slides ?

[preservation]

where to begin ?

i've only ever begun to mess around with pieces of bottles and spice jars and shit.
i have big long fingers.

should i just look into glass ? brass ? bone ?


this slide sound is pretty cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUFrWhJRzsY

[Larry Mal]

I'm the worst slide guitarist in the world.

But it's not for lack of trying. I found glass to be much more comfortable than metal. Regardless, though, they aren't a one size fits all. You'll need to buy a few before you find one that works for your particular fingers more than likely. And that depends on if you plan to keep it on your pinky or your third finger or what.

I'd say just order one and hope for the best, and consider it a learning experience about what you really want in the future if you don't get along with it.

[fuzzking]

I've tried all materials except for bone, and I like them all. Most important to me is a somewhat tight fit on the pinky, not too long and fat walls. I find that heavier slides are easier to control: might sound counter-intuitive, but it's easier to do a smooth vibrato if there's a bit of weight to work with. Of the easily available ones, I like the short Dunlop Mudslides, Boneyard ones. The graphics on the Boneyard are shite, but it's the one I use most (because of the smaller inner diameter). I also have some custom made porcelain ones which sound ace, but the walls are thinner on these and playing feels a bit err... flimsy? The thin metal ones 'can' be okay, but they're nothing to write home about. The Dunlop glass ones feel like plastic - no good to my ears. Of the metal ones, I like brass for a somewhat rawer feel and tone.

That bon Savants tune you posted is real nice - the bass line is genius. The slide guitar... to me it sounds like it's played with a pick, neck pickup and some mighty reverb, of course. When using standard tuning, it's important to mute strings that you don't want to ring along. Dampen with the fretting hand, occasional palm muting with the right hand might also be advisable. Check out Keni Lee's free lessons. Best stuff you can find. I got some of his CDs, and they're worth every penny.

[boomlights]

Try as many as you can (smaller guitar stores are great for this, but sometimes the chains) - the grace & beauty of a brass slide is its resilience/overall construction (not too bright sounding, usually a mid-level weight, not too slippery & you can drop it & not have to worry about it/relatively durable), so that wins in my book. However, my fingers are sausages, so try before you buy or else you will end up owning a bunch of pinky rings (unless that's what you're going for!).

[MechaBulletBill]

I use one of these, the chromed brass 'swampslide', which they don't seem to have on the site any more. I wanted the non-reliced rockslide but it was out of stock. I like the extra weight and the contours are a nice idea, but they don't fit my hand all that well. The small size is VERY small, unless you've got a toothpick-thin pinky, you'll want a medium at least.

[fuzzjunkie]

When I first started playing slide I went through a box of socket wrenches until I found one that fit. The weight worked pretty well and had a nice, stinging sound. Glass has a different sound and feel, but I like steel with some overdrive or an E-Bow.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

I've had chromed steel and glass ones in the past, but never bonded with them. The brass one I've had for the last 20+ years got me into actually playing slide guitar, where the others didn't.

[burntumber]

I have a shubb that I like.

also a thin brass slide

I've had a couple glass ones that shattered
and a thick heavy brass one that was fantastic
the heavy slides do all the work for you.

but I do like that sound of glass.


tl/dr:
buy a few different types.

[tremolo3]

Sorry to hijack this.

How do you guys clean a Dunlop steel slide? Mine is kinda rusty on the inside and I don't use it anymore for that very reason.

[sessylU]

I always struggled with slide then I tried using a Jet Slide and found it much, much easier to control everything. Can't recommend them enough.

[itstooloudMike]

I started out with glass (Coricidan bottle), and then gradually moved to a heavier brass slide. I like the control that the extra weight provides, and the tone of the brass. The one I have is smaller diameter on the end by your palm, and gets progressively larger in diameter as you go toward your fingertip. I really like this design, as it allows me to play more accurately and cleanly. I typically don't raise my action, but I do use 11s on a guitar I use for slide.