The Beard Road-O-Phonic lap steel first appeared around 2006 and is designed and built in Hagerstown, Maryland at Paul Beard’s shop. The Road-O-Phonic has evolved over several versions and the second version seen here features a Maple body and neck with Flame Maple veneer for the top and back; the fingerboard is Ebony with a 23 inch scale length. The current version 3 uses a 25 inch scale length.
Lap Steel
Built from around 2001 to 2010, the National Model D squareneck resophonic guitar uses a wood body and single cone with a spider bridge. The body is built with Mahogany laminate for the top, and Walnut for the back, sides and 12-fret neck. Some models used laminate Spruce for the top, but this one is laminate Mahogany. In 2010, the Model D was replaced by the wood-bodied Smith & Young Model 11. National discontinued the Smith & Young line around 2015.
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MORE →Here is a rarity – a Royal Aire by National solid body electric guitar, dating to 1951 and one of the earliest production electrics for National and its parent Valco. Clearly a National model given its construction and components, Royal Aire branded instruments are few and far between. Around 1947, Valco contracted with Gibson to produce some Royal Aire flat top acoustics, based on the LG-3. Here, Valco / National used a National neck with its shield logo plate engraved to read Royal Aire.
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MORE →From the early 1930s until the rise of Rock ‘n Roll, steel guitars like this National Model 1008 Console 8 were very popular, and for novice players, often their first instrument. In fact, the very first production electric guitars were Electric Hawaiian steel models, and the first of those was almost certainly the 1932 Ro-Pat-In Steel. Ro-Pat-In quickly improved their name to ‘Rickenbacher’ and soon also introduced the very rare 1935 ‘Ken Roberts’ guitar, arguably the first production Electric Spanish style guitar. Rickenbacker at this time was also building metal parts for both National and DoBro.
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MORE →Built from late 1954 until 1980, the Fender Champ Lap Steel was a popular budget instrument and often sold as a set with the 5-watt Champ tube amplifier. The Champ Lap Steel replaced the Fender Champion steel, with the major differences being the ‘Desert Sand’ or tan finish on the Champ instead of the Pearloid (also known as Mother of Toilet Seat) cover on the Champion, and the simpler shape of the Champ.
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MORE →This Fender Champ Lap Steel, built during 1959 at the Fender plant in Fullerton, California is in very nice, mostly original condition. The Fender Champ Lap Steel was often sold as part of a starter set, with Fender’s smallest amplifier – the 5 watt Champ. That amp itself went on to become very popular in some recording studios. For example, it’s the amp Eric Clapton used for much of the Derek and the Dominos – Layla album.
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