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Post by oldslider on Jul 4, 2023 18:29:07 GMT
Hi All Newbie here. I took up electric blues with some slide in my teens back in the 60s. More recently I’m an acoustic animal… I can’t lift the amps anymore :-) I’ve been playing slide on a 1960s Hungarian Szegedi Hangszergyar acoustic. It has a flat neck so it works well with a straight slide and has a lovely woody tone. I had a National M2 but parted with it some years ago and I missed the resonator sound. I recently bought a cheap Gretsch Alligator from eBay. Quality control terrible... The tail piece and hence the strings were off centre The action was far too low with very light strings. Playing slide was virtually impossible but with a deal of fiddling, filing and adjustment and heavier strings it's playing much better now. I have D'Addario 13-56 strings on there but with a 15 top string. My main frustration is the camber on the neck which makes it impossible to play a rattle free chord across all 6 strings towards the head end of the neck with my straight slide. I have just ordered a blank nut thinking I could make a flat nut for the Alligator. This may fix the problem but I’m not sure how well a flat nut would work for fingered chords with a radiused neck. My other thought is a dished slide to follow the radius of the strings but I have never tried one and they aren't cheap. A Dunlop 227 maybe? Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome. Thanks. Attachments:
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Post by pete1951 on Jul 4, 2023 19:10:00 GMT
I have several guitars,some with a curved finger board,some flat. My main electric has about a 12” radius ( and a fairly low action- too low for slide, too high for finger style) so its a compromise action. I like some radius as it means I am pressing harder on the middle strings when playing chords with the slide. Often on a flat finger board I feel the middle strings can have a bit of a rattle.
A straight nut on your curved finger board could make slide chords easier but your top and bottom strings will play sharp when fretted, particularly on the first few frets.
I guess it’s a matter of practice to get a clean tone on all strings.
There are some forum members who do use ( and swear by) radiused slides, they are made and if you take to it then that could be the answer.
Pete
Find a good slide player in your area and see how they tackle the ‘problem ‘. If they can get a good sound with a radiused finger board you might be able to copy their technique.
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Post by oldslider on Jul 4, 2023 19:32:02 GMT
Hi Pete
Thanks for your reply and yes I can see that the top and bottom strings would probably be pulled a bit sharp when fingering chords near the nut - I hadn't thought of that.
Maybe I'll forget the flat nut and try a dished slide.
Cheers
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Post by bonzo on Jul 4, 2023 22:58:57 GMT
Get in touch with lonelejelly on the forum. He will have some suitable slides for you.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 5, 2023 8:55:09 GMT
My handbuilt Dave King Telecaster that I have used for my main recording and touring instrument for the past 23 years has a radiused fretboard with a flat nut and saddle. I can't count the amount of recording sessions and performances I have done with this guitar and it has never once caused me any issues. It is all about how you play and what you get used to. Sure, it "might" have been better with a flat fretboard, but it was already built when I asked Dave to fit a Supra pickup and make it into my guitar. I said "might" because it has such a great feel that may not have been there with a flat fretboard. Nearly a quarter of century now, so I guess that's how it is.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by oldslider on Jul 5, 2023 13:23:01 GMT
Thanks Michael that's good to know. On the strength of that I will go ahead and make a flat nut and see how I get on. I can always put the old one back on.
I have just about mastered Rainer Ptacek's "Don't know Why" and that full chord on the 2nd fret is just not ringing out. Jeffrey Foucault's version is great but he's playing it on a flat neck Mule.
Must say I am fancying one of your steel bodied Blues models which I'm sure would have more of the Rainer voice than my Alligator.
Thanks again
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 5, 2023 15:19:45 GMT
Thanks Michael that's good to know. On the strength of that I will go ahead and make a flat nut and see how I get on. I can always put the old one back on. I have just about mastered Rainer Ptacek's "Don't know Why" and that full chord on the 2nd fret is just not ringing out. Jeffrey Foucault's version is great but he's playing it on a flat neck Mule. Must say I am fancying one of your steel bodied Blues models which I'm sure would have more of the Rainer voice than my Alligator. Thanks again It just takes practice to get clean full chords on a radiused fretboard. You don't need weird shaped slides or anything, just practice and of course the right setup on your guitar. Shine On Michael |
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Post by mrstrellisofnwales on Jul 5, 2023 20:36:47 GMT
A compromise flatter but not quite completely flat nut is possible without causing any noticeable intonation problems. But as previously mentioned an adjusted technique will eventually just fall into place with practice. Personally I could never get on with a dished slide as it seems to make it too awkward to go between different guitars whereas a good straight slide works well on both radiuses and flat.
Mrs T
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Post by lonelyjelly on Jul 5, 2023 23:55:51 GMT
Get in touch with lonelejelly on the forum. He will have some suitable slides for you. Ha ha I don't know where you got that idea from Bonzo..,I only have about 40 or 50 so nothing compared to Messer and co! 🤣😉 To the OP, any number of actual bottlenecks cut from an actual glass bottle be it a wine, oil, whiskey or vinegar bottle will have a natural slight radius and will do the job. Said slides also work fine on flat fretboards too. Like Michael and others have said, it's more about technique than tool (as I'm sure you already know) but if you're curious it's worth asking Ian from Diamond Bottlenecks if he has any 'Redhouses' with a bit of a radius going on. Pretty much my favourite slide is just that 🙂 Best, Lew |
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Post by oldslider on Jul 10, 2023 9:57:15 GMT
Thanks all for your replies and advice and I can report that I have made a flat nut with just a tiny bit of radius and problem solved. I can now play full six string chords up the head end of the neck with a straight slide and they ring out loud with no rattles or buzzes.
Of course it's all down to technique and action height as well but for me this solution has really done it and I am enjoying the Alligator much more now.
I am still fancying an MM steel bodied Blues 28 or 36 :-)
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Post by slidefever on Jul 10, 2023 10:22:25 GMT
I recommend trying a Dunlop 227 which has a 12" radius Not really that expensive. it'll last several lifetimes unless you lose it  |
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