HELPLESSLY HOPING worshop with my new brand multibender Lap Steel

[Jean Pierre]

it's a lot harder to use than I thought.
several problems:
- It's physical! Especially if you have to do both levers simultaneously...
- problem because of the length of the neck (tuning fork) it's a notion that I didn't have the neck of my Lap steel Harley Benton is quite short and the shorter the neck the harder the accuracy is ...

Well here is an exercise on "Helplessly Hoping" from CSNY,

 be indulgent, I have only fifteen days of practice on this instrument.
I used the lap steel connected directly on the DAW, with Guitar Rig 5 and à volume pedal

[kenny mac]

We done JP.
That instrument sounds great, you have done well already with it
Nice one.

[Farrell Jackson]

JP, you did pretty darn good with just a few days practice on the new instrument! There are spots where you played it perfectly and the rest are quite passable and easy to listen to. Well done!

Farrell

[Jean Pierre]

and the rest are quite passable

Yes Farrell, there are, on several occasions, some false note (that I was tempted to erase with Melodyne, but basta, it's a workshop nothing more

[Flash Harry]

I really enjoyed that, it was interesting to hear you fighting with the intonation, it makes me realise just how tricky these instruments are.

What is the tuning on these?

Lovely to listen to - keep practicing, it sounds like you will have mastered it before too long.

[Jean Pierre]

Thank you, Harrry.
the lap steel is tuned in open D DAD F#AD
the lever on the 4th string raises the pitch by 1/2 tone and the lever on the 5th string raises the pitch by 1 tone (but you can set this as you wish depending on the tuning, raise or lower the pitch from 1/2 tone to 1 and a half tone).
The enhancement systems have been around for a long time, country guitarists often use them on their guitars (example the young Albert Lee here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8RPjjpbZhA).
It's nice on lap steel...but it's quite physical in the long run because to press on both levers at the same time you have to press with your wrist at least 2 or 3 kg! ...it's better not to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome!

the big difficulty is as for all the instruments not fretted the accuracy
the accuracy is less of a problem paradoxically with a steel guitar pedal because there is a lot of lever...and a lot of string and so you can play a lot of notes without moving the steel bar.


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[Ferryman_1957]

You do set yourself some challenges JP! I just listened to your other track with this beast and it sounds like you are really mastering it.

The photo confused me, as it looks like it is plumbed into your hot water system. I assume that's because the angle of the photo makes the lead look like a plastic pipe!

[Satchwood]

Very cool melodic slides and country tones!  I want one of those

[The Gobi Desert Canoe Club]

Well done, some beautiful sounds coming from your new bender. I bet you'll be getting a load of requests for collaborations before long myself included. Willie

[Jean Pierre]

I bet you'll be getting a load of requests for collaborations before long myself included.

with pleasure Willie
I still have to improve the technique and especially the accuracy...
There are some guys who do pure virtuosite YT stuff like this guy Luke Cyrus Goetze here in Harvest Moon.

..he's the reason I cracked the multibender tool.
HERE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLOOmtvC9Hc