Great thread on cutting wine bottles for bottleneck

Frankenstrat2 · #1 March 18th, 2005

From the IGS Forum
http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Fo...ML/000604.html

Diamond · #2 March 19th, 2005

That's probably the 'definitive' thread about home made bottleneck making Barry - whenever someone asks me to point 'em in the right direction regarding making their very own bottleneck slide...i just send 'em this thread on an attatchment! There's pretty much every conceiveable method you can try at home listed on there to make a decent, genuine bottleneck slide

Slide On!

Ian.

www.diamondbottlenecks.com

benjamino · #3 March 19th, 2005

yeah i'm gonna try a few of those methods tonight. ohhh that means i have to drink a few bottles of wine tho. what a shame

Frankenstrat2 · #4 March 19th, 2005

Thanks Ian.
I thought it was a terrificly informative thread .
I would stress the part about wearing eye protection. Not worth losing vision over.
I've cut my own brass slides from pipe with good results and minimal labor.
Having worked with a few bottles in my time I must say glass is far trickier and requires more trial and error.
Its kind of amusing to be sticking your pinky into empty wine bottle necks at dinner parties. I suppose if the bottles aren't empty you may not be invited back.
Also, after using hand blown glass slides now for a while, I'm quite spoiled by the weight. Even the heaviest 'bottle glass' seems lightweight in comparison. I suspect once you've moved on to hand blown glass you don't go back.

BlindRalphJr · #5 June 3rd, 2005

A well stocked music store will usually have a lotta slides in stock, metal, glass and God only knows what. Plus you can try them on so they fit.

Ralph
Ars gratia artis

Frankenstrat2 · #6 June 3rd, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindRalphJr

A well stocked music store will usually have a lotta slides in stock, metal, glass and God only knows what. Plus you can try them on so they fit.

Ralph
Ars gratia artis

You are fortunate to have found stores so well stocked. I travel all around the country and the only store I ever encountered with a good selection was Austin Music in Texas. I understand McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica also has a good selection. Both stores have a 'slide drawer' full of various types and sizes.
The commercial mega stores such as Sam Ash and Guitar Center usually have a pitiful selection of chrome tubes and shrink-wrapped pyrex Dunlops that you cant even try on. Occassionally they might have a few Big Heart slides, but not usually.
When I needed a bar for my lap steel, the only store in NYC was Rudy's, and he had a selection of one.
So in my experience, I have to disagree. Finding a great selection of high quality slides that you can try before you buy is a hit and miss proposition....often miss.
barry

allthumbs · #7 June 3rd, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankenstrat2

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindRalphJr

A well stocked music store will usually have a lotta slides in stock, metal, glass and God only knows what. Plus you can try them on so they fit.

Ralph
Ars gratia artis

You are fortunate to have found stores so well stocked. I travel all around the country and the only store I ever encountered with a good selection was Austin Music in Texas. I understand McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica also has a good selection. Both stores have a 'slide drawer' full of various types and sizes.
The commercial mega stores such as Sam Ash and Guitar Center usually have a pitiful selection of chrome tubes and shrink-wrapped pyrex Dunlops that you cant even try on. Occassionally they might have a few Big Heart slides, but not usually.
When I needed a bar for my lap steel, the only store in NYC was Rudy's, and he had a selection of one.
So in my experience, I have to disagree. Finding a great selection of high quality slides that you can try before you buy is a hit and miss proposition....often miss.
barry

I would have to agree Barry. In peterborough there are 4 or 5 music stores carrying the same three slides. I had a friend who worked in a lab lift one of their heavy glass test tubes for me. It made a pretty good slide,

Frankenstrat2 · #8 June 3rd, 2005

I have an idea- lets create a new thread with a list of sources for all sorts of bottlenecks.
I'll create it and everyone can add to it.
b.

1four5 · #9 June 3rd, 2005

Wow! That was an interesting thread at IGS. I never knew so much went into home made slides. My wife is a stained glasser, and she has a glass cutting table top saw. Lubricated by water. The blade dresses the edges while it cuts, so there really isn't any more work needed...unless you want shaped edges. But then she has a glass grinder for that. She bought this saw used for $100. I made my first bottleneckslide on it in about 30 seconds or so. Now I have slides all over the place.

Frankenstrat2 · #10 June 3rd, 2005

cool!

John · #11 June 4th, 2005

Managed to cut my own home-grown slide last nite--and it sounds for crap! :? The strings on my reso don't sing against it, they buzz

.

I've gone through the thread, and I'm sure I constructed mine correctly, so my question is this--is there a difference in playing technique?

I've always used a heavy (like 4 ounces) chrome steel slide, and I love the sound. When I use the glass slide, things sound really back-porch falling down drunk to me--veerry swampy/buzzy, and not at all clean and clear.

Anyone?

John

Frankenstrat2 · #12 June 4th, 2005

I gave up on plain glass slides. Diamond slides (and Nunwells) are hand blown lead crystal. Very different glass- much heavier. The tone comes from the weight on the strings. thats why brass and chrome or gold plated brass sound so good. Density. Same with glass, but glass is smoother.
Its all taste, but there is physics involved too.
Ian from Diamond Sllides wrote a very interesting article about the different types of glass used fo slide.
It can be found here:
http://www.ukguitars.com/article/slide_guitar1.htm

1four5 · #13 June 4th, 2005

As a beginner slider, I'm still liking glass the best. It is a lot more swampy, with much les ringing sustain, however, I can play harder and the glass does much better at dulling down my bounces and mistakes in technique. The brass slide demands much cleaner technique, muting behind the slide, and proper damping...but the sound is louder and much brighter.

Frankenstrat2 · #14 June 4th, 2005

Again- depends on the slide and your technique. Once I got to blown glass, there's no going back, at least for me.

John · #15 June 4th, 2005

Yeah, I already mentioned to Ian on another board that I'm gonna pick up a lead chrystal slide, probably around Christmas time (you reading this, Dear?). In fact, I'm surprised Ian hasn't e-mailed me to tell me to quit drooling on his website!

John