Best electric guitar for slide

[Alan]

> " Alan, you certainly do find them!!!! >Great stuff "

That's probrably because I'm at the stage that everyone else was 25 years ago, and I sit at a computer all day !

[Michael Messer]

Hi everyone,

Here are some pics sent to me by Dave King.

The latest version of the Michael Messer signature 'King Guitar' - on the workbench.





Shine On,
Michael.

[Dave Arcari]

Hi Alan

Glad you're enjoying the Danelectro...it did me proud until National sent me the resolectric and resolectric junior (my two main guitars now - although I did buy a nice US tele last weekend!)Thanks for referring me to Michael's site and message board...good memories from Michael's visits to Scotland.
Michael - if you read this, hello! We're in Glasgow now and as well as being busy with solo (scary!) stuff and Radiotones I just started a job covering Scotland and Northern IOreland with the Musicians' Union.
Let us know if you're up in Scotland - would be good to catch up.

[Deleted]

Hi Michael

That Signature Dave King looks the business. Do you have the spec of the main pickup?

Bernie

[Dave King]

Hi Bernie

The pick up is a reproduction of the pre war Rickenbacker Frypan pickups,,,,,,,,,, however Ive had them made with laminated magnets and adjustable pole pieces which should make them more user friendly.....

This one will be finished over Christmas, we all know what it sounds like then !!!

Dave

[Mairena Red]

Hi everybody,

This has turned into a fascinating thread. I never imagined when I started this that there were so many possibilities. I have never tried a Resodan or similar but will definitely have to put it on my list of things to do before I die (even though they're not you bag, Michael).

The Dave King guitars look fabulous and are definitely on my list of things to buy when I win the lottery. However, for the timebeing my aspirations are more modest. Having toyed with the idea of a Mexican Tele, I am now looking at a Squier Standard Tele. This is partly for financial reasons (She Who Must Be Obeyed takes a dim view of me getting deeper into debt over such frivolities as guitars) and partly because the Squier comes in a nice Candy Apple Red with a rosewood fingerboard (very Muddy Waters, always a good place to start, and if you won't take my word for it, ask Eric Clapton!). My only doubt is whether to buy the Standard Tele or the Fat Tele with a humbucker neck pickup. Does anybody have a view?

Re Pete Woodman's comment about the difficulty of using an Epiphone Les Paul due to the curved maple cap, could the answer be to use an Epi Les Paul Studio? My understanding is that these come without the maple cap and therefore have a flat top. What do you think, Pete?

All the best,

Joe

[Alan]

Are those Epis 'solid' wood ? The specials are dirt cheap

[Mairena Red]

Hi Alan,

According to the latest Epi catalogue, the Special II has a laminated alder/maple body, a bolt-on mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard, so it all sounds pretty solid to me. I see what you mean about prices. They are advertised at around 119 quid for a solid-coloured example. There is also a model called the Special II trans (wine red) which has a solid mahogany body, though I have not seen those specifically advertised in the UK. If you want a set-neck model you have to move up to the LP Studio which appears to retail at around 250 quid. It too has a solid mahogany body.

All the best,

Joe

[LouisianaGrey]

I'm not sure if it's the Studio model, but there are certainly some slab-sided flat-top Les Paul models. It would make life easier if they'd call the Gibson and Epiphone models by the same name, but they don't seem to do that.

I don't know the dimensions - bear in mind you need about 30mm of body depth for the soundwell, plus some extra for the back (you don't want to rout right through the body).

[Alan]

Does anyone have any 'exploded' pictures of a horshoe pickup?

Is it just like a bar magnet pickup with the un-wound ends arching over the top? Or does it extend the single coil ?

Its very difficult to see clearly what it is, I've looked at loads of sites but have'nt really got a clear idea.

Couple of old links

The Horseshoe man!
www.horseshoemagnets.com/_sgg/m2_1.htm

Also learnt a lot from this, How simple are lipstick pickups?
www.cigarboxguitars.com/workshops/Pickup_Workshop.php
nice site - lots of sketches etc.

[Andy S]

Just before christmas I went into Northern Guitars in Leeds. He sells loads of second hand elecrtrics and semis, from the truly naff, to the positively gorgeous. My daughter has always wanted an electric guitar to mess about on and pose with to her CDs, so when he had this old nasty japanese mid seventies Top Twenty guitar looking forlorn in the corner I went for it as an Xmas pressy for £15. I sanded the crap paint off the body, rigged it up and sprayed it gaudy colours to look good sticking out of a stocking. When all the festiviies were over, one day I got this guitar, tuned it to open G, got out my slide and plugged it in. The sound from that cheap overwound pick-up was incredible, the action on the guitar mattered not a jot, it sang, it screamed, it wailed. Ry Cooder has a Strat fitted with a cheapo Teisco pickup, you could do worse on a budget and pick up a playable guitar, buy an old knackered mid 70s Top twenty and retro fit one of the pickups in. Those pickups sound ace cos they are so microphonic and resonant. when the skies the limit a P90 cuts the mustard but on a budget Kays, Jedsons, etc rule. Hope this helps us skint sliders....!

Andy S