And a tip for tone:
index finger goes on top of bar, and your ring finger drags behind to dampen string vibrations. Makes all the difference.

Lap steel is a lot of fun, and a whole different way of thinking about melodies and harmony. If you're thinking traditional hawaiian exotica and old skool country, C6 is a good place to start. (CEGACE). You'll want a custom set of strings, cause it's a higher range with closer intervals.

Or ...

I use D'addario 13-56 tuned B-B on my Blacktop Jazzmaster. A little flabby, but works. I actually like the extra play- very expressive in a lo-fi kind of way. Don't forget to reset your intonation.

I use D'addario 13-56 tuned B-B on my Blacktop Jazzmaster. A little flabby, but works. I actually like the extra play- very expressive in a lo-fi kind of way. Don't forget to reset your intonation.

I really like the JM. Black pickguards on natural colors are my favorite. I also like the strat jack. I think they hold up better in the long run. Add a bigsby and you're good to go.

After all, these are "vintage modified". I appreciate the fact they are trying new things at a lower price point. If ...

Hey plaidbeer,
sounds like we were separated at birth. I've got a BT JM + Vox pathfinder. I also used to listen to all that same stuff in high school and currently have paper thin walls in my apartment. No joke.
Anyways, I was also having trouble deciding what to replace the stock HB with, when i ...