[Frankenstrat2]

Some of us started to get to know each other on another thread. I realized that most of the other Forums I belong to have a section for introductions. Usually the moderators and senior members will chime in and say hello and welcome the Newbies.
Over here, it seems we are all newbies.
So I'll take a shot at putting up a post where the few of us who hang out here can get better acquainted.
********************
My name is Barry.
I'm a slide-aholic. I can't ever seem to get enough. I used to be happy just with regular guitars, acoustics, electrics, 12-strings. I always liked to listen to slide players, and marveled at their singing. vocal quality compared to regular fretted playing.
I'm 53 years old and have played guitar most of my life. In my teens and twenties I always played in local bands.
Growing up and living on Long Island in the shadow of New York City I have had the great advantage of being able to attend many shows and to have seen almost every guitar hero and great band live at some point in their carreers.
I quit playing music as a business in my twenties, and 'retired' for more than ten years. Later on my wife insisted that I start to play again, for fun as a hobby.
Of course hobbies become obsessions.
I always loved Ry Cooder and traditional acoustic/electric blues/rock guitar. The Allman Bros and Southern Rock always appealed to me, as did the California sound of the Eagles, and of course all of the British Invasion groups- Beatles and Stones. Each of those genres featured a fair amount of slide guitar.
Somebody remind me to go back to the 50 Greatest thread and post George Harrison and Joe Walsh.
In my rebirth as a hobbyist guitar enthusiast I began to teach myself some slide. Warren Haynes emerged as a modern slide hero and I tought myself to slide on the electric guitar in natural tuning as Warren often does. I had played a fair amount of acoustic guitar during my 'sensitive singer-songwriter days' so I was also familiar with open G and drop D tunings and the various fingering possibilities.
Over time my slide abilities progressed (slowly) and at the same time I began to network with other players such as myself with careers and families. I began to accumulate guitars and amps and a small PA- all gear I bought second-hand, over time.
At this point I have a home studio in basement. I am fortunate to have built up a rotating group of musicians who come over regularly to play music.
We have a great time, there is no pressure, no equipment to move, no cigarette smoke, no 3rd set to play, no bar owners telling us to turn down or drunks making requests.
I am always trying to improve, reading practicing and playing. I have made friends all over the world thanks to Internet Forums such as this and others.
While I am far from a virtuoso slide player, I'm proud of what I have accomplished so far. I really enjoy the music, and as you guys probably realize, we slide guitar players have our own niche, which few regular players fully understand, but is universally admired.
Oh- my screen name refers to my two main guitars- both made from parts of various vintage stratocasters, but customized for my needs as a slide guy.
Thus Frankenstrat2.
But enough about me.....
Next?

[allthumbs]

Hi My nick is allthumbs because that is the way I play. I am probably the worst player you have ever heard. In my defense, I can only say that I have been struggling with dyslexia since picking up my first guitar at 16. I love the blues and can't seem to stop trying to play. The way I play breaks my heart but, not playing would kill me so I just keep hacking away at it. My biggest problem is my memory. I can memorize something note for note and a week later it will be gone. Thats why I am so gung ho about kirks P.T. method. It cuts way down on memorization and focuses on improv. Thats about the only way I will get anywhere. I am stuck with tabs mostly though I am now starting to be able to jam better. I started with slide, hit the wall and switched to regular tuning. I am just getting back into slide. I have been plunking at it for almost 36 years now. Probibly more than you wanted to know but, at least it shows you how blessed you are being able to make sweet sounds.
allthumbs

[Frankenstrat2]

Hey AT.
Music is a joy. Don't get discouraged.
Sometimes I get so frustrated with my playing, but it is not a contest or a race.
I didn't realize that dyslexia would apply to guitar playing, except I suppose for reading. I'm sure that reading tab or notation must be difficult. I agree that Kirk's Plane Talk is a great method for helping to improvise more freely. Its been a great help to me.
As far as memory, thats a funny thing. At 53 I am getting more absent-minded. I think the 'computer hard-drive' is full. I can easily remember all 10 verses to an obscure Bob Dylan song I learned 35 years ago, but if I learn a new song I can't remember any lines unless the music is right in front of me.
I suffer from CRS
Can't remember Sh*t.

Anyway, AT, nice to meetcha.
barry

[D.]

my turn....my name is Dwayne, from Ontario Canada...theres a little tidbit about me at http://www.sudburysummerfest.org then go to performers etc etc...i like the idea of one person playing bass and melody at the same time....my uncle Bon played robert johnson and it blew me away...i went from guns n' roses, poison etc etc to robert johnson, fred mcdowell, bukka white and all sorts of blues involving slide...i have a Samick acoustic with the strings up high, i bought it for 20 bucks of of a good buddy of mine, came with the case too which alowed me to play on the street...ah damn i forgot to write that that summerfest gig didn't go too well...maybe next time eh? but i'm still plugging away at it. i'm 29 now and was plugging away at the slide for almost 16 years off and on, went through a singer songwriter phase also but raw blues is what appeals to me the most...of course you got to give it up to the slide innovators...landreth, rogers, cooder, allman etc. but sometimes i feel like my home is in the delta and man...man i feel like going home....

laterz

[allthumbs]

hi frankenstrat2. The trouble with dyslexia and guitar is that it tends to scamble patterns and seeing how important pattern recognition is for guitar, it is quite a challenge. If I could play by ear I would be in good shape, however I have to rely on theory so hence my slow progress. You can understand why scales and modes are out of the question. The irony is I play tab without too much trouble. My muscle memory bypasses my brain so I just let the fingers do the walking.
hi D. I keep hearing you talk about roy rodgers. Can you give me some info on him?
allthumbs

[D.]

roy rogers - modern blues slide guitarists,,,nothing too too fancy, but really easy on the ears, for me anyways,,,great tone, great songs and fun,,,would love to see this guy play live,,,that kind of stuff only happens in my dreams though hehehee He produced some of John Lee Hookers albums and toured with him for awhile,,,check out his 2002 release "slideways", instrumental beauties for sure and plenty of sliding to go round!

[Frankenstrat2]

Hey Duane.
I've been into Roy Rogers for quite a few years. I have many of his CDs and have seen him play live at least twice.
If you are really into the solo delta blues type stuff, check out his CDs with Norton Buffalo. Norton's main gig is singing tight harmonies with the Steve Miller Band for many years. But Norton is an incredible blues Harp player in his own right. He and Roy have cut several acoustic blues albums which are outstanding. Lots of raw blues arrangements just guitar, harp and vocals.
I think www.elderly.com carries them
The best contemporary solo Delta style slide guitar artist I have ever seen or heard is my friend Kirby Kelly from Texas. He doesnt have any solo CDs released yet, but I'm hoping to get something together with him this year that he can sell.
Kirby sometimes teaches slide clinics at the National Guitar Summer Workshops, but not this year.

[dogbite]

I just now joined so I can post here.
long time guitar player. started in 1965.
presently I am playing mostly slide. I play on lap steels, pedal steels, electric and acoustic guitars.
my pedal steel is tuned E9.
one lap, my 1940 Epiphone Zephyr is tuned C6.
the other lap, 1939 Epiphone Century is tuned in open G, sometimes D,and once in open E. it's on loan now.
my acoustic is usually tuned standard but sometimes I tune to open G. my Martin GT 16 really likes that tuning.
my 83 stratplus stays in standard.
my new Highway 1 tele has been tuned to open D.
I use both glass and steel/chrome Dunlop slides. a heavy slide is used on my pedal steel; that's a 1974 Sho-Bud. 10 strings three pedals and four knee levers.
I look forward to reading about what you are into and have discovered.

[Frankenstrat2]

Hi Dogbite
Welcome to the Bottleneck Forum
I hope this place continues to grow and become more active.
Your introduction was more about your Gear than you personally as a player, but thats cool too. I love to talk Gear. I'm into boutique amps, pedals, all kinds of stuff.
I have several different guitars I like to slide on, for different things.
For an acoustic I use a Takamine single cut Dreadnaught shape. I think its a F-150. Its discontinued, about 20 years old. Great guitar- takes a beating, always sounds good acoustic or electrified. I put 12-56s on it and the neck doesn't move. I like to play that one in open G, or even A to make it ring louder.
I just got my very first resonator yesterday. I'm pretty excited about it. I went to the NAMM show and played dozens of them from all the major manufacturers who were there. I settled on....
A Martin Alternative II Resonator.
Here's a link:
http://www.elderly.com/new_instrumen...s/ALTX2RES.htm
I'll start another thread to discuss it over there.
I'm just starting to get acquainted with Lap Steel. I bought a 6 string from Fouke Industrial Guitars on Ebay. I think its fine and suits my needs at present. I'm playing in C6 tuning and having fun with it.
For electric I slide on most of my guitars without any problem since I favor medium strings and pretty high action.
I do have a 57 Les Paul Jr. that is killer for P-90 sounds. I also have a mid 70's Gibson 335 set up for slide with the bridge raised high up and 12-58s on it. That guitar is really sweet for slide, and can go from Elvin Bishop to Dave hole type stuff.
My two strats are both active and hot-rodded for slide work with the EMG SPC midboosts and EXP mid-cut controls in place of regular tone pots.
Frankenstrat1 is a SRV Brazilian RW neck on a mid 60s alder body. That has the EMG Dave Gilmour pickups, the other one is my main squeeze- a real '55 maple neck with big fat worn down frets. I got a 56 Custom Shop Relic body for it (2 tone burst) and Chris Kinman helped me put together a harness with his Woodstock Plus pickups married to the EMG tone pots. That Strat blows everyone away that hears it.
I feel very fortunate to have accumulated some wonderful gear that I really enjoy, and I just try to play well enough to be worthy of it.
Oh yes- Nunwell Glass Slides, Rock Slide Brass.
If anyone wants to talk amps and pedals, well- thats another topic entirely, isn't it?

[dogbite]

you sure have some nice tone machines. I pretty much leave my gear alone.
so I should say something about myself?...
started guitar way back in 64. Ive been in a few bands over the decades; nothing special.
although I am 54 yrs old, I dont feel like a geezer. hearing still works.
my big thrill comes every friday night. down in the warehouse district in Minneapolis there is a rehearsal/recording studio that, on friday evenings) is open for players to come and jam.
a few simple rules, like no sheet music or rehearsing, keeps things nice and lively. each week different players join in on the few regulars.
celos, violins, harmonicas, all kinds of percussive drums, sitars, mandos, my slide gear, electric and acoustic guiars show up.
depending on which instruments and people are here the music varies.
I have learned a lot jamming there.
it usually gets recorded on some type of format. mini disc.
we always enjoy it when singers show.

I am wrestling with pedal steel. been at it since last january. what a great instrument.
when I am not a musicin I am an artist. I show my work in galleries. and when I dont do that I work in a modern art museum. i do the exhibition lighting and help with the installation of the artworks.
I get to meet famous people sometimes. Yoko Ono for one. she was nice.

[Frankenstrat2]

We are the same age. But I started playing at age 10. I still have that guitar- a Gibson nylon.
Cool that you met Yoko.
The jam sounds great.
I've been to Minneapolis. Nice town.
b.

[allthumbs]

good to see you here dogbite. Welcome. Your studio jam sessions sound pretty wild.
Do you have a sound click account so we could have a listen?
allthumbs

[dogbite]

hey thanks for the warm welcome.
those friday night jams are awesome. sometimes, however, they are just dogs. meaning that some yahoo shows up, doesnt know how to jam and merely shreds away the evening.
yahoos are redeemable. one of my favorite guys down there was a shredder. still is, but does it with nuanced taste. he learned how to jam.
last week two seventeen year old goth kids showed. the bass player was tuned to dropped D and the other guy had the sweetest grind going.
we sounded like Celtic Thrash (not a band, but a new genre).
there is talk of going live via the web. that would be cool.
when I record I use a mindisc. I havent figured out how to load that onto a computer to burn a disc or go to mp3.
so won be able to give you forumites samples.
come on down. you're all welcome.

[manwithaplan]

Well, my name is Tom, I am in Colonia New Jersey, USA. Ive been playing slide for a bit (I got started when I saw the Allman Bros. a while back) My guitar setup consists of
1996 Epi LP Standard
Agile Resonator
Peavey Classic 30
Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer
I love slide, and I think I am the youngest member, 15 :? Thats right 15

[Frankenstrat2]

Hey Tom
There's a legendary amp designer in Colonia
Ken Fischer (Trainwreck Circuits)

barry