The Steel Guitar Forum

According to Mike Brown in this discussion in For Sale:Instruments, the Peavey Powerslide is now shipping.

http://www.peavey.com/products/browse.c ... tem=116746

I look forward to reviews by those who buy one.

Actually Brad, I was wondering why you didn't just move that thread over here where it should be. We might end up with two "parallel" threads on this one...

I acquired one in Dallas a couple of weeks ago:


I haven't played it a whole lot yet, but first impressions are - for $200 you can't go wrong!
It's very light, and it includes a special strap, slide, cord and gig bag.
It's strung for E tuning and it sounds pretty good!
Rocky rollers and blues dudes could make good use of it - and chances are it will bring some younger guitar slingers into the steel guitar world.
I'm not younger anymore, but I like the way it looks - vaguely reminiscent of a 57 Chevy tailfin.
It might even be a chick magnet . .

more pics at:
http://rickalexander.com/BigSteel/PeaveyPowerSlide.html

I'll post some video or MP3s as soon as I can get to it.

I really don't like the looks of the guitar, but I love the concept.

If it had more of an Airline or Supro vibe (in terms of looks), I think I'd be all over it. As it is, it tends to have an almost "hvy metal" look to it. Makes me think of pointy guitars by Dean, BC Rich, Ibanez, etc.... Might as well put some skull decals on it.

Chris Walke wrote:I really don't like the looks of the guitar, but I love the concept.

If it had more of an Airline or Supro vibe (in terms of looks), I think I'd be all over it. As it is, it tends to have an almost "hvy metal" look to it. Makes me think of pointy guitars by Dean, BC Rich, Ibanez, etc.... Might as well put some skull decals on it.

Or skull and crossbones! That thing could be the ticket for those roadhouse tussels!

Seriously, like RA says, for $200- you can't go wrong.

I went another hundred bucks and got the Airline. Carbon copy of the old Valco Rocket. The single coil in this thing is hotter than Juarez Chili! It has a humbucker type cover, just decorative.

I really like this guitar!

John Drury wrote:I went another hundred bucks and got the Airline. Carbon copy of the old Valco Rocket. The single coil in this thing is hotter than Juarez Chili! It has a humbucker type cover, just decorative.

It's an exact carbon copy, except for the pickup, the bridge, the ...

The Eastwood website says the pickup on yours is a Hot-Rail Humbucker.

The Airline guitars are definitely cool, but I thought the main point of the Power Slide was for an affordable lap steel to be ergonimically comfortable for standup playing, ready-to-go, and you don't have to go out to your garage workbench and tinker with it to make it "standup worthy."

I was thinking more of the standard guitars made by Airline/Supro, maybe Danelectro. That kinda body style & appointments would look great on a stand-up steel guitar. But I'm a sucker for that kinda design.

Well, clearly it's not for everyone.
But the great thing about this guitar is its affordability.
It's about the same price as a Squire Strat or Epiphone Les Paul.
Many musicians that start off playing punk or metal or whatever that stuff is called that's all banging and grunting - evolve to more sophisticated genres as they mature and grow.
So, it may well be that the PowerSlide will be the first step for some young musicians that takes them along the road to becoming Steel Players.
If it helps to keep Steel Guitar alive for posterity, that can only be a good thing.

Only time will tell.
As always, the litmus test for this instrument will be: "Do chicks dig it?" ie - "Is it glamorous & exciting?"
If the answer is yes, then it's a success.

I bought a Powerslide and it was not in tune but I guess it was set up in open E or D. That is what I have played around with. I would like to know if anyone has tried C6.

I am not sure if it will work with that tuning and gages.

Tom,

Most guitars aren't in tune when you first get them. One of the first things I do when I buy a guitar is change the strings.

There is no good reason why C6th tuning (and strings associated with C6th tuning) would not work on the Peavey Powerslide.

Absolutely - C6 would work fine.
Or any tuning for that matter - you just need to put the correct gauges on it.

Tunings

I changed the string gage to a standard C6 set and now the 4th string buzzes so much it is useless. It came with heavier strings. I think ultimately I will replace both the bridge and nut with something solid to try and increase the sustain, if I keep it. I can return it for another couple days so I am not sure I want to hack it up. Any good advice to try something simple.

Looks like that body shape will put your picking hand jam up against your belly if you wear it Dobro-style, which they say is the idea. Aesthetics aside, I'd like to see a little more body width to get the thing out in front of you.

Tom Morse wrote:I changed the string gage to a standard C6 set and now the 4th string buzzes so much it is useless. It came with heavier strings. I think ultimately I will replace both the bridge and nut with something solid to try and increase the sustain, if I keep it. I can return it for another couple days so I am not sure I want to hack it up. Any good advice to try something simple.

What's the string gauge that you're using on that fourth string, Tom? Perhaps it's too small for the nut's slot and is vibrating against the nut. I don't know what set of strings is supplied with the guitar, or what tuning(s) they recommend, but a different string gauge is probably the easiest way to check out why it's buzzing.

It is an .024.

I am not real happy with the overall quality of the instrument but what do I expect for $200. If it could do the C6 tuning I would be OK without going to some odd gages.

.015,.018,.022,.024,.03,.036
This is a pretty standard gage size for a C6.

They string it with some heavy E or D type tuning. I have that on one of my regular guitars.

I was thinking more of the standard guitars made by Airline/Supro, maybe Danelectro.

Yep or one of those new fangled Switch vibrocel bodies.

Rob

If it is made from vibrocel that would explain my amazement of the weight of the powerslide when I tried it in Dallas. I gave it a good shot but had some issues with playing comfort, but I could not get over how light it was, now I think I now know the answer, interesting that this is not mentioned in any press reviews ( to my knowledge) OR its made from balsa

I went to try out my new Power Slide today. There were three finish cracks in the back from shipping. No double box! The high E string buzzed like a bumble bee. The workman double cut the nut slot and in one groove it was o.k. but as soon as you picked the string it would fall into the buzzy slot and guess what? I will get another shot in June. Other than that it responed well through the Mesa amp. I could work with it.

I think I now know the answer, interesting that this is not mentioned in any press reviews ( to my knowledge) OR its made from balsa

Kev, it's REALLY light - I was thinking styrofoam . .

There were three finish cracks in the back from shipping.

The finish chips very easily, you have to be extremely careful not to bump it on anything.