How to Build Lap Steel

Lap steel guitars are typically played with fingerpicks.

Lap steel guitars are electric guitars that are designed to be played on your lap or on a stool. The strings on a lap steel are typically raised at both the bridge and the nut, which makes playing them and using the frets different from regular acoustic guitars. They are popular with folk musicians as well as those playing country and bluegrass. In building a lap steel, you can be rest assured because the body of a lap steel is made out of one plank of wood, and there's no need to worry about acoustics.

Things You'll Need

• Hardwood plank
• Fretboard kit
• Pickguard
• Ruler
• Wood lathe
• Saw
• Rasp
• Chisel
• Drill
• Circular drill bit
• Sanding block
• Sandpaper
• Stain or paint
• Tuner keys
• Bridge kit
• Electric pickup kit
• Marker
• Glue
• Fingerpick

Instructions

1. Make the body. Your plank should be of hardwood, such as cherry or maple. The dimensions can vary, but for your first shot out, going with a standard 4-inch by 1 9/16-inch plank will make it easier to get started. Cut the plank down to 32 inches long, and you have a body.

2. Shape the peg head. You already have your peg head, which is just one end of the body, but you have to shape it. Cut a 1/4-inch notch at the bottom of the peg head, maybe 8 inches from the top or at least far down enough to leave enough room for the tuner keys. Then cut down widthwise from the top until you reach the notch, and create a separate block. Remove the block, and use a rasp to smooth the angle down until the neck is curved. To taper your peg head, draw two lines on each side from the edge of the neck up to the top of the peg head about 3/4 inch from the sides, and cut off the two triangles. Sand down the peg head and the rest of the body to the desired smoothness.

3. Make the equipment holes. You will need to cut out space for your tuner keys, control, and pickup. First, drill out the six holes in the peg head for your tuner keys. Check the tuner key kit for the proper diameter. Drill a 5/8-inch deep hole for the pickup for which the diameter should also be based on the dimensions of your pickup kit. On the side of the guitar, drill another hole for the control. Use a chisel to gouge out any excess wood, make the control and pickup cavities the desired size and drill a hole between them for wiring.

4. Finish the body. Once you have all the necessary slots for your equipment, sand down the body to make it even and smooth. This would also be a good time to make any etchings or other particular designs you want on it. You can then stain or paint the body.

5. Add equipment and strings. When your are finished staining or painting and your lap steel is dry, you can add the equipment. First, fasten the tuner keys into the peg board. Then, attach the control and pickup and wire them. Glue on the fretboard and attach the pickguard. Add the strings by wrapping them through their respective tuner key and running them down the guitar over the fretboard. Then attach them at the other end.

6. Tune your guitar. Once the equipment is all in place, you are ready to tune your guitar and play using fingerpicks.

References

• Build Your Guitar: Building a Lap Steel Guitar
• Bluestem Strings: Bluestem Strings Beginners Guide to Lap Steel Construction