwayhome215
Facebook: / longwayhomeduo

[@glenhenning9261]

Just fabulous! I'm a 67 year old pedal steel player, you've got that special talent. it's becoming rare these days.

[@0wen95]

Thanks Glen!!

[@BP-or2iu]

Not really. Talent is as abundant now as it ever was. Not sure where you'd get the idea that it's "rare."

[@charlessmith3727]

I wish still players play songs try to showing people what to do with why don’t they tell what tuning they’re using on the song they’re playing that would be a lot of help if you’re trying to help other steel guitar players I wouldn’t think you’d be trying to hide something to put in the tuning on the song you’re playing would help people a whole lot

[@dfournet42]

What

[@thomasflester]

@@dfournet42 when you find out let me know.

[@0wen95]

Hi Charles, not sure what’s going on! Cheers

[@charlessmith3727]

Sorry I made a mistake on top and my fingers are a little big sorry about that

[@jakethesnake1648]

What you doing to get ur tone Setup ? Don’t leave anything out

[@javiermoulinsart]

I guess you turn the guitar up a half step on the g bender and goes up a whole tone on the b bender, but I don't know if it's right. Good work! It sounds very good.

[@thehighams]

Dude I love this video and I love how many people have gathered here because they had the same idea! Your video is really inspiring to anyone who's trying to dodge the Duesenberg price tag. I don't know if you were the first to do this mod but you've certainly played an important part in how many people will follow! Thanks for sharing 🙂🙂🙂

[@0wen95]

Thanks Paul! Indeed surprising and great to inspire people this way!

[@lapdawg60]

Pretty cool. I thought of getting one of these Gretsch's and outfitting it with a Multibender, but I'm so used to the sound and scale of a 25.5" scale lap steel. Then again, you make that 22.5" scale sound pretty good! For about a quarter the price of a Duesenberg, this would make a nice "grab 'n go" alternative to fussing with my PSG. Did you put tape on one of the levers? Is that to prevent slipping or such? In any case, nice playing -- love the string pulls around the 1:02 mark, too. I can't seem to do those without squirting my bullet bar across the room. :( Hmmm... I still may pick up one of these and a Multibender anyway! Thanks for the informative video.

[@0wen95]

Thanks!! I put indeed some tape on one bender and a furniture pad on the other to make them a little softer and more comfortable to operate. It does also prevent slipping indeed. Yeah the string pulls sound quite unique, it spices things up sometimes, can those be done on a PSG as well?

[@avibortnick]

Fantastic playing and sound! Question: Looks like in this video you don't have the roller nut, but in newer videos you do. Does it make a big difference? Thanks.

[@tedduross]

Hi, Owen. This sounds amazing! I couldn't quite tell from your video but did you need to install a roller nut? If so, which one did you use?

[@0wen95]

Thanks Ted! I did instal a roller nut indeed. The bender will work with an aluminum or bone nut but the roller nut makes the strings bend back in tune better. I had a friend of mine craft a roller nut from an aluminum block and a guide rod and some ball-ends from guitar strings. It works well, I would have tried a hipshot roller nut but I couldn’t think of a good way to mount that on the guitar. Cheers!

[@tedduross]

@@0wen95 Thanks, Owen! That's very helpful.

[@oddshot60]

I'm building a clone using Gretsch parts. What effects did you use to get that wonderful C&W tone?

[@cacaloca5434]

Fantastic tone, and tips on how I can get the low end tighter for c6 tuning on this same gretsch model? Where can I get a similar nut riser?

[@lance134679]

Wow, that's so versatile. In a band setting, you'd really be able to cover a lot of different instrumentation, from dobro to electric slide to pedal steel.

[@0wen95]

Thanks! It's a lot of fun to play!

[@givemeausrename]

Welly well! I was wondering if this was a done thing. Watched Eric Haugen’s vid on pedal steel today, having seen Tom Bukovac using the Multibender wondered if it’d be cool to put one on a lap steel. Thanks!

[@wyattpedersen69]

This is wicked! Where did you get your hands on the multibender?

[@0wen95]

I got it at Thomann, a German musical instrument retailer!

[@wyattpedersen69]

@@0wen95 They are outta stock but at least got one on order, thanks man!

[@michaelthomas9992]

Is the standard guitar tuning or do you have a different tuning for a lap steel?

[@johnsonactivity]

grabbed up a certano and tossed it on my gretsch as well. many blessings for this video

[@dotkennedy7443]

I want one!

[@TimeandTalk]

That is cool! Never thought about a lap steel but this has got me thinking’.

[@wsmithSav]

Such a great sound!! Did you have to replace the nut to match the string spacing of the Multibender when you installed it? If so, which did you use. Thanks so much in advance!

[@paulpotter9867]

How is this tuned when playing along with guitar in standard tuning??

[@greggoldman]

Great sounds ... I had no idea you could add a B and G bender to a lap steel ... thanks!

[@asaoluayomide1374]

Please how can I get this same lap instrument

[@aidenmohrmann1850]

Fantastic idea, all I need to do after I get the Multibender is get a lap steel

[@markgough3337]

Very cool. Do you think the multi bender would work for a lefty lap steel?

[@0wen95]

Yes! It definitely would, with this multi bender you can choose on which of the 6 strings you put the levers. So if you mirror the placement you would be fine using it on a left handed stringed lap steel guitar! (By the way, do left handed pedal steels even exist???)

[@markgough3337]

@@0wen95 Thanks for your information and yes, lefty pedal steel guitars do exist. Not a lot of manufacturers will build them but there are a small number that will.

[@gflem]

I am debating buying one of these

[@0wen95]

It's a lot of fun!!!

[@ragearne]

Nice. Was it easy to install the multibender?

[@0wen95]

It was fairly easy yes, just measuring where it should go and drilling the proper holes correctly. And of you go!

[@Grant_Ferstat]

Have you had any string breakage issues with the Multibender? I've heard some folks to say it's a bit of an issue.

[@0wen95]

I did have some issues in the beginning, I started putting two ball-ends from old guitar strings at the end of the bend-able strings (2nd and 3rd). But eventually when the string gets old and has been bend several thousand times it will break just like any guitar string.

[@gunnarmunch6137]

Great!

[@Shushuganbei]

What tuning?

[@0wen95]

Open E tuning

[@jeanmarieferger5818]

Je m'aperçois que cet instrument est connu.

[@雑談こまわり]

what is tuning ?

[@MsDeebass1979]

Great playing

[@modestoney1577]

great stuff! may i ask what kind of strings and tuning you use?

[@0wen95]

I'm tuned in open E (low to high -> EBEG#BE) and I could not find an pre-existing set of strings to work well in this tuning. So I created a set of gauges which works well. low to high .48 .38 .34 .24 .18 .15

[@modestoney1577]

@@0wen95 Thank you! I appreciate it

[@cacaloca5434]

​@@0wen95Great sound. Do your heavier gauge strings feel to loose? I tried using strings from 0.36-0.54 in C6 and the CEG strings dont sound good. I tried multiple different brands, no good results.

[@richardcrossin380]

Hey Owen! Sweet sounds and great playing by you. I wondered how you "palm block" or dampen the lapsteel strings with your hand sitting on top of the benders. Thanks. I have a lapsteel I'm thinking of hot-rodding myself.

[@0wen95]

Hi Richard, thanks!! So most of the dampening I do with my left hand actually. This is something I transferred over from being a Dobro player. Lifting the bar slightly and using the fingers behind the bar to dampen is seems to work alright. And now and then I’ll include a fair amount of pick-blocking as well, many Dobro player use that technique also.

[@superorangeish]

So the multi bender is an add on? Who sells it and how much?

[@0wen95]

Yep, the multi bender is an add on, the brand is Duesenberg. I got it from Thomann Music in Germany. Cheers!

[@stevenhickenjr]

Nice!

[@DRAGLINE-PICTURES]

is your third string (.24) wound?

[@0wen95]

Yep! Sometimes a .22 or .26 but I believe this vid is a .24. But I always use wound, I tried plain strings but I'm not fan.

[@DRAGLINE-PICTURES]

@@0wen95 swweet thanks for speedy reply!!

[@adrianschueller5185]

beautiful!

[@0wen95]

Thank you Adrian!!

[@idahobuckaroo8348]

Wow… what great tone and classic sound. Nice 👍

[@TXbluesplayer]

Nice 👍🏽

[@farmingwrenching3802]

Sounds great man what tuning are you using?

[@0wen95]

Cheers! I tuned it into open E

[@dereknolin5986]

Sounds great! What kind of amp are you going into, and how did you record it?

[@0wen95]

This was just run through a basic EQ into Pro Tools with some effects in post.

[@dereknolin5986]

@@0wen95 Ah, the wonders of Pro Tools! I have to wonder how much of that tone comes naturally from the Gretsch. I'm thinking about buying another lap steel.

[@loganhall7776]

did you get the multibender ST?

[@0wen95]

Yes!

[@loganhall7776]

@@0wen95 thanks!

[@josiasonoto]

Hi man, that sound amazing! I hop you dont mind a few questions. Which are the strings that are being bended? Also what tunning? And how much space do you recommend between the multibender and the pickup? Thanks a lot!

[@0wen95]

The 2nd and 3rd are the bend-able strings with my setup. However, this can be changed, the levers can be placed so they can bend any of the 6 strings. I use an open E tuning. I've tried different pick-up heights and I like it between 6.5 and 7.5 mm.

[@hificus]

Exactly which multibender did you install? Sounds amazing!

[@0wen95]

Hi Ben, this is the "Duesenberg Multibender" ( This one: www.thomann.de/duesenberg_multibender.htm )

[@dustinadair7893]

Wow man I love it. What bender is this? And what tuning?

[@0wen95]

Open E tuning :)