Your "slide only" guitar. Let's see it!

[KmCyPreSs]

been a few threads touching close to this subject but not any that picked up steam. I'm thinking about going for a dedicated slide guitar and I wanted to start a thread to fill my GAS.

List or show!

guitar
slide type
tuning
any other things you care to share

[wingwalker]

I've got an 05 High Way One Telecaster that is for the most part dedicated to open G, mostly for slide but I do use it for other stuff now and then.

This beast however is dedicated open E slide all the time!

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/48548/2982961810063704504S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/40807/2705381620063704504S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/49535/2993857990063704504S500x500Q85.jpg

2007 Melody Maker "reissue". Mods include Grover tuners, NOS Pat Pend Leo Quan BadAss bridge/tailpiece, custom pickguard and a plain old Gibson P-90 with 500k volume and 250k tone pots and a .047 cap...then there are the Bigsby Palm Pedals.

First lever raises the G# a half step to A and the second lever raises the B to C# giving me either
E-B-E-G#-B-E
E-B-E-A-B-E
E-B-E-G#-C#-E
or
E-B-E-A-C#-E

It's tricky but it's a lot of fun!

[backroaddrifter]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg247/guitarman1002001/184626_200123923340649_100000291271008_737511_7657 758_n.jpg

91 Jr
Open G for all my black crow moments

[Sweetfinger]

What i like in a slide guitar is good access to the upper fretboard area and a guitar that "hangs" right without the neck dropping if I'm not holding it. I have played a lot of slide guitar and have had several workhorses that have stayed with me over the years.
One is an old Kay archtop that was pretty much rescued from the trash heap. I put a 70s Guild humbucker in the middle and keep it tuned to open D for Elmore James-ish type stuff. Strings are DR Zebra 12s which deliver a delightfully crapulent blues tone.
Another is an 80s bolt-on 25.5" scale Explorer copy. The brand is "Avila" but you'll see the same guitar branded Hondo, Empro, Lotus, Harmony, etc. This one is tuned to open B or open C and is strung with DR Zebra 13s. I use it to shamelessly ape Mike Henderson's sound.
I never play in open G anymore but when I did I used one of those 70s/80s Teisco-ish Harmony electrics that you always used to see in pawn shops. I added a dummy coil to the stock Strat-ish pickups.
I don't play much in open E anymore but 15 to 20 years ago it was my primary tuning. For that I used an old Global bolt-on Les Paul copy that is similar to a Kay "Busker". Original Danelectro lipstick in the neck and a really weak humbucker in the bridge. It has been retrofitted with a Fender style non-trem bridge. 11 - 50 regular roundwound strings on that one.

For slides I use Latchlake Chrome plated Acoustiglide XL which is a really, really heavy brass tapered slide. If I need something a little brighter or trashier sounding I have a vintage chromed steel slide. Wall thickness on that is 1/16". If I need a really crappy "Old Chicago" or Delta blues sound, I'll use a sawn off piece of copper plumbing pipe.

Here's the Kay doing its thang:
PbrC8qNNYkU

[rubbersoul]

This is what I play for slide. It was cheap, I changed out the pickup for a chrome covered one, put some big strings on it and raised the action.

Sounds great.

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk443/laschfan/MGSG.png

[mad dog]

All my guitars have to be easy players without slide, mostly because I play w/o slide in open tunings just as much as with. That said, not all my great-sounding guitars do well with open tunings and slide. These are the ones I do now or have preferred:


'90s ASAT Classic G&L: my go to for slide for 15 years. Amazing neck p/u.
'61 strat: Especially in open G and open A. Great in every way.
partscaster tele: deluxe style, a tom short undercover mini in the neck, TS country coil in the bridge. That neck p/u just kills on slide.
Soloway Swan: Lollar firebird minis. Just outstanding ... might be the best guitar for open E or D tunings I've ever tried.
Dearmond M-75T: The 2k p/us in this guitar sound like nothing else. Lap steel like.

[electron transl]

I've got an 05 High Way One Telecaster that is for the most part dedicated to open G, mostly for slide but I do use it for other stuff now and then.

This beast however is dedicated open E slide all the time!

2007 Melody Maker "reissue". Mods include Grover tuners, NOS Pat Pend Leo Quan BadAss bridge/tailpiece, custom pickguard and a plain old Gibson P-90 with 500k volume and 250k tone pots and a .047 cap...then there are the Bigsby Palm Pedals.

First lever raises the G# a half step to A and the second lever raises the B to C# giving me either
E-B-E-G#-B-E
E-B-E-A-B-E
E-B-E-G#-C#-E
or
E-B-E-A-C#-E

It's tricky but it's a lot of fun!

Hey, where did you get (and more importantly where can I get) that Bigsby?

[brado]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2734/4395324423_8dde071da2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lugnar/4395324423/)

[skywade]

^
WINNER! That would be my choice of a dedicated slide guitar.

[mango]

My old SG II,usually Standard tuning , sometimes open E

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/McBub/Gear/SG1a.jpg

[wizard_23]

Interesting.. Haven't got a pic with me, but mine is a Washburn HB15 that I've put a P90 on. It's tuned open D. Still keen to put a brass nut on it actually.

[axe4me]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d42/Bbreaker/ChandlerLectraSlide.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d42/Bbreaker/chandlerface2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d42/Bbreaker/chandlerface1.jpg

[wingwalker]

Hey, where did you get (and more importantly where can I get) that Bigsby?

Palm Pedals have been out of production for years and years but they do pop up now and then on the used market...I looked off and on for 4 or 5 years to find a set in solid shape and that didn't cost stupid money.

I got my set on Ebay so if I were you i'd start there.

There are 2 basic style, one style built on a B5 frame and the other on a B7 frame.

The B5 styles are best on solid bodies and the B7 style is best on hollow or semi hollow.

[BenTimages]

Gibson SG in Open E, Carrera resonator in Open G

http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd467/BenTimages/2012_05_09_0463.jpg

Close-up of my slides. Favourite one is the small JD with plastic lining.

http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd467/BenTimages/2012_05_09_0464.jpg

[Krayon]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn11/shrimpopen/showroom/sup3.jpg

[Prof.Fuzz]

Just picked this up at the Dallas Guitar Show a couple of weeks ago: Vox Student Prince.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f396/uncle_han/IMG_1804.jpg

Strung it with flats and tuned it to Open G. Plinky sounding acoustically, but roars through my Silvertone 1481 (lower left). Nasty little blues guitar.
For slides I have a Rocky Mountain ceramic and a chunk of copper pipe.

[teleman1]

SO Sweet. You are in Nancy's band as a regular member? AS I remember she's good at slide also. Nice tone and playing there Sweet.

[pennylink]

:bumpbump Great thread. Keep 'em coming!

[bluegrif]

Well okay then.

http://www.provisualinc.com/grif/telabstract1.jpg

http://www.provisualinc.com/grif/telabstract2.jpg

[oneass]

Palm Pedals have been out of production for years and years but they do pop up now and then on the used market...I looked off and on for 4 or 5 years to find a set in solid shape and that didn't cost stupid money.

Duesenberg has something similar now:
http://www.rockinger.com/index.php?cat=WG081&product=2405C

http://www.rockinger.com/Media/Shop/2405c.jpg

[openG]

My current slide onlys !!

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/1956sp/slidestuff.jpg

[scienceguy]

1999 PRS Custom 22
Tuned to Open E
early 70's Coricidin bottle

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab6/pappasb/1a.jpg

[jklotz]

http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu248/jamesklotz/DArmond.jpg

[harpinon]

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k598/abbeyshire/IMAG0410.jpg

[openG]

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k598/abbeyshire/IMAG0410.jpg


That's different !!!!.....I'd love to hear that..

[Tread]

Love the Cobalt Lipsticks. I was cleaning tube sockets at the time.
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q5/zzztnj/christmas2006022.jpg

[A440]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/gyroman/Picture005.jpg

I'd still like to pick up a little lap steel.