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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
 Posted - 01/12/2006 : 06:16:51 AM
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Hi everybody!
I was wondering yesterday: Why is it that nobody plays National guitars for slack key? Would their tone be unsuited? For steel they sound particularly sweet.
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I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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Rlowenote
Akahai
84 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 08:41:07 AM
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Being a "nobody", I'm using one of my Nationals (Style O Brass)for Slack Key. It can be "twangy" if you dig into the strings. One major disadvantage is that it's only a 12 fret neck which makes it harder up the neck (14th fret). Also the string gauge is heavier than my other guitars, but it'll toughen up my left pinkie.
I'm still a beginner at Slack Key so I may be going down the wrong path. But it's a fun journey!!
Ralph |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 3:02:07 PM
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| I've never seen or played one and didn't know what it was, so I did a search. It looks to me like the sound would be on the "bright" side, especially for the metal ones. Is that really true? I'll have to look around for one to hear what they sound like. |
Aloha,
John A. |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 5:40:42 PM
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Why did I think the "Nationals" was some kind of competition?
Mike |
Aloha, Mike |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 10:49:48 PM
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Well, there is no reason why slack key would not sound good on a National or any other resonator guitar. I have a Regal wood bodied cutaway resonator that sounds great with slack key. I think!
Ralph, if you play the your National with a slide, you need those heavier strings, but if you just fingerpick, put some mediums on it and play easier.
Ever listen to Bob Brozman? He plays Nationals more than anybody, and he certainly plays hawaiian music on them. Never heard him play slack key, but he slides all over those puppies The hawaiian sound was defined in the earliy part of the 20th century by Nationals, Dobros, and Regals, all reslonator guitars, many of them metal bodied. Knutsen and Weissenborn were not resonators but were also specifically made for hawaiian style lap slide playing. Those last two, and any of the square-neck varieties of the other resonators would be pretty hard to play as a regular guitar, thereby making true slack key impossible, but many of those resonators (Nationls, etc.) were made with traditional 'spanish' necks for fingerstyle playing. And, I've seen several standard styole guitars made by National (not any more).
Ask Konabob about slack key on the lap slide
Find an album called Two of a Kind by Mike Dowling and Pat Donahue. Dowling plays his national (wooden body) exclusively on that. It ain;t slack key, but there is no better playing anywhere, and his parts sure sound sweet to me. Different, but sweet.
Jonh A., you need not look anywhere. Turn non the radio or listen to almost any song these days and there will be a slide guitar passage on it somoewhere. Odds are, the sound is coming from a resonator made by National or Dobro. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1020 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 05:49:50 AM
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| Look for Ken Emerson's "Hawaiian Tango, Hula and Blues" CD - he's a Kaua`i Slacker ( A grammy Winner also) who plays a National. |
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Rlowenote
Akahai
84 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 2:54:44 PM
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I originally got the National to learn Slide Guitar (Blues). But that didn't happen. I bought a Dobro (Hound Dog/Square Neck) for bluegrass and again that didn't happen. But since I found this website and fell in love with Hawaiian music I can now have one for Slack Key and one for Lap Steel. The Dobro is currently tuned to C6 instead of traditional Dobro tuning. Now I just need the time.
Ralph |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2006 : 12:07:34 PM
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Ralph
I take it the National is a round neck? One thing you mentioned about the National is the 12 fret neck, which can be a probelwm, but one that is obviously overcome by follks like Bob Broszman, Roy Rogers (the live one, not the dead one) Mike Dowling and numerous others (Norman Blake comes to mind)(How about ALL the classical players?). I have found that on my Ovation 12 string, which is also 12 fret, i can still get to the 17th fret for the high G form in taropatch if i try hard enough. When i use that guitar a try to stay away from those few songs having anything higher thann the 12-14th fret, and that includes most of the slack key repertoire, or however yiou spell that silly word |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2006 : 4:38:36 PM
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| I just sold my National "N" model. I believe it was built in the 1927 or '28. Bob Brozman played it once and said it was an incredible guitar. He was right. The reason I sold it was that, to my ears, it didn't sound right for slack key. It's hard to put into words but it sounded out of place. Since I pretty much exclusively play slack key it seemed a waste to hold on to something that was so great and never used. It was sold to a good home where I know it is in great hands. |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2006 : 8:01:54 PM
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I've seen some old photos of Hawaiians holding resonator guitars upright (as opposed to dobro style) but slack key started moe than 150 years ago with gut string guitars, and it wasn't until later that steel strings became common. The nahenahe slack key we are acquainted with, mostly from Gabby Pahinui and leading to the current crop of players, is a full-range warm sound of a wood-bodied guitar. My recollection is that resonators, invented to increase volume for live performance, were in vogue for a relatively short time before amplification became common and their place in the musical spectrum was marginalized to novelty and folk music.
Jesse Tinsley |
Edited by - hapakid on 01/14/2006 8:03:09 PM |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2006 : 11:13:04 PM
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Watch out Jesse!! NOw they're everywhere! Mainstream, baby!
Did you forget, it is slack key that has been marginalized. But, that makes it so much more interesting for us then. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2165 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 05:26:12 AM
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| If you can find it, listen to the early Sunday Manoa albums. Peter Moon uses a Takamine resonator guitar for some of the slack key. It has a "National" style cone with a "biscuit" bridge. I had one once, sold it and got a square neck Dobro. The sound was bright with less sustain than a wood bldy guitar. Peter did some great work with his. |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 10:28:36 AM
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Bob Brozman plays dynamite slack key on his National. He will be sharing his secrets again this year at Kahumoku Kamp.   |
Dusty |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 12:02:33 PM
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Bob Brozman has the magic touch when it comes to Hawaiian music on his National. But his National tricone sounds nothing like a single resonator instrument. Much more mellow, though still slightly metallic.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Rlowenote
Akahai
84 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 1:47:31 PM
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Well I don't have the "MAGIC" touch, but I'm still going to continue using one of my Nationals for slack key. I think I'm going to use my Custom Steel body National at this time. Can't hurt except for the left hand fingers. At least it'll toughen them up.
Ralph |
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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 10:31:09 PM
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I was not aware of bob brozman playing slack key. Are there any CDs I should look out for?
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I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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