Official Luthiers Forum!

A lap steel is not a resonator, but this seems like the best group to ask this question. Some of you may own lap steels. I'm wanting to build an 8 string and am looking for info on string spacing. On my 6 strings I use 11mm spacing between strings at the bridge. If you have one of these creatures, I would appreciate 8 string measurements, outside to outside, at the nut and bridge. Some of these converge at the nut and some are parallel. If you have a players opinion on that, I'd appreciate that too. Thanks, Bob

_________________
“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

Lovely guitar, Bob. I love the flame carried thru to the fretboard. Can't help with the 8 string but when you do get an answer I'll file it away for the possibility that I might make one.

Yes, beautiful work Bob. I just joined the forum and saw this post, so I don't know if you're still looking for the info but I made a pair of lap steels for a Dobro player a year or so ago - a 6-string and an 8-string. If I remember rightly the overall spacing on the 8 was 70mm for both nut and bridge, with the in-between strings laid out using a Stew-mac string spacing ruler. The customer adjusted to this very easily from his usual Dobro (apart from forgetting he had the 2 extra strings...) and 6 string steel (like yours - 11mm). Hope this helps.