Electric Lap Steel
Capturing the Weissenborn aesthetic in a unique, modern electric lap steel.
Inspired by the iconic Weissenborn
Electric Lap Steel
Featuring the perfect proportions of the iconic Weissenborn shape and traditional appointments in a modern lap steel crafted with cutting edge guitar construction techniques. A truly versatile instrument that is equally at home with the sweetest Hawaiian licks or overdriven rock and blues.
Featuring a stunning figured Tasmanian Blackwood or Hawaiian Koa top, Seymour Duncan pickups and premium hardware and components.
Available in both hourglass and teardrop body shapes.
Order Your Lap Steel Today
Custom Instruments
Our electric lap steel guitars are built to order.
Whether it's an electric lap steel with our standard features or a truly custom creation, Richard Wilson can work with you to create the lap steel guitar of your dreams.
'Hourglass' Lap Steel
The traditonal hourglass Weissenborn body shape. Pictured with nickel Schroeder bridge.
'Teardrop' Lap Steel
An homage to the truly unique teardrop Weissenborn. Pictured with Weissenborn-style ebony bridge
Lap Steel Specifications
Each guitar is individually handcrafted by Richard Wilson; some specifications can differ for aesthetic, tonal or structural reasons. Left-handed, short scale and custom variations available on request.
Tonewoods
Solid, Quartersawn, Air Dried
Construction
Three-piece with neck-through body
Neck
Carbon fibre reinforced
Tone Chambers
70+ "honeycomb" body chambers
Scale Length
25" (635mm)
Length
36" (920mm)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan '59 Humbuckers
Controls
CTS Volume & Tone
Orange capacitor
Switchcraft 3-way toggle switch
Top
Figured Tasmanian Blackwood
Bridge
Weissenborn-style or Schroeder TL
String Spacing
1.6" (40.5mm) Nut
2.125" (54mm) Saddle
Tuning Machines
Replica 1920s Waverley Style
Inlay
Pearloid, stone
Finish
Satin lacquer
Case
Soft case
Tonewoods
The focus of these lap steels is the stunning figured Tasmanian Blackwood or Hawaiian Koa top on a solid body of Tasmanian Blackwood, Queensland Maple, Silver Quandong or Bunya Pine.
We select the best quartersawn, air-dried premium grade tonewoods and process each body from rough lumber.
Traditional and exotic tonewood options are available on request.
Design & Construction
Blending old-world aesthetics with cutting edge electric guitar design. While remaining faithful to the creations of H. Weissenborn, on the inside these lap steels make the most of modern advancements in solidbody guitar design and construction techniques.
Each electric lap steel is individually crafted in Brisbane, Australia.
Tone Chambers
Honeycomb-shaped tone chambers are carved within the solid body to give the lap steel increased sustain and volume while reducing feedback and decreasing weight.
The matrix of 70 chambers throughout the body achieves superior tone, maximum strength while the instrument feels solid, light with truly balanced weight.
Carbon Fibre Reinforcement
Twin carbon fibre rods located within the neck gives these lap steels a rigid, light spine that increases the tonal response of the lap steel while ensuring perfect action and a neck that can handle heavy string gauges and will remain true for decades to come.
Components
Every component has been individually selected for quality, tone and aesthetics from the world's leading boutique manufacturers.
Seymour Duncan pickups offer vintage PAF tone that is perfectly suited to most common styles including rock, blues, Hawaiian and country but we will happily work with you to find the ideal pickups for your requirements.
Weissenborn Inspiration
This lap steel guitar was designed from the ground up as a nod to the iconic H. Weissenborn guitar shape and their unique styling. Scale length, string spacing and action have also been adapted to make this guitar the ideal electric companion for any Weissenborn aficionado.
The optional wooden bridge captures the traditional Weissenborn shape in a size and string spacing that perfectly suits electric lap steels.
Find Out More
About Richard Wilson
Weissenborn guitars by RW
Each guitar is individually handcrafted by Richard Wilson.
With more than 30 instruments to his name over two decades of building, Richard Wilson is the world's foremost luthier specialising in Weissenborn guitars.