Lord Summerisle Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Looking for a cheap solid body to set up as a slide guitar. My criteria: 24 3/4" scale; Humbuckers; Stop tailpiece Must be a bit "individual" (flashy, even) - not keen on a LP or an SG, can't afford a Firebird. Must be able to handle heavy gauge strings (12s or 13s) always tuned to open E, with a high action. Must be dirt cheap. Have to say, I'm thinking this way: What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpfan Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Sure, why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yeah...Any guitar can be a "slide guitar," really...so, Go for it! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yeah...Any guitar can be a "slide guitar' date='" really...so, Go for it! CB[/quote'] For the most part that's true. But the open E tuning puts a lot of stress on any guitar, because you're tuning (low to high): E B E G# B E. Add in the heavy strings and you're really asking a lot. This is one of the reasons why I avoid Fenders for slide. You don't want anything that doesn't have a rock-solid fixed bridge, and you don't want a 25 1/2" scale. I've never seen one of these new Wilshires "in the flesh," but if they're built anything like my G-400 then they're probably built like tanks. Think I might risk $299 sight unseen, and work with whatever I get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 These work well for slide, and they're cheap. It's humbucking with both pups turned on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 These work well for slide' date=' and they're cheap. It's humbucking with both pups turned on.[img']http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/waldorfsalad/Danelectro%20Dano%2063/Dano63_Front1.jpg[/img] Yeah, and they're cool, in that nostalgia kind of way! A lot of us either owned one, or wanted one, when they were sold as "Silvertone" with an amp in the case! The one's now, are probably even better made, too. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 For the most part that's true. But the open E tuning puts a lot of stress on any guitar' date=' because you're tuning (low to high): E B E G# B E. Add in the heavy strings and you're really asking a lot. This is one of the reasons why I avoid Fenders for slide. You don't want anything that doesn't have a rock-solid fixed bridge, and you don't want a 25 1/2" scale. I've never seen one of these new Wilshires "in the flesh," but if they're built anything like my G-400 then they're probably built like tanks. Think I might risk $299 sight unseen, and work with whatever I get...[/quote'] Fender guitars, not good for open tunings, or slide quitar????! ;>O I think Bonnie Raitt, and other's might take issue, with that feeling. LOL! But...to each his/her own. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Fender guitars' date=' not good for open tunings, or slide quitar????! ;>O I think Bonnie Raitt, and other's might take issue, with that feeling. LOL! But...to each his/her own. CB[/quote'] Bonnie Raitt tunes to open G: D G D G B D (in so doing, dropping the guitar below standard tuning). You might also call this the Keith Richards Tuning System . However, tune a Strat to open E and watch the bridge rise like a shark fin amidst nasty creaking noises. Some might say open E is a bad idea. Tune to open D and capo the bugger at the 2nd fret. Nonsense! Duane Allman didn't use no stinking capo (and open E was his favorite slide tuning!) But I agree with you re: to each his/her own. Sonically, I prefer a set neck / humbuckers for slide. I like the extra sustain, and the extra warmth in the tone. I guess when I think of the "classic" slide tone, I always think of Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Gary Rossington and Johnny Winter. Probably the four greatest talents to pick up a slide this side of WWII...and, when you think about it, 3 of them are/were SG men and the other one plays a Firebird. Still, it's all personal preference, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Or, like George Harrison's wonderful slide work, in "standard" tuning. Anyway...I wasn't advocating or debunking anyone's prefernces. "Whatever works," in my book! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJB08 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 looks like a pretty sharp really! how much$$ ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Musicians Friend are selling it at $299. However (as is so often the case) they don't have any in stock. I think at $299 it is well worth the gamble, as they sometimes increase prices once an item comes into stock. Like you say, they look very sharp... ...in a "pawn shop guitar" type way (which is pretty cool...) I reckon I'm about one glass of wine away from pulling the trigger on this later tonight :D Mind you, I could be tempted in this direction for $399: Probably the cheapest way to get into Firebird territory... Heck, this has been a crazy week. I ordered a Blues Jr only 2 days ago. The missus is going to do her nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoop Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 I really want one of these as a slide guitar. http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Other/delta6/delta6_frm.htm Just listen to it! Especially with that P90 cranked up. Gorgeous! http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Other/delta6/Media/video-delta6-JL.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Dear Lord: You are nuts. But you got me thinkin' about my secret desire to play slide, and I found these locally: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/1092357341.html http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/1090616737.html I guess I just wonder that since any guitar can have the bridge jacked up to play slide, why not just get the cheapest old weird-*** beater, put a P-90 in and be done with it? PS: That Eastwood Delta-6 is puurrty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 +1 on the Delta 6. They're not exactly "dirt cheap" though. One thing to note about those, there is no preamp for the bridge piezo pickup, so it sounds very harsh all by itself. Using the blend knob, if you start with the P90 and dial in a little bit of the piezo, you can get a touch of the clangy reso sound mixed in with the howling P90! :)/ Very nice guitars, and they fit in a 335 case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJB08 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Lord, both of those options look like something that could be turned in to a fierce slide machine... The white really makes it stand out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyEis Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 what about this one: http://www.rondomusic.com/product1689.html $120 short scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 :>) This is kinda like "Lead Guitars," "Rhythm Guitars." They're just "Guitars!" You can set up anything, to play whatever you want. ;>b I like the looks of the Wilshire, and it's pretty "dirt cheep," so...if it was me, I'd probably set it up, for "slide." Unless, of course, I fell in love with it, as a "lead or rhythm" guitar. LOL! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Here's what I like to play slide on. My '97 Epi SG Jr. It was a great Ebay find. I installed some vintage nickel Gotoh tuners and a new nut, and this baby sings with that P90 on it. I'll take a P90 over a HB anyday with a slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Actually those Wilshires are pretty groovy guitars... I played one at Sam Ash for about 25 minutes or so.... And I have to admit that's the closest I have ever came to buying a Chinese made guitar8-[ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeguy Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 For a REEEEEEEEEEAAAAL old-style electric slider, how about those Godin Kingpin archtops with the P90 in the neck position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelake07 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Duane Allman didn't use no stinking capo (and open E was his favorite slide tuning!) Yes, but I really doubt he used 12's or 13's for that tuning. Derek Trucks uses: They’re DR nickel-wound strings; I use the same custom gauge on both my SG and the resonator guitars—.011, .014, .017, .026, .036, and .046. The third string is always unwound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Yes' date=' but I really doubt he used 12's or 13's for that tuning. Derek Trucks uses: They’re DR nickel-wound strings; I use the same custom gauge on both my SG and the resonator guitars—.011, .014, .017, .026, .036, and .046. The third string is always unwound. [/quote'] I'd been dwelling on this too (the wisdom of tuning 12s to open E). I spoke to a few other slide players I know, and researched this issue a bit more. The general consensus is that 12s tuned to open E will be OK, 13s might be a step too far. 12s tuned to open E on an SG / Les Paul / or perhaps even a Telecaster will be fine. I'm not really surprised. I learned to play slide on an old Epiphone Firebird mostly tuned to open E, using 11s or 12s. That guitar was a bolt-on (but also I pretty much hated it as a guitar, so didn't worry too much about damaging it). Since that Firebird and I parted company, I've mostly used an acoustic in open D, or have used an expansion nut on my G-400 (which I don't like doing, to be honest). I think the Wilshire will be just fine. BTW: as a point of interest I asked this question via Facebook to old friends / previous musical collaborators (many of whom I haven't seen in the flesh for years). Excluding acoustic and Dobro players, it seems that they overwhelmingly use Les Pauls for slide. Not exactly empirical research, but I still found it interesting. A Les Paul wouldn't be my first pick, but then, as we seem to say so often on this forum, to each his/her own... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoop Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I reckon a Les Paul Junior or an SG Junior with a P90 would make quite a good slide guitar. Like these for example. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instruments/Instruments/Guitar-bass/Electric-guitars/auction-212700702.htm (Needs a P90) http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instruments/Instruments/Guitar-bass/Electric-guitars/auction-213702578.htm They're certainly dirt cheap, and super basic, all you need really. That said, there's nothing quite like that jangly, airy, resonant sound that comes from a hollow bodied guitar being abused for some slide. Although full on bottle neck slide on a solid body produces quite a unique sound to that's certainly pleasing to my ears as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJB08 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 brad. great find!! I love those things! Something about one p90 says "go ahead, play, have some FUN!" Someone will find me and shoot me after reading this but, i had an Gib SG Jr that i got for $500 new. I sold it for the same cost but, man, i never should have let go of it! At the time i struggled cause the neck was just enormous.. I picked up a White Gib LP Studio...the headstock snapped off... anyway...a sad tale. at least now i have my Epi Dot happy ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoop Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 How about a Thinline Telecaster? I guess it doesn't meet the requirements for scale and tailpiece, but it's the same price as the Wilshire, and it's a Semi hollow guitar, ideal for that airy sound. I love slide to, but I've never played any until about 5 mins ago. I put my knock about Squier Telecaster into Open D, stole the aluminium top of one of my mum's lipstick tubes, and started playing. Boy is it fun! Doesn't sound too bad either. I'm almost tempted to put a P90 in the neck, and a Strat bridge single coil in the bridge and have a real badass slide guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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