Best parlor or small body for beginner slide guitar?

[Hawkeye_gurl]

Hi guys I'm back again.
You all have been so amazing with helping me on my journey to find my next acoustic. I've come back with a few more questions and hopefully after this time I'm just a step or two away from the finish line.

As I've been looking for guitars, practicing and listening to more music, I've fallen in love with blues delta/swamp slide guitar and it's something I want to learn. I've heard that 12 fret acoustics are more forgiving to beginners of the style but it seems most guitars in my price range ($400-$700) are 14 fret. I'm also once again going to toss the Taylor GS mini into the mix because it seems like fate keeps putting this guitar in my path.

TLDR: Is a 12 fret or 14 fret better for slide guitar playing? How does the Taylor GS mini hold up with slide playing? Are there any parlor or small body guitars in my price range that you recommend? ($400-$700)
Once again, thank you in advance.

[BluesBelly]

You can play Round neck slide on just about any guitar. The important thing to remember is that While slide guitar Can be played in standard tuning it is commonly played using alternate tunings such as open G or Open D as well as others.
It is also important to note that the slide is generally used in short complimentary phrases scattered throughout a song. There will chording, lead line phrasing, string bending, and other techniques used in the same song so it’s important to have a guitar that actually plays like a guitar.
The other facet of slide is playing a square neck resonator or Dobro. A completely different animal than a round neck slide guitar.
So take the guitar that you already have and learn to play slide on that. Then when the time is right you will instinctively know which guitar to buy that you will dedicate to slide playing and to open tunings
There are youtube slide videos to help you get your foot in the door.
That said, there are a bunch of round neck resonator guitars for sale in $400 - $600 range and they are a lot of fun to play.

Blues

[BluesKing777]

You probably will get used to whatever you buy...12 fret or 14.

I like 14 fret so I don’t keep hitting my hand on the guitar when sliding to the very common 12th fret!

For your budget, you could look at a Farida at Elderly or even a used one on Reverb.com. Or a Gretsch Bobtail used? Or you find a 50s Gibson LG1 with the pre- bowed neck...perfect for slide but not much for fretting! Only a slide player will want it.

Anything at your local pawnshop?

BluesKing777.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, any guitar can be used for slide, but many , including me - prefer resonators for playing slide/bottleneck.

I have only ever played 12 fret guitars for slide so it feels natural to me, and the best slide sounds are not up at the octave anyway.
I'd like to add something to the advice about open tuning - tune down to open tuning, not up.

I have to say that I've played with bottleneck style over many years, but I don't consider myself an expert but I'd like to recommend what I have learnt.

I'd like to suggest something, as there is a common assumption that to use a slide you need to have a higher action. This is not true.

Playing "bottleneck" style is VERY different to playing Dobro or Hawaiian, as you still fret most of your notes - with your fingertips, adding a little extra with the slide as and well.

Have your action as you would normally (mine are all .100" bass and .080" treble) but I DO put a thicker string (an extra 2nd) on the 1st.

The "bottle neck" that you buy (and you will buy many) should be as heavy as possible and still be able to move around as you will.

The real "ART" of this style of playing (which later transfers to other styles is to makes the notes with your slide as lightly as possible on the string and to put the power into the string with your picking hand.

Here are some examples of my "style".



and

and

[mball]

I settled on a Recording King Dirty Thirties 000 Harmonella as my inexpensive slide guitar. I expect other Dirty Thirties guitars would be just as good. And the price is right, too!

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by mball

I settled on a Recording King Dirty Thirties 000 Harmonella as my inexpensive slide guitar. I expect other Dirty Thirties guitars would be just as good. And the price is right, too!

Yeah - definitely great values and all around great guitars and their 12 fret parlor sorta begs to be played slide just on appearance, though holds its own as a picker and strummer. Well below your budget, to boot!

[roylor4]

Hi HG,

Slide can be played on any guitar but I would steer you towards something with a longer scale than a GS Mini. Why? A super short scale = less tension on the strings. While it can make it easier to play in many respects, you need adequate tension in the strings to keep from "fretting out" or having the strings hit the frets and rattle or deaden as you are using the slide.

When I first started playing slide, I preferred higher action to prevent this. Now, I would say it's best to have a guitar that plays well in normal tuning and perhaps go up a string gauge for slide. Keep in mind that most common slide tunings (open D and open G) many of the guitars are tuned DOWN (loosened) and a heavier string gauge will give you approximately the same playability as a lower gauge in standard E.

I started playing slide on a Birch topped Stella that had action on it high enough to use as a cheese cutter.

As for 12 vs 14 fret - I don't think it matters starting out. 14 gives you an octave + a whole step which can be useful at times. My main slide player is a Gretsch Boxcar reso and it sounds great for slide.

[gfspencer]

Very nice version of Amazing Grace! What brand guitar are you playing?

[docwatsonfan]

I would check out parlors made by.....

Art & Lutherie
Simon & Patrick
Seagull

[Eldergreene]

I have a bottom-of-the-line Yamaha FSX 800 that sounds killer for slide ( as it does for regular playing ) - I use 80/20 bronze strings to get a little more zing, since it's plenty bassy anyway, has a lovely growl on eg Muddy Waters' 'Country Blues', & rings nice on the 12th fret for eg Robert Johnson stuff - best-sounding cheapy guitar that I know of.

[Woolbury]

I'm not sure I would buy this as a strictly slide guitar, but my new Waterloo wl-14 has slightly higher action, and I'm really enjoying playing slide on it. If you were going down that path anyway, it is an added benefit. The articulation on the Waterloo is really unique, and the fundamental nature of its sound just really comes through with a slide. It is by far the best slide player of the guitars I have. All that said, a wood body resonater will be my next addition!

[SCVJ]

I've been on the same path as you a couple of times in my long guitar-playing journey, and have recently started playing slide again (as a beginner, basically) for at least the third time! Frustrating that I never stuck with it, but am determined this time.

I agree, from experience, with everything the other posts have said - scale length (string tension), 12 vs 14 fret doesn't really matter, high action not necessary, try many slides, use open tunings, etc.

Things I would add: have a guitar just for slide, if it has to be a cheap one, no problem. If you have only one guitar, it will kill your practice regimen to have to retune going back and forth from standard tuning. There are slide blues in standard, but not as many as are in the open tunings. As a beginner, stick with open G and D, IMO.

I bought a Recording King Dirty 30s RPS 9 TS (used for a little over $100) that I'm very pleased with. Plenty loud and has an undefinable cheesy tone that seems perfect to me. If I decide to upgrade I have very little invested and could sell it for about what I paid.

Sweetwater.com is a great place to buy slides, they have the full Dunlop line, plus others, for great prices with free shipping. The Glass Dunlops are $4-5 and there are several sizes, thicknesses, etc. There are brass ones for around $20, IIRC. A thick walled glass Dunlop for a little over $4 is a great way to start. Buy one sized for your ring finger and one for your pinky - which finger to use is a decision you'll need to make, and you should try both for a while. Most feel the pinky gives you the best overall result because you have three fingers free for noting. However, I think the pinky requires more skill, so the ring finger may be faster to progress with.

There are lots of slide lessons on Youtube. A good one to start with is Little Red Rooster. Also find the slide lessons by Matt Smith, Part 1 and Part 2.

My favorite country blues teacher is Tom Feldmann. I actually paid $20 to download his "The Slide Guitar of Muddy Waters". I has over an hour of instruction, includes seven songs thre in G, one in D, a couple in standard. some slow some fast, all with tab. You can see previews of his lessons before committing to purchase.

Enjoy, and good luck!

[SCVJ]

A couple more things: If you have a dedicated slide guitar, and will be playing mostly in open G or D, consider using medium gauge strings, especially if the guitar has a short scale. You'll get better tone, the heavier strings will be easier to play IMO, partly because they help you resist pressing down with the slide, which also helps keep the slide from banging on the edge of the fretboard.

Since you tune some of the strings down the higher tension of the heavier strings is less of an issue. Also, since most of your fingering is on the 1st few frets, string tension is not so noticeable. Many recommend using a heavier gauge string ( a 14 or 15) for the 1st string whether you're using lights or mediums.

I have had two wood bodied resonators (one expensive, one not), and ended up selling both of them. I recommend learning to play slide for several months to the point you can play a few songs well. Then try a resonator. IMO, resonators are harder to get good with than a standard guitar. Hard to explain, but definitely true in my experience. I'm sure this isn't true for everyone, and that others will think I'm nuts. At the very least, if you're considering a resonator, get in a few hours of practice, then spend an hour in a store playing one to see if it's a fit for you.