Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

[ZoSo0789]

I'd like some opinions on what really makes a "good" slide guitar, feature/body wise. Using an SG, LP Junior, and ES-335 and examples of design, what are the pros and cons of using each kind? Sure many just shoot off SG as the best slide design, but aside from easy upper fret access and Duane Allman and Derek Trucks using one, what really sets it aside as the (generally regarded) best design for slide guitar?

What does it really have that an LP or 335 design lacks? An LP has thicker wood for *possibly* more sustain and depth, but not nearly as good upper-upper fret access. A 335 has almost as good upper fret access and it's a semi hollow so it *possibly* would have a thicker more alive tone to it. So why wouldn't these single cut or semi-hollow double cut guitars be regarded as good as SG's, if not better?

I'm not trying to bash SGs in anyway, because I love those, but I'm just using it as the medium for comparing because they seem to be generally regarded as the standard for slide.

Note: I just used Gibson names mainly because they're mainly what I'm looking at buying. So Tele's still count because they're a singlecut and Strats are still included because they're a double cut.

 

[Gunny47]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Just go with a Lester and you'll be happy. If you play a Les Paul normally you will have the same feelings about it, just some extra getting used to with the slide. High fret access is a problem for some, but it isn't for warren haynes (and me for that matter). Bottom line, if you're used to the Les Paul, you should not have a problem switching to slide with it also.

Sure, SGs are probably the best, or an Explorer - something with good high fret access. But I don't really like those, so I play the Paul for the slide (and stuck with it). I never tried slide with a LP junior or special (double or single cut) or an ES-335 but I'd imagine those are nice too. I hate slide on a strat, mainly for sonic reasons. I personally believe that the majority of the slide sound comes from the amp (and player of course) not as much the guitar, especially when comparing LP and SGs and stuff. Derek Trucks and Duane Allman cranked their amps so incredibly much to get those fat sounds. Lots and lots of tone dialing in and stuff, moreso than without the slide IMO. They get those giant fat tones with SGs that are hard to achieve with Les Pauls.

I get something close to the trucks tone, the big difference being in the LP vs SG debate and the amp (his tones are brighter than my favorite slide tone). But it's got its own thing going you know.

Slide on a tele aint too bad if you want that thinner lap steel esque sound, I dig it. I still prefer slide on the humbucker guitars.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

This is one subject where I consider it 100% about the player, not the gear.

The only thing I'd say about the gear end of it is the string height. You can't have shred-like action and play clean slide. Medium + is what works best.

As for guitars, history has proven that it can be anything.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Well obviously the player is quite the biggest factor by far, but I'm just merely getting different points of view on mediums that offer the best "features" for playing slide

 

[DesertRat]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

I personally like archtops like LP's and es335 style guitars a bit better for slide. But neck radius and bridge setup make a big difference too. Like a previous poster said, Tele's are good for lap steel-ish sounds. My Tele's radius, however, is too extreme for full chords in open tuning. I don't really want to raise the outside strings on the nut or bridge much, cause I use that guitar for other styles as well.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

i dont think there is one best body style. like joe said, its all about the player. lots of people love buckers for slide, but i get just as many compliments on my strat slide tone as i do any of my bucker slide tones. i was using my texas hot loaded hamer daytona (maple neck strat copy) into my deluxe reverb and i was getting way better slide tone than the guy using a sg into a marshall. you need to find whats best for you.

upper neck access does make a difference but not as much as you think since you can adjust your technique to play higher up on the neck or even past the neck

 

[donahue]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Yep, personal preference is gonna come into major play here. Some people uses SGs, some LP's ect ect. It should prolly boil down to what type of guitar you like to play. You might be over-analyzing a bit bro. I think its time to just jump right in.

 

[millsart]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

I like a Dano Pro for slide. Cheap enough to be able to set it up for slide playing and not feel like I'm "wasting" a guitar (nothing wrong with slide mind you, I just don't do it much)

Its got a cool compact body, the lipsticks actually sound pretty nice with a glass slide and its got a cool look that really suits slide (oh so important lol)

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Yeah I probably am analyzing it a bit much, but when money is tight as hell and doesn't come around much (especially for guitars), I wanna get the right thing that'll serve it's purpose and doesn't overlap my present tone base. I don't have P90s (LP Junior), a semi hollow (335), or a an SG (and those rule). So much stuff to get that i want..... so little money. Being that this'll probably be the last guitar I'll get for another 5 or 6 years, I wanna get it right as I only have 2 now and they arent much different other than wood type. I must admit that I'm thinking 335....

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Well obviously the player is quite the biggest factor by far, but I'm just merely getting different points of view on mediums that offer the best "features" for playing slide

For my money, mahogany has always sounded best. I know a lot of folks like using a LP, but the SG or a similar guitar always sounds better to me.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Pros/Cons With Different Body Styles for Slide

Anything can make a good slide guitar, depending on what you're going for. But a good rule of thumb to me is anything with P90's in it. The Mighty 90 was born for slide...