Hey, all, I've just been hired by a country artist to be part of his live band. He had several tracks recorded in Nashville and the Nashville guys layered a ton of mandolin and electric slide guitar into the tunes.
While he knows that I'm just one guy and obviously can't cover everything, he would like for me to cover as much as possible. There are places in these songs, however, where a mandolin lick is back to back with a slide guitar lick and I'm trying to figure out how best to cover these. I'd also be switching back and forth multiple times for every song. The biggest concerns are as follows:
1) Physically switching instruments in a quick fashion. I've considered wearing the mando over the electric guitar and swinging the mandolin out of the way when it's not needed. I've considered mounting the mandolin to a stand of some sort (would the MBrace stand fit an A-shape mandolin?), and of course I've considered using effect pedals to make the electric sound like a mando or a mando sound like an electric (I will admit that it's really hard to play slide on a mandolin as the targets are much smaller).
2) Constantly dealing with my slide. I've always played with a full finger slide - a glass slide for a long time until I bought a steel slide and really liked the tone of that. If I have to go directly from slide to no slide, I just flick my wrist and throw the slide on the floor. If I have a quick riff or chord that requires fingers, I use my pointer, middle, pinky to play (I wear my slide on my ring finger). This is a lot more challenging while playing the mandolin since the shapes are smaller. I'm considering one of those spinning half slides or bars - I guess I'm just asking if anyone here has used one to great success, as I tried one last time I was slide shopping and didn't like it.
3) Electronics. I have an HX Effects by Line 6 that can handle the different input and output needs of switching between electric guitar and acoustic mandolin with a single switch. It just means that, barring a wireless kit purchase, I'll have two cables hanging off of me at all times to manage. It also means that in the space of only a few beats of music, I'll need to physically change instruments (either by swinging one into place or by walking up to a mounted mandolin), hit a switch to mute one instrument and unmute the other, and manipulate a slide on my finger. I know with practice it will get easier, but right now it seems daunting.
The band does have a lead guitar player who can cover some of the recorded slide licks on regular guitar, and the lead singer does play rhythm right now (though he's trying to get away from playing guitar full time), so I don't have to get EVERYTHING, but I'm trying to see if I can remove as many hurdles as possible so I can cover as much as I can.
Thanks in advance for any tips!
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