Steel Guitar Builder

This thread is dedicated to photos of GB's.

This is an investor in 2004 with his 2 Solid Bubinga Consoles - #3 is owned by a personal friend.

On the left is my King Koa on the right is my Maple D8 Recording Guitar.







Ruby Pickup Red Abalone Control Knob inlays.




Bubinga - African RoseWood is awesome. It Mills excellently and is a really nice tight sonic quality some where between Mahogany and Maple. Highly Recommended Lap Steel Guitar Wood.
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This piece is from back in late 90's when I was still using a hand router and home brew MDF Template. We did a dozen or so before the template got soft on it's side. This promted me to go find better templates and found the CNC instead, which was a blessing from above. I went from back yard to manufacturing instantly.














Solid one piece top plate 1/2" thick called Perote (Pear- Rota) from Mexico.
The top is bonded to the solid Mahogany body.

Beautiful works of art, plain and simple.

George, applying your knowledge and experience to this question: Would you say that mahogany has special tonal qualities compared to other woods? Also, what domestic woods would you favor for their tonal qualities?

Mahogany = Long Sustain & Forgiving Sonic Quality. Stability - reasonable cost - very available.

Maple = hard tight tone and articulate lots of figure available .

Walnut - sort of a cross between the above --

Poplar = lowest cost -- Sustainable product -- large planks -- very stable -- slightly softer tone than maple -- mills the easiest of all mentioned. Works great when bonded to exotic hard woods. (THe Mill Movie is a Poplar with 1/4 thick Bubinga top plate)
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Solid Maple (Soft Maple)


Bubinga bonded to Poplar Series 2 (cnc)


Koa Bonded to Poplar ( Sold to a Director at Pixar Films)




Another Red Head -- Bubinga on Poplar


Walnut on Poplar


Godzilla 12 star Walnut on Mahogany - Pair of Identical Twins - One Lives in Japan and the Other is a Friend's here in Oklahoma and is currently for sale. She bought it from me when it was my demonstrator in 2005.

Thanks George. Your creations are simply stunning. MAybe you should call them Gorgeousboards

This is our 6 String Lap, we made 6 pieces total and still have the CNC Program.


This is the Original All Brass Bridge unit it has a 3/8 Roller. We replaced this design with the Wood Tray and kept the Brass Roller Pin.


Here is our Not so Famous Lighted Fret Board -- I made over 100 instruments with the ability to add the light bulb and not one request to do so
-- Discontinued that eye deer.


This is the Sister to the Original D8 Console I built for George Benson ( Jazz Star) it is Red Compression Curl Koa bonded to Mahogany. It lives in the Boston Area.


The Head Stock design (cnc) acommodates the Imperial Key Head.


You can see the 1st design of the Wood Tray later I paid another huge fee to re-program the wood tray to the larger size, it was worth it in the longer run.


This is an early series 2 CNC lap Koa on African Mahogany with a speciality Finish. This is very difficult finish -- major fill the grain job and then I use the same finish materials as Steinway Grand Pianos use to get the Black Mirror on the deep grained Mahogany.
Needlees to say , it was the only one of this style.

You just have NO idea what kind of work goes into this type of quality instrument until you start to tinker with building your own. As always George, your work is a pleasure to see and it is an endless inspiration!!!

Many thanks to all for the compliments and interest. I am having a fun time going through my old photos - choosing some to share - re-telling the history.

Perota Series 2 - I was getting the Knobs from Stew-Mac


Koa on Mahogany -- I was buying the Koa Locally at the Hardwood Shop.

Note the Tiny Hole under the Nut Brass - that is for the Light Bulb on the Fret Board.
The Head Stock is the most distinctive feature Artisticly on a Lap Steel - Take your time to figure out this aspect - it defines your brand name.

In these photos you can see the Down Holes -- All are programed into the CNC @ .002 tolerances.
We use "Registration Pins" to Locate the Nut and Bridge Trays - Fretboard - this takes the guess work and tape measures out of the product. Put the 1/8" X 1/2" metal dowel pins into the top parts and press them down and Whammo - Every thing is in position - simply turn the hold down screws and you are good to go. By using this method, All GeorgeBoards Play and Tune out Exactly the same from Instrument to Instrument. I've taken these to the Dallas Steel Jamboree - in 2002 and lined them up in a row, the top pro players went from one to the next with absolutely no lag time this included (Name Dropping) Jeff Newman - Maurice Anderson - Ricky Davis - Buzz Evans - Billy Robinson and a lot of others.( Speedy West Sr. - Chuck Lettes)

Koa One Piece Top - on Mahogany Showing the Down Holes.

Maple D8 Recording Steel



I made 2 of these one lives near Pheonix with a personal Friend and this one is the selected Recording Instrument.

It Has Walnut Nut and Bridge Trays - some how they seem to have a most desireable sonic quality in the studio. The GB Logos are Laser Cut Abalone Shell.

The Case is a Pelican Travel Vault, completely Water Proof and it has Air Purge - these are qualified to go 600 feet below the surface of ocean and they are used to go out of the earth's atmosphere too.

I know this is an old thread but there is some superb stuff here.

As I have a CNC router and a laser cutter at work, you have given me a few ideas to try!


Steve.

George, I am now the proud owner of one of your creations - 4/2012 #003 in Blue Chrome. It now has an Alumitone pickup, I suspect that's a later substitution. A great first lap steel.

All best wishes

Will Cowell