48 replies to this topic

[bolerama]

It all depends on your resources, but doing it yourself is satisfying. Setting up a guitar for the purpose you want it for should be easily researched on the net or the library for that matter. I'm certainly no expert, and not a great player, but I sure like to fiddle around with my guitars. Changing a set of strings is even a satisfying endeavor.

Good luck with it.
Bolerama

[79Lespaul]

Good Advice! Thanks

[Birddog]

Ok , if I'm looking for a glass bottle to cut the neck off of - what brand of beer would you think would have a heavy enough glass to use?

[Kirk Lorange]

79Lespaul said:

Well, whats got me on the lap steel guitar question is I've been struggling with slides for years and never realised why I was having difficutly until Kirk suggested a HEAVIER slide! It has dawned on me that the WEIGHT of the slide helps you to play slide easier and sound better! Kirk, correct me if I'm wrong! The composition of the slide obviously matters too, but only an expert can take a light weight slide and make it work!

Sorry 79LP ... I missed this.

Yes, I think the composition does make a difference to the feel and to the sound. I find glass too hard and slippery myself. Chrome too. I guess I've just got used to brass, but I like the traction I get with brass. It's not as slippery, there's a bit of dig-in, a bit of drag. The metal is quite soft, in fact you get little grooves in it after a while, and I like that, myself. But, to each their own, it's really what you get used to, I think.

I think these days with all the pedals and over-drive and compression, it's a lot easier to make a light weight slide sound OK, but in the old days, you're right. Duane was the only one to really get a good sound out of a light slide. To my ear anyway.

[Kirk Lorange]

bolerama said:

.... Changing a set of strings is even a satisfying endeavor.

I hate changing strings! That's why I leave mine on until they're dead as doornails and untunable. It drives me nuts fiddling and tuning and clipping and stretching.

My old pal Tommy Emmanuel changes his every gig, which means once or twice a day!

[Birddog]

the one I have so far is a piece of light brass tubing taken from the bottom of a sink drain. Its oversized for my finger(1 1/4") but its the straightest and smoothest I've found so far. nice gritty sound.

[79Lespaul]

Yes Kirk....I agree Duane is one of the kings of slide guitar! I understand what you are saying about the feel you get with a favorite metal! Thanks for taking the time to talk about slides and strings! Most pros like you wouldn't bother with us newcomers so I give my Kudos to you for caring enough to help me!

[doug russell]

I have a brass slide and its really heavy but really effective.

[Birddog]

Yesterday I bought a Dunlop medium pyrex slide. I'll see how it sounds.

[jobonekanobe]

Lowell George used an 11/16 "Craftsman" deep-socket.

[Diamond]

Beer bottles don't really have enough weight in the glass to allow for a good slide tone (due to the glass not being of a very good quality), we recommend the darkest green wine bottle glass (or if it's perfection you're looking for - an olive oil or balsamic vinegar bottle from a deli) that fits your slidin' digit snugly;)

...and a big 'Hi' to all our good friends here again - it's been a long time!

Slide On!

Ian.

Diamond Bottlenecks - Home

[SlickCat]

Ian is making me a fine Green Glass bottleneck as we speak!
...cant wait
If you like glass there is no better than Diamond!

[Sherbrooke Slim]

I play acoustic slide and was using chrome ( or stainless steel?) slide for years. About a year ago, found out my new neighbor ( a geologist of some kind) had some kind of a buffer with a rock cutting blade, asked him to cut some wine bottlenecks for me. I'll never go back to anything else. Heavy, nice and positive feel, and I love the vibrato and tone.

[Diamond]

Thanks for your kind words Bob....and yes - there's a nice chunk of 'Portugal's finest' glass bottle heading Stateside....

Slide On!

Ian.

Diamond Bottlenecks - Home

[sollophonic]

IMO, no rules.

Have a variety of slides made from different materials and use 'em all.

I like brass for its stickiness on the strings
I like glass for its slipperiness
I like using cheap nasty steel one, for its tinniness
I use a Rockslide for versatility sometimes.

Use all kinds of slide, leave em lying round the house, and use whatever is nearest when inspiration strikes.

There are no "rules"

[79Lespaul]

Do slides come in precious metals like gold , platnium , silver?
I've never seen one if they do!!!
How about crystal glass...too much class for a slide?!

[JREC]

Kirk Lorange said:

Duane was the only one to really get a good sound out of a light slide. To my ear anyway.

Take a listen to some of Blind Mississippi Morris' stuff with slide in it, his guitarist (Brad Webb) can tear it up with a thin little coricidin bottle...in my opinion of course

[jpgr]

jetslide glass on brass:

"The innovative JetSlide™ guitar slide allows you to play slide guitar licks, while retaining full use of your fretting fingers for playing normal
guitar chords and solos. JetSlide guitar slides work equally well on
electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and resonator guitars."

[Diamond]

Precious metals like Gold & Silver wouldn't be useable as guitar slides due to the softness of the material - both would suffer from deep surface scratching on the wound strings. Platinum would work as it's a hard metal.....but i wouldn't like to pick up the bill:D!

Crystal glass, especially hand-blown leaded crystal is superb for guitar slides - the secret is to find a glassblower who can hit the necessary internal/external diameters when blowing the 'bulb'. We can only tell if we have a useable tube when we receive our shipments from our glassblowers by cutting them up! The fullness of tone & sustain given by a lead crystal glass slide is truly amazing (try the old test of finding if a glass goblet or tumbler is true crystal - tap it with a nail, and if it rings out & sustains like a bell - it's lead crystal, and it's this same tone & sustain that'll apply to your instrument;)).

Slide On!

Ian.

Diamond Bottlenecks - Home

[jobonekanobe]

Question...if one were to put 16,18,24,34,44, & 54 on a guitar to accommodate a slide, should the guitar be set up for that ? Is there one kind of guitar that would be better for this than another? I have Kirk's "Slide Guitar" DVD and I would like to try the heavy gauge strings on one of my guitars..... 54' strat custom shop rep....79" strat......83' strat..... Gretsch Nashville Jr hollow body electric, not sure of the year..I think 03' or 04'......Martin and Fender accoustic both 07'.......60' Kay Silvertone solid body DeArmond single pickup.
Thanks for any advise I can get.
Jobone