Archtop for bottleneck

[Howard Emerson]

A very largo 2 verses of The Piping Plover Waltz, in open D tuning on my 1930 Gibson TGL-5 tenor factory conversion c.1935



Yes, the pickguard was deteriorating, and has been removed. I have a replacement, yet to be installed. Notice what it did to the adjacent frets.

Best,
Howard Emerson

[buddyrama]

Beautiful!

[nbs2005]

That was lovely! Of course now it's giving me one more reason to consider adding an archtop; a different slide sound.

[Keith Lee]

Very tasteful and elegantly played with the touch of a master...which to me is a lot of Howard's playing, always listen to what he posts, which to me seem like "compositions"

Like the mixing of bare fingers and slide, I do that too, NOT everything is played with slide

I use archtops for slide in more of a "Will this train veer off the tracks and crash" way, or Elmore James, Mississippi Fred McDowell early Muddy Waters "I be troubled" manner

Or for power and mystery in Open G minor and sometimes Open D Minor

Noticed Howard has what appears to be a big heavy glass slide, and to me heavier is better if you have the touch

I love heavy thick brass, heavy stainless steel, and yesterday got a thick heavy nickel over brass slide (collecting slides is way cheaper than guitars, probably have 10 or so)

I have taken sandpaper to brass slides or rubbed them on bricks to scratch and scuff them up for a dirtier more raw sound

3 of my 4 guitars are 50's Archtops, none collectible, nothing fancy but they can all get swampy when struck the right way

So I vote "YES" to bottleneck or other slides on Archtops, whether in Howard's tasteful elegant touch of a classic master way, or my "lets get it rawer, dirtier and more raucous" way

I know, start a youtube channel and post something...trying to figure that out

[nbs2005]

Originally Posted by Keith Lee

Very tasteful and elegantly played with the touch of a master...which to me is a lot of Howard's playing, always listen to what he posts, which to me seem like "compositions"

Like the mixing of bare fingers and slide, I do that too, NOT everything is played with slide

I use archtops for slide in more of a "Will this train veer off the tracks and crash" way, or Elmore James, Mississippi Fred McDowell early Muddy Waters "I be troubled" manner

Or for power and mystery in Open G minor and sometimes Open D Minor

Noticed Howard has what appears to be a big heavy glass slide, and to me heavier is better if you have the touch

I love heavy thick brass, heavy stainless steel, and yesterday got a thick heavy nickel over brass slide (collecting slides is way cheaper than guitars, probably have 10 or so)

I have taken sandpaper to brass slides or rubbed them on bricks to scratch and scuff them up for a dirtier more raw sound

3 of my 4 guitars are 50's Archtops, none collectible, nothing fancy but they can all get swampy when struck the right way

So I vote "YES" to bottleneck or other slides on Archtops, whether in Howard's tasteful elegant touch of a classic master way, or my "lets get it rawer, dirtier and more raucous" way

I know, start a youtube channel and post something...trying to figure that out

OK, I really want to hear what you're doing too!

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Keith Lee

Very tasteful and elegantly played with the touch of a master...which to me is a lot of Howard's playing, always listen to what he posts, which to me seem like "compositions"

Like the mixing of bare fingers and slide, I do that too, NOT everything is played with slide

I use archtops for slide in more of a "Will this train veer off the tracks and crash" way, or Elmore James, Mississippi Fred McDowell early Muddy Waters "I be troubled" manner

Or for power and mystery in Open G minor and sometimes Open D Minor

Noticed Howard has what appears to be a big heavy glass slide, and to me heavier is better if you have the touch

I love heavy thick brass, heavy stainless steel, and yesterday got a thick heavy nickel over brass slide (collecting slides is way cheaper than guitars, probably have 10 or so)

I have taken sandpaper to brass slides or rubbed them on bricks to scratch and scuff them up for a dirtier more raw sound

3 of my 4 guitars are 50's Archtops, none collectible, nothing fancy but they can all get swampy when struck the right way

So I vote "YES" to bottleneck or other slides on Archtops, whether in Howard's tasteful elegant touch of a classic master way, or my "lets get it rawer, dirtier and more raucous" way

I know, start a youtube channel and post something...trying to figure that out

Hi Lee,
You're right about most of what I post. I write the majority of what I play, so composing is what I do. Even my 'covers' are pretty unique to my style.

It's really a short time here on earth, so start putting your stuff on Youtube. It's not difficult, especially if you have a newer iPhone, for instance. Aside from having the Youtube app, you need only press the + button, and follow the instructions. I have no doubt that there are tons of videos that walk you through the steps on Youtube!

On the raw-er side of slide, I did this short a couple of years ago; just a rhythmic fingerpicked shuffle phrase; more of an orphan lick at the moment.

It's actually a great demonstration of how I use the side of my thumb for muting during the 'spidering' process.

Again, it's on my L-5 with the bottleneck I cut from a Piper Heidsieck Magnum Champagne bottle:



Thanks again, and get to work!

Howard

[Keith Lee]

Thanks to both of you for the encouragement, gonna figure how to start channel

That was cool Howard > might rip it off in a more staccato way...for last note of each little part maybe go up an octave or at least to a thinner string and really sustain note longer and wilder with more vibrato

Can see starting slower and quieter and really building it

And I do also play with bare fingers > SS Stewart is Harmony made with Gibson P-13 pickup and fllatwounds, use heavy nickel coated slide unscuffed that really slithers

P-13 pickup "evolved" or was replaced by P-90, consensus is only good for "Jump Blues" but it works

OK, back to channel building > think I need a biblical prophet first name...

[Howard Emerson]

[QUOTE=Keith Lee;7124738]Thanks to both of you for the encouragement, gonna figure how to start channel

That was cool Howard > might rip it off in a more staccato way...for last note of each little part maybe go up an octave or at least to a thinner string and really sustain note longer and wilder with more vibrato

Can see starting slower and quieter and really building it

Keith,
Here's the same riff played on my Tele build through a Danelectro Model 68 Special Series D, no pedals. Pete Biltoft CC pickups.


The riff starts at the 1:10 mark...

HE

[Keith Lee]

Solid body electric guitar ? Tres Gauche

And Hound Dog Taylor is rolling over in his grave wondering "Why must that man play with such tasteful technique ?"

You are motivating me to build an untunable Teisco Del Rey copy with lots of buttons and switches, and play through a cheap amp with crap distortion

Saw George Thorogood sometime in maybe late 70's, early 80's, and when he started "Madison Blues" I thought "He's played this song 8 times already"

For those who do NOT know (I know Howard surely does) > Simply tune to D A D F# A D (Open D) and attack the strings with crazed vibrato at the 12th fret and play Open, 2, 3, 2 on the Low A string to get the boogie woogie / Chuck Berry beat...

I can get that vibe much easier in Open D than standard tuning...repeat at 5th and 7th frets, or use slide as bar at 5 and 7 and voila !

Countless songs out of 12 bar pattern...

Developing touch, intonation, creativity and all that goes with it is a lifetime project, but it's relatively easy to at least get started and impress your friends or members of the opposite sex who don't actually play

Think Son House was playing professionally after 6 months...

Listen to Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson and Missiissippi Fred McDowell to get sounds in your head...

Anyway, that's my advice for any slide newbs that may be reading...

[Sage Runner]

Wonderful Slide Howard. Sweet & Clean.