String questions

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Permalink Reply by Ben on May 6, 2009 at 1:14pm

Are you using another finger to mute the string between the slide and the nut (not the slide and the bridge)?

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on May 6, 2009 at 3:09pm

Yeah, I had to find that one out by myself. Sounds really scratchy if you don't do a little mute.

Ben said:

Are you using another finger to mute the string between the slide and the nut (not the slide and the bridge)?

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Permalink Reply by Roosterman on May 6, 2009 at 3:13pm

I had exactly the same problem on the first cbg I built too Steve.
The top string created this weird high-pitched double octave screech, muted or not... it was pretty awful.
The bad news is I didnt rectify it. But the good news is its not just you!!
IM NOT SUGGESTING YOU DO THIS, but i pulled mine apart and started again with a thru neck, new strings (how old are yours?) and a few mods (its the 'JT Special' if you want a look at the pics) and the problem cured itself... maybe its something to do with the construction? The other thing I changed was the piezo - swapped for a single coil.
Oh, and I bought a metal slide and parked my glass one on the shelf. I just cant get along with 'em personally.
I will be watching this thread with interest as Id rather understand why something goes wrong rather than just fix it blind
Good luck big man :o)

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Permalink Reply by Al on May 6, 2009 at 3:45pm

Just a thought but if your slide is a real bottleneck you have to watch out for the seam. Especially when playing those wound strings.

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Permalink Reply by Big Steve on May 6, 2009 at 6:09pm

Ben said:

Are you using another finger to mute the string between the slide and the nut (not the slide and the bridge)?

Wasn't aware muting would fix the problem. I've plucked it a few time mutes verses unmuted and sure enough the high pitch caw meow is gone.
To the person who asked about the strings, they're brand new.

If I had long hair, could sing, had raythem and a good ear I could really do something with this thing. Man o man do I need help.....

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on May 6, 2009 at 8:54pm

Muting is slide 101 stuff. However, there are times when that "whine" can be very cool...Feel free to play around.

Developing a good vibrato is perhaps next on the list, as are techniques like sliding "up to" or "down to" a desired note.

It's also possible to play single-note figures and even harmonics. Watch some of the videos the guys have put up!

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Permalink Reply by BT Cohosh on May 7, 2009 at 9:55am

I think Doc O actually built a double-ended guitar (boxes at both ends of the neck) so that he could use those "back notes" (ghost tones above the slide). I don't know how that project turned out.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesdog on May 7, 2009 at 1:18pm

If you play like i do with the slide on the pinky or ringfinger you can rest your free fingers on the string's at the back of the slide, that will kill that ghosthowl/schreech sound.

How you hold your slide is pretty important and something you'l have to learn by doing it a lot and finding a way that works best for you.

I myself use the pinky to put the slide onn, my ringfinger on top (pushing down slightly) off the slide and the midle + indexfinger behind the slide resting on the string's for muting.

That seems to work just fine for me, the finger on top of the slide gives me somewhat more controle of the slide and strings ,the muting fingers prevent the ghosthowl sound and give a much clearer and powerfull tone/note.

I hope this will work as good for you as it does for me.

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Permalink Reply by HOLLOWBELLY on May 8, 2009 at 4:21am

as a little additional detail, there is one place that players often deliberately dont mute-thats on the 12th fret -cos its an octave the 'horrid screech' will turn into nice harmonics-its certainly the only place i entertain not damping.
one other point-on bob brozmans slide guitar tutorial videos he says 'the one thing that separates the pro slide player from the amatuer is the quality of their vibrato'. He's right-his vibrato is stunning-mine sucks..but its worth putting time in -try sliding up to the 5th fret then employing vibrato-then do i† again and again and again and...

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Permalink Reply by Wade on May 9, 2009 at 1:08pm

I have also found that the wound strings sound aweful with low tension on them. If you can tighten them up they seem to have less buzz and less intonation problems from the slide stretching the string. I have also learned to place just enough pressure to get a good tone. Too much pressure gives intonation and sustain problems-not enough and you get muted buzzy tones.

Wade

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on May 9, 2009 at 5:13pm

So, is there any basic (more likely used) gauge string (acoustic/electric, x-light, light, med, heavy) that [ya'll] prefer to use? I normally use 10s (light) on my acoustic and 9s on my electric. I have a set that are marked "Light" but are 12s. I think they are way to heavy gauge strings my'self. From what see, we are using the ADG(B+) strings.

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Permalink Reply by Al on May 10, 2009 at 1:44pm

a reasonably heavy slide always helps for acoustic/cbg but i prefer something lighter for electric. I use 12s on my acoustic and 9s on my electric my quality street lap steel has a 36, a 26 and a 17 tuned either A,E,A or G,D,G

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