Slide Machine

FatBoy · 2009-03-04T09:56:22+00:00

Ok we are on our way. Some of you might know that I recently got into the slide guitar thing. I also got my hands on a Kinman Broadcaster bridge pickup, which will replace the stock pickup on my Squier Standard Series Telecaster. I have just dropped off both my guitars at the shop to be sent to a guitar tech. The acoustic just needs a bit of TLC and the Tele is being converted into a slide machine! We will be installing the new pickup and raising the action a tad. I'm also doing a Keith Richards i.e tuning to Open G, and removing the low E string. Problem with this is that the tuner rattles if it doesn't have the tension of the string on it, so I'm going to get the tuner removed completely ? I will report back when I get my modified toy back ?

FatBoy

'Tis with one hell of a smile on my face that I can now finally say that my Slide Machine is ready!

Latest additions are...

TUSQ nut, asked the man to raise the nut action quite abit
Moonshine Slide (ceramic)
Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky strings
Had a setup done again, raising the action quite a bit this time (Thanks to Noddy from It's Music in Durbanville, great job!)

The Not Even Slinky's really work well for me.

Some pictures...

I am really overjoyed at how this came out, she is such a joy to play now!

CDee

Great! I love that last photo, very artistic... ?

FatBoy

Thanks!

Squonk

Looks very Good Fritz ?

The photography is also excellent.
Just one question, The slide (ceramic) how does it compare to the Glass or even steel one. When I was in the UK last year, after saving up for a year just to get there, I couldn't afford any stuff from the music shops. Went down Denmark Street and stopped at Hanks Acoustic guitar shop and had enough money to buy a few plectrums or a Slide, settled on a glass slide but cant get the hang of it.
Give some inspiration! ?

FatBoy

Thanks Squonk!

In my book, the ceramic slide is somewhere in between glass and metal. To be honest though, the tone you get is much more dependant on technique at first, once you got that down, you can try different slides to see which one suits you best.

More important than the actual slide imo, which tuning are you using? I struggled with slide quite a bit until I found my beloved Open G tuning.

Let me give you a few pointers, but bear in mind I am no expert!

*Use an open tuning, if you don't you are going to have to mute certain strings while playing others, which can be very tricky. I suggest Open G
*Make sure the slide fits your finger snuggly, you want to be able to control it properly
*Don't press the slide down all the way so the strings touch the frets, thats not the idea. The idea is to just touch the strings lightly, sort of turning the slide into a fret, but upside down ?
*Try this, play the strings open, then move to fret 3, then 5 then open again. Just to get the feel. Remember, unlike fretting a string, with slide you don't want to hover over the place where you would normally put your finger (the fingerboard), but rather hover the slide exactly over the fret itself (the metal thingies). When you fret a string with normal playing, the string is pushed against the fret wire, which makes the fret wire your point of contact, so when playing slide, to get the same note, you need to hover over the fret wire itself.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Ray

OK a question. When do we get the beginner's intro you promised earlier on in the thread?

FatBoy

My apologies Ray, I am still planning on doing it, will see what I can come up with this weekend!

Ray

No stress Fritz, just pressure. Hell, I dig the color of that guitar.

FatBoy

Thanks man, yea I also find her rather sexy!!

Attila

Love it Fritzster,

Me thinks I should start on mine soon ....... :-\

FatBoy

Thanks man ?

Riaan

Hey Fritz somehow I missed this thread entirely. That looks like a really cool setup. I'm also thinking of taking up slide playing and dedicate my antique Regal resophonic to that entirely. I recently made myself a glass slide from a wine bottle (had to empty the bottle first of course...) and also got a brass slide. I like the sound that the brass slide makes a bit more on this type of guitar. Still struggling to find the best position to play though. And the best finger to use for the slide - at the moment my left hand ring finger feels most comfortable with the slide, I don't know why. Also, I'm playing with the idea of going for a lap steel position, with the guitar down on my lap. Still experimenting.

Unfortunately it still sounds as if someone is murdering a cat, but I'll get there!

FatBoy

Cool Riaan, yea IMO reso's are made for slide playing. Should sound great. Have you tried Open G tuning, tis really cool for getting the feel of slide before you start going onto the hard stuff ( I am still just fiddling about with Open G, really cool for jamming along to some Rolling Stones tunes).

I promised you guys a intro to slide thread, and I still intend to get to it, work is just eating my time, this week looks like 16 hour workdays again *sigh*.

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