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Some Thoughts by Jerry Byrd - Another gem from da chief on steel guitar fads and gimmicks
The Queen's Songbook - a new collection of famous and previously unpublished songs written by Lili`uokalani. Jerry Byrd's Instruction Course - where to order this steel guitar classic "So You Want to Play Hawaiian Steel Guitar" - a lesson from Alan Akaka
Tunings for Steel Guitar - by John Ely
'Da Book' - Lorene's great new sourcebook ©2000 by Ely Music/Pub |
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From John Tipka... So You Want To Build
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John Tipka, editor of the HSGA Quarterly article "Tech Tips", creates a buzz with his newly released booklet on guitar building. You gotta click on this pic to see the blowup! Order Information: Non-HSGA members, mail check or money order for US$20 to: HSGA Tipka Book Order . (Cost to HSGA members remains $10.) |
(Reprinted from the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Quarterly)
So you think you want to build a steel guitar? Well, it really isn't too hard to do, especially if you are handy with your hands and can find the materials and tools needed to built it. How you want it to sound is a function of the wood used, the pickups and where they are placed on the guitar, the scale length, and, of course, the amplifier used.
In my experience in building more than a dozen steel guitars out of wood, I have found the following characteristics about the different species of wood used to build them. Using the same model of pickup on each of them, with all other conditions being equal:
These woods range from porous to dense and vibrate at different frequencies than each of the others. This is the reason for the differences in sound. It's your choice, and of course that depends on the type of finish to be used and what is available to you.
If you want to see the grain and color of the wood, then probably a clear (transparent) nitrocellulose lacquer would be used and would require a clear (free from blemishes and imperfections) piece of wood for the body. Water-based and alcohol-based dyes are available to make the body any color you want. The lacquer also can be tinted to almost any color desired.
My detailed instructions and schematic (in the booklet Alan mentioned above) are for a lap style steel guitar, not a table-type with legs.
Before you start, you'll need to make two decisions:
To make your guitar, you will need the following parts (a supply source list will be in the booklet):
Don't worry, if you get stuck or have questions after you get the "how to" booklet and blueprint and begin, you can Email me at <steelgtr@iwaynet.com> or write me: 1577 Southwood Av., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-2644. My phone is (614) 864-0567. For a steel player, building "your own" can be a very enjoyable avocation, and you certainly "learn" your instrument along the way!
-- John Tipka
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From Alan Akaka: Although John Tipka feels there are many HSGA members "probably more qualified to address some technical topics than I am," we asked him to launch the Quarterly's "Tech Tips" column. As John does, we hope this space can become a regular feature, filled with contributions from HSGA members who have restored old instruments to their original condition, or know a lot about winding pickups, or have re-created a missing part no longer available to purchase, or whatever Hardware solution might interest other steel players. Because John's very clear building instructions are tied directly to a "blueprint" he has provided, we plan to put the details into a booklet which also lists sources of supplies, and shows close-up photos of the pieces and parts you'll be using. It's simply too much material to present clearly for the builder, here in the Quarterly. Please let us know if such a booklet is of interest to you, so we can determine how many to print. The Board of Directors, with John Tipka's "blessing", has voted to request a $10 donation for such a booklet, not only to cover printing and postage costs, but to be an additional funding source for HSGA's Scholarship Assistance Fund. As you know, this money is held aside to provide assistance to serious Hawaiian steel students who need a financial "foot up" to advance to the next level of their learning, or instrumentation. Mahalo nui loa, John, for sharing your expertise. John has built a much-needed bass amp for HSGA, and, as I write, is building a steel guitar to gift to our new steel loving friends on Moloka'i, met last Spring on a convention "concert day trip" to the Island, arranged by Lorene Ruymar and John Auna. |
HSGA * HAWAIIAN
STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION
KAMAKA TOM, President
2434 Waioma'o Rd., Honolulu, HI
96816-3424.
