Recording King or Epiphone lap steel guitar?

Confused about which one to buy? I tried them both so you don't have to.

The Recording King RG 35 SN and the Epiphone Electar Century 1939 are both great inexpensive lap steel guitars. In this comparison, we check out their price, features, pros and cons, and their sound.

Video map:
0:00 - Introduction
0:34 - Overview
2:40 - Pros and cons
5:14 - Sound demo

--------------------
What to watch next:

--------------------
Follow root-studio:

--------------------
#recordingking #lapsteel #lapsteelguitar #epiphone #electar #comparison #review

[portsideguitar]

Sounds really good for just getting started! Thanks for the comparison 😊

[unfoldingrhythmz-percussio]

thank you for making this- I was torn between the two and was leaning towards the Epi.

[joeking]

What even makes one lap steel different from another? They're the easiest instrument to make there is. I've made several and they all sounded great.

[zigzagerman]

Thanks that's a great review I've watched so many I'm liking the recording king I'm getting old my fingers have arthritis and lock up playing a normal guitar 🤪

[KountryCuz]

Sounds Great I have The Recording King with P-90 Pickup

[Warrior_Pilgrim]

I believe you are correct- the Epiphone strings are very light. I had to switch them for C6 tuning as they were too light.

[maximkramer]

Thanks, nice video --- I'd go for the Epi.

[jorgeblessed]

Hello friend, what is the tuning of your instrument? As a reference from the thinnest rope to the thickest rope, from high to low it would be, thanks for giving me that information in advance

[margarethouse]

1. Yes, these are * Different *, and are their own instruments . Other than both having strings, very little to no carryover from conventional Armpit Guitar

2. Whatever string like objects come with them from the factory, they should imeadately be discarded and replaced with approprate gage strings for your intended Tuning .

There are a wide plethors of tuningd, many of them requiring strings . Manufacturers can't read your mind, and often as not ship with whatever they ship with regular electic guitars .

3. In your videos I've watched I didn't hear you explicitly say what gages you use, but when you discussed strings generally, everything you talked about was waaaay too light . You're not fretting or string bending . You want the strings to be firm under the tone bar .

For open D/E/G & usually A, a good starting point are Dobto gages ( ie 16- 56 ), for a full 25 inch scale length . For these shorter scaled it can still be loose, and you could want heavier .

( The typical C6 tunings have very different gages, and specific C6 string sets )


No, you won't find Lap Seel strings at regular music stores. . You'll have to order them .

If you know what you want, the usual intermet sellers of only strings will have a good selection .

If you're starting out, Morrell Music of Bristol, TN marks their sets for the relavent tunings, and have helpful website .


As to scale length, oversimplified - Full Length is 25 inch, csrriec over from the predecesor instfumemt. Short varies, but thnk 22.5 inch +/- an inch .

Shiorter helps facilitates radical slants within the limits of the human wrist .

Longer ( in theory )helps intonation slightly, but in real life is usually Dobro players who want to match muscle memory, and to fascilitate switching back snd forth song to song, between Steel snd Dobro .

[eliudeesuaguitarrahavaiana]

Boa noite como faço para adquirir uma guitarra havaiana dessa preço obrigado!

[myfavoritemartian]

I would stick to the Eppy, but install a tremolo and perhaps lighter flat wound strings. Everything else is in the effects you use.

[kansasblues]

my recording king came with a bone nut, are you sure yours is plastic?

[KGZR]

the epi bridge and nut are cheap soft metal, not stainless. also, the pickup is a j bass pickup. i wish i had bought the recording king.

[joeking]

The Recording King sounded much better.

[Matz]

With either one, you'll probably switch out the pickup. On style, the Epi, hands down. The Recording King body and head shapes are not handled artistically, and the white fretboard against a sunburst top looks cheap.

[superorangeish]

I dont care for the white fret board on the RK.Asthetics do come into play for me, unfortunately.

[peterhughes]

Neither - both these are duds imo. Their scale length is too short, string spacing too narrow and pups are poor