a slide set up question

[DavidRees]

I've posted before about having had my Yamaha SG500 adapted to purely slide playing, no fretted notes at all. Underneath the strings by the raised nut I have slotted in a small piece of leather to slightly mute the strings at that end in a similar fashion to the George Van Eps device or the hairbands used by the boys and girls who tap. The way I play, all notes are made with the slide with only the occasional use of an open string as a passing note so this works better for me than the trailing index finger technique for muting. I was thinking about the possibility of using a different material for the nut which would provide the slightly muted sound on its own, in essense the opposite if what we would normally want a nut to do, and was wondering if a wooden nut, perhaps with graphite in the slots to ease any string sticking, would works. Any comments and suggestions welcome.
Thanks David

 

[DesertRat]

Re: a slide set up question

That's a cool setup. I can't think of a nut material that would be hard enough not to compress and have the slots deepen over time, and still be soft enough to mute things like you want. maybe you could try putting small pieces of neoprene in the slots or put heat shrink tubing on the strings where they cross the nut?

 

[ES350]

Re: a slide set up question

Get a heavy rubber band and wrap around just in front of the first fret (ye old cheapo Van Eps damper). Likewise, a small strip of memory foam (like that used in electronics cases) under the strings would do the trick...

 

[Diocletian]

Re: a slide set up question

I don't know anything about slides, but are you anything to do with Jethro Tull?

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: a slide set up question

I think Stanley Jordan (of jazz tapping fame) has a gizmo attached to his nut for open string damping... might be worth investigating.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: a slide set up question

A strip of neoprene weather seal under the strings next to the nut. You can get it different thicknesses and densities. Try some till you get the effect you desire.

 

[DavidRees]

Re: a slide set up question

I don't know anything about slides, but are you anything to do with Jethro Tull?

other than enjoying their music no
it is a very old picture of me in the avatar
David

 

[John_L]

Re: a slide set up question

Maybe the felt they use for muting in Pianos covering a nut. It should be durable enough.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: a slide set up question

Not sure you'd get enough muting right on the nut. Works better to have it just in front of the nut.

 

[DavidRees]

Re: a slide set up question

thanks everyone for your comments - I think I'll probably stay with things as they are then with the leather strip under the strings by the nut - it works well enough
David

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: a slide set up question

They used to sell these things in the 80s back when everyone was trying to reinvent tapping - called KLEEN AXE or something.

 

[Bludave]

Re: a slide set up question

I've posted before about having had my Yamaha SG500 adapted to purely slide playing, no fretted notes at all. Underneath the strings by the raised nut I have slotted in a small piece of leather to slightly mute the strings at that end in a similar fashion to the George Van Eps device or the hairbands used by the boys and girls who tap. The way I play, all notes are made with the slide with only the occasional use of an open string as a passing note so this works better for me than the trailing index finger technique for muting. I was thinking about the possibility of using a different material for the nut which would provide the slightly muted sound on its own, in essense the opposite if what we would normally want a nut to do, and was wondering if a wooden nut, perhaps with graphite in the slots to ease any string sticking, would works. Any comments and suggestions welcome.
Thanks David

Before you go crazy with modding the nut; try putting a piece of felt under the strings behind the nut. One of my slide teachers did this to keep the overtones down.