Slide Guitar ? which one ...? looking for suggestions

[brogh]

Howdy,

So I have no experience in slide guitars, but I might give it a go, I see a lot of SG's used, and I kind of found a couple at a reachable/affordable price between Gibson and Epi's. The idea is to get one with p90's that will give me some new pickups i never had, and worst case i don't go on with the slide thing I have +1 guitar. I already have my N°1 tele so I'm thinking about something different.

Thoughts ? alternatives to the sg ?

Thanks !

 

[AJBaker]

There isn't really such a thing as a "slide guitar" in the sense of a guitar for playing slide. Any guitar can be a slide guitar.

The only thing that could potentially be adjusted to make playing slide easier is to raise the action a bit and flatten the radius of the strings in relation to the fretboard. For me, that means slightly raising the action of the B and high E string (I don't bother with the bass strings since they already have higher action and I don't play slide as much on those strings.
Also, better access to the high frets can never hurt, which is an argument for the SG.

If your goal is to learn slide, a tele is a great choice (Muddy Waters for example), you don't "need" another guitar in order to play slide.
If you just want a different guitar with a different voice, then go for the SG with P90s! It'll also sound great and also work well for slide (but no better or worse than a tele, I'd argue).

Good luck with slide, it's a great technique. It has a real vocal quality that everyone, including non guitar players, really appreciate.

 

[Flaneur]

The SG, with P90s, seems like a fine choice. If you go with an open tuning, remember to go up a gauge or two, with the strings, or they will feel too floppy. A lightweight slide, which fits snugly, will be easier to control.

 

[brogh]

Thank you guys

There isn't really such a thing as a "slide guitar" in the sense of a guitar for playing slide. Any guitar can be a slide guitar.

Of course, it's just that my tele is setup pretty low and i'm not really able to play slide on it, i know anyone can do the thing, i saw a lot of SG's doing that so i was wondering how come

The SG, with P90s, seems like a fine choice. If you go with an open tuning, remember to go up a gauge or two, with the strings, or they will feel too floppy. A lightweight slide, which fits snugly, will be easier to control.

the one I'm looking at has also a Biggby on it, and the original tailpiece, might be a fun adventure

let's see if i manage to snag it

Thank you Both !!

 

[KC]

as noted above, pretty much any guitar can work for slide -- I usually play on a a Strat-like object set up for slide with high action and heavy strings. I'm worried about that Bigsby, though. The key to successful slide playing is damping the strings, on both your left and right hands, and I think the Bigsby is going to get in the way of your palm muting of unused strings. This is maybe a bigger drawback than you might imagine at first. A stock non-trem tailpiece will be handier.

 

[brogh]

as noted above, pretty much any guitar can work for slide -- I usually play on a a Strat-like object set up for slide with high action and heavy strings. I'm worried about that Bigsby, though. The key to successful slide playing is damping the strings, on both your left and right hands, and I think the Bigsby is going to get in the way of your palm muting of unused strings. This is maybe a bigger drawback than you might imagine at first. A stock non-trem tailpiece will be handier.

it comes with the stock bridge too

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I play slide ( albeit limited by me!) in Standard tuning on any of my acoustic or electric guitars pretty comfortably, with no guitar/setup adjustment for slide playing.
For me, it came down to 2 factors,

1) a ton of repetition, working on touch/intonation, and practicing patterns ('little road maps' ) so I can play blues in any key ( which yes, includes a capo, for ease...)

2) a really comfy slide ( and what finger to use) that makes all of #1 possible

For me, a pinky player, playing in Standard, this Dunlop #212 just opened the door! Short but thick, so, easy to work and great sustain on any guitar

 

[drmordo]

IMO the cheapest Squiers (Bullet and Affinity) are perfect slide platforms. I have an Affinity Strat that I keep set up with heavy flatwound strings and high action for that purpose.

A little compression helps a lot with slide.

 

[getbent]

muddy waters played pretty good slide on a tele...
bonnie raitt and lowell george on strats
but, lee roy parnell and duane and dickey all used les pauls
but the progeny, Mr. Trucks, uses and SG

the constant here is not guitar nor slide, but time and taste.

 

[brogh]

IMO the cheapest Squiers (Bullet and Affinity) are perfect slide platforms. I have an Affinity Strat that I keep set up with heavy flatwound strings and high action for that purpose.

A little compression helps a lot with slide.

I had one bullet and I don't want another I found a relatively cheap epi that will do it's an "experiment" Afterall

muddy waters played pretty good slide on a tele...
bonnie raitt and lowell george on strats
but, lee roy parnell and duane and dickey all used les pauls
but the progeny, Mr. Trucks, uses and SG

the constant here is not guitar nor slide, but time and taste.

Hey Getbent

Many played on Tele i know, tough I basically had only Telecasters for 15 years ..... now that n°1 is sorted I can go for something different, As said I'm no expert in Slide at all tough I've seen many use sg, thought it had some particular thing that worked great for slide

 

[Highway 49]

This is not actually an SG that Lee Brilleaux is playing, but it’s similar - I think an SG would be a great choice for slide…

but Kid Congo Powers (a favourite guitarist of mine) plays slide on a Strat in open E, and that works - I guess everything can be made to work

 

[getbent]

so many ways to make something beautiful!

 

[Freeman Keller]

There isn't really such a thing as a "slide guitar" in the sense of a guitar for playing slide. Any guitar can be a slide guitar.

The only thing that could potentially be adjusted to make playing slide easier is to raise the action a bit and flatten the radius of the strings in relation to the fretboard. For me, that means slightly raising the action of the B and high E string (I don't bother with the bass strings since they already have higher action and I don't play slide as much on those strings.
Also, better access to the high frets can never hurt, which is an argument for the SG.

If your goal is to learn slide, a tele is a great choice (Muddy Waters for example), you don't "need" another guitar in order to play slide.
If you just want a different guitar with a different voice, then go for the SG with P90s! It'll also sound great and also work well for slide (but no better or worse than a tele, I'd argue).

Good luck with slide, it's a great technique. It has a real vocal quality that everyone, including non guitar players, really appreciate.

This is very well said. I assume you are more interested in electric slide, I come from an acoustic back ground and play slide on almost every thing I own.

There are a number of different slide techniques and the choice of guitar, tuning and setup can make a difference. Most of the time acoustic slide will be played in an open tuning, often finger picked to give you both the melody and a bass line. Almost all of the old delta blues, the music of people like John Fahey and Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitte. Electric players can do this but some play in standard tuning using the slide as you would fretted note in your pentatoniic solos. The techniques are slightly different and the way the guitar is set up can make a difference.

With either technique you often mix finger fretted notes with your slide notes and chords, the setup needs to be a compromise. Higher action, flatter string plane, heavier strings all help to make the sliding easier. If you are going to play in open tunings on an electric consider tuning up to A or E, that will increase the overall tension and lessen the tendency to fret out. (Obviously if you need to be in a certain key then you need to consider that in your tuning).

Its almost overwhelming starting slide - what kind of slide should I use, which finger, what tuning, what strings. Learning to dampen the strings, vibrato, sliding into or away from a note are all part of the special sound of a slide guitar - its more technique than the actual guitar.

 

[Tommy Biggs]

Cheap is good! SG could be a fine choice, I like a Strat because that’s what I’ve got.

For me the ability to blend the neck and bridge pickups (by adjusting pickup volume) and having separate tone controls makes an SG a strong option.
P90s are especially good with micro volume adjustments.

 

[Frodebro]

Of course, it's just that my tele is setup pretty low and i'm not really able to play slide on it, i know anyone can do the thing, i saw a lot of SG's doing that so i was wondering how come

Higher action helps, but you can still do it with low action. You just have to get a feel for how much pressure to use. It took a little effort, but I can pull it off even on my guitars with stupidly low action.

 

[Swirling Snow]

Customer brings in SG for service.

Repairman sights down the neck and clucks his tongue.
"Well, you could use it for slide!"

Just joking, but it's not Gibby's best neck joint. (Get a Junior!)

 

[brogh]

(Get a Junior!)

RIGHT !!

btw .. just for fun i gave it a go on the tele .. I sound like a dying cat most of the time ... also without slide

 

[effzee]

Whatever you end up deciding on hardware-wise, follow Justin Johnson:



Btw, the slide guitar is the Gibby Firebird

 

[Sparky2]

Apparently you don't need a slide, as long as you have silver space gloves.

 

[DRS13]

I've tried my Strat, Les Paul, Tele, and a Godin Montreal Premiere for slide. I settled on a Epi SG. Best combination of tone, comfort, and upper fret access. Plus I like what the other guitars do so I don't want them set up for slide in open tunings.