Uploaded October 2011 | Updated September 2026, 52 minutes ago
I'm playing a Jerry Byrd Frypan longscale lap steel, through a Roland MicroCube amp, C6th tuning. I tuned my bottom 6th string to a C note (standard C6th tuning, which is treble to bass: E - C - A - G - E - C). This is one of my favorite songs. I missed a few harmonic notes at the beginning, but hit them later right on. Sweet Leilani is a very easy song to play on lap steel, as you can rake across all the strings for most of the chords.
I like what Jerry Byrd said about harmonics, that is, that even one or two harmonic notes can highlight a song. If you play harmonics regularly, after awhile you'll be able to play entire passages or entire songs using only harmonics, once your hand gets used to positioning on the fret board.
Although I look when I can to know where to position my right hand, most of the time I can't see under my hand and have to go by feeling where the fret is at. This takes a short time to learn. My problem is that I have numerous lap steel guitars and each time I play a different one, the scale is different, so my harmonics are not as consistent. I really like the tone of the longer scale frypan.
I have a Rogue Jersey Lightning guitar that I only paid $149 for, and it sounds great for the price; but you get what you pay for most of the time. You need a nice guitar pickup. Cheap guitars are thin-sounding, lacking substance in the tone; but a better pickup gives you a fuller sound, with some meat to the note, a night-and-day difference. The Rickenbacher (prewar spelling) or Rickenbacker (postwar spelling) Bakelites are the best for tone. They're made of the same substance as bowling balls. This is true tone. The Jerry Byrd Frypan is very nice, with great tone, although lacking in harmonic sustain as compared to the Rickenbachers. Tone is everything on a steel guitar. I have a Melelani lap steel, 8-string, with a Jerry Wallace pickup that has incredible harmonic sustain. That's where you test a guitar's sustain... while playing harmonics!!!
Don't misunderstand, I love the Jerry Byrd Frypan for tone, but it's like the old Fender steel guitars, where you had to really work at getting the harmonics out of it. This is just my humble opinion. Everybody is different just as guitars are different. Every car is different. They all take you from point A to point B, but each vehicle drives a little different, and has a different feel. Actually, I like all lap steels. = - )
After I played a $79 Rogue lap steel for 2 years, I was blown away when I played a 1930's Rickenbacher for the first time. Wow! But beware when buying because there's a lot of garbage out there. NEVER buy a Rickenbacher if the pots (either tone or volume) has been replaced. It will sound terrible! If the owner says they are not sure, DON'T buy it! Jason Lollar (do an internet search) rewinds pickups for them or recharges the horseshoe magnets.
I'm playing a Jerry Byrd Frypan longscale lap steel, through a Roland MicroCube amp, C6th tuning. I tuned my bottom 6th string to a C note (standard C6th tuning, which is treble to bass: E - C - A - G - E - C). This is one of my favorite songs. I missed a few harmonic notes at the beginning, but hit them later right on. Sweet Leilani is a very easy song to play on lap steel, as you can rake across all the strings for most of the chords.
I like what Jerry Byrd said about harmonics, that is, that even one or two harmonic notes can highlight a song. If you play harmonics regularly, after awhile you'll be able to play entire passages or entire songs using only harmonics, once your hand gets used to positioning on the fret board.
Although I look when I can to know where to position my right hand, most of the time I can't see under my hand and have to go by feeling where the fret is at. This takes a short time to learn. My problem is that I have numerous lap steel guitars and each time I play a different one, the scale is different, so my harmonics are not as consistent. I really like the tone of the longer scale frypan.
I have a Rogue Jersey Lightning guitar that I only paid $149 for, and it sounds great for the price; but you get what you pay for most of the time. You need a nice guitar pickup. Cheap guitars are thin-sounding, lacking substance in the tone; but a better pickup gives you a fuller sound, with some meat to the note, a night-and-day difference. The Rickenbacher (prewar spelling) or Rickenbacker (postwar spelling) Bakelites are the best for tone. They're made of the same substance as bowling balls. This is true tone. The Jerry Byrd Frypan is very nice, with great tone, although lacking in harmonic sustain as compared to the Rickenbachers. Tone is everything on a steel guitar. I have a Melelani lap steel, 8-string, with a Jerry Wallace pickup that has incredible harmonic sustain. That's where you test a guitar's sustain... while playing harmonics!!!
Don't misunderstand, I love the Jerry Byrd Frypan for tone, but it's like the old Fender steel guitars, where you had to really work at getting the harmonics out of it. This is just my humble opinion. Everybody is different just as guitars are different. Every car is different. They all take you from point A to point B, but each vehicle drives a little different, and has a different feel. Actually, I like all lap steels. = - )
After I played a $79 Rogue lap steel for 2 years, I was blown away when I played a 1930's Rickenbacher for the first time. Wow! But beware when buying because there's a lot of garbage out there. NEVER buy a Rickenbacher if the pots (either tone or volume) has been replaced. It will sound terrible! If the owner says they are not sure, DON'T buy it! Jason Lollar (do an internet search) rewinds pickups for them or recharges the horseshoe magnets.
