questions about steel guitar

Ok, this might probably sound stupid but what is the difference between Steel Guitars, Lap Steel, Dobro....??
Is Hawaiian steel Guitar playing on knees, is it amplified or like the National guitar with a metal heart ??

What is Bong playing with ?

Well, thanks a lot for answering wy questions...I'm a bit confused

What is Bong playing with ?

That's A funny question

OK..I could be wrong...but Ithink dobro is simply an unamplified steel guitar..looks like a regular Spanish guitar bit with metal on the front or something...
A lap steel is the same as a steel guitar..your just sit down and play in on your lap as opposed to using a stand. It could be either electric (as is mine) or unamplified.
Does that make sense?

Dobro
Lap Steel
Steel

Virani,

Good question, as it irks steel lovers to no end when people mix them up.

For the most part, there is 1) slide playing, and 2) steel playing. I know they sound the same, but there is a difference.

(Dobro usually implies a 'resonator' guitar which can be a wood or metal body, but has plates inside the 'resonate' the sound of the playing. These were the 'way to go' before electric amplification).

1. Slide Guitar playing - this is typically done wearing the guitar in the typical fashion - hanging it around your neck. The height of the strings from the fretboard in not such that you cannot 'fret' chords with the guitar; this means the typical finging or pressing down of the strings to form chords against the fretboard. The 'slide' is hollow and worn over the finger like a tube of sorts. Tunings can be standard (E,A,D,G,B,E) or open. Playing usually involved 'fretted' chords and slide work. Slide playing is also typically Delta blues ala Dickie Betts or Bonnie Raite type stuff.

2)Steel Guitar playing - the guitar is played in a horizontal position either on one's lap or on legs. The steel bar is solid and held in the fingers. There are NO raises frets on the fretboard, only fret markers. The string height is very high so the strings don't contact the fretboard when the steel bar is applied. The tunings are always open tunings (C6th, G major, E major etc). You cannot 'fret' chords, you can only make chords structures by usually playing the root and 5th, root and major or minor 3rd, or root and 7th etc.

In my unbiased opinion, slide blows and steel rules!

"I'm ashamed to be here, but not too ashamed to leave..."

Celebrate 'International Tiki Day' the second Saturday in August - hau'oli la tiki!

[ Edited by: Tiki_Bong on 2004-11-04 18:03 ]

Thanks to you all. That makes sense.

But Bong, is your Lap Steel electric, is it amplified ?
If yes, can you still play it acoustic ? And do you use the same kind of Ampli that is used for regular guitar ?

On 2004-11-05 01:57, virani wrote:
Thanks to you all. That makes sense.

But Bong, is your Lap Steel electric, is it amplified ?
If yes, can you still play it acoustic ? And do you use the same kind of Ampli that is used for regular guitar ?

My lap steel is electric and hence, amplified. It has 3 fretboards with 8 strings on each fretboard. Because it's a solid slap of wood, it doesn't put out much sound unless amplified. And yes, it's the same amplifier as a regular guitar - A 100-Watt Marshall full stack. (just kidding, I use a Roland Jazz Chorus 90)

I spoke to BJ Cole the other day on the phone he seems to have played lap steel for almost everyone. I don't know much about Lap Steel but this guys just been bitten badly by the Tiki Bug, hence the cover of Trouble in Paradise which has been discussed on TC already. I told him he ought to get on TC.
http://www.bjcole.co.uk

I just purchased "Trouble In Paradise" & I have to say after so enjoying "Stop The Panic" I was very disappointed with this CD..not remotely tiki or tiki-ish. Only Surf Acid Hoedown held any interest for me.

Paradise is a state of mind.

[ Edited by: Kaiwaza on 2005-06-21 01:48 ]