Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag Metallic Red

Comments about Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag:

I really like it, and the price was low! my slide playing keeps improving every time I use it!

Like the other review stated, "the legs are a little shaky" so the whole thing moves around a bit while your playing, but its a "lap Steel" the legs are just a extra bonus! I already got used to the movement. And you can always set down and use it like it was designed to use, _on your lap_ The electronics and pickup are fine and sound good especially for the _price point_ its in. I did upgrade all the electronics and pickup, I'm a pickup maker by trade, and wanted to design a new product / 10k Lap pickup. I found that the chrome plates control holes are too small to accept CTS pots and I had to use a hole grinder to widen them - its a bit of a job, but I had the tools, and now Its got the good stuff! and will last for many years to come.
The Guitar looks great up on the legs too, and is a welcome addition to my jam room!

Comments about Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag:

I just got my RLS-1 in. Basically it is a pretty nice little guitar for a very small price. The workmanship on the headstock cutouts is pretty crude...but doesn't affect the playing of the instrument and could be smoothed out pretty easily if it bothers you. Basically the inside of the cutouts is just not finished out smoothly. The tuners seem a little rough, but they work ok and hold tune. The strings that come on the instrument are basically useless. They appear to be a very light gauge set of guitar strings, and are way too loose for steel playing. I replaced them immediately with a set of C6 strings I put together. Smallest string is .015 as opposed to the one on it which was probably a .009 or .010 or so. To be honest, due to the shorter than normal scale on the guitar, even these are a little loose. I may go up a gauge or two with the first three strings when I re-string it next time. For now, it will do. The scale on this guitar is about 3/4 inch shorter than the more common 22.5 inches of many steel guitars. The string spacing is also a little narrower than what is becoming a pretty much standard spacing of 3/8" between strings. The spacing on this guitar is about the same as an electric guitar. One thing I have noticed is that the relatively low string height and spacing, palm blocking is very easy and effective. It does have a fully adjustable bridge. When I got the guitar, this was a little out of adjustment on one of the strings causing some rattle when noting with the bar, so check this if you get one. The nut on the guitar is plastic, which is ok but a metal nut might add a little more sustain. The little guy actually plays and sounds pretty well once you get used to the scale and spacing. You might want to think about this if you have large hands or fingers...I'm small framed so it really doesn't bother me that much. The shorter scale does make a little more precision required to get the notes just right. It also makes some bar slants a little more touchy. The gig bag and legs are a nice addition to the guitar. Frankly, you couldn't buy the bag and legs for the cost of the whole setup. Mine has a couple of very very small scratches, one on the headstock and another on the chrome plate where the volume and tone controls are located, but frankly it's just not enough to be worth bothering with a return. When you buy a guitar in this price range, you can't really expect perfection. Overall, if you want a really cheap introduction to steel guitar, and like the legs, it's not a bad choice. At it's current price it will probably never lose over half it's value. I recently saw a used artisan (same guitar pretty much) sell for almost as much plus shipping. Why somebody would bid a cheap guitar new up to that, I don't know, but they will.

Comments about Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag:

I bought a closeout Rogue EA-3 which appears to be the same lap steel as the Rogue RLS-1. It was the Stupid Deal of the Day, and sold out fast. I had purchased an SX lap steel just a few weeks earlier instead of the Rogue because of a few bad EA-3 reviews, but at the severely discounted price, I thought I'd take a chance and have a second steel for a different tuning. The Rogue is great! I think that it sounds much better, even with the factory strings. It has a shorter scale, but that doesn't bother me at all. I like the sound, and can find no flaws whatsoever in the fit and finish of the instrument. Other than having to tune it out of the box, the intonation and string height were spot-on. The tuners are inexpensive, but they work just fine. The bridge is a good design, and the individual saddles are adjustable for intonation and string height. The plastic nut is a week point, but it can be replaced if you so choose, and it serves its purpose. Some reviewers have criticized the screw-on legs. Mine were covered in surface rust inside and out, so I disassembled them and gave them a good cleaning and oiled them. They are a great addition to this lap steel! I had to re-position one of the leg sockets on the instrument to get the legs to mount at the correct angle (it had been mounted incorrectly at the factory), and lube the threads on the legs. The carrying case is of decent quality and design. All in all, this lap steel is a lot of bang for your buck! I should have bought two...

Comments about Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag:

Started playing lap steel a couple of years ago, like the swingy 6th tunings E6,C6. Have been using steel with various groups using a tiny Roland mini cube with good results. Got this steel as a back up but now keep it in C6 tuning. This is better than my 1st steel as it has better knobs and the jack is on the correct side of the instrument--away from your picking hand. You do need to get the correct string gauges for the tuning you use. Higher tension gives it more crying steel sound and not to worry as you're not fretting the thing and the instrument itself is a plank. Basic instrument looks nice, had to turn one of the leg mounts around to use them but mostly use my lap.

Comments about Rogue RLS-1 Lap Steel Guitar with Stand and Gig Bag:

This is my first lap steel, I'm having a great time learning on this instrument!