Slide Clinic

[Franklin]

Earl Hooker

[Annie D.]

Bumping this thread, 'cause maybe some of our new members would appreciate it. Add sumpin'.

I think I'll try the Open G and capo on the second to make it A. It'll be a bit confusing after trying things in open D, but what the hey? Why not?Bump de bump bump.

[sabby]

I've been avoiding slide for years. I even bought a lap steel from a buddy who asked me to sell it for him just to learn. I' even floated the bridges on my strats trying to get them to sound more slide/pedal steel like. (Only to drive myself nuts trying to keep chord bends in tune.)

This thread is motivation: maybe its time I just make the leap. Thanls Annie. :yay

So glass or chrome? :hee

[Annie D.]

porcelain

[Power_13]

I've made the leap, kind of. I have a guitar that has knackered frets, so I put a super-high nut on it (just barely filing nut slots). Amazingly, I still manage to fret out :&

[Annie D.]

Capo-ing doesn't work very good. Back to the lab. Igor!

[Power_13]

The problem I found with capoing is that it lowers the upper neck action right down. Maybe there's a market for a slide capo, where the bar is made of slide material such as glass and is designed to just rest on the strings, rather than pulling them down to the fret?

[Annie D.]

it lowers the upper neck action right down

yep

Luv, Buzz City

[opdev]

Hi All,

I have been pretty involved in slide since I started playing. It was actually the reason I eventually started to play.

I have slowly moved into some nice slide gear. I have a Gibson Fades DC set up with nice high action for electric. I also can play slide on my "slighty" raised action telecaster.

For acoustic I use a National Vintage Steel Tricon and a wood National Estralita.

Amp wise, I love the 5E3 clone with maybe a touch of OD forom a Red Snapper. I also love the little Gibson GA-5's. Those amps nail the old Muddy Waters and Elmore James slide tone.

I wear my slide on the pinky and always play with fingers. I usually have thumb and finger picks on.

Most of the slide songs I know are old acoustic.

Keep Your Lamp....
Mama Taint Long Fo' Day
Yo Yo Blues
Travelin Riverside Blues
Boogie Woogie Dance
Walkin Blues
Come on in My Kitchen

Slide wise I use a nice thick glass slide I bought in Seattle. It's hand blown glass so there is a nice pattern in it.

I find the length of the slide is most important for me. Too long and I can't bend my pinky at all. I like them a little shorter than normal.

Tuning wise, I play both open D and G. I don't really have a favorite.

Some off the beaten path slide listening.

Paul Rishell & Annie Raines(Movin to the Country)
Tarbox Ramblers (the reason I wanted to learn slide in the 1st place).

M. Tarbox of the Ramblers is one of the best gritty down and dirty slide players around. He is local and I've been lucky in that both he and Paul Rishell teach lessons.

I love playing electric slide but I really still can't pull off a slide solo. It's still mostly electrified country blues with alot of fingerpicked noted interlocked with slide notes.

[Cheapstrat]

Bumping this...too good to let it die.

[NDRU]

Bumping a 7 year old thread, but it's new to me!

I never played slide, but a friend showed me an open tuning (I also always stayed away from alternate tunings) I immediately discovered how they worked together to give you that "authentic delta" sound. Very good for playing & singing one man stuff. I have yet to work out subtleties, but it was a quick jump forward.

Playing slide in standard tuning is more elusive to me.

[melody]

BTTT!

[martindc1]

I'll bump and add a bit.

I just started playing slide a couple months ago. I started on my Martin acoustic and wanted to go to an electric.

I was having trouble with my Strat. I wanted a guitar with a flatter fretboard, closer to my Martin, so I got an Epiphone SG. I really like the neck profile and the access to the upper frets. I set it up with the action at the high end of the factory setup specs and use Ernie Ball Power Slinkies (.11 top end, lighter bottom). I have also been learning using standard tuning.

Playing this way I can easily go back and forth between slide and fretted notes. I like my action a shade higher anyways. With my Strat I use the upper range of the factory specs.

I also use the slide on my pinky, as I can be more versatile with fretting notes with my other 3 fingers. This took some getting used to, because it felt more natural with my ring finger, but it has payed off.

I use a Dunlop glass slide and a chrome slide, each fitting my pinky nicely. I like it. After I get better with standard tuning I will probably play around with some open tunings.