Slide Guitar

[Luke S Mouse]

Hi fellas, I've been playing bass for 5(?) years now. I've been looking into maybe learning slide guitar as well, just to have another feather in my cap and give me some other instrument to jam on if bass just isn't working that day. Anyone else play slide?

 

[Batmensch]

I don't as of now, but I would love to learn some bottleneck blues guitar myself. I'm thinking my Epi LP Jr. would be perfect for that. (one of the reasons I got it). Just trying to find a decent lesson plan and CD first.

 

[Luke S Mouse]

Yeah rondo has a cheap lap steel for sale. And it's definitely something different than my typical low end rumblings and all. If nothing else, it'll at least be an interesting experience and if I'm good at it an interesting skill to have.

 

[JTE]

I started as a guitarist and two albums spent more time on my turntable than any others- "The History Of Eric Clapton" and "The Duane Allman Anthology". Duane's playing was a huge revelation to what slide could sound like. I like Elmore James et. al., but Duane's smooth and very precise sound opened up a whole new realm of expression. I suppose that's partly why I love playing fretless too. Big influence as for how slide should sound to me are Duane (and his psychic protege successor, Derek Trucks), Bonnie Raitt (and her original long-time bassist, Freebo, was a bigger influence on my fretless bass approach than Jaco or Percy), Sonny Landreth (how does he THINK of all that stuff!?!?), and Lowell George.

I don't have any of my guitars set up specifically for slide, and so I seldom play in open tunings any more. I like the action on the guitars a bit higher than most guitarists do anyway, and with a light touch and real Coricidin bottle, using 10's or 11's works just fine.

John