c. 2020 Cole Clark Lapdog lap steel guitar

I bought this from a guy in Melbourne Australia in early November 2021. He said that he bought it from Manny's in late 2020, so it was most likely made in 2019-2020. List price at the time was AU$1529.

I don't like Cole Clark guitars much although I did have a Violap a few years ago. I find Cole Clarks to be really ugly, as though they've deliberately chosen the most ugly timbers they could find. But I needed something relatively cheap, reliable and disposable for gigs because all my other lap steels are pretty valuable vintage instruments.

After using this guitar at a few gigs, I'm now completely convinced.

• The tuning is very stable (i.e. it stays pretty much in tune all night)
• The fretboard scale is really easy to play (like my Rickenbacher - they even fit perfectly in the same custom case), but the Ricky is very much affected by temperature changes and people have commented that the Ricky sounds too bright
• Sound wise it really blends nicely with the band.

According to the Manny's web site, the specs are:

• Semi-hollow lapsteel with carved top and back
• Top: Queensland Maple
• Neck: Australian Blackwood
• Back wings: Australian grown Californian Redwood
• Lollar Imperial humbucker
• Finish: Nitrocellulose (natural satin)
• Inlays: Dot
• Machine heads: Grover
• Nut: Graph Tech (other sources say bakelite)
• Saddle: Custom Brass

Serial number written in ballpoint on the inside of the controls cavity.

More Info

• Cole Clark web site
• Greg Cutshaw - Steel Guitar
• Brad's page of Steel
• String gauge guide
  This is intended for pedal steel but is also useful for lap steels.
• My string gauges
• Lap steel capos