Setting up a guitar for slide

[Gunny47]

How do you set up a guitar for slide? Well, not really how, but, what do you do to make your guitar play great for slide? I LOVE playing slide on guitar and I practice it a lot so I have some experience with it, but I cant even use my brass slide because it hits up against the frets and sounds like crap. I use my glass slide, worrying that the brass slide will destroy the frets. The glass one sounds better anyway. So if I were going to a tech, what should I tell them to do to the guitar to make it a good slide guitar? Just raise the action a lot? What am I missing? Thanks.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

The first thing you need to do is raise the action up to a point when you can comfortably fret and play slide without hitting the frets. I like the action for slide at about 3/16". Thats just me, I play everything with high action. I feel you get better tone and better sustain with higher action. For slide it is a must. If you have a tunomatic type of bridge it is easier to experiment with different height adjustments. A Fender style bridge is a little more difficult to work with. It would also be best to have a new nut with the slots cut slightly higher, but I would not do this right away. That is more a personal preference than a necessity. You should be able to play very well with a standard nut.

The next thing you need to do is tune the guitar to "open" tunings. The most common tunings are open G or Open D. This is how most people play slide.

Open G: (6) D (5) G (4) D (3) G (2) B (1) D
Open D: (6) D (5) A (4) D (3) F# (2) A (1) D

Some people prefer to use open A and E which is the same tunings listed above, just raise each string up a whole step.

I also prefer to use heavier strings when I play slide. When you tune the strings down a whole step they tend to get sloppy, so a heavier string IMHO is the way to go. If you don't want to use a heavier string than try tuning the guitar up rather than down. I use 12's when I tune down and I use 11's normally so in a pinch I just take my regular guitar and tune up to E or A depending on what I need.

PUT YOUR PICK AWAY
When playing slide your right hand is as important as your left hand. I do most single note picking with my index finger and I use my thumb and middle finger to mute the strings on either side of the string I am picking. I can move my right hand back and fourth and pick with my index finger and still only sound one clean note. This will take some practice, espicially if you don't finger pick much, but it is an essential part of playing slide.

Which finger to wear the slide on is a personal thing. Some people wear the slide on the pinky and some wear the slide on the middle and some on the ring. It just depends which feels right for you. I prefer glass or porclean slides. The Dunlop Mudslides are my favorite over the counter type of slide, but again this is a very personal thing. Metal slides sound to harsh to my ears, but a lot of people prefer them. I like a nice heavy thick walled slide. To me the weight and thickness of the slides wall make it sustain properly. I usually will pick a slide that has enough girth to it so it will sustain nicely, but these usually do not fit my finger very well, so I use a piece of the sft side of velcro and build up the inside so it fits on my finger preoperly. When the slide fits on your finger well you can play with a lot more precision.

Listen to some great slide players and if possible take a few lessons from a local slide player. It will help tremendously. Warren Haynes has some excellent DVD's and videos on slide playing. They will help anyone improve on their slide playing!

 

[thunderlung]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

Yup. Raise the action(height depends on whether or not you plan to also fret notes). Also, heavier strings. I like a set of 12's, but many fellas go heavier or lighter. I think Derek Trucks uses the 3 bass strings from a pack of 11's and the three higher strings from a pack of 10's so he can still bend them etc. with his fingers.

 

[Curly]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

on my US tele, I just restrung with 11s and tuned to open G

I could've raised the saddles and flattened their radius, but the darned thing sounds so good, I like to play it in standard tuning too

 

[ParaGuitarMedic]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

Curly makes a good point. I flattened the radius when I raised the action and now its a slide monster!

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

The first thing you need to do is raise the action up to a point when you can comfortably fret and play slide without hitting the frets. I like the action for slide at about 3/16". Thats just me, I play everything with high action. I feel you get better tone and better sustain with higher action. For slide it is a must. If you have a tunomatic type of bridge it is easier to experiment with different height adjustments. A Fender style bridge is a little more difficult to work with. It would also be best to have a new nut with the slots cut slightly higher, but I would not do this right away. That is more a personal preference than a necessity. You should be able to play very well with a standard nut.

The next thing you need to do is tune the guitar to "open" tunings. The most common tunings are open G or Open D. This is how most people play slide.

Open G: (6) D (5) G (4) D (3) G (2) B (1) D
Open D: (6) D (5) A (4) D (3) F# (2) A (1) D

Some people prefer to use open A and E which is the same tunings listed above, just raise each string up a whole step.

I also prefer to use heavier strings when I play slide. When you tune the strings down a whole step they tend to get sloppy, so a heavier string IMHO is the way to go. If you don't want to use a heavier string than try tuning the guitar up rather than down. I use 12's when I tune down and I use 11's normally so in a pinch I just take my regular guitar and tune up to E or A depending on what I need.

PUT YOUR PICK AWAY
When playing slide your right hand is as important as your left hand. I do most single note picking with my index finger and I use my thumb and middle finger to mute the strings on either side of the string I am picking. I can move my right hand back and fourth and pick with my index finger and still only sound one clean note. This will take some practice, espicially if you don't finger pick much, but it is an essential part of playing slide.

Which finger to wear the slide on is a personal thing. Some people wear the slide on the pinky and some wear the slide on the middle and some on the ring. It just depends which feels right for you. I prefer glass or porclean slides. The Dunlop Mudslides are my favorite over the counter type of slide, but again this is a very personal thing. Metal slides sound to harsh to my ears, but a lot of people prefer them. I like a nice heavy thick walled slide. To me the weight and thickness of the slides wall make it sustain properly. I usually will pick a slide that has enough girth to it so it will sustain nicely, but these usually do not fit my finger very well, so I use a piece of the sft side of velcro and build up the inside so it fits on my finger preoperly. When the slide fits on your finger well you can play with a lot more precision.

Listen to some great slide players and if possible take a few lessons from a local slide player. It will help tremendously. Warren Haynes has some excellent DVD's and videos on slide playing. They will help anyone improve on their slide playing!

VAULT WORTHY !! :banana: Only thing I can add to this is now your frets are landmarks or a proximity where the note should be. You want to slide into your notes ,But not past. (i.e. SHARP )

 

[Gunny47]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

Thank you so much for the great replies. This does look good for the vault. BTW, I really like open E, open G is cool too, but I never even heard of playing slide with open D or A. I also thought that you were supposed to use lighter strings for slide. I heard that Billy GIbbons uses 8 guage strings and he does some slide stuff, but that really depends on personal preference.

I just want to add a few more questions. First, what are good slide guitars? What do you guys prefer, LPs, Strats, Teles? I always thought slides sounded better with a crunchy sound so I always assumed that people liked it with SGs and LPs, plus, they got the flatter fingerboard radius.

NExt, what is your favorite slide material? I prefer glass and I also like the ones that are shaped like medecine bottles.

Finally, what are some good lesson DVDs on playing slide? I mess around with it sometimes, but I want to become a good slide player. It sounds so cool! I heard Warren Hayes, thanks for that, but what else is out there? Thanks so much.

O yea, do people ever use open tunings that are to minor chords? I mean, its usually tuned to a major chord. Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[Curly]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

I'd suggest that you check out Sonny Landreth ... he's one of the best slide players out there. There was a Guitar Player article several months ago, and he talked about his gear and tunings. Also, that info should be on his site. He sometimes uses open minor tunings.
Last time I saw him, he used a strat, but he's also used a Les Paul and a Firebird. Like standard playing, it's personal preference. I have a tele set up for slide, and I like it ... the bridge design adds sustain.

Lots of slide players use overdrive or a compressor to add sustain.

I prefer a thick pyrex on my pinky -- it's a Dunlop 215, but make sure to get a size that fits you correctly.

I can't recommend any DVDs, but nowadays, there is a ton of stuff out there.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

Thank you so much for the great replies. This does look good for the vault. BTW, I really like open E, open G is cool too, but I never even heard of playing slide with open D or A. I also thought that you were supposed to use lighter strings for slide. I heard that Billy GIbbons uses 8 guage strings and he does some slide stuff, but that really depends on personal preference.

I just want to add a few more questions. First, what are good slide guitars? What do you guys prefer, LPs, Strats, Teles? I always thought slides sounded better with a crunchy sound so I always assumed that people liked it with SGs and LPs, plus, they got the flatter fingerboard radius.

NExt, what is your favorite slide material? I prefer glass and I also like the ones that are shaped like medecine bottles.

Finally, what are some good lesson DVDs on playing slide? I mess around with it sometimes, but I want to become a good slide player. It sounds so cool! I heard Warren Hayes, thanks for that, but what else is out there? Thanks so much.

O yea, do people ever use open tunings that are to minor chords? I mean, its usually tuned to a major chord. Thanks a lot for your help.

As Curly stated the guitar you use will be more of a personal choice. I use a few different guitars for different tunings. I have a Tele with a Strat PUP in the neck that I like in open E or D. I have a 1956 Harmony H44 that I use in open A and G and I just set up a Shector Tempest special with Antiquity P90's that was planned for open D and E, but the guitar sounds so good I have been reluctant to use it for just slide. Any guitar that has good sustain will work and pickups that are not to high output seem to work best.

To answer the question on string gauges. Most of the "great" slide players really started out on acoustics. IE Robert Johnson, Tampa Red and Son House. IMO these are the guys that formed the path for the modern players like Duane Allman, Lowell George Ry Cooder (who is my personal favorite slide player) Most acoustic slide players simply have more success with heavier strings mainly because you are loosening the pitch of the standard tuned strings. With to light of a string they flop around and buzz to mush. Heavier strings sound and play netter, remember you woun't be bending the stings very much so heavier strings are the way to go. Billy Gibbons IMHO is the exception where he usese very light strings and still manages to get awesome tone. After all he is the Reverend:smokin:

 

[Bludave]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

How do you set up a guitar for slide? Well, not really how, but, what do you do to make your guitar play great for slide? I LOVE playing slide on guitar and I practice it a lot so I have some experience with it, but I cant even use my brass slide because it hits up against the frets and sounds like crap. I use my glass slide, worrying that the brass slide will destroy the frets. The glass one sounds better anyway. So if I were going to a tech, what should I tell them to do to the guitar to make it a good slide guitar? Just raise the action a lot? What am I missing? Thanks.

I see in your sig that you live in NY. Where in NY do you live? Here is a guy on Long Island that is an amazing player and a great teacher as well. I would recommend you take a few lessons with him. He actually does video lessons also so if he is too far away don't let that concern you. He was my slide teacher and he completely changed the way I use my right hand,
He is more of an acostic player, but everything he teaches can be applied to electric as well. Check out his site!

http://www.howardemerson.com/

 

[ErikH]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

Bludave, awesome information. I've been trying to get in to slide a little more recently and in my band we're doing some Thorogood and a few other songs where I need to do slide. I use 10's on all my guitars and have a glass bottle slide. I was thinking of going with brass but since you said it's too harsh, I think I'll stick with the glass. I'm more of a hack slide player than anything, just making it work the best I can. Action is the way I play it normally, no one guitar is set up for slide, simply because it's not something I do very often. I will definitely try not using a pick at the next practice though. I can see where that will help me a lot with getting more acurate.

 

[Corbic]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

I see in your sig that you live in NY. Where in NY do you live? Here is a guy on Long Island that is an amazing player and a great teacher as well. I would recommend you take a few lessons with him. He actually does video lessons also so if he is too far away don't let that concern you. He was my slide teacher and he completely changed the way I use my right hand,
He is more of an acostic player, but everything he teaches can be applied to electric as well. Check out his site!

http://www.howardemerson.com/

EDIT: Nevermind, just read it.

 

[doveman]

Re: Setting up a guitar for slide

It's cool to use different tunings, but I've been playing slide for years and leave my guitar set up in regular tuning with 10-46 using a glass slide. Play with your finers most of the times but use the pick too. 95% of the time it's just my regular guitar.