THAT patented George Harrison slide guitar sound

[Geezee]

I feel as if surely there must be earlier examples of this sound, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. I suppose my uncertainty here lies with his general sound - as has been intimated elsewhere, his patented slide sound is not a million miles away from his original style as a guitarist anyway (cf. Something and especially While My Guitar - although i guess that's clapton)...either way, once he "discovered" the slide, it feels like it is something he should've been doing years earlier anyway, it just seems to make sense. He learned how to do the Carl Perkins thing really well, then learnt some Indian stuff, and actually if you merge the two it's pretty close to a slide guitar sound. I guess it was then mimicked by people like Knopfler, but Harrison's always managed to hit such sweet, sweet spots, and probably his slide work is my favouirte part of what he ever did.

Coming up to 10 years since he died.

the flipside to Free as a Bird is another example where most of the guitar work could equally have been done on slide. I've always had this as a guilty pleasure.

[Revolver]

I know it's not stricly relevant to the thread, but that short guitar break at about 2.15 is immense. Perfect proof that guitar playing is about touch and feel, not notes-per minute.

[Tactful Cactus]

He learned how to do the Carl Perkins thing really well, then learnt some Indian stuff, and actually if you merge the two it's pretty close to a slide guitar sound

Very well put. I was listening to some sitar playing the other night, the fluidity of the playing and unconventional bending of notes is very close to Georges electric slide.

[Six String]

I hadn't really thought about that (the sitar influence) but I would agree that it must have had an influence on George's playing and possibly why he gravitated to the slide.

[Charlie O.]

Coming up to 10 years since he died.

I was thinking about that earlier. I don't remember when I joined the MOJO board, but I remember commiserating about George's death there, and I'd been there for a while at that time. It feels weird to think I've known some of you people for a decade!

[Quaco]

There's a bit of slide guitar on "Strawberry Fields" -- was that his first real attempt?

[Charlie O.]

There's a bit of slide guitar on "Strawberry Fields" -- was that his first real attempt?

The real question is, was that George? By his own admission, he hardly touched the guitar during his sitar dalliance.

Paul played some slide (well, one brief phrase) on "Drive My Car"...

[Moleskin]

Didn't John also play some slide? I think he's playing on 'For You Blue'

[Charlie O.]

Didn't John also play some slide? I think he's playing on 'For You Blue'

Indeed!

[Seymore Porn]

If you want to convince yourself of how the hardness of the material affects the "plus or minor factor", then this example to its logical extreme and using a wooden dowel for a slide-type device. Because it is far softer, it will give you greater leeway. The example with brass and glass are less extreme but uses the same principle.

As well as the inevitable pint glass and beer bottle, I've also uised plastic lighters, and mobile phones, you have now inspired me to record an album with a bit of wooded dowelling - screw that - with a bit of my granny's vintage swamp ash brush shaft.

Seriously, thanks for the info.


One of my fave bits of guitar playing ever, is George's little motif in The Wilbury's Congratulations. Stunningly effective simplicity, with 3 bags of soul.

[Clippernolan]

Here's a clip of him talking a little about his slide playing. Nothing that's not already been mentioned upstream, but its straight from the dark horses mouth.

Thanks, nice clip. I could listen to George talk about music all day long.

And a song that hasn't been mentioned that features some very nice and typically subtle slide work is "Blow Away" from the George Harrison album. Such a lovely little song, should have been a monster hit.



Slightly bizarre video too. I think George was taking the piss somewhat.

I'm glad this tune was mentioned; it's one of my favourite George tunes. Never has a slide sounded so mournful. George on this song sounds so much less uptight as a writer, and he puts all of his strengths into this one. I always think of this one as the end of an era in a way. The sentiment of this song is all about loosening up, and letting go. And yet, sadly, Harrison would lose his former bandmate John Lennon at a time when Lennon was beginning to loosen up, too, freeing himself from the past. What a Beatles reunion show might have sounded like is anyone's guess. But, the attitudes seemed firmly in place.

[Bungo the Mungo]

welcome back, clipper!

[Clippernolan]

welcome back, clipper!

Thanks skopey. I've not left the band. I'm concentrating on solo projects.

[Tactful Cactus]

There's a bit of slide guitar on "Strawberry Fields" -- was that his first real attempt?

The real question is, was that George? By his own admission, he hardly touched the guitar during his sitar dalliance.

Paul played some slide (well, one brief phrase) on "Drive My Car"...

I can hear a little bit of slide at the end of "This Boy" too. I don't know who plays it though, and it sounds incidental, the same as Drive My Car, like George (or Paul) picked up a lighter at the last minute and played a few notes with it, just to get beyond anything that sounded too typical. Like when Jimi Hendrix played a slide part on All Along the Watchtower.

Old Brown Shoe sounds like the first proper slide guitar playing, which I guess would match up with when Ry Cooder was on the scene.

[robbyrock]

I'm mostly curious as to how he got that sound. What combination of amp, effect, and guitar did he use?

Oh, that's easy. He gets that sound using his 1963 Gretsch Country Gentlemen doubled through a 1958 Fender Twin, with a touch of chorus pedal using his fingers (no pick) and a glass aspirin jar.

I thought everyone knew that.

Pardon me genius, but this is not a Gretsch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFponF9A ... re=related