03/28/2026
“Slide set up” doesn’t “let” you play slide, only a set up where that’s all you can do.
Historically “Slide guitar” action sits outside the normal range at 4/32”. Why? The innovators of slide of guitar back in the early 1900’s, intrepid though they were, understandably innovated just the basics of slide guitar. Because they were using pipe, sockets, knives and bottles, it was harder to control they would sometimes hit the frets. To prevent this they had the strings raised higher off the fingerboard. Problem solved.
And problem created. With this set up the only thing you could do was use a slide. The strings were too high to fret. But the feedback loop began - guitar techs and builders heard slide players needed high action so they set guitars up that way. New players heard this and started asking for it. Queue the next 100 years of slide guitar.
At the same time slide guitar was being created resonator guitars were invented. This was before amplifiers and a resonator’s purpose was to provide a louder guitar. Every type of musician used resonators, not just blues guys. But then amplifiers were invented. Resonator players sold their resonators for amps and the blues guys, and slide innovators, ended up with them. The tone was great for blues music. Raise the action. And so resonators and “slide guitars” became synonymous.
But we’ve come a long way since then - we have slides that fit great and are easy to control, like the , and modern slide playing requires both sliding and fretting notes. That requires a normal acoustic guitar setup, 3/32”, which is how we set our guitars up here at Mule. Setting a guitar up “for slide” just limits your musical choices. With a slide that fits, practice, and a resonator set up like a normal acoustic guitar your resonator is a more valuable music tool.
