Bottlenecks & Slides.

[Rudi]

I have never been that into slide playing. I only ever learned one piece too (in my 1^st year of playing) called ‘Andu’s Easy Rider’ from Michael Chapman’s “Fully Qualified Survivor’ album. The fascination has not abated though.

 

I have made (and lost / broken) many actual bottle neck slides from wine bottles.

Method: Take half a dozen bottles & smash them on the back step. With luck at least one neck will come out the right shape for slide use. The next stage is to blunt the sharp edges using (again) the back step until its safe for pinkies.

 

I recall on a live Little Feat collection (‘Hoy Hoy’ I think) hearing a snippet of chat from Lowell George where he say’s:

“There are a lot a kinds of slide guitar, I use specifically this, Sears & Roebuck Craftsman 11/16†socket wrench, because you can go most anywhere…..†(fades out).

 

I assumed this was a spark-plug socket spanner (spanner = wrench in UK to USA translation), as that would be about right. It seemed an ideal solution; heavy, well made and smooth.

 

You can be sure I tried more than once to find this item & failed. I even looked at some UK plug sockets spanners but they had embossed lines and other slide-spoiling-features.

 

I recently found this. A 'Socket Slide'. I got a small one on ebay (ok for my modest pinky).

http://www.steveclayton.com/slides.php

 

This has the socket star in place of a smooth ID. Inspired no doubt by George or other ‘spanner-wrench’ players. Its less heavy than expected, but produces a good ringing tone.

 

I have never used a slide on stage, but I will remedy this next Saturday.

[Rudi]

Thanks for the reminder,

 

I'll slip it in the guitar case now.

 

Have you used brass slides? They are said to be better for sustain.

[Rudi]

Gopichans are strange beasts. I have never seen one for real. I cant imagine how they could be used for regular intonation. But the slide would help no doubt. Would a bow work I wonder?

[Rudi]

There are commercially produced ceramic slides as well.

 

If I had a lathe I would experiment with other metals and finishes. A 'brushed' finish might have different acoustic characteristics to a burnished or ground surface. 

[TapperMike]

I used to have this little "knuckle" slide. It was a thick brass ring with a thick half cylinder brass shell. Even though I could only hold on to four strings at a time with it. It was great because I could rotate the thing around and play guitar "regular" then flip it around when I needed it.  

 

Recently I tried a lot of slides and was disappointed with everyone. They were to thin especiallly afew of the dunlops and the thimble type ones.  While discussing this at another forum a friend tipped me off to Jetslide which has the mass one needs but you can still "flick it out of the way when you don't need it.   I never got one.  I put it off till someday.but so far I'm liking what I'm hearing on youtube.

 

[Jim622]

I've tried several types thinking the right one would magically make me sound better.

I have found a company called Rocky Mountain Slides http://www.rockymountainslides.com/ .

They are made of clay. Every time I've called I spoke to the owner Doc. Very friendly, helpfull, and very

willing to discuss his favorite subject. You find the slide you want by your type of music and what kind of

sound you are looking for. As for them sounding thin - Have you tried any open tunings?

 

Jim

[Rudi]

As for a guitar to use. I still have my old Yamaha acoustic. I have just finished experimenting with an open minor chord on that. Didnt work as well as I'd hoped.

 

For electric, I am considering using a nut riser

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=guitar+nut+riser&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=N3xBUYbIOsPBOLD3gbgE&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=929

 

I have mislaid mine, so may get a new one.

[Rudi]

When I find it, I'll probably use it on a Pee Wee Les Paul (Epiphone).

 

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y121/pactio_kiss/P150111_1205.jpg

 

I got one of these to pack in my suitcase when going on holiday. I think it might quite good for slide.

[TapperMike]

I used to have a mitchell les paul copy (small body),  The neck warped on it but it was a lot of fun to play while it lasted

[Rudi]

I since added a brass slide (Steve Clayton again). It is the same as the chromed one except for a chamfered cutout enabling a better grip for the pinky.

 

I cant hear any difference between the metals at all.

 

Oh yes, I have a riser too (goes under the strings at the headstock to raise the action). It keeps the slide from clunking about on the frets.

[shelter]

I ve tried several stuff and ended up to be a dedicated heavy brass slide user. I like the sound and the feel. I'm not so much into that "articulated" glass slide sound. But a very important thing is open tunings as well as medium to high string action and heavy gauge strings. If you can have a guitar dedicated to slide playing with the appropriate setup, it would be great and it would make your playing easier.

[john]

I use several slides I use: an old thin steel slide, glass slide and a half width glass slide. Each had a distinct sound.

I agree about tuned guitars and a dedicated guitar with a higher action... Nothing ruins slide like fret click! Lol

I haven't played much slide for a while precisely because of the dedicated guitar issue. I mainly played delta blues on an acoustic.

[shelter]

Well there is something more. If somebody develps a very good righthand palm muting technique, then will be able to play slide and create clear notes even with Standard tunning. But I thing that the traditional essence of slide guitar as it derives from delta blues, is the harmonic strings resonance of an open chord. So open tunings are a "must" thing if you are into the delta or N.O stuff. If you just need to play a simple melody and need the sliding sound, you can try the Standard tuning with heavy use of palm muting to isolate the melody from the other non necessery resonant notes.

 

One more advantage of the open tunings when they are applied on heavy gauge strings is that you can produce some really heavy and thick riffs with that combination.

[john]

When I first started with slide it was to play southern boogie on a standard tuning. As you say, lots of palm muting. Same deal when I used slide on things like Pink Floyd tracks.

 

I did play about with other tunings for picking, for example to learn Guinevere by David Crosbie, but it wasn't until I got into Delta Blues playing that I really started to explore different guitar tunings.

[shelter]

Btw, excuse me for some signs of bad use of the English language.

 

Open tunings are a huge musical world on their own. But they can lead you to diffrent ways of playing and every single of them has a different character. I think that open G is a very good tuning for beginners. And there are  many rock songs  on it. Delta has many different tunings cause it seems that the bluesmen tunned their guitars acording to the key it was comfortable for them to sing.

Edited July 8, 2014 by shelter

[Rudi]

Regular tuning is ok for slide with care. Its also ok for key changes. The easy way is to stick to D, G & B strings, but they can all be used with practice.

 

Open tunings: open C sounds lovely.

[davidmichael]

I cant play slide worth a darn,but I have an E-Bow I get out occasionally and really enjoy using.

Not the greatest at it ,but its a lot of fun and Im up for the challenge of getting better on it .

[Jim622]

I usually play in Open G or D, a little Standard. I love the sound of slide and its a lot of fun trying, but its seems progress is at a snails pace, but the adventure is in the journey - right?

[Rudi]

yes it is.

 

Few players are ambitious with slide work.

 

The ones that do really stand out though, such as Ry Cooder and the late Lowel George.