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What is your favorite neck radius for slide work?

Or, on second thought, what is your favorite electric guitar for slide work?

I should mention that the only electric guitar that I have played slide on extensively is an LP standard, which I think sounds pretty good. My favorite sounding guitar would be a firebird or a tele... Or a Strat, they all sound pretty good. I think single coils win over humbuckers in the slide arena. On an unrelated, but necessary note, you have a nice collection of acoustics/reso guitars.

I have a US tele set up for slide, with a JD bridge and Hot neck, and I think it sounds great for slide, especially with a little OD.

I like the tele - most slide players don't use them, but I think the bridge helps the sustain.

Sonny Landreth had an article in Guitar Player a couple of months ago ... he said he raises the action, flattens out the radius on the saddles, and uses 13s.


Originally Posted by firebirdVIIOn an unrelated, but necessary note, you have a nice collection of acoustics/reso guitars.

Thanks Firebird. That National is amazing, I love that guitar (slide-o-rama). I'm considering using a Tele or a Strat for slide work. Some of my fenders are RIs and have 7 1/4quot; radii. This got me wondering what the best radius is, generally speaking. Logic tells me that a flatter fretboard (9.5-10quot; and up) would make it easier to barre all the strings with the slide, something I do quite often. The 7.25quot; would require the strings to be raised higher in order for all the strings to be barred with the slide. Let me know if my logic is faulty.

So all this made me wonder what radius other players are using for slide.

Sonny Landreth is a deity.

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I've always liked an SG for slide (probably because I learned from listening to Duane Allman). I've also used my Hamer Archtop (which is all mahogany), so maybe it's the mahogany I like

Jeff


Originally Posted by CurlyI have a US tele set up for slide, with a JD bridge and Hot neck, and I think it sounds great for slide, especially with a little OD.

I like the tele - most slide players don't use them, but I think the bridge helps the sustain.

Sonny Landreth had an article in Guitar Player a couple of months ago ... he said he raises the action, flattens out the radius on the saddles, and uses 13s.

Yup.. I read that article. When it comes to playing slide you need to bring the action up a little.... not a lot just enogh where it is compfortable to fret yet high enough where the slide won't bounce off the frets. As Curly stated SL uses 13's. Its a good choice seeing that you normally won't be bending strings when playing slide. I use 12's and I tune my guitars to either open G or open D. In a pinch I may bring them to A and E. ANother thing to consider is to learn to play with your fingers rather than a pick. You can use your fingers to mute unwanted strings while still picking strings in the middle of the neck.

I am leaning hard towards a DC LP with P90's as my main slide guitar. I don't have it yet, but I will soon. The guitar that I am using now is a a 1956 Harmony H44. It has a very cheesey PUP in it, but for slide it seems to work well. The action is pretty high and I like the way in sounds in open G. The Les Paul Double Cut with P90's will be my open D guitar. Out of all the different guitars I have used to play slide I like the Double cut best. The tunomatic bridge makes it real easy to adjust string height by comparison to a Tele or a Strat and I think the P90's add a bit of zest to the tone over a single coil. HB PUPS tend to get a little muddy for my taste.


Originally Posted by skh515Thanks Firebird. That National is amazing, I love that guitar (slide-o-rama). I'm considering using a Tele or a Strat for slide work. Some of my fenders are RIs and have 7 1/4quot; radii. This got me wondering what the best radius is, generally speaking. Logic tells me that a flatter fretboard (9.5-10quot; and up) would make it easier to barre all the strings with the slide, something I do quite often. The 7.25quot; would require the strings to be raised higher in order for all the strings to be barred with the slide. Let me know if my logic is faulty.

So all this made me wonder what radius other players are using for slide.

The radius shouldn't really matter much. You are not going to be touching the fingerboard. You need to adjust the saddles to a position where you can make contact to all the strings. I have used 7.25quot; on a Strat and a Tele and I have used LP and SG's. If you have the string height adjusted properly it woon't matter!

Curly amp; Dave are right. You're definitely better off raisng the action. You'll get better sustain and avoid the knocking sound if your slide brushes against the edge of the fret wire....which is annoying. Experiment with palm muting and dampening with your picking and fretting/slide hand. You can get all sorts of greta tones and textures that way.

a flatter radius is better 10quot;-12quot; is where i like it.

i dont know if i have a preferance as to what guitar is best for slide. in a trio you gotta have a gibson type guitar with buckers. in a bigger band since i dont need as much girth i prefer single coils.
firebirds always sound great for slide and they look bad ass to boot!! ive always had a thing for them but never manage to get my hands on a great one that i can procure for myself


Originally Posted by jeremyfirebirds always sound great for slide and they look bad ass to boot!! ive always had a thing for them but never manage to get my hands on a great one that i can procure for myself

I agree. 'birds are great for slide. I've always had a love-hate relationship with them. Currently I'm dying to get a Firebird VII. They just look so cool.

While Teles are up there fors slide playing in my book, I think it's hard to beat an SG. To me LPs sound a little muddy on slide (in my hands at least, I'm no Allman or Haynes) but SGs seem to be just right in terms of tone and feel.


Originally Posted by jeremyin a bigger band since i dont need as much girth i prefer single coils.

Girth? Playing a Gibson will give you more girth?
I can already see the new Gibson ad campaign.
i love the add that says quot;will drop more than just tuningsquot;