Lap Steel Guitar roundup
Lap Steel Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Tuning, body type, pickups and vintage traps — a no-nonsense checklist for choosing the right lap steel guitar for the music you actually want to play.
Right, so you've decided you want a lap steel guitar — brilliant choice. But walk into this without a plan and you'll end up with something that fights you at every turn: wrong tuning for the music you actually want to play, action set up all wrong, or a pickup that can't cut through a band mix. Here's everything worth checking before you hand over any money.
Decide Your Tuning Before You Decide Your Guitar
This is the bit people skip, and it's the one that matters most. A lap steel is tuned to an open chord, not standard guitar tuning, and that choice shapes everything you play:
- C6 (C–E–G–A–C–E) — Hawaiian, Western swing, jazz and chord-melody playing. More chordal options, steeper learning curve.
- Open D (D–A–D–F♯–A–D) — blues, folk, straightforward major-chord work. The easiest entry point for most players.
- Open E (E–B–E–G♯–B–E) — blues and rock, but higher string tension, so check the instrument can take it.
- Open G (D–G–D–G–B–D) — roots and resonator-style playing.
Some instruments come pre-strung for one tuning; others are flexible if you're willing to swap string gauges. Know your target genre before you buy, not after.
Body Type: Solid, Hollow or Resonator
Every lap steel guitar on the market falls into one of three broad builds, and each behaves differently:
- Solid-body electric — the most common modern choice. Quiet unplugged, but stable, feedback-resistant and dependable through an amp.
- Hollow or semi-acoustic — more traditional Hawaiian tone, some usable acoustic volume, but more prone to feedback at higher amp volumes.
- Resonator-style — uses a metal cone for acoustic projection; genuinely playable unplugged, with a distinctive metallic bite.
If you're mostly playing through an amp at practice volume or gigging, solid-body is the safe, sensible choice. If you want something you can pick up and play on the sofa, look at resonator or hollow builds.
Pickups and Electronics
A single-coil pickup gives you that classic, slightly bright Hawaiian and country steel tone, but can pick up hum from lighting rigs and other electronics. A humbucker trades a touch of that top-end sparkle for a quieter, punchier signal — often the better call if you're playing anything with drive or distortion, like blues or rock steel. Check whether tone and volume controls are simple (one of each) or more flexible; simple is usually fine while you're learning.
New vs Secondhand vs Vintage
A secondhand lap steel guitar can be genuinely excellent value, provided you check it over properly first.
| Option | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| New, entry-level | Consistent setup, warranty, predictable tone | Basic electronics, limited character |
| Secondhand, modern | Better value per pound, often barely used | Ask about setup, fret/bar wear, electronics faults |
| Vintage (e.g. old Fender or Rickenbacker-style steels) | Genuine period tone and history | Old wiring, pot noise, collector pricing rather than player pricing |
Vintage lap steels from makers like Fender and Rickenbacker carry real history, but budget for a proper electronics check and possible fret or nut work before you rely on one.
Don't Forget the Accessories
The guitar is only part of the kit. Budget for:
- A tone bar — a rounded bullet-nose bar is the traditional, versatile choice for slants and smooth movement.
- A thumbpick and fingerpicks, if you're playing fingerstyle rather than flatpicking.
- A small practice amp with clean headroom, since Hawaiian and country steel tones are usually clean with modest reverb.
- A reliable tuner — intonation on a lap steel is entirely down to your ear and the bar, so accurate tuning matters even more than on a fretted guitar.
- Spare strings matched to your chosen tuning.
Putting It All Together
The right lap steel guitar for you depends far more on the music you want to play than on brand names or finish colours. Lock in your tuning, pick a body type that suits how and where you'll play, and don't skimp on the bar and picks — they shape your sound as much as the instrument does. If you want the bigger picture on how all this fits together, our overview guide covers the instrument's history and mechanics in full. Already own one and just starting out? Head to our beginner's guide. Want specific price-tier recommendations rather than general buying advice, check our roundup of the best options for the money. And before your first practice session, it's worth skimming our list of common mistakes so you don't bake them into your technique from day one.
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