What kind of slide? - Acoustic Guitar Forum

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What kind of slide?

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Author	Topic: What kind of slide?
Joachim unregistered	posted 12-10-1999 06:11 I've been fingerpicking my Dobro Duolian for a while now and want to get sliding. So I am wondering what kind of slides work best for my guitar. IP: Logged
Tim Mitchell unregistered	posted 12-10-1999 09:27 This may sound like a sarcastic answer, but it is not. Which ever slide you like is the best one. The beauty of it is that they are not too expensive so you can buy several. Personally, I love a pretty heavy brass slide on my acoustic, but when I play electric (I know, I know) I like a glass slide, it sounds a little smoother. I would suggest going to your local music store and finding a guitar similar to yours and spend a few minutes( or hours) trying all the different slides the sell until you find one that feels and sounds good to you. Or, buy a big jug of cheap wine, and after emptying it in the manner of your choosing, cut off the top and make your own "bottle neck" While on the subject of slides, I travel a lot for my job, so I have a martin backpacker I bring all around with me, as well a slide. Well, In a hotel in Ohio I left my slide, the only slide I had ever owned, out on the desk and went off to keep the world safe for laboratory information management software users, and returned later that evening to the HORROR of my slide being gone. Thrown out with the trash!! Well, after my turrets went it remission I realized that I had to replace it. So, having past several times on my to the site I was working a cinder block building that looked like a 2 car garage with the words Guitar shop on the side I stopped on my way home to see if they had any slides in stock. As I pushed open the door, a strange feeling came over me, almost like I was walking into a house of worship. Calming...the smell of Brazilian Rosewood and gently aged Adirondack spruce filled the air. I had stumbled into vintage acoustic heaven. The walls where lined with 'em. I spent the rest of the evening with the owner sitting around, playing, talking guitars, and eventually purchasing a new slide. I really wanted to buy the late 30's early 40's Gibson flat top I had been playing, but I think you all know the words to the "I ain’t got that kind of cash blues". My new slide and I are quite happy together now, and I still bring her on road trips with me, but now I am sure to put her back into my guitar case before I leave for the day. IP: Logged
MarkC unregistered	posted 12-10-1999 14:02 You can't just whet our appetites and not tell us the name/whereabouts of this guitar store. Give up the goods. IP: Logged
tim mitchell unregistered	posted 12-11-1999 14:07 The shop was somewhere between The Cincinnati airport (which strangely enough is in Kentucky) and The Bayer port plastics plant in Addison Ohio. The funny thing is, the next day, when traveling down that exact same road, I was unable to locate the shop that had been as plain as the nose on your face the day before......and I could swear that as I looked at the corner where I was sure the building had been, in the distance I could hear what sounded like the second chorus of Hell hound on my trail.... IP: Logged
Stu Alt Member Posts: 958 From: Arizona Registered: Nov 1999	posted 12-11-1999 14:26 My own bias is toward metal (usually brass) slides. I really like the sound of the ceramic moon and mudslides but they tend to jump off the table and shatter. It's hard to do that with a metal slide. IP: Logged
Paul Heumiller Member Posts: 113 From: Clarksburg, NJ, USA Registered: Nov 1999	posted 12-13-1999 08:26 Martin Simpson just came out with a Signature series slide. I was able to play with the prototype and it is great. It is made of Stainless Steel and the interior is tapered like your finger which makes it the most comfortable slide I've ever played with. The hole is wider at the base and narrower up top. This not only makes it comfy, but it adds just the right amount of weight up top to aid your vibrato. You can see it at Martin's site, http://www.martinsimpson.com. IP: Logged
scampbell Member Posts: 2090 From: Eastern Wa. Registered: Nov 1999	posted 12-13-1999 09:30 I like the Latch Lake, Kottke designed brass slide, it's tapered, has enough heft for 12 string as well as 6 string, and (probably my imagination) brass seems to have a 'warmer' tone than stainless. IP: Logged
Bill Leff Member Posts: 364 From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA Registered: Dec 1999	posted 12-13-1999 21:02 I like the green wine bottle glass slides like Bob uses the best. I was able to find one at McCabe's in Santa Monica. These don't appear to be manufactured as slides and there was no packaging or anything with them or marketing material of any kind. If you can find your way to McCabe's, ask one of the salespeople to give you the drawer with all the green bottlenecks in it, and find one that suits you. After you get it home, get some fine sandpaper and smooth out the edge and make a slight bevel on it to make yourself the perfect slide. I like these slides WAY better than any others I've tried and owned. IP: Logged
Gary unregistered	posted 12-15-1999 02:33 Check out the new Jetslide at www.jetslide.com IP: Logged
Randy Fortune Member Posts: 217 From: Fresno, California, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 1999	posted 12-15-1999 19:18 Gary, This Jetslide looks great. Do they work as well as the advertisement says? They look a little light, can you get a good feel and enough pressure with this? Thanks for your help, Randy IP: Logged
Dan Stevens Member Posts: 3 From: Essex CT USA Registered: Dec 1999	posted 12-15-1999 21:15 How to make a green bottleneck slide without going to McCabe's...like the old timer's did it (or so I hear). I learned this from my first guitar teacher. 1. Select wine bottle with appropriate shape, neck length, inside diameter etc. 2. Tie a piece of cotton string around the neck where you want the cut. 3. Melt some candle wax onto the string all the way around. 4. Light the string with a match and when it's burning uniformly, drop in ice water. With luck, it breaks where you want it to but sometimes it takes a couple tries. 5. Smooth rough edges by rubbing on a sidewalk. All other methods are unaccept- able. I've made several slides this way and it really works.... Remember, it has to be a sidewalk. IP: Logged
Bill Leff Member Posts: 364 From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA Registered: Dec 1999	posted 12-16-1999 12:33 Cool Dan! I've gotta give that a try! -Bill IP: Logged
richardfallsmith Member Posts: 1 From: Ashington Registered: Nov 2003	posted 11-25-2003 04:18 The best slides I have seen are by a British company called the Bluemoon Bottleneck Company. They sell them online at www.bluemoonbottleneck.co.uk They are handmade from recycled glass bottles. Mik Crithclow, the guy who runs the company can cut them from most types of bottle and he will even make you up a custom one from your favourite bottle. You can get a simple one in green or brown to really good looking ones called Bristol Blues in pure blue glass. Worth a look! Richard Smith Redstone Media IP: Logged
Mike D Member Posts: 1393 From: Phx, Az Registered: Dec 2000	posted 11-25-2003 06:43 Not as cool and 'Mojo-y' as the 'flaming string' method but one that actually works is to get a carbide tipped hacksaw blade and some electrical tape and cut your own. Wrap the tape around the place you want to cut, cut through the center of the tape (working your way around a little at a time) then clean up the edge on some emery paper or a belt sander if you have one. Who agrees that green glass sounds best? IP: Logged
Russ Young Member Posts: 1687 From: Seattle, Washington USA Registered: Jan 2003	posted 11-25-2003 06:59 I've been very happy with the slides I've received from Diamond Bottlenecks in the UK. The latest is an heavy hand-blown glass bullet bar that I use with my squarenecks. The owner -- Ian McWee -- is a delight to do business with. IP: Logged
profound_dan Member Posts: 30 From: london Registered: Oct 2003	posted 11-25-2003 07:10 I use King Slides made especially for the London Resonator Centre. http://www.resocentre.co.uk/ Currently using the phosphor bronze one which is amazing, if a little pricey! IP: Logged
Paul Norman Member Posts: 1601 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Aug 2003	posted 11-25-2003 07:12 Brass. The heavier the better. My favorite, which has sadly gone missing, was made from brass steam pipe salvaged from a remodeling job. The one I use now is a Leo Kottke signature model which has a very definite exterior taper. I have very large hands, so it's hard for me to find a slide that fits properly. I would like to try Simpson's but it doesn't look like it comes in sizes. Paul H., can you comment? IP: Logged
jvesey Member Posts: 1828 From: New York Registered: Jul 2003	posted 11-25-2003 19:26 Too many slides, too little time! I will say one thing though. Ian McWee at Diamond Slides wins the the customer service award. He makes beautiful slides and will work with you on whatever you need. He forwarded me several nice sides to take to the Mike Dowling workshop. He's a great guy and very responsive. The slides are nice, thick glass and sound great. Give him a ring. IP: Logged
Grady Musick unregistered	posted 11-25-2003 19:51 I have a whole drawer of slides of every make,you name it, I've got it. The Glass slides that Ian makes are some of the best ever made. Go to his website and check them out. IP: Logged
Hambone Member Posts: 642 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Jan 2000	posted 11-25-2003 22:08 So many slides, so little time. The JetSlide is great for electric, but lacks the mass required for acoustic. Still a great product, tho. I don't pick up my electric without it. The AcoustiGlide is my standard brass slide for resonator. Fact is, however, that I'm lucky enough to own a Chris Ramey bottleneck that is simply incomparable. It's a Brozman-style slide. I also occasionally enjoy my Craftsman 9/16" socket wrench from Sears but I've got to be in the mood for it. Tonight somebody brought over an AcoustiGlide that's too big for my pinky so I tried it on my ring finger for kicks and it got stuck. Whoa! IP: Logged

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