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Total Newbie to Lap Slide


Jawbone

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Hi all, long time harp player here, brand new guitar (sort of) player. Got a vintage Regal student model lap slide with square neck 2 weeks ago.

I've always loved the sound. Many times I tried to talk myself into getting a guitar and trying the traditional way of playing, but a few years ago I tried with my wife's guitar and holding the thing and actually making chords was just beyond me.

 

Wife plays a Regal tuned for slide D-G-D-G-B-D. Neither of us has ever had lessons per se but she has played both trad and slide for some years now. We work as a duo and are getting set to record cd #3. Recent experiments have convinced me I have a long way to go before I can present the new slide thing in public.

I have a bar like the steel guys use and mostly I'm using a pick. I can sort of follow her instructions but it's obvious to me I need to spend a LOT of time with this guitar in my lap. Both hands need a lot of training to end up with a decent consistent sound.

 

Somewhere down the line I envision playing lap slide, racked harp, and singing as well. So far I really can't take my eyes off the neck or I get lost.

We do a lot of blues and roots, a bit of country, rock, folk, sort of whatever takes our fancy.

 

Words of counsel much welcomed!

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I can only at this point say to you...

 

WELCOME to this forum JAWBONE. :)

 

Lap steel HAS been discussed here in much detail not too long ago. I'm surprised nobody here yet has come in with their assistance. There are a lot of well informed and experienced lap steel and slide players here. Be patient. I'm sure they'll show up.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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I used to play lap and console steel but not much anymore. I moved on the pedal steel quite a while ago. Doc recently took up lap steel and we discussed the instrument. There is some stuff here:

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2805590/

 

There is a lot of info at the steel guitar forum. There is a sub forum dedicated to steels without pedal and a forum dedicated to Dobro. I don't hangout on the Lap and Dobro forums much. I mostly read the pedal steel related subforums. It cost $5 to join but you can read and use the search engine for free. The majority of the professional steel playing world is there at one time or another. All 5 of us :) .... Just kidding our numbers are dwindling. There is a ton of info there and in the old archived forum.

 

 

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewforum.php?f=13

 

 

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Welcome aboard Jawbone! I play a little square neck dobro for fun now and then. I've been playing guitar for many many years and as I get older my fretting hand arthritis acts up on me. I'm going to keep hacking those chords that gave you trouble for as long as possible. So, one of these days the dobro will be my main axe and I'll get serious.

 

There are tons of lessons on YouTube that you can check out. I use G B D G B D major, G Bb D G Bb D minor and G B D F B D 7th tunings on the dobro. Some dobro guys use E B D G B D. Most of the guys playing lap steel seem to like a C6 tuning which requires a lighter gauge of strings...I'll let them chime in on which is the best tuning for C6. I use a Lap Dawg steel bar. I use a hybrid pick and finger pads style of picking...

 

disclaimer: none of the above is recommended as I'm still a novice. But you can have some fun trying any of it LOL! Singing is a bit more tricky for me too when using the dobro. I know you'll get comfortable with it...

 

Keep us posted on your progress Jawbone and have fun! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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Thank you fellows for the warm welcome. Doc Pate pointed me this direction.

Larry so far I am tuned like wife tunes her little Regal round neck, that is D G D G B D.

I'm a gut player harp wise, as mostly is my wife Jolene. She taught herself to play folk in the 60's and took a 45 year break, then I came along and she wanted to be my partner when I was "between bands" as a harp guy and singer. It's evolved into this great duo.

 

In 4 months I retire from my latest career, and at that time I switch to full time musician, and we hot the road for as long as we can. We're going to tow the house with us and just move around.

 

I've heard so much great slide over many years. Everyone from Keith Richards to John Mooney, the older greats, Local guys, it's an intriguing thought that I may one day be able to make something cool happen that way. I'm not looking to do anything fancy, just pretty basic.

 

So far no singing or rack harp with the guitar but that's the plan. I think many hours with the thing in my lap until I can play without looking at the neck. I'll be tapping youtube hard most likely.

 

Thanks again for the welcome!

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You play a mean harp Jawbone and your singing is definitely in the old blues world which sounds very cool! Have fun out there on the road and learning some slide. My harp buddy plays just like you and we had a duo for many years with me on the guitar. He's still playing around town with another guitar player as my musical interest went in another direction. We still get together now and then...Have fun with it! :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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I've played slide for quite a while & have some unorthodox ideas.

For ex, I prefer standard tuning for several reasons---if 2 is several :D --- (1) it's easy to remember where the notes are & (2) there are a many more things you can do in standard tuning on a single fret than in alt tunings.

More on that later if yer interested.

 

As far as the more popular blues oriented tunings keep in mind that 2 sets of tunings are basically the same. D & E tuning give the same note voicings, as do G & A.

The diff is string tension for some of the strings.

Tighter strings help notes ring but put more stress on the neck.

 

 

 

 

d=halfnote
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This guitar is a square neck Regal but it's pretty old. Probably no adjustment on the neck so I'm not keen on harder tunings that would stress it much.

As a new guy on one hand I'm pretty open minded, on the other I'm struggling to just get some decent touch with both hands on the instrument. This will be an adventure no doubt!

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This guitar is a square neck Regal but it's pretty old. Probably no adjustment on the neck so I'm not keen on harder tunings that would stress it much.

As a new guy on one hand I'm pretty open minded, on the other I'm struggling to just get some decent touch with both hands on the instrument. This will be an adventure no doubt!

 

Being a square-neck on top of being a resonator guitar, I don't think you have to worry much at all about the neck being stressed by tunings or string-gauges; it'll take 'em, and it's not like you're going to be trying to fret the strings, it's a steel/tone-bar machine all the way. The one point that could ever be any concern regarding string-tension would be the bridge and cones, and that's not likely to ever be a worry for you with these various traditional Open-Tunings or medium and heavy gauge strings.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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The GHS 16-56 is a normal gauge for square neck Resonators. The heavier set is 17-56 and the lighter set is 15-54. +1 you'll probably break a string before you ever have to worry about putting stress on a square neck or a lap steel. The guys/gals playing upright round necks and slide on regular guitars, use lighter gauges as they are fretting and sliding... :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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The GHS 16-56 is a normal gauge for square neck Resonators. The heavier set is 17-56 and the lighter set is 15-54. +1 you'll probably break a string before you ever have to worry about putting stress on a square neck or a lap steel. The guys/gals playing upright round necks and slide on regular guitars, use lighter gauges as they are fretting and sliding... :cool:

 

Yhup.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Sorry I was not clear, this is an old Regal student model flat top non reso box.

As for strings the ones on it when I got it 2 weeks ago looked good and they are tuning easily but when it's toime I will look at GHS 16-56 size.

 

If it's REALLY old, it might be a good idea to have it looked at by a professional, experienced luthier to make sure that it's up to snuff- no loose braces or anything. If it is in good shape, then you can generally use typical Dbro/resonator type string-gauges and tunings.

 

For years and years, I played a flat-top with .014" - .059" strings, tuned to Standard, as well as frequent Open and Alternate tunings; worked just fine...

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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It should be fine with 16-56 if it's a square neck whether or not it has a resonator. +1 On Caevan's recommendation of having a tech take a look and recommending a string gauge and material if it's old. I'm sure they would not charge for having a look-see and giving some quick advice if it's a good music store. GHS makes Resonator sets for square necks (which can be used on lap steels as well) that come in Bronze, Phosphor Bronze and Pure Nickel. If it has an electric guitar pickup, I would go with the 16-56 pure nickel. I'm going to be trying the Tim Scheerhorn Cryogenic Phosphor Bronze 17-56 on my acoustic flat top with square neck and resonator with an acoustic pickup...
Take care, Larryz
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