All Industrial instruments are hollow bodies and this (combined with alloy and gauge selection) is what produces their unique tone, and acoustic response. Depending on the requirements requested for the primary use of the instrument (stage performance, campfire jamming, or both, or …?) determines which gauge and alloy I recommend for the project.
I frequently auction standard models but also instruments made with new ideas I have, shapes, alternative fret board materials, etc.
I used to use a composite “poly” core material for the guitar, bass, and lap steel body frames. I phased this out of my designs around 2004-2005 aproximately. I no longer use the composite, or make instruments with it. I use strictly all aluminum frames and body construction. I only make steel guitars now, and ceased guitar and bass construction many years ago to concentrate on my lap steel designs.
As I always have, I still offer the free service to refresh & upgrade your composite based lap steels with improvements I’ve developed since the early 2000’s. Just email me with your needs or questions: [email protected]
Not at all. All that is usually required is a little window cleaner (like Windex) and a paper towel to keep them wiped down and looking new. Aluminum will show marks and scratches eventually from use but heavy use is encouraged & adds character to the instrument like a favorite tool! I offer to refinish the instruments in the future if the original customer ever desires it. Just cover the shipping and I’ll provide the service for free.
No, all Industrial Guitars are handmade to order in a custom shop environment here in the USA.
All instruments are plain, silver colored aluminum, and currently only powder coated finishes are an option. Many colors are available to me, and please inquire with your specific color needs.
Yes, I can source standard steel guitar legs & sockets. I can also get a separate stand for less cost which is specifically designed for lap steels.
Unless a special tuning is requested all standard gauge steels ship with a set of electric heavy gauge strings on them, normally 13-56 gauge & tuned in open E. Custom tuning or scale lengths are no problem just advise me when ordering. Occasionally this may include a slightly higher pricing depending on scale length or special order strings sets, etc.
Do a simple internet search for ‘lap steel tunings’ and you will find quite a few results & charts full of different tunings.