Old dog learns new trick
That old dog would be moi, seeing as how a six-string lap/pedal steel guitar—SIMULATED pedal steel, more like, since I ain’t seeing any foot or knee involvement, as is required with your conventional pedal steel—is something I never saw before.
Super cool country guitar pic.twitter.com/mWlqoDMURG
— Darrell Craig Harris Pro Bassist (@DarrellCBassist)
Man, that ain’t nothing but a sweet, sweet one minute-seventeen seconds of pure country-music Heaven right there. From here, looks like he’s using a Gretsch Filtertron-style pickup on that home-style beastie, perhaps a TV Jones Magnatron, even. Veddy interesting, too, how he has that stainless-steel plate bolted overtop the bridge p/u to keep the heel of his right hand up off of it, thus avoiding any inadvertent dampening of strings he doesn’t want dampened. Altogether ingenius, the whole setup.
MOAR NEW TRICKS update! Dug through the comments to see if I could maybe pick up more info on this remarkable instrument, and damned if I didn’t. Ladies and germs, I present to you…the Duesenberg Fairytale!
THE FAIRYTALE LAPSTEEL IS ONE OF THE MOST DESIRED INSTRUMENTS FOR LAPSTEEL ARTISTS AROUND THE WORLD.
Its innovation on countless aspects from the integrated capo nut down to the versatile Multibender bridge system leaves this lapsteel without competition.
“The minute I picked up the Duesenberg Lapsteel I was hooked.
This is a lapsteel that is a complete joy to play,
even if you’ve never picked up a slide before.”
– John Mayer
I don’t doubt it. Clearly, this beaut is made for the serious player who knows exactly what he not only wants but needs from his axe.
The Multibender is an integrated string bending device that can be configured to do a number of different things.
It is used for bending specific strings up or down a semi- or full tone, all done with the heel of your hand while playing. This comes in handy for changing chords from minor to major or all kinds of other intervals. The Multibender takes up to five levers (additional levers available seperately) which can all be set up to do different things.
I said it once, I’ll say it again: remarkable. Also, ingenious. What a wonderful world this can be, no?