lpdeluxe Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Just about any guitar will work' date=' but heavier strings and high action will help.[/quote'] Try your guitar and see if you like it. A lot of people want to emulate somebody else, and that's OK. Me, I'm wired differently. I experiment and try to find a voice that suits me. That led me to my '70 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe gold top, with Seymour Duncans. Of course, if you follow my practice, that doesn't help you. Seriously, slide can be played on about anything with strings (maybe not mandolin -- I saw Marty Stuart try one time and it mostly sounded lame). I play Dobro, old '30s Regal resonator, acoustic guitar and the LP as well as my Epi S II with slide, and I have found over the years that it's a lot more profitable to try out different tunings (each guitar responds best to a different one, seems like), strings (heavier is better, and I like a wound 3rd) and amp combinations than to try to nail the elusive "I wanna sound like X". Be yourself and amaze everybody...or imitate and get criticized because you can't make it sound exactly the same. My motto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 "...By the way, if you want to see and hear the greatest slide guitarist to ever use a Firebird, take a look at this..." I would have to disagree with that one Bigtime! Here's my vote for king of the firebird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 "...By the way' date=' if you want to see and hear the greatest slide guitarist to ever use a Firebird, take a look at this..." I would have to disagree with that one Bigtime! Here's my vote for king of the firebird [/quote'] Johny Winter did a lot for raising the stock on Firebirds, but I'm not sure he couldn't have done the same with an SG. My first electric was a loaner Firebird, and I found the darned thing to be awkward to hold and play. But I think Johnny Winter is a bit taller and longer-armed than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicester35 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 "Johnny Winter did a lot for raising the stock on Firebirds..." Well, yes, agreed...ask 9/10 guitarists to name the best blues player to use a Firebird, and you'll probably hear the answer 'Johnny Winter.' He's a tremendous musician, after all. But it's all subjective at the end of the day. Winter is certainly much more accomplished technically. Brian Jones, arguably, was more innovative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookelputz Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Ahhh! Can't find any videos of his slide work on Youtube! Try Ben Andrews, or the trio "The Blue Riders" Is a "traditional" performer and extremely talented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan 58 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I like my action a little higher and that works out nice for slide, there all ready to go. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewhite84 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I play on my epi standard lp....slide is actually what got me into playin the electric guitar before i didnt' really give it much thought. i have raised the action a little bit on the treble strings because they were pretty low orginally and i still do fret with my fingers on this guitar...i think too high action also causes or encourages a heavy hand when slide sounds the best when its gliding on a tangent. i would just get what you want though probably would go with the sg honoestly the epi sg two reasons: one i hear that, for some reason ive yet to read explaining it, quality of guitar matters a lot less with slide. two duane used an sg to get to those high frets because it can be quite cumberson witht he lp....he DID use an lp and just tuned from standard to open e depending on the song but dickey let him have the sg so he could keep the sg in open e AND hit those higher frets. the lighter sg probably give the sound more of a gliding sound too with less mudd which is probably what tone duane was looking for. so i would get the epi sg if youre lookin to make a slide oriented purchase because the lp because its only single cut away gets cumberson on those past seventeen frets. personally i like just using my epi and tuning to meet the needs of slide or fret work...just feels more old school dues payin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 No' date=' a dot is too fine of an instrument. As I said before, a slide NEEDS to be shitty to be ideal. I mean, dunk some squier bullet pickups in coffee overnight, take 'em out and dry 'em with a hairdryer then take the reverse wound one, put it in a circuit with no tone, a 500K mini pot (maybe a push/pull for reverse phase), into a good tube amp. That's your pickup and wiring. Neck, well, intonation being on is better, but since slide's played in G or D often, using a short scale (1/2 scale or 3/4) is good for comfort and tone. The action on cheapies is generally high as the hills. Body wood really doesn't matter in these cases. [/quote'] I guess I need to dust off that old Dean solid body axe and get out a slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I guess I need to dust off that old Dean solid body axe and get out a slide. Do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbomb76 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Easy...look at Duane, Derek, Krieger...and ME! :D/ An SG is the way to go, hands down. LP's are okay but not as responsive to the slide in a positive sense, and Firebirds are kind of a crapshoot in the Epi world. My Vintage/Faded G-400 has given me all the sweetness I could ask for when it comes to slide, just raise the bridge oh so slightly and even take a tad bit of tension off the neck, string it with at least 11's and BAM! Perfect slide guitar. H-Bomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Apparently, Duane could play slide on anything. Duane with an SG. http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x291/Manaical/DuaneAllman.jpg Duane with a Strat. http://www.floydmiles.com/albums/Fantales/duane_allman_fame_280x336.jpg Duane with a tobacco sunburst. http://www.guitarlist.it/newsite/img/imgartista/DuaneAllman2.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesstringer Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I'm amazed that nobody has mentioned Lowell George or Bonnie Raitt, 2 of my favorite Strat slide players. In terms of Gibby/Epi models, it is well covered by Winter, Allman, Rossington and Trucks, and other than Winter, with Les Pauls and SGs. In terms of tone, IMO it is the same as with non-slide playing, everyone has a preference for each type of music. My three favorites by far have to be Lowell George (Strat), Duane Allman (SG but usually his 59 tobacco burst Les Paul) and Johnny Winter (Firebird II, V, VII. usually the V, man he can coax some growl out of those minis !) Think Mean Town Blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Apparently' date=' Duane could play slide on anything. Duane with an SG. http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x291/Manaical/DuaneAllman.jpg Duane with a Strat. http://www.floydmiles.com/albums/Fantales/duane_allman_fame_280x336.jpg Duane with a tobacco sunburst. http://www.guitarlist.it/newsite/img/imgartista/DuaneAllman2.jpg [/quote'] Ever notice he always has hi mouth open wide in every picture of him playing......maybe that's what my slide technique lacks#-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 +1 on the Danelectro lipstick sound. Someday I'll have me one! Personally, my favorite electric slide sounds require something with a P90 neck pup. I don't have a P90 equipped Epi, however. I'm using either an Agile AL2000, or an Eastwood Delta 6. The Delta 6 is a bit lighter than the AL, plus it has a resonator with a piezo bridge. I find the piezo sound somewhat harsh on its own, so I can use the "blend" knob to bring in more of the neck pup for tone and still get some of the clangy reso sound to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Ah, another Agile user. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I read an interview a while back with Garry Rossington. He said that he used a screwdriver the first time to raise the strings to play Freebird, because it was there. Later he went to a 5" piece of wire. He also used an SG, but I don't think it really matters. Find the tone you like and go for it. I have been experimenting lately. I like my action really low, so I have been using a couple of tie wraps to raise the strings, just between the nut and the first fret. I can get a lot better tone with the action a little higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I read an interview a while back with Garry Rossington. He said that he used a screwdriver the first time to raise the strings to play Freebird' date=' because it was there. Later he went to a 5" piece of wire. He also used an SG, but I don't think it really matters. Find the tone you like and go for it. I have been experimenting lately. I like my action really low, so I have been using a couple of tie wraps to raise the strings, just between the nut and the first fret. I can get a lot better tone with the action a little higher. [/quote'] There are several types of devices (all similar) used for raising the strings on the nut. I don't think any are necessary for slide guitar unless you are going to use it like a square-neck Dobro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 There are several types of devices (all similar) used for raising the strings on the nut. I don't think any are necessary for slide guitar unless you are going to use it like a square-neck Dobro. I haven't used those, but it looks like you have to loosen the strings, put in over the nut and then retune. The thing I like about the tie wraps is that I just slide them under the strings and I don't have to mess with tuning. I have never tried raising the strings height until about a month ago. I can play slide either way, but I do like the tone better when it is a little higher. I play is situations when I'm not always sure when I'm gonna use a slide, so this allows me to raise the height very quickly, and then lower just as fast without affecting the tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amino Moore Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 There is just something about the grit in the P-90 tone that I like when combined with a slide. I am looking for an Epi Junior with a P-90 to use for slide. I play slide on all of my guitars (LP, 335, Strat, tele, Peavey Firenza with p-90's and my acoustic). I like the action a little higher on my acoustic for slide so I loosen the strings and put a 3/32" steel dowel pin just in front of the nut. I use a glass medicine bottle slide because I like the tone. I also use a metal slide that I cut in half so I can have more freedom to play chords and throw in a splash of slide. I usually play with the slide on my ring finger which, IMO, allows better control than the pinky or index since I can squeeze the slide with my middle and pinky fingers. There have been and still are many great slide players. As far as my slide influences, Billy Gibbons is at the top followed closely by David Lindley's work with Jackson Browne. Even though it was a pedal steel on "Running on Empty" that song inspired me to learn to play slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry1281734007 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I play slide in a local blues band, and have tried a few diferent guitars. I started with an Epi Les Paul, then moved on to a Gibson ES135 (which had some quality control issues). I sold the Gibson and used a Strat for a couple of years, but now I'm back with an Korean Epi Casino, and like it better than any of the others. The action is raised and it's strung with medium gauge strings (12s with a plain G) and I keep it tuned in Open D for all but a couple of songs in Open G. The tone of the P90s and the hollow body is something unique to the Casino, not to mention it's light weight body make it the most comfortable guitar I've used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Ever notice he always has hi mouth open wide in every picture of him playing......maybe that's what my slide technique lacks#-o Maybe it had to do with something he smoked backstage before the concert. (grin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Ever notice he always has hi mouth open wide in every picture of him playing......maybe that's what my slide technique lacks#-o Maybe it had to do with something herbal that was passed around backstage before the concert. (grin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbirchett Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 If you want a cheapie guitar that has a great slide tone try a Dano U-56 with lipstick tubes! Great slide tones! I always thought that the old Silvertone (by Dano) Amp in a case guitars would make great slide guitars. Didn't sound half bad as it was but weren't the most finger friendly guitars around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Today's stupid deal of the day fits the definition of a crappy guitar for playing slide. For $139.99. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Today's stupid deal of the day fits the definition of a crappy guitar for playing slide. For $139.99. Damn, I need to get some extra cash... I would've SO bought that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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