Slide guitar and alternate tunings

[KevinWaide]

Just wondering, what tunings do you guys use when playing slide. I do almost all of my slide in an open E, but I have experimented in an open G a little. Just curious, as I haven't really found a tuning that's "comfortable" when playing slide. I have to think about what I'm doing too much in an alternate tuning.

[cooltone]

I often times use a kind of 'hybrid' standard/open G tuning..just by tuning my high E string down to a D.

[sliding-tom]

What fezz and cooltone said. Also you could just tune down your e1 string to d and have a hybrid standard/open G tuning.

[Cottage]

99% standard tuning and the odd time, the hibrid G as mentioned above. I started out using open E, but found it limiting when I used just one guitar. Now that I can afford more than one, I can't get used to playing any other way than standard. Beckola does alright in standard so why not. Acoustic stuff is a whole other way of life, however, because you want this strings to ring. I like G or D for this.

[NeoFauve]

You guys using open A, what string guage do you use?

E - C# - A - E - C# - A

Seems a bit sharp for .010s, or the .012s on my acoustic.

I'm curious to try some George style slide.

I used to used D & G. I preferred D because I could stray from bluesiness more easily.
These days I use standard. I'm not nearly as immersed in playing, so standard's makes it easier for me to be melodic. It's familiar.

[sliding-tom]

You guys using open A, what string guage do you use?

E - C# - A - E - C# - A

Seems a bit sharp for .010s, or the .012s on my acoustic.

I'm curious to try some George style slide.

I used to used D & G. I preferred D because I could stray from bluesiness more easily.
These days I use standard. I'm not nearly as immersed in playing, so standard's makes it easier for me to be melodic. It's familiar.

NeoFauve, what you're referring to is high dobro tuning, bottleneck open A is low to high: E-A-E-A-C#-E

[Rickenjangle]

You guys using open A, what string guage do you use?
E - C# - A - E - C# - A

If I were going for open A, I'd tune to open G (DGDGBD) and capo at the 2nd fret.

I play slide in open G almost exclusively, though I can do it in standard. Damping technique becomes much, much more important in standard, where the open strings that ring are not necessarily in key with what you're playing.

[Offshore Angler]

And forget about buying expensive slides. Go down to the hardware store, buy some copper pipe and cut a few. Sand them rough so they really sing. That's the Lonesone George method, and it really works.

[KevinWaide]

I'm kinda weird about my slides. I like a chrome or copper slide on an acoustic, but I want a glass slide on my electric. The sounds are more complimentary (for lack of a better word) with the respective combos.

As I said, most all my slide work is in open E, but I have played around in open G, I just get confused really quickly.

[sliding-tom]

Kevin: the interval relationship between strings 2 - 6 in open E and 1 - 5 in open G is the same. Just transpose your licks one string higher or lower respectively. Hope that helps.

[Dayo]

I mostly use regular tuning, utilising the D,G,B strings as a transposable 'A' chord shape ( works quite well in key of G, E & D ) and the high B & E strings for Elmore James type trills.
It's quite rudimentary, not quite David Lyndley, Duane Allman or Ry Cooder. But it can be effective when playing with another guitar player and saves retuning.