Ideal Slide Guitar?

[ikravchik]

You can raise the nut of any guitar with the device below.

http://www.amazon.com/Grover-GP1103-...ide+guitar+nut

[mdutr0]

Thanks guys!

For some strange reason that I cannot really explain, I have recently become interested in learning to play slide (blues) guitar. I haven't been interested in it for 20 years now and the other day I guess I just woke up and decided it was time to learn it...

Based on the responses in this thread so far, I think I will experiment with the style on either my Ibanez AC-240 or my Epi AJ-220.

[syrynx]

Originally Posted by mdutr0

If you were looking for a guitar to play slide on, what characteristics would you be looking for? Body size? Fingerboard width? Wood choices? What characteristics make a guitar a great slide guitar?

Which one sounds best to your ears, in your hands? That's the question that you have to answer, and only you can answer it. You haven't given nearly enough information for anyone else to be of much help. All we know at this point is that you'll be playing bottleneck rather than lap style, and that you'll be playing blues. Things we don't know: Will you be playing strictly acoustic, or will you be amplifying? If the latter, how? Will you be playing single notes, à la, for example, Derek Trucks, or will you be playing a bass accompaniment with your thumb? Will you be playing strictly with the slide, or do you wish to mix fretted notes and chords in with your slide work? Are you locked into a particular brand and type of string, or are you sufficiently flexible to try different string types and brands?

Originally Posted by mdutr0

Based on the responses in this thread so far, I think I will experiment with the style on either my Ibanez AC-240 or my Epi AJ-220.

I think you should try both. I would expect the Ibanez to feel less uncomfortable than the Epiphone, but that's a purely subjective question, and you can quickly answer it for yourself.

Originally Posted by ikravchik

You can raise the nut of any guitar with the device below.

http://www.amazon.com/Grover-GP1103-...ide+guitar+nut

These extension nuts are designed for lap style playing. They make bottleneck playing much more difficult, and completely prevent mixing conventional fretting with slide work. I've been using them for more than 30 years, and have three of them installed on acoustic guitars: A Martin 0-15, a Harmony H165, and an Ovation Balladeer.

[mdutr0]

Originally Posted by syrynx

Which one sounds best to your ears, in your hands? That's the question that you have to answer, and only you can answer it. You haven't given nearly enough information for anyone else to be of much help. All we know at this point is that you'll be playing bottleneck rather than lap style, and that you'll be playing blues. Things we don't know: Will you be playing strictly acoustic, or will you be amplifying? If the latter, how? Will you be playing single notes, à la, for example, Derek Trucks, or will you be playing a bass accompaniment with your thumb? Will you be playing strictly with the slide, or do you wish to mix fretted notes and chords in with your slide work? Are you locked into a particular brand and type of string, or are you sufficiently flexible to try different string types and brands?

Those are good questions. But some of them I don't really know the answers to yet - I don't even own a slide at this point!

That said, the stuff I've heard that makes me want to play in this style definitely involves both fingered chords/notes as well as the slide. Definitely a thumb-played bass since I primarily play by myself.

I am string agnostic and open to suggestions, as I know nothing about this topic.

Originally Posted by syrynx

I think you should try both. I would expect the Ibanez to feel less uncomfortable than the Epiphone, but that's a purely subjective question, and you can quickly answer it for yourself.

I will do that. I am a little hesitant to try it out on my custom 000-12 fret until I get over the inevitable clumsy stage with the slide...

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by ikravchik

You can raise the nut of any guitar with the device below.

http://www.amazon.com/Grover-GP1103-...ide+guitar+nut

I used one of those on a round neck Dobro for bluegrass style for some years, but, sadly no good for bottleneck style as it make fretting impossible.

[Gypsyblue]

Originally Posted by mdutr0

As we all know, you can play any style of music on any guitar.

But what fun is that!? That makes it harder to justify owning more guitars!

If you were looking for a guitar to play slide on, what characteristics would you be looking for? Body size? Fingerboard width? Wood choices? What characteristics make a guitar a great slide guitar?

You know, other than being a resonator....

Finding the right guitar for slide can be a big surprise.

Because it might not be a classic National Tricone or Duolian.

It might turn out to be an inexpensive Seagull!

Which is what happened to me.

I have a National Tricone and I've owned Estralitas, Delphis, Duolians and Style O's...some from the 1930's.

But when a friend of mine died last February she left me her Seagull.

The frets were badly worn so I leveled the frets and recrowned and polished them.

Then I raised the action with a new nut and saddle and turned into a slide guitar and it's the bomb!

Now it's the one guitar of mine that gets played the most...at least at home.

Haven't had an opportunity to gig with it yet.

So regarding the right guitar for slide: you'll know it when you find it.

Kinda like true love.