Just watched this. Wow. Haven’t seen that “shtick” - but what a shtick! Gatton was so damn talented.
Search for “Vaseline machine gun” on YouTube. Not the sort of traditional sort of thing you may be used to but a wild ride. Leo Kottke at his freakish best.
Okay. Now that was damn impressive. Very technically correct and fast. I like it. In my OP, I referenced the Delta blues slide playing style. I think my perception of what that is is colored by the Crossroads movie. I have to admit though that there’s some unreal playing in that film, specifically some of the slower, reverb-drenched pieces that don’t actually appear on the soundtrack. While I greatly admire technical mastery, in this realm of guitar I prefer soulful over cleanly played fast notes.
I really like the faux Robert Johnson “recordings” at the beginning of the movie moreso than the “real” Robert Johnson stuff I have heard. Those old recordings, while relevant, sound like shit.
I guess I am looking for something like this: CrossRoads Slide Guitar - YouTube
How is Ry Cooder getting that vibrato/wah-wah-wah sound?
Didn’t know about those early Duane sides. Great thread. Have to hear these again with better speakers.
+1 to Danny Gatton’s clip – I only know him from the album with Joey DeFrancesco and by reputation, but it’s a good reminder to listen to more of him. DG just murders steel and Joey D just keeps feeding him the fuel on that one.
I don’t know how Robert Randolph stacks up as a player, and maybe lap steel doesn’t really count, but he’s the last guy I’ve heard who really killed me all throughout the Live at the Wetlands. Him and his band, really. And it sounded just pristine for a live, noisy recording – the engineers really earned their keep.
Sounds like a tremolo effect, built into some amps (often referred to as “Vibrato” by Fender) or you can use a pedal.
Well, there’s a ton of reverb on that. Otherwise no wah or anything. When you play slow blues on slide you waggle it a lot to give it vibrato - can sound like a wah…
Is what I posted on the Youtube vid from the Crossroads movie in an alternate tuning? I’ve been using a lighter in standard tuning as a slide device and its not particularly satisfying.
And what equipment/amps/pickups do I need to replicate that slow reverb sound from the Ry Cooder-played video? Are there other examples of this electric guitar playing in that style that you can turn me on to? That particular sound I linked to is what I am really looking for.
Open tuning - Open D or E are common; also Open G which i prefer. Heavier-gauge strings - .13’s or so. High/blues action. You have to learn to control the sound - using your fingers and palm of both hands. Use the neck pickup and pick the strings ov the pickup vs close to the bridge.
Try those tips and get back to me 
And get past the lighter; you’re not Gatton - get a heavy brass slide.
I can’t speak to his technical expertise ( not being a technician 
), but among those not already mentioned I kinda like Elmore James’ imitator Jeremy Spencer:
And probably more universally considered a great guitarist, Rory Gallagher:
Are you the same zombywoof who hangs out on the Acoustic Guitar Forum? I’d love to hear what you’ve got. PM me if you get around to it…
No, while I use the handle on a number of sites someone else grabbed it on AGF - I post under my real name there - I play a Euro Spruce/Rosewood Santa Cruz OM.
Love that guitar - toured the SCGC shop a couple of years ago…