Peavey Powerslide

I haven’t found a lot written about the Peavey Power Slide by users, though a fair amount can be gleaned from the videos. So, I’d like to contribute my experiences for those of you who are interested in this unique instrument. I’ve had mine for about a year. I play classic rock, country, blues, folk and pop (just about everything) on it so my needs may be a bit more diverse than most. While a lap steel wouldn’t seem to be a natural instrument for all songs in all these styles, I’ve found ways to incorporate it into most of them. The Power Slide adds an emotional dimension to any kind of music that nothing else quite matches partially because the musician is free to move around. First, here is my setup, which is very simple because I’m on a limited budget. Tuning: Open D (low to high) - D, A, D, F#, A, D. Strings: D’Addario XL Nickel Wound 60, 48, 36, 26, 17, 15. Bar: Shubb-Pearse SP2 (I’m still playing with the chromed brass model and haven’t tried the stainless version yet). Capo: Golden Gate Squareneck Dobro Capo. Amplifier: Fender Frontman 25R with Fender footswitch. Pretty hard to beat this setup for about four hundred all together. I like the Open D tuning for several reasons. The tonic D note is on both the high and low strings and I can make the tuning minor by lowering just the 3rd (F#) string. When playing a blues in key of E the D note is easy to play, just play an open 1st, 3rd and 6th string. In country music two-string chords progressions are easy on the 1st and 3rd strings (about half are straight bar and half are single-fret slants), and many of the dobro licks can be played on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, strings since the intervals are the same as the first 4 strings on the dobro. I use the capo very rarely, but it comes in handy for dobro-style playing and in songs when you want a drone string in a key other than D such as “I Can See For Miles” by The Who, which uses open E and B strings in standard tuning. The SP2 bar is unique in that it has a rounded “bullet” end as well as a sharp end. Also, being a bit heavier than most Stevens-style bars it has good sustain. The rounded end makes it easier to simulate a bullet bar on a pedal steel, and to stop just two strings in the middle of chord by pointing the nose between the strings. The sharp end works for pull offs, but for intricate single note passages the bullet end works well because you can slide from string to string without getting hung up. When playing rock and blues I add varying amounts of distortion using the amp’s drive channel. The Power Slide can make some great, surging power chords as you slide into a chord position in songs like “Born to be Wild” or “LA Woman”, or sweet, ethereal sounds in moody songs like “Miss You” or “Wish You Were Here” (pickup split half way between single coil and humbucker). For folk style I usually finger pick like a banjo or folk guitarist. The sound can be almost harp-like. I get a nice country steel guitar sound with pickup set on single coil with a generous amount of reverb on the amp. Whenever I play with someone new they always comment on how such a “modest” rig could sound so good. I almost always play standing up. It is bad enough to have to be looking down most of the time so standing lets me feel like I’m more part of the action. The provided strap works well, though a buckle broke after about 9 months. Fortunately, it is a standard size and was easy to fix. The gigbag, as is often stated, is functional but minimal. It would be nice to have one with more padding...or a hardshell. The instrument itself is well built in all the places it needs to be. The finish on my black guitar is perfect. All the hardware is solid and well made. The tuners could be heavier, but they stay in tune just fine. My only real criticisms are: The “belly cut” portion of the body which rests against you belly when you are playing standing up isn’t wide enough to allow me to comfortably reach the higher “frets.” An extra inch or two there would have made a big difference. I may try to make a piece to fit in there, just to see how much it helps. And, I wish they had raised the fretboard above the body, just a quarter of an inch. I do a fair amount of behind-the-bar string bends so it would be nice to have something to brace against all the way up. Finally, my nit-pick is that I’m not crazy about the weird design on the fretboard. I got used to it pretty quickly, but they could have made the design helpful instead of distracting. What would I do differently if I were to do it again...nothing really. With more money to spend I would have bought a bigger amp and I’d have a case made for the guitar. My wish list for Peavey’s future versions would be a 7 or 8-string model. All things considered, for any amount of money this is a fine instrument that will serve me for a long time. My next purchase will probably be to get a red Powerslide so I can have one in a different tuning...either Open G, or C6.