Why THIS Style of Slide Guitar is a Must-Play ★ Acoustic Tuesday 198

Have you ever wanted to take your slide guitar playing to the next level? In this video, you're going to hear everything you need to know about weissenborn-style guitars. From its history, top builders, and entry level models, this episode will hit on the essentials of weissenborn-style guitars.
Weissenborn-style guitars are a type of lap slide guitar that were originally designed by Hermann Weissenborn in the 1920s. These guitar were unique in that they were played in your lap and the neck was entirely hollow. This resulted in many different brands of guitar making weissenborn-style models that are absolutely stunning.
This video features six weissenborn-style builders that are sure to please any guitar player who is interested in playing slide guitar. Even if you aren't able to get your hands on a weissenborn, I also want to talk about some of the essential pieces of gear for turning your guitar into a lap slide guitar.
In addition to talking about this unique style of lap slide guitar, I also want to share with you an incredible story from within the Tony's Acoustic Challenge community,‪@MollyTuttle‬and the comment she left behind on our special episode on clawhammer guitar, and the hottest acoustic guitar news you can use.
#slideguitar #weissenborn
00:00 - Intro
01:10 - What is a Weissenborn Guitar?
04:20 - Bill Asher Weissenborns
5:02 - Richard Wilson Weissenborns
06:07 - Tony Francis Weissenborns
07:00 - Emerald Guitars
08:33 - Entry Level Weissenborns
11:08 - Slide Guitar Gear Essentials
13:23 - TAC Family Story
19:19 - Comments & Guitarsenals
22:58 - Acoustic Guitar News

[@goodun2974]

I got to meet and talk to David Lindley at a gig back in the 1990s. He doesn't bring his vintage Weissenborns out on the road because they're too fragile and valuable; at that time he was using Weissenborn clones made in Mexico that were imported by Berkeley Music and cost about $600 at the time. He let me handle one, and it was like a feather, it weighed almost nothing. He told me he experimented quite a bit with each one by adjusting the string height at both the saddle and the nut, to find the optimum tone for playing in a given tuning. He told me that when you get them set up right they really sing!

[@goodun2974]

There's a guy in Wyoming named Dan Dubuque who plays heavily amplified Weissenborn with distortion and effects, in a very percussive style, while sitting next to a river or even on a snowbank. Check him out! He plays Tool, Nirvana, and Rage Against the Machine on Weissenborn! Not my usual choice of listening material, but the way he does it, it's terrific.

[@JoeRyanAcoustic]

Dan D is awesome! From Montana, not Wyoming.

[@nathanjasper512]

I think I've seen that guys videos based on the description.

[@blogsfred3187]

Thanks for the link.. he is awesomeness… needs more

[@jamesthompson5717]

He's awesome. That's how I found out about this guitar.

[@pickersgrip]

That Weissenborn- sounds awesome, your playing is tasteful too Tony!

[@jeffreywinter2450]

Can't talk about Weissenborns without mentioning the late, great David Lindley.

[@ccine515]

Immediately thought of Ed Gerhard watching some of the demos.

[@JohnAtkinsonTechHelp]

Me, too! I love Ed's Breedlove "Weissenborn".

[@JoeRyanAcoustic]

Great advice! Just played a lap style show yesterday with a hastily converted guitar with the nut extender. Worked like a charm and got lots of questions and compliments.

[@a1969rocker2]

Guitar shirt is already ordered…the drought will be over soon! Small win: it’s my first day back at the office since March 10, 2020. I no longer have my lunchtime practice except on the 2 days a week I work at home. The win is that I actually was able to watch the ATS in my lunch break! Glad to spend it with the TAC Family!

[@marconorth]

Cindy Cashdollar is a hell of a Weisenborn player as well as an all-around slide/lapsteel.she played on albums like Dylan's Time out of Mind.

[@goodun2974]

There is some video on KZbin of Cindy playing lapsteel slide with bottleneck player Sonny Landreth, doing " Hard Times Killing Floor" and "Prodigal Son" at a guitar festival celebrating Skip James. Great players, both of them.

[@robertkrone548]

Tony, Thanks for the segment on the Weissenborn. I now know what my next guitar acquisition is going to be! Looking forward to a slide lesson within the TAC curriculum.

[@msd2819]

Hey Tony. Just wanted to get a head start on congratulating you on 200 episodes!!! Wow! Thought would be a good ender like you and Noah used to do. “So we have bounced on the bouncy house, we’ve pinned the pick on the guitar, we’ve eaten some cake, and opened some presents and now it is time to clean up the party that is Acoustic Tuesday episode 200!” Lol. Feel free to add anything I could think of. Thanks for all the hard work!

[@vwbeetle72jellybeen]

Still catching up with the episodes, but this one was a gem. Full transparency, I wasn't familiar with Weisenborn until now. Gosh, I can't believe I missed oit on the beautiful sounds coming from this amazing instrument. I like the idea of playing around with that style by changing your acoustic guitar to lap style first to see if you want to pursue it any further. Great tip, Tony!

[@Safety7th]

So Y'all know, Twisted Wood is not a builder. They are an importer. You can get out much cheaper if your can ID their guitars on ali express and import from the source.

[@kn8215]

Extremely informative and helpful, thank you!

[@colakeith1]

David Gilmour plays one,Weissenborn, quite a bit. Featured on a couple of songs on the "On an Island" album. Saw him on his Royal Albert Hall concert DVD also. GREAT show Tony. Totally enjoyed it..

[@shreedove69]

I am sure Ben Harper will get mentioned several times in the comments. I actually purchased my first Weissenborn from Ben's grandfather.

[@paulbarlament330]

Al Petteway is a giant of fingerstyle guitar, and after 30 years of great albums, recently released his first album of solo Weissenborn music. Highly recommended.

[@toddjohnson9753]

Loved seeing you and Charlie Parr playing. He's a Minnesota boy like me. I'm looking forward to next week's episode on the Yamaha guitars.

[@davidking-gee7540]

There's a guy from Australia called John Butler, who plays a lot of weissenborn and 12 string slide, and in my opinion is the best guitarist to come out of Australia since Tommy Emmanuel or the young brothers!

[@pyleen]

Superbly informative 👌

[@mycroft0078]

Builders. Michael Dunn (Douglas Fir over African Paduk) standard sized. Rayco (All Koa) Baritone Weissenborn 30" scale, tuned Open A 151351. Tim Kill (Australia) Paddy Burgin (New Zealand) Iseman Guitars (Hawaii)Players: Marin Harley, Ed Gerhard, Fernando Perez, Kawamura Seiji

[@paulbarlament330]

I have two Lazy River Weissenborns. They are a nice choice for someone who wants a handcrafted instrument, at half the cost of a Bear Creek.

[@regalite3]

Excellent video !

[@benboo6351]

Gotta mention Ben Harper and his album 'winter is for lovers'. The guitar may not strictly be a Weissenborn, but close enough. The full album is on KZbin.

[@MartinReiter143]

Amazing guitar and amazing player

[@esquire1951]

Florian Chatrau in France is another great luthier. He builds exact copy of 1920's weissenborn like Tony Francis.Please check him.

[@Casianchef]

Ben Harper and Xavier Rudd made me fall in love with the Weissenborn

[@goodun2974]

@@Casianchef but before them, there was David Lindley. Ben Harper, whose grandparents ran the Claremont Folk Music Center, hung out with Lindley's daughter Roseanne at the Lindley household when they were kids; Harper took lessons from David and probably acquired some free or heavily discounted instruments from David. After Lindley died last year, a memorial concert was held at the CFMC, featuring his old band ElRayo-X and including stories from Harper and others about how generous Lindley was to them all personally. (You can wstch excerpts from the memorial on the Krysia Lamore channel). PS, Harper owns one of Lindley's early Dumble amps, possibly the one that was used to record ""Mercury Blues" with ElRayo-X.

[@timnewman1172]

Once again Tony, you've made my Tuesday! Been 3 years since I broke my fretting hand, I finally have enough chops where I feel confident about playing again... Discipline has been my greatest weakness, but I definitely see the reward in the consistency of playing regularly! My goal is to be able to play solo acoustic gigs within the next year, now it seems actually obtainable! Thanks so much!!!

[@paulbarlament330]

Tim: If you liked Tony's segment on lap slide, and want some inspiration as to what can be achieved after an injury, watch some Tom Doughty videos.

[@timnewman1172]

@@paulbarlament330 I just did, what an inspiration... thanks a bunch!!!

[@robertnewell5057]

Folk wondering whether it is worth trying lap style on a regular guitar should recognise that this style was first played on such guitars, as well as the more familiar resonator lap guitars. John Fahey, Kelley Joe Phelps, Mary Flower are just three people who routinely play lap on regular acoustics (although often with square necks). A square neck doesn't change the tone, by the way. Josh Graves recorded most of the classic Flatt & Scruggs dobro parts on a round neck dobro with the nut raised. I would be careful of using the heavy string favoured by a lot of lap players on your favourite regular guitar, mind you.

[@Joe30pack]

I found new weisenborns on ebay for $335, the shipping blows but I thought I would mention it. I'll buy one and post a video.

[@goodun2974]

@@Joe30pack so, have you posted a video about your new Weissenborn?

[@Joe30pack]

@@goodun2974 not yet I just bought a new one and it's shipping out of Wisconsin this week

[@DoobTube71]

Ben Harper ‘Ground On Down’ is some amazing lap-slide style heavy modern blues!

[@cheeseface8329]

i bought mine from Bediaz in germany...i am very pleased with it..

[@JHResonates]

What a great show this week! I have bookmarked several sites as a result and as usual, Tony has given me more to explore. The section about the Weissenborns was very informative. Now I'm thinking--squareneck resonator or Weissenborn? Hmm, something to ponder and do some further investigation. Thanks, Tony!

[@margarethouse404]

You will notice that the demos were closely mic'ed . If that's how you always roll , great . Played purely acoustically at a jam session , or a larger group it will be drowned out . A resonator will have much more volume .

[@duaneulman9915]

Thank you

[@stevepethel6843]

That's ❤beautiful playing sir😂

[@THR3NA]

oooh I Like This! I just left an hour long story on another vid of yours about learning to play guitar with my son a bit, in 3 months. I think this would be cooler to play with him, with. The flat one, or playing style I mean. Would probably be easier on the wrists, idk. Watching now and ty!!

[@clutch2827]

they call me the meat man

[@stevenhickenjr]

Weissenborn style lap steels are lovely sounding instruments and your playing is great. I've wanted a pedal steel manufacturer to combine the two instruments for a long time...guess I'll have to wait until another life, unfortunately.

[@horacesmith2130]

Ben Harper

[@loonsailor]

Thanks for the review. Very helpful! I play dobro, and I’m thinking of getting a Weissenborn style instrument. One thing i note in the various demos on this video is that much of the difference in tones is not the instruments themselves, but whether they’re played with bare fingers or fingerpicks, how they’re mic’ed, the room, the strings (are some of them nylon?) and of course the player. Still very helpful, but it’s not, for sure, a direct A/B kind of comparison. BTW, by reputation Weissenborns tend to be fragile, requiring low tension tunings and maybe some loving care, so the Emerald carbon fiber approach seems really intriguing! Anybody have any experience with how it sounds compared to wood?

[@Jess_Jones]

Nice playing Tony, you looked confident up on stage. Good show.

[@trondhultgren6360]

Thanks for a great show! You should really check out Knut Hem, a worldclass norwegian dobro and weissenborn player!

[@deormanrobey892]

Hey Tony, how about a segment on violin hole archtop guitars?

[@gordonreynolds8854]

Ashbury - brilliant

[@christopherkopel2078]

It's worth mentioning for folks looking to use the Grover nut extender that you can only really do "slack" tunings like Open D because the neck won't handle the tension of higher tunings like Dobro/Open G. It's still a good investment but worth mentioning if you're looking to learn

[@sbolfing]

THANK YOU so much for this episode!!! I've liked Dobro since I first heard it (early 60s) but a Weissenborn (all Koa) was the FIRST lap guitar that made me stop what I was doing and just listen. The computer speakers do not them justice. What would say is the most common tuning? Great show!!! BTW: Have you seen the pictures Ms. Tuttle posted of her right hand after playing claw-hammer guitar?

[@mintonmiller]

I bought two of the Gretsch bobtail resonator guitars. one for the tuning of open D (most common weisenborn tuning) and one on open G. It's not so much about the weisenborn style instrument, it is that open D tuning sound. I have a regular guitar tuned to D and fret chords, my reso played with a steel slide, and at times have tuned my mandolin and banjo to open D I just love that sound.

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

Can you give me the tuning for open D mandolin? Thanks.

[@mintonmiller]

@@stephenbouchelle7706 So the easiest way is to tune both G strings up to an A and down tune the E strings to a D. That gives you a power chord with no F#so it looks like AA,DD,AA,DD. OR you can use a split tuning that Bill Monroe sometimes used F#A,DD,AA,AD. My main mandolin I useually keep in standard tuning and I have a cheap one I experiment with.

[@geddarby6053]

Tony checkout Tom Doughty a consummate musician from the UK, playing Weissenborn and square neck National tri-cone

[@yananhu6075]

i really appreciate this video you made. it has made my life simple by having all the answers to the questions i had about lap guitars. AMAZING VIDEO!! SO INFORMATIVE!!! i wanted to gift my sister with a weissenborn but they have been impossible to find up here in canada. she is not a serious player outside of just chords and she is satisfied with that, singing christian hymns. can you recommend a standard guitar +/- $500 range that would do well in modifying to a weissenborn style guitar? cheers!

[@ratherbwalkn]

Hey Tony, thank for your great show, I haven't missed one since you started, I remember you had said that you liked Santa Cruz strings. I am thinking about trying them on my 56 d-28. What has been your experience using them, have you ever tried them on a dread? thanks for the response in advance and keep up the good work........

[@enjaycable]

Jason Lowe is very talented

[@TheMKEWERBY]

Tony, Will that Emerald carbon fiber one handle an open G tuning? Because traditional Weissenborns like slack key tunings, usually.

[@Cletus4594]

You should offer a Acoustic Tuesday jersey in the store and offer them for big dudes. I’d buy one in black, white and red

[@sforbes5]

Hi Tony. Great AT show today! I've been intrigued by slide guitar and so your review of Weissenborn guitars made my gas (guitar acquisition syndrome) flare up. I noticed your use of finger picks when you demo'd your weissenborn. But I could not tell how you were wearing your fingerpicks. Do you turn them upside-down where the smooth side is the side that contacts the strings?

[@gordonreynolds8854]

Ashbury brand is affordable and excellent build and sound.

[@cnoel190]

Use to fiddle with a gunter glieben glauten globen back in the early 80's, didn't sound nearly as nice as these wiesnhighmers though!

[@markhusbands2037]

Compared to dobro, do you find yourself playing more in closed position and using fewer HOs and POs?

[@anekdilos1]

First time i saw -listen lap steel playing was in the hands of Kelly Joe Phelps!!! Magician Kelly Joe... I made lap steel one of my old dreds and guess what!!!

[@jean-francoismillette4500]

Hi, thanks for the video! How bout the Lazy River ? Do they still exist ? Do they have reasonable price ? TKs!

[@RussSwanson]

How would you contrast the sound with a dobro?

[@donr8191]

Tony....great review of the Weissenborn. You review alot of great Instrumens...it would be great if you could mention if those models you review are available for us left handed players....around 10% of most players are left handed but nobody ever talks about left handed guitars etc...Thanks !!

[@robertastalos5852]

I noticed that Gold Tone has Right or Left Hand as an option on the instrument web page, so yeah, they've got you covered!

[@GordiansKnotHere]

Nice instrument! I 'm going to look into one of those. 3:00 minutes in- What's the tuning of the first little piece you did there?

[@r.jlovely]

Sir what you do when 200 show come

[@telerooo5213]

David Lindley was a Master on the Weissenborn guitar! Like this rendition .......;; Tony, you look best wearing a Blackhawk, or, a KRAKEN jersey........JMHO........

[@PABLOSTORRES7]

I first saw a weissenborn played by Ben Harper.

[@ChrisSmith88love]

Collin Lake =- Portland, OR

[@DaveDiprose]

My T Shirt is on the way, I'll post my Guitarsenal then. It ain't big, but it's all quality.

[@azoiks]

Was that Justin Johnson on that one Weissenborn clip?? If not, he should be!!

[@nowarnopoker]

💕💕💕

[@edwardanderson3506]

Ed Gerhard is great as is Cindy Cashdollar

[@r.jlovely]

Sir show any burl wood guitar

[@Cheesus4jesus]

Can you strum these instruments instead of finger picking?

[@Boldten]

Ben Harper plays a great weissenborn. Check out kelly Joe phelps Old stuff

[@isaiahhale5494]

Awesome show! do you know a Don Peavy!?

[@Alboyle-pu9cx]

Howzabout the late great David Lindley ?

[@dmajor5893]

Here Bangladesh❤

[@Benardous]

David Lindley, Ben Harper

[@coat.thik1]

Another liuthier who make great Weissenborn guitars is Ermanno Pasqualato from north Italy chek his instruments

[@kjdblackwater]

Warning folks, don't try and tune your standard flat top acoustic to Dobro (DGBDGB) when trying the 'budget Weissenborn' option, eventually, it will pull the bridge off the soundboard.

[@goodun2974]

Ken, that's an odd "G" tuning you're giving; I thought typical Dobro tuning was GBDGBD, low to high (6th to first), which would indeed be too much string tension for most ordinary acoustic guitars (even bottleneck-style open E, EBEG#BE, might be too much tension for some guitars). Bottleneck G tuning, DGDGBD, often used for playing Delta blues,, has *lower* tension than standard tuning and is perfectly safe, although the string tension might actually be too low if the guitar is strung with light strings. (PS, Keith Richards tunes his Telecaster to open G, DGDGBD, but sometimes omits the low D string entirely). I had a cheap acoustic guitar, converted for lapsteel playing, which I tried to tune to the C tuning that David Lindley uses to play BonTon Roulet but I misunderstood how to do it, and instead of using extra heavy strings and tuning DOWN to CGCGCE, I used medium strings and and tried tuning up to C, with predictable results: it eventually ripped the bridge right off the guitar!

[@kjdblackwater]

@@goodun2974, you're absolutely right, I had a dyslexic moment (apologies to dyslexics out there), I should have typed GBDGBD. Regardless the bridge on my (thankfully cheap) acoustic has never been the same.

[@berniefrimond6558]

What's the difference between a Weissenborn and a Do Bro?

[@goodun2974]

Dobro (originally a contraction of Dopyera Brothers, for the guys that first built them), is typically used (like "Kleenex") to refer to any wood-bodied guitar with an internal resonator cone, kind of like a thin speaker cone made of aluminum. Most commonly seen Dobros have a flat neck and are designed for lapsteel style playing,, although Dobros and similar wood bodied resonator guitars with ordinary round necks for ordinary chord playing do exist. Weissenborn style Hawaiian guitars do not have a resonator cone and the neck is not only flat, always, but the neck is hollow to increase airspace, adding volume and bass to the sound. The very 1st resonator guitars were built by the National guitar company and most of them had metal bodies. These were made in both Hawaiian style with flat necks, and as ordinary guitars with round necks. The company broke apart and 2 of the brothers went off to form the Dobro company. Get yourself a copy of Bob Brozman's book on the history of the National company and the guitars they built. The artwork and engraving of their metal body guitars was simply incredible; guitar porn of the highest caliber.

[@logofthelex2668]

Justin Johnson just uploaded a vid where he unboxes a Wisen carbon fiber from Ireland.

[@peterirving9458]

Mary Flower rips the lap steel, check her out

[@ernstvonruby7400]

I got the money, i have my old guitar but theres a problem. Its sunday. Stores are closed. So dont make a promise you cant keep. I CAN`T start today. Tomorrow at the earliest. ( LOL )

[@gillyOO7]

Wonder if jerry Douglas ever played one

[@chrisakeley9220]

He sure does. Here's one of my favorites: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJjChJavmbaiaZY

[@craigbutcher9872]

All those really cool performers in this episode seem to be pretty enthusiastically tatooed. And Tony of course. I am not. Could that be why I can't play guitar worth a hoot? Hmmm.

[@matango7165]

Has anyone ordered a guitar from Tony Francis?

[@leonardkincaid6737]

Guitarsinal seems to be for people that have HUGE collections... my paltry 5 guitars can't match....

[@andrewdaigle1513]

so, it the real difference between the dobro and the weissenborn the hollow neck and the resonators? what is the typical tuning of the weissenborn?

[@andrewdaigle1513]

@Mike Ferguson thank you

[@goodun2974]

@Mike Ferguson , D major (DADF # AD, low to high), is actually lower tension than standard tuning. Ditto for bottleneck open G (DGDGBD), and for C tuning, if you do it right, and don't do something dumb like I did years ago, where I tried to duplicate the C tuning David Lindley uses for Bon Ton Roulet with a cheap acoustic guitar, modified for lap steel. I tried tuning up to C, instead of using heavy strings and tuning down, and it ripped the bridge right off the guitar! Dobro G , GBDGBD, is not advisable unless the guitar was specifically built to handle it. This is much higher pitch and tension than standard tuning.

[@jimdoner3443]

27 bucks I gotta have me one 😜

[@barrylunseth3017]

Who teachers Weissenborn playing?

[@markgazzilli8442]

Ben Harper

[@heymrguitarman7637]

Love the show as always Tony but I felt a little disappointed at your definition of a guitar player. Guitar playing in my opinion is primarily about two things: enjoyment and entertainment. Progressing technical ability might impact both of these for some players but certainly is not a prerequisite for either. In fact it can be said perhaps the most entertaining guitar artists in history were technically quite basic. I appreciate that segment was in part to reinforce the marketing message of TAC which I think is a fantastic resource, but I think it's wrong to align the benefits of TAC directly to enjoyment or entertainment. If you want to progress your abilities then TAC is outstanding, but it most certainly not essentially for enjoyment or entertainment.

[@GerhardGroenewald10]

Hugo Veldsman

[@thebentley71]

Ben Harper.

[@albertmendoza6390]

hello everyone my name is all and I am a dab-a-ler

[@electrondady1475]

man , you sure can talk

[@Peter-sk5vg]

Lotsa words little content

[@patrickhughes6319]

You talk to much