Comments on: Wizard of the Strings (Vintage 1968 Harmony Roy Smeck Lap Steel Guitar)

By: Denny Turner

Denny Turner — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 01:40:16 +0000

Lap Steel, accurately aka Hawaiian Guitar, aka Hawaiian Steel Guitar, aka non-pedal Steel Guitar, ….is known, loved and played by many spanish and pedal steel guitarists to this day, and is increasing; As witnessed by TheSteelGuitarForum.com (Steel without pedals section) which is THE treasuretrove of steel guitar info and discussions for and between beginners all the way to the most accomplished. Although I’ve played ‘slide guitar’ on a lap steel for 40 years, it wasn’t until 1985 that I discovered non-pedal steel Masters’ music and realized just how phoenominally much could be played in all music genres on even a 6 string lap steel; I’ve been hooked ever since, along with many other guitarists that discovered the same since the inception of the Hawaiian / Steel Guitar over 100 years ago. The great increase in the number of non-pedal steel guitars for players of all experience levels is testament that the “Hawaiian Guitar” is not dead by any means but is indeed alive and well and growing quite well. — Very Best Wishes, DT~

By: Peter Jameson

Peter Jameson — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:59:59 +0000

I have a Roy Smeck album on vinyl, and he was a magnificent multi-instrumental player. I think I read in an interview that he taught a youthful Elliott Randall in New York – talk about passing the torch (the tiki torch, I guess). Cheers from Belfast, Ireland, Peter

By: Eugene S Lyon

Eugene S Lyon — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 03:54:38 +0000

I enjoyed this one you wrote – actually I play in one of those cheesy tiki gigs along with Jonny Pal (he played with Freddie Fender back in the day) Jonny plays a vintage lap (and everything else!) he jambs “Sleep Walk” I love that sound. .. i play ukuleles, banjo & guitar (recently got a Warren Ellis tenor and strung it uke style… so I’m a kook, I know – been surfin since ’69 and I love this old stuff – I had an old Harmony six string and still have a Harmony banjo too – I would like to find a lap like yours its beautiful! – what is that worth? Gene