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Post by chrislovegrove on Oct 23, 2016 16:18:19 GMT
I was using my Gibson J35 for slide (I won't be now I have a Lightning) and it sounded absolutely lovely. I have a Lowden O22 that to my ears has a far nicer tone than the Gibson, and is superior in terms of build quality etc. However, the Lowden is absolutely naff for slide and the Gibson owns it.
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Post by lonelyjelly on Oct 31, 2016 17:33:49 GMT
Anyone tried a Jim Dandy by Gretsch? I know they're very cheap but they seem to sound fun and boxy on videos and just wandered if anyone had any first hand experience with them. I'm keen to practice more after saturdays workshop and with one of these little boxes I could slide in my car on my lunch / traffic jams!
Cheers
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Oct 31, 2016 17:50:38 GMT
Anyone tried a Jim Dandy by Gretsch? I know they're very cheap but they seem to sound fun and boxy on videos and just wandered if anyone had any first hand experience with them. I'm keen to practice more after saturdays workshop and with one of these little boxes I could slide in my car on my lunch / traffic jams! Cheers Tried one in our local music shop. Coral Pink, not the colour I would choose! It was second hand priced at £95 with new strings (12s). X-braced with a modern C neck, 43mm nut. Tuned to D with a slide it was OK but a bit on the bright side. I reckon with an older set of heavier strings it could be a fun guitar
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Post by Quarterquay on Oct 31, 2016 19:07:11 GMT
I have one Lonelyjelly. I've had it for a couple of years or so now and I'd say Pickersditch's description of the sound is about right. I haven't had heavier strings on it but certainly I prefer the 12s on it to be a little dulled down. I bought it to be a cheap knockabout guitar for slide for toting about and playing on the go but it quickly became my favorite guitar for a while for slide and picking. Not so much anymore but that's partly because it lives at my partner's house so I don't have to tote a guitar back and forth every time I cycle down there to see her and it's howling a gale.
I'm no expert on guitars though so hopefully you can find one in a shop to try out.
Somewhere on here is a thread which I think was started by Michael when he asked for recommendations for a budget guitar for a neighbour's son/daughter. I mentioned the Dandy and that was the one that the neighbour bought. Michael gave his assessment of it on the thread if I remember correctly. I couldn't find it to give you a link ( hopeless at searches unfortunately. They never seem to work for me here)
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Oct 31, 2016 19:34:33 GMT
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Post by lonelyjelly on Oct 31, 2016 19:43:48 GMT
Beat me to it, PD! I wasn't sure how to paste it in.
Thanks for your thoughts guys, really appreciate it. I've negotiated a pretty low price on a secondhand one and am due to pick it up Wednesday morning. Just thought I'd better get some thoughts from forum members first.
I'm not expecting it to slide like my MM or strum like my BG160 but if it's got a bit of character in the sound then I guess I can't go wrong for the price or size.
I intend to put 13s or 14s on it and tune down a tone, maybe tone and a half.
Lew
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Post by jono1uk on Oct 31, 2016 19:45:55 GMT
My #1 flat-top slide guitar is a cheap (but flashy!) Crafter TA-50 ~ a nice copy of the Martin 000-42 12- frets to body neck join, strung with Newtone 12's Slide On! Ian. Hi Ian ..i have a TA-50 ..I dont use ist for slide but you got me thinking ... have u had the action set up for slide or is it "out of the box" set up?
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Post by Ian McWee on Oct 31, 2016 21:19:51 GMT
Hi Jono, Didn't need to raise the action for slide-work Jono - I changed the string gauge from 12's up to a 13 set and swapped the 13 top E string for a 15. This added enough tension to the strings ~ but I always tune down to open G or D, never tune up to open A or E Slide On! Ian.
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Post by Quarterquay on Oct 31, 2016 22:34:51 GMT
Beat me to it, PD! I wasn't sure how to paste it in. Thanks for your thoughts guys, really appreciate it. I've negotiated a pretty low price on a secondhand one and am due to pick it up Wednesday morning. Just thought I'd better get some thoughts from forum members first. I'm not expecting it to slide like my MM or strum like my BG160 but if it's got a bit of character in the sound then I guess I can't go wrong for the price or size. I intend to put 13s or 14s on it and tune down a tone, maybe tone and a half. Lew Ah ha! Thread found.... Thanks Pickers Ditch. Enjoy your Jim Dandy when you pick it up LJ. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the slide sound with whichever strings you put on it.
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Post by chrislovegrove on Nov 1, 2016 11:37:44 GMT
lonelyjelly, I've seen a video where Eric Bibb plays a Jim Dandy. It sounded great!
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Post by chrislovegrove on Nov 1, 2016 11:38:02 GMT
Found it
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Post by slide496 on Nov 1, 2016 11:46:23 GMT
I played a Jim Dandy in a music store and thought it came surprisingly close to the catalogue parlor guitars from the 50's-60's I play, the action out of the box and the string weight was good enough to play slide with but I still prefer the x-braced gibson for picking in standard.
The reason I didn't try it at home was I like the floating bridge system of the older models better - and this one has a through bridge which I had on a kay g-101 and I did not find it as flexible as the floating bridge which I could shim and angle as I needed.
Lawd Lawdy, Harriet
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Post by obrienp on Nov 1, 2016 14:03:59 GMT
Trouble is, I suspect that Eric Bibb would make anything sound good (or Harriet for that matter). I have tried a few of his Gibson signature models: very nice guitars but they still played the same old rubbish I always play :-(.
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Post by slide496 on Nov 1, 2016 18:05:17 GMT
Thank you for your kind words, that was my thought on looking at the video as well of Eric Bibb, obrienp - but that's not to say it would not be a good fit for someone else.
I wish I had known about them when a friend asked for recommendations for his daughter as I think the through bridge is safer than a pin bridge.
Lawd lawdy, HArriet
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Post by lonelyjelly on Nov 1, 2016 23:31:08 GMT
Will do Quarterkey! And cheers for the video Chrislovegrove, I've watched that video a few times in the past. He does make it sound very good! I'll try and get a video up once I've had a bit of time playing it. Thanks all for your thoughts and advice :-) Lew
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