Yeah, but there's more to it than just using a slide. Or at least the slide playing I've been doing hasn't sounded Hawaiian. posted by COBRA! at 8:53 AM on June 4, 2009
Are you looking for a Hawaiian steel guitar sound or a slack key guitar sound? They are very different animals.
Which is which? I guess the specific sound I'm shooting for is heard in a bunch of old Bob Wills songs, and I've just heard it described as "Hawaiian." posted by COBRA! at 8:59 AM on June 4, 2009
Yeah, a proper 6th tuning is what you are going to want. There are tons of tunings for non-pedal steel, but the most common 6th tuning for 6 strings is CEGACE. Visit the non-pedal steel guitar forum if you have troubles. posted by quarterframer at 9:00 AM on June 4, 2009
You want non-pedal steel for sure then, and you are going to need to ditch your standard guitar tuning.
Most of the Bob Wills steelers had multi-neck 8 string console steels, but you can do a lot of it with that simple six string C6. You can get sets real cheap here.
Right on, thanks a ton! posted by COBRA! at 9:31 AM on June 4, 2009
Don't quote me but I think the physical steel guitars that Bob Wills's steel guitar players played were sort of decedents of Hawaiian slack key guitars. But there isn't a continuous musical line between Hawaii and Western Swing. They just took the idea of playing a guitar flat with a slide, and changed it for their own devices. posted by sully75 at 11:57 AM on June 4, 2009
You can actually make your Telecaster sound quite a bit like a steel guitar with a b-bender.
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posted by exogenous at 8:48 AM on June 4, 2009