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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on July 13, 2016 at 1:17am

I'd , double it up  like the top  picture and make it a one string diddly bow as is  ,  its  even  chambered  ;-) and  you  don't lose  the vintage   piece  in add ons  . and the small  scale  wont  matter . 

Then it's a functional antique piece  ,  not  a dormant  antique   tacked  onto  a  separate  functional  piece . ;-)

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Permalink Reply by JL on July 13, 2016 at 2:39am

Be very careful cleaning it, you don't want to remove any of the ink or patina that makes it look so beautiful, just dry-wipe probably to get the dust and loose dirt off.

As for making it a lap steel, I'd make an open back frame for it so that they can function as a fingerboard for a  lap steel, (or side by side for a double lap steel) put your fret markers, tuners and tail stock on the frame, the bridge/saddle/with-piezo-rod and nut on the ends of this piece.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on July 13, 2016 at 4:23am

wow, you've got pockets for 20 pick ups there,I agree with Pick,and JL,try to keep it in one piece,and if you go with Pick's suggestion,but want longer scale,just mount it on a longer board shaped as a neck,with just a couple of small screws through the bottom 1/2 if you really need them

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on July 13, 2016 at 4:59am

Thanks for the suggestions guys.  I'd like to leave it open and see the molds, they have a lot of character.  I also don't want to cut it up.  I think the open frame might work well and a double is interesting - are they usually the same scale length but different tuning or is it two types of pickups?

For cleaning, the only concern is the white stain near the "200", and it has a little bit of musty smell mixed with tobacco.  But I totally agree I don't want to make it look new.

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Permalink Reply by JL on July 14, 2016 at 12:20am

You can do whatever you wish.  If you play songs that have different tunings/keys, that's a great use of the second set, so that you don't have to retune between songs.

Another use is the second one is for solos, where you have that second one dialed in with more distortion/fuzz/crunch/octave/chorus/echo/reverb/compression/wah on its own amp.

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Permalink Reply by Barrie Collins on July 14, 2016 at 3:04am

I have a similar piece and also the same dilemma I think I will lay the worded piece as the neck with fret markers and stagger the hollowed piece to extend the length . The pic explains it better and the stick in the pic is 25" for scale length reference

Attachments:

• image.jpeg, 1.6 MB

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on July 14, 2016 at 3:48pm

Interesting idea, I didn't even think of doing this.  I layed them together like you did, it would need some work to get them to nest together again but I think it would work.  If you do this I hope you put up some pictures!

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Permalink Reply by Regan on July 14, 2016 at 6:27pm

I think that i would see if it would work as a percussion instrument similiar to a washboard, seems to me the ribs made from the molds would make for a very cool sound, and would still keep with the look of the instrument. Maybe mount it on a couple cigar boxes for sound chambers to help with volume. hmmm, would also be very cool mounted on the sides of a box drum,,,,, I think I would move away from a stringed instrument with the mold.

Regan

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on July 15, 2016 at 11:18am

That is a cool idea, but first I'd have to find some rhythm!

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Permalink Reply by Jonno on July 16, 2016 at 3:13pm

Just as well they ain't 'Bondi cigar' moulds he he he

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on October 3, 2016 at 3:14pm

Thought it would be good to post the outcome of this - but first thanks for the input! Now I have to learn how to play the dang thing.

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Permalink Reply by Barrie Collins on November 9, 2016 at 11:41pm

Finally got mine finished(ish) this is how it turned out the build was pretty simple after I got all the Bits together. Bone nut,single coil pick up and a bridge from an old wine box with a piece of fret wire and a piece of bass stock for a tailpiece

Attachments:

• IMG_0153.JPG, 2 MB

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