Guitar Workshop: How to Build a Lap Steel

For best results, your lap guitar should be made out of a hardwood such as maple or cherry.

Lap steel guitars are guitars designed for playing on your lap and are plucked with finger-picks. They are popular instruments for use in various types of music, but particularly folk, bluegrass, and country. One of the lap steel's distinguishing features is that the strings are raised at the nut. It's fairly easy to build a lap steel guitar, especially compared to acoustic guitars, because it does not require a hollow cavity and the body can be made from one plank of wood.

Things You'll Need

• Hardwood plank, four inches wide and 1-9/16-inch thick
• Hardwood fretboard, 2.5 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick
• Ruler
• Wood lathe
• Saw
• Workbench vise
• Rasp
• Chisels
• Drill
• Circular drill bits
• Sanding block
• Stain or paint
• Tuner keys
• Bridge kit
• Electric pickup kit
• Marker
• Glue

Instructions

1. Cut the body. Cut your hardwood plank so that it is 32 inches long. Using a vise, cut width-wise down into the plank from the top end and then cut a notch into it to remove the block of wood that is now separated. The thinner part of the plank is your peg head. Measure 3/4-inch from each side of the top of the plank and then cut triangles off the peg head from the bottom of it to those points. Smooth out the angle at the base of the peg head so that it is curved rather than angled. Then sand down and smooth out the body, making forms or designs you want.

2. Cut out equipment cavities. Drill holes in the peg head for the tuners based on the their diameter. Place the pickup on the plank, aligning the centers, and drill out a 5/8-inch deep pickup cavity which should go between the fretboard and bridge, nearer to the bridge. Drill another cavity on the side of the guitar for the controls and a 1/4-inch tunnel between the pickup and control cavities. Finish the cavities with a chisel and smooth them out. This would be a good time to begin staining or painting your body. It can start to dry while you are making the fretboard.

3. Make the fretboard. Cut the fretboard plank so that it is 20 inches long and 1/4-inch thick. Lay out the fret locations and cut the fret slots. Drill shallow 1/4-inch recesses to house the 1/4-inch position markers at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th fret locations and a shallow 13/64-inch recess for five-millimeter position markers at the 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 24th fret locations. Glue the position markers into the fretboard recesses and sand them level. Cut the fretboard to its desired size, taper and smooth the edges and install the frets, filing the edges until they are flush with the sides.

4. Add the equipment. Fasten the tuner keys into the tuner holes on the peg board. Place the pickup and controls in their respective holes and attach the wiring. Position the bridge and the other pieces from the kit and attach the fretboard. Finally, add the strings and pickguard if you desire one.

5. Tune and play. Once the equipment is all on, your lap steel guitar is ready to tune. Once, tuned, you're ready to play.

References

• Build Your Guitar: Building a Lap Steel Guitar
• Bluestem Strings: Beginner's Guide To Lap Steel Construction