yd

P&L
hypergolic

also cool on "slight return"

P&L
hypergolic

The technique was made popular by African American blues artists. Some of the blues artists who most prominently used the slide include gospel singer Blind Willie Johnson, Son House, and Robert Johnson. The sound has since become commonplace in country and Hawaiian music. It is also used occasionally in classic rock, mainly by bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin that have been heavily influenced by the blues.

Arguably the most influential classic electric blues slide guitarist is Elmore James, whose riff in the song "Dust My Broom" is held in particularly high regard. Blues legend Muddy Waters was also very influential, particularly in developing the electric Chicago blues slide guitar from the acoustic Mississippi Delta slide guitar.

The late Duane Allman played a key role in bringing slide guitar into rock music, through his work with the Allman Brothers Band and with Derek and the Dominos' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs album. Beginning in the 1960s, Allman used an empty glass Coricidin medicine bottle, which he wore over his ring finger, as a slide; this was later picked up by other slide guitarists such as Bonnie Raitt, Rory Gallagher, and Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Such bottles eventually went out of production in the early 1980s (although replicas have been produced since 1985).[1][2]

Grammy award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Bonnie Raitt also showcased the slide guitar, as well as studio and solo artist Ry Cooder and the late George Harrison (particularly in his later albums). Jack White of the White Stripes uses slide guitar for the solos on the album Elephant, and can be seen doing so in the video for "Seven Nation Army". John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers also used slide on the track "Scar Tissue". Derek Trucks, nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, is a dedicated artist and accomplished practitioner of the technique. Joe Walsh also uses slide guitar in his classic "Rocky Mountain Way".

Though more rarely than with guitar, some musicians have used slides with bass guitar — slide bass. Mark Sandman of Morphine was probably the best known proponent (with Morphine, he performed primarily on a custom two-string slide bass guitar), though Bill Laswell, Kevin Rutmanis and Marc Sloan have also played slide bass. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin has performed on a custom-made bass lap steel.

P&L
hypergolic

joe satriani- "always with me, always with you"...granted, the whole song is instrumental. but in the middle of it, he absolutely shreds, my idea of a "solo"

santana- "samba pa ti"....again, all instrumental. the whole song is powerful and emotional, but then in the middle, he tears it up. ottmar liebert does a version of this as well and santana fills in on it in the middle. awesome.

van halen- "eruption" the whole song, eddie just being eddie and kicking ass.

someone chimed in about slide guitar. not really known for amazing guitarists, just a grunge band. but what about:
pearl jam- "yellow leadbetter". i love that.

of course there are numerous from eric clapton, stevie ray vaughn, hendrix, randy rhodes. when you get into actual metal, kirk hammet of metallica could definitely shred with some fast, speed metal solos.

good topic. i could be here all night. a lot of talented dudes out there. i wish i could play like that.

someone chimed in about slide guitar. not really known for amazing guitarists

if you can't play slide you are not a amazing guitarists...

eric clapton, stevie ray vaughn, hendrix, randy rhodes
all play slide...just a grunge band

P&L
hypergolic

Capaci, don't diss the brother on one aspect of guitar playing or elevate it above all others.

While I appreciate and share your enthusiasm for slide guitar the folks you mentioned are extreme lightweights. If you want to hear some incredible work, and you probably already are aware of these folks, check out David Lindley and what he can do with a slide and a Weisenborn (spelling?). Can you say Ry Cooder and Leo Kottke? Or Bonnie Raitt -- the girl can simply play. Then head on down to the Delta for the gentlemen that made it real like Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Blind Willie Johnson ("Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground" is the Sistine Chapel of soulful slide playing IMHO), and of course Mr. Elmore James. Then head on into the Hawaiian work -- incredible and distinctive.

Ah, geez, here I am going Community Hall on you . . . sorry about that. It's important to me to put it all in context. All these musicians contributed to development of the sound. I am currently enclosing myself in the Delta/Texas/Chicago blues phenomena. Amazing, simply amazing. Just to show you that I'm serious about it, I did purchase a National Tricone steel guitar. Amazing instrument with or without slide. I'm still a neophyte and probably always will be but who cares as long as I don't and find the time to figure it out.

Thanks to all for their contributions to this thread. Many new things to check out and was reminded of the many standouts.

Regards,

-L8

That freekin' Rick Derringer "Rock & Roll Hootchie Coo" commercial currently playing on CNBC is stuck in my mind right now. Classics.