Guitars: sling them low or high?

[jpgray]

Poll question: Guitars: sling them low or high?

OR

[Mr. Blonde]

1. All respect to JL, but

low is way better. Low is cool which is the whole reason for being a rock star right?

[Wickerman]

2. ,Greg Lisher of Camper Van Beethoven -one of the highest

wearing, that is, guitar players I have ever seen.

[Blue-Jay]

3. Somewhere in between. Here's how I do it.

Too high looks weird. Too low is stupid poser antics. It needs to be at a comfortable level.

[realisticphish]

4. depends

if you're in a metal band, low. but if you're Tom Morello, for example, high. If you're in a punk band, you shouldn't be playing guitar at all

[LastKnight]

28. AMEN

1, tom morello rocks
2, i like the medium low metal style
3, modern punk sucks.

-LK

[realisticphish]

29. of course,

i meant no offense to the real punk bands, ramones, dead kennedys, etc
Tom Morello rules

[gonefishing]

5. He might not be one of the all time greatest guitarists, but

For us low slingers they were the kings.

[TrogL]

6. Low - if I have it high my hand cramps up

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. Whatever's comfy.

I usually sling mine in the middle -- like Blue-Jay's pic. However, if I'm playing an acoustic, I need it a bit higher.

[jpgray]

8. I just hike it to where it is when I'm sitting

I can't be bothered to practice two different lengths.

[Blue-Jay]

11. I hold an acoustic a little bit higher.

On acoustic, I tend to play more complicated stuff (finger-picking as opposed to bar-chords), so I need to keep a closer eye on my left hand. Not by much, but there's a slight difference.

[jpgray]

17. Yes, and with an acoustic slung high you don't get the polka refugee look

At least not the way you can with an electric. :)

[Gothic Sponge]

9. Whatever is comfortable

I hate when people have them low to look cool. That's so NOT cool.

[guitar man]

10. I used to sling it low

But after back injuries I suffered in a motorcycle accident and car accident, I have to sling it pretty high or it starts hurting pretty bad about 15 minutes into a set.

I think that puts me in pretty good company though.....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Sling em anyway you want but if you sound like shit

turn your volume down

[jpgray]

13. Kee Marcello does not obey your commands

Though one could hope that 'the final countdown' would refer to his volume knob.

[Blue-Jay]

14. I totally disagree, Teena!

The best advice I ever gave my lead guitar player was "If you're gonna suck, suck out loud!" He tended to be tentative when he was playing solos at first. My theory is that if you make a mistake, make it a big loud one. If you fuck up out loud once, you'll never do it again. It encourages people to woodshed (that means practice, to you non-musicians). There is no better motivation for a musician than embarrassment.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. Tell Buddy Guy that...

he does it every time then stands there and laughs about it

[Blue-Jay]

21. Cool story about Buddy:

I saw him break a string (E) in concert during a solo. He turned up his volume and started hammering the lead with his left hand, while at the same time re-stringing the his E. When he was close to getting it in tune, he incorporated the tuning of the new string into his solo. After it was in tune, he proceeded to tear the MFer down. It was an amazing thing to watch.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. ahhh..I've done that...really I have

was during 12 bar blues..(think it was Red House) slammed my whammy bar and broke it.....let the bass player solo the tuned up to the note and continued.....just part of the game...do anything just make sure you have time to do it

[Blue-Jay]

24. We'll have to play together sometime soon.

<marks Teena down in the "Chicks that fuckin' rock!" file>

:D

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. Would be fun....

I'd have to bone up on all that shit again...I mostly play chord melodies now and jazz shit (solo, acoustic) so I'd have to adjust to playing with other musicians again since doing some of the shit I do now would throw everyone else off (you know...flatted 5ths, minor thirds and a half step up or down when no one is expecting it and stuff like that)

[zulchzulu]

15. Not too high, not too low

Keep it comfortable.

[Fenris]

16. I play Roger McGuinn-style, slung high. I can't pick otherwise.

Low gives me better access and better balance.

[DrWeird]

19. I usually play mine on my knee.

But then again, that's how a classical guitar is supposed to be played.

[jpgray]

20. Your left knee, then?

I've also seen classical guitarists use an endpin like a cello or bass. One night my strap broke and I decided to play cross-legged with the guitar oriented vertically. It acutally wasn't so bad.

[No2W2004]

23. My Bass is slung low

My electric is slung where it's comfortable...about midway

My Lap Steel guitar is.....er....well, it's on my lap.

My Cello peg goes down about 3/4 of the way down so the pegs don't hit my ear. :)

[G_j]

25. actually if you play a lot

it is a good idea to change the height slightly now and then to save your back.

[ElectroPrincess]

27. I sling mine moderate ...

so my iddle fingers can make the right magical chords :P. Hey, no Randy Newman "short people" jokes please!
I loves my steel guitar :-)

[mitchum]

30. I play electric down at my knees (when I'm standing up)

Holding it high just looks...well...dorky ( if you're going to do that, you may as well play one of those atrocities without a headstock)

[Nihil]

31. As high as possible!

That way they make a really nice crunchy sound when they land!

:P

(Hee, hee ... keyboards rule!)

[Swamp Rat]

32. I would've voted "other"

High - mid - low, depending on which guitar I'm playing. My favorite position is kinda between flamenco and classical position, since I mostly play a nylon while sitting.