one of the best sounding musical intruments is the lap steel. ima listening to the athens, georgia band japancakes playing my bloody valentine's 'when you sleep' and englandoid brian eno 'deep blue day'...
Have you heard any Clara Rockmore? She was pretty much the mother of the theremin. Some nice videos of her on youtube really showing what the instrument could do.
i have a love/hate relationship with the lap steel. For me as long as the music is almost devoid of twang, then the lap steel can rule, but if there's too much honkytonk and you add it into the mix, i can't stand it.
that is the predicament, the honkytonk-type of which you speak seems the only thing people want to do with it, yet that crappy style shouldn't be inherent to the instrument. oh well...