Action height for playing slide guitar

[Mark O]

Any thoughts on this? I tend to employ a fairly low action for normal playing, this seems much too low for playing slide (although me being a much of a greenhorn with slide techniques, I’m probably pressing the slide down too hard). If it matters, I’m using a fairly heavy glass slide with a G&L ASAT Bluesboy telecaster electric guitar.

I really want to give this technique a go and want to be sure I’m setting myself up for as much success as possible.

Thanks in advance!
Mark

[Billy]

My friends who play slide have their slide guitars set up with a very high action, one of them plays with the string height of 4mm and I think Dougie has his slide guitar set the lowest at 2.5mm at the 17th fret, Im told that the high action reduces any chance of fret buzz when playing.

..Billy..

[Mark O]

Ok, second question… After doing a little research online about this, I’ve heard a number of folks talk about adjusting the bridge saddles to flatten the strings out at this end of the neck. It would seem to me that just raising everything equally would help with accidentally sounding notes that aren’t muted. For any of you slide guys, what do ydo in this regard?

[Chuck H]

Mark, Just high enough so you can still play without a slide. Try +1mm. I know, kind of vague but everybody is different. A light touch really helps.

BTW, the hardest part of slide playing is keeping the strings you aren’t playing quiet.

[Chuck H]

Mark O wrote:

Ok, second question… After doing a little research online about this, I’ve heard a number of folks talk about adjusting the bridge saddles to flatten the strings out at this end of the neck. It would seem to me that just raising everything equally would help with accidentally sounding notes that aren’t muted. For any of you slide guys, what do ydo in this regard?

If you are dedicating a guitar to just slide playing flattening the strings can be helpful but it messes up the intonation for regular playing.

See my last reply about muting strings,

[Mark O]

Ideally I’d still want to fret some notes with my fingers so I guess this narrows it down to “high enough to play slide but low enough to fret notes”… Strangely enough, Warren Haynes describes his setup as “too low to play slide but too high to fret notes with his fingers”. Whatever that means… I know he tends to play in standard tuning.

Which brings up question #3- do I need to dedicate my setup to one tuning (I’d prefer open E) or can I switch to, say open G without worrying about intonation problems with the saddles?

[sunburst]

Mark , I think the best way is try somewhere in the middle, not too low but Yeah I’m still learning about slide too.. it is interesting to watch and learn from the pros on youtube..pretty sure after watching a number of them videos, you’ll get some answers.enjoy!

[sunjamr]

Just get one of these, then you’ll have no problem.

https://www.bowneckslide.com

Sunjamr Steve

[jiffy]

If the guitar is DEDICATED to slide there’s no need to worry about intonation from the frets?, it comes from the slide?

I Started out With Nothing & I've Still got most of it left. (Seasick Steve)

[Billy]

jiffy wrote:

If the guitar is DEDICATED to slide there’s no need to worry about intonation from the frets?, it comes from the slide?

I was thinking this too, but surely there will be licks played along with slide at times and intonation will be important, does this mean that intonation will dictate just how high the maximum action can be?, that can’t be a bad thing imho..

..Billy..

[Vorocnan]

Couple of methods for raising action at the nut the first video shows the use of a nail under the strings at the nut you could modify this by filing a right angle on the nail to get it as close to the nut as possible to try and keep the intonation this also might stop a dent in the fretboard though I would be careful when sliding it into the nut in case it went on edge and cut into the fingerboard or round the edges off to avoid this or damage to the strings.

The socond video uses a grover device to convert to lap steel but it might be possible to get a luthier to cut groves that coincide with your nut and file them down so your only getting a small amount of lift at the nut.

Would have to agree with Chuck about gettting the mutting especially on electric strings tring to trian my right hand to
pluck then pluck the next string before putting the finger back on the first plucked string and repaeating that with all the other strings is like trying to learn travis picking all over again.

[Chuck H]

jiffy wrote:

If the guitar is DEDICATED to slide there’s no need to worry about intonation from the frets?, it comes from the slide?

If all you play is slide the bridge and nut can be parallel. Intonation comes from the slide.

[Chuck H]

Mark O wrote:

Which brings up question #3- do I need to dedicate my setup to one tuning (I’d prefer open E) or can I switch to, say open G without worrying about intonation problems with the saddles?

I wouldn’t worry to much about it.

Open D and Open E are the same tuning just one step apart (usually). E will give you a little more string tension -E-B-E-G♯-B-E, which may make it easier if you’re just figuring out slide use. D will get you a little less string tension D-A-D-F#-A-D and you can capo up to E.

It’s easier to tune to open G from open D, Which is why I bought open D up, its also my kinda go to tuning. Open G and Open A (slide) are the same tuning just one step apart.

Slightly heavier strings help. Generally I use 11s, which really don’t play much different than 10s but definitely sound better when using a slide. It’s also nice to get a set of strings with a wound 3rd string.

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