Advice for slide guitar newbie?
 

Although I've long admired slide and knife style guitar I've never attempted it before. Recently a buddy loaned me a Rory Block instruction DVD which looks like it includes some good tunings licks to start with. It looks like I have a project for the woodshedding months this winter.

The one thing I lack is a good slide.

So my first question for you folks here is what is your favorite slide? Glass or metal? And which finger do you wear it on?

Also, if you have found any slide guitar instruction videos that were especially helpful please tell me about them.

And just for fun what is your favorite slide guitar recording or video? Here's mine.

Hi Al, finding the right bottle-neck / slide is like finding the right picks - most end up with a collection!

Thin, light pyrex type slides are only OK for electric guitar players.

I suggest that you seek out a brass or steel tube style with at least a 1/8" think wall - like a Dunlop heavy wall - ref: 224.

Glass ones are also fine - I use a Diamond slide "blue diamond". (UK made)

Remember- the weight on your sliding finger enables you to play lightly with the left hand and put the "power" in the tone with you're right ....assuming you are right handed of course.

Looking forward to Toby's comments on this.

Thanks for the info Andy. I emailed a buddy who is a slide guitar player and he also likes a heavy glass slide. He suggests a Dunlop no. 213.

I expect you're right that I'll end up with an assortment so I think I'll start out with a few glass slides and see what I end up using the most.

Hey Al,

I like the AcoustiGlide slide for my acoustics. (Latch Lake Music)
I prefer a heavy glass slide for electric.
Wolfram has some (ceramic?) slides I still want to audition,
But haven’t yet.
For my style, and tone, I think Leo Kottke and on electric, Johnny Winter.
Those two are not my only influences on slide, but their tone can not be overlooked. I reference Leo’s “6 and 12 string guitar”,
and Johnny’s “Second Winter”.
Rory is a force to be reckoned with. Your friend did you a good favor.
Ry Cooder should be taken seriously as well.
Robert Johnson should be high on the list.
Muddy Waters played some mean slide, as did Ellen McIlwaine.
Duane Allman is in a class by his self.
There are many more to choose from, listen to, steal from and admire.
I’ll gladly give you more suggestions.

Mark

Here’s a little acoustic slide I recorded. FF to 1:16 to get right to it.

https://youtu.be/zeFBJ7LNQlk

Slide Types
 

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'm going to order several slides mail order. After reading about ceramic slides I'm curious to try one of those as well as some glass slides. Is anyone using one of the Rocky Mountain ceramic slides?

I use a couple of different ceramic slides on occasion. One is glazed and is a little less bright than thick-walled glass, but similar in weight and "plays" the same. The other is unfished, with a sort of bone-like texture and can really scrape against the string. That later one is essential for some kinds of things, really dirty playing where you want to accentuate the string noise.

Slides are like picks to me, can't have too many different types around.

I prefer thick walled glass that actually come from bottle necks. I don't care for a perfectly straight and uniform large factory made glass slide. They do play and feel different IMHO.

I have use brass but switched to totally to glass a couple of years ago.

Oh, I use the pinky.

Probably as many different opinions as there are players - my preference is for a ceramic slide, worn on my pinkie. Used on both my resonator and regular flat-top. Currently I'm using a mudslide. For my electric I actually prefer to use the top of a wine bottle. I started with a brass one but find them a bit heavy and clunky. The only drag with the glass and ceramic ones is I've dropped a couple and they smashed to bits.
For lap slide I use a metal lap-dawg.

My preferred slide is a slide combined with a loose fitting ring. The first version was a length of half round brass soldered to a strip of nickel plated copper, cut from an old ash tray, and bent into a ring. I made loads of these over the years from a strip of brass bought for a boat project. Funnily enough they all got stolen. The only one I have now is made from approx 1" galvanised steel pipe. An 'L' shaped cut in the right position gives you the ring and the slide. If I was making one today I'd use a thin bladed angle grinder. Back then I did the long hard slog with a hack saw and a file.

It is used on the little finger. If I hold my hand palm down the slide falls into playing position. A slight bend of the little finger keeps it in position.

A deft flick of the wrist and the slide goes to the back of the finger. My normal playing position keeps it there. The good bit is you can go from normal playing to slide instantly. The last time I used one was in a duo. There was no time to swap guitars or change tuning so all of my playing was in normal tuning.

Oh man, Ry Cooder is unearthly good. I like him better than Derek Trucks -- and I love Derek Trucks.

Was Trucks mentioned as a guy worth listening to? And Elmore James of course

Hi Al!

As one of the slide companies mentioned above (thanks Silly Moustache!) ~ my advice is pretty simple...if you're a total newcomer to slide guitar and just dipping your toe in the water for the first time, buy a cheap Dunlop pyrex or steel slide that FITS exactly as you like and bash that to pieces on your guitar until you start enjoying the style - the more you play, the better you'll learn all aspects of slide guitar.

Always remember, there are much better slides available than most store-bought offerings - but if you feel that after a few weeks' slide guitar isn't for you, you've only lost a $5.00 slide!

When you're really getting into the slide groove and becoming serious about the style - revisit here and the bretheren will point you to some amazing guitar slides!

Slide On!

Ian (Diamond Bottlenecks)

Favorite slide recording?? Whoah! No contest!


My own personal favourite tool is a genuine bottleneck, from a green wine bottle.
But I also like the scratchier sound of an offcut of 22mm copper plumbing tube.

Almost anything will do (I've used a pint beer glass live before :D), but I really don't like plastic slides, however heavy.

The heavier (and smoother) the slide, the better the sustain, but the harder it is to control - unless you have a high action and/or heavy strings.

As for instruction: just remember you need to hold the slide right over the fret, not behind (where you fret the string), and it generally sounds best to swoop up to pitch, and waggle the slide a little to get vibrato.

I was going to post "Dark Was The Night" myself, that's the one.
Second for me is this :

Hi Al,

There simply isn't just one answer to your question, but many. I've been playing slide guitar for over 40 years now and have been through just about every type on the market. They're all good, but it's so subjective. Given that, pick a few different types and experiment with them.

As far as which finger to use, that's also up to you. Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt used their 2nd finger; Duanne Allman used his 3rd - as I do - and plenty of folks use their pinky.

Personally, I've settled on a slide made of a ceramic compound which feels and sounds like no other, which I've been using now for several years. It's made by the Rocky Mountain Slide Company and the GREAT thing is that 'Doc' Sigmer - the creator - will make them in a variety of sizes and inner diameters. I find that to be pretty important, as they won't slip off your finger.

He's actually made a signature slide for me, but he makes a ton of varieties. Here's the link:
http://www.rockymountainslides.com/t...ure-slide.html

http://www.rockymountainslides.com/a...atureModel.jpg