[cboutilier]

I played slide on both of these tracks:

Teenage Zombie, by Roadside Scarecrow

from the album Old Ghosts of Wolf Country

roadsidescarecrow1.bandcamp.com

She Died..., by Roadside Scarecrow

from the album Old Ghosts of Wolf Country

roadsidescarecrow1.bandcamp.com

Both HH Thinline Telecasters and a chrome slide.

 

[Jim9guitars]

As another candidate for early signs of arthritis I have been getting into bottleneck slide since the first "lockdown". I have even reluctantly started exploring other tunings, open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) and open G (D-G-D-G-B-D). I have a few solid body electrics floating around here so I keep them tuned and ready to go. It took a few months to get past the feeling I was writing with a hammer and chisel (so to speak) but it's getting easier and more fun. I also play in standard tuning. After gleaning some useful info from youtubers I got some formal teaching materials from books with online audio and video lessons from sites like Truefire. My favorite books with audio are "Fretboard Roadmaps Slide Guitar" (Fred Sokolow) and "Delta Blues Slide Guitar" (Levi Clay). I originally started with the slide on my third finger but have since become more comfortable with it on the 4th finger and as most obsessions go, I now have a diverse collection of slides, 3 glass of various diameters and thicknesses, one silver(nickel?) and 2 brass, one conventional and one a fairly costly, unconventional but very functional "Rockslide". No one slide has emerged as a favorite yet, as it turns out I have been just grabbing whatever one is handy at the moment and now feel fairly comfortable with all of them.

 

[SWLABR]

Great thread topic. I've been hanging around here a few years but hadn't seen this one. Good on 'ya whoever gave it a bump!

I learned a very long time ago I would not be EVH, so I focused a lot on slide playing. My biggest inspiration is Duane, and to my (crappy slide playing) friends, I am leagues above them. Ha, ha...
But I am no where near where I want to be. Duane's playing was so vocal. As much as Hendrix then Eddie turned playing on it's head, and changed the traditional arc of development, I feel Duane did the same for slide. Clapton's slide playing, Page, even guys like Taj Mahal. They all took the Robert Johnson, Elmore James stuff and moved it forward. Duane pushed it years ahead with 1 album. I have not been as diligent as I used to be, but I love playing. I was in an acoustic duo for a long time. I would bringing my resonator to gigs to change songs. I would figure out horns, or piano, and other instruments to fill the song with the melody using slide. The reso has a huge neck, so I could comfortably tune to open E (my personal favorite) but I'd use G a lot too. When I play electric, it is almost always E (Duane). I have an old Vantage double cut-away set neck. If I need an E, and a G, I bring a Tele for the G tuning.
As for my slides. I've tried almost all of them. I am a pinky player, so I prefer a smaller one. I use high polished chrome if I want metal, or a homemade one from a wine bottle if I want glass. I sometimes buy a wine at the LCBO specifically if I think it would make a good slide. (getting harder with all the screw caps makers are going with). I have a tapered acrylic one a friend brought back from NYC that I rarely use outside of the house, cause I ain't getting to New York anytime soon to replace it.

Again, great thread. I will drop in on this one often!

 

[cboutilier]

Great thread topic. I've been hanging around here a few years but hadn't seen this one. Good on 'ya whoever gave it a bump!

I learned a very long time ago I would not be EVH, so I focused a lot on slide playing. My biggest inspiration is Duane, and to my (crappy slide playing) friends, I am leagues above them. Ha, ha...
But I am no where near where I want to be. Duane's playing was so vocal. As much as Hendrix then Eddie turned playing on it's head, and changed the traditional arc of development, I feel Duane did the same for slide. Clapton's slide playing, Page, even guys like Taj Mahal. They all took the Robert Johnson, Elmore James stuff and moved it forward. Duane pushed it years ahead with 1 album. I have not been as diligent as I used to be, but I love playing. I was in an acoustic duo for a long time. I would bringing my resonator to gigs to change songs. I would figure out horns, or piano, and other instruments to fill the song with the melody using slide. The reso has a huge neck, so I could comfortably tune to open E (my personal favorite) but I'd use G a lot too. When I play electric, it is almost always E (Duane). I have an old Vantage double cut-away set neck. If I need an E, and a G, I bring a Tele for the G tuning.
As for my slides. I've tried almost all of them. I am a pinky player, so I prefer a smaller one. I use high polished chrome if I want metal, or a homemade one from a wine bottle if I want glass. I sometimes buy a wine at the LCBO specifically if I think it would make a good slide. (getting harder with all the screw caps makers are going with). I have a tapered acrylic one a friend brought back from NYC that I rarely use outside of the house, cause I ain't getting to New York anytime soon to replace it.

Again, great thread. I will drop in on this one often!

It is amazing how new to slide playing he was. I've been playing slide longer than him...

 

[SWLABR]

It is amazing how new to slide playing he was. I've been playing slide longer than him...

It really is.

I wonder... if he didn't feel under the weather, and Greg didn't show up with a copy of a Taj Mahal record and a bottle of Coricidin if he'd even attempt slide. I was in the Southern US a few years ago. I went into a no name pharmacy to look for Corididin. Of course, they had switched to plastic.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I’ve dabbled slide for a while. Lately I’ve been playing slide more and more. I’ve been experimenting with open Am (E A E A C E). It is awesome for blues. I also play lead in standard tuning.

 

[cboutilier]

It really is.

I wonder... if he didn't feel under the weather, and Greg didn't show up with a copy of a Taj Mahal record and a bottle of Coricidin if he'd even attempt slide. I was in the Southern US a few years ago. I went into a no name pharmacy to look for Corididin. Of course, they had switched to plastic.

Dunlop sells a replica, as a Derek Trucks signature.

I’ve dabbled slide for a while. Lately I’ve been playing slide more and more. I’ve been experimenting with open Am (E A E A C E). It is awesome for blues. I also play lead in standard tuning.

I play mostly in Open E or Standard on Electric, but drop down to Open E Minor for a few songs. I play Open G or Open E on my Dobro.

 

[colchar]

So I started my slide lessons last week, and I am glad that I did.

We did a couple of licks the first week, and I have fumbled with them since then. Today we did some of "Dust my Broom". Even though I am fumbling and stumbling, and generally sound like shit, I am loving it. Actually, Dadn said during the first lesson that my technique was further ahead than he had thought it would be so that gives me some hope. I guess the best way to describe it is that I could make sounds with a slide, and am now learning to play slide.

Dan is a good guy, is personable, and I like his teaching style. He explains things well, and is very patient (even when trying to work out technical problems with the video software!!!). He is also a hell of a slide player.

He is trying to get me to switch to using my pinky, but I am really struggling with that so right now I am mostly ring finger with some practice time on my pinky. He also advised me to grab a compressor pedal, so I bought a used MXR Dyna-Comp from my local L&M. My amp has reverb and tremelo, so I will put together a small pedalboard with the Dyna-Comp, my Boss Blues Driver, another overdrive for a different flavour, and a delay pedal. That simple setup should do me nicely through my AC30.

 

[SWLABR]

So I started my slide lessons last week, and I am glad that I did.

...He is trying to get me to switch to using my pinky, but I am really struggling with that so right now I am mostly ring finger with some practice time on my pinky.

Do it!!! Make the switch. It enabled me (at least) to do a lot more away from the slide, but still wearing it. Better muting. And, some really advanced stuff, like fretting behind the slide!!! That's a tough one that I work at the most. I can do simple stuff, but there are guys out there who are so seamless, and fast. Kirk Lorange is great at it. So is this guy. Cam McInnis. I know all three of these dudes. Cam is one of my greatest "leaps & bounds" inspiration players. I've been lucky to see him live so many times to watch his hands and pick his brain. He is truly phenomenal! He is also the main reason I ditched the pick for slide and use my fingers. (and the I guy previously mentioned who got me that acrylic slide in NYC)

 

[Kerry Brown]

I'm finding with slide that the guitar, the way it sounds is far more important than normal. If the sound is off it is almost impossible to get into slide. Only two of my guitars hit that spot. Playing slide on them seems easier. Some of my other guitars I give up after a few seconds. It is not something I can put a finger on. The only common thing between the two I like are thicker strings. One has 11's the other 12's. They are both electric but the setup is quite different. One I setup for slide with a higher action. The other the action is normal. I think it is more to do with how they sound.

 

[colchar]

I'm finding with slide that the guitar, the way it sounds is far more important than normal. If the sound is off it is almost impossible to get into slide. Only two of my guitars hit that spot. Playing slide on them seems easier. Some of my other guitars I give up after a few seconds. It is not something I can put a finger on. The only common thing between the two I like are thicker strings. One has 11's the other 12's. They are both electric but the setup is quite different. One I setup for slide with a higher action. The other the action is normal. I think it is more to do with how they sound.

I am just using a cheap Gibson SG Special that I picked up from my local L&M. It doesn't necessarily sound great, but it sounds good enough to learn on.

The thing was a mutt, and came into the store in shit shape. Their tech is a friend of mine and he had held onto it for two years, planning to customize or hot rod it for himself but never getting around to it. When I mentioned that I was looking for a cheap Epi SG for learning slide he handed me the Special and said I could have it. He put a taller nut on it for me, and set it up for slide with higher action and thicker strings. The best part is that it was only $399 and came with a Gibson case. I will grab a '61 Reissue SG, or a 2013 Standard, as soon as one becomes available at a good price. When I do, I had planned to sell the Special on but I think I might have it converted to P90s.

If I develop any proficiency I will have my Tele and Gretsch converted for slide as well.

 

[colchar]

So I started my slide lessons last week, and I am glad that I did.

We did a couple of licks the first week, and I have fumbled with them since then. Today we did some of "Dust my Broom". Even though I am fumbling and stumbling, and generally sound like shit, I am loving it. Actually, Dadn said during the first lesson that my technique was further ahead than he had thought it would be so that gives me some hope. I guess the best way to describe it is that I could make sounds with a slide, and am now learning to play slide.

Dan is a good guy, is personable, and I like his teaching style. He explains things well, and is very patient (even when trying to work out technical problems with the video software!!!). He is also a hell of a slide player.

He is trying to get me to switch to using my pinky, but I am really struggling with that so right now I am mostly ring finger with some practice time on my pinky. He also advised me to grab a compressor pedal, so I bought a used MXR Dyna-Comp from my local L&M. My amp has reverb and tremelo, so I will put together a small pedalboard with the Dyna-Comp, my Boss Blues Driver, another overdrive for a different flavour, and a delay pedal. That simple setup should do me nicely through my AC30.

This brings to mind another question - can anyone recommend an inexpensive overdrive pedal (not Tube Screamer based) that would work well for slide and would sound good with an AC30? As mentioned above, I have the Blues Driver and I just want to add another flavour.