What kind and size slide?

Subject: What kind and size slide?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 04:22 PM

Ok so I am starting to play around with Open D tuning on my Sigma and well, getting very interested in playing with a slide.

Now I wonder what kind or kinds of slide should I get?

What finger do I put it on? middle, ring or pinky?

What size? Do you wear it tight or lose? My fingers tend to shrink and swell with rheumatoid arthritis. Also make crossing to apply pressure difficult.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: oggie
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 05:06 PM

Depends what you wants to play. I have two slides, one goes over my ring finger so I can finger with my first and second fingers. The other is solid and has a gripper bar which goes between ring and second is used purely for slide.

Steve

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 05:15 PM

I can't get on with any of the ones from the shops and prefer a bit of copper plumbing tube.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 05:49 PM

I have a bit of copper pipe but it is way too big for my fingers,

I like the sound of glass. what about pyrex?

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Melissa
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 05:54 PM

I dropped (and broke) a glass one on a fumble-hand day. If you're likely to drop it, glass might not be the best option.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Stewart
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 07:30 PM

Here's what Reggie says about his slide:
"The size of my slide is something that I've had friends tease me about for years. I use a frictionless marine propeller shaft bearing, or cutless bearing, to do my sliding. It's just something that I ran across at a garage sale one day. I find that it works just right."

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 07:39 PM

I think you just have to keep trying until you find one you like.

The one I've been using for the past 15 years was given to me at a folk club in Standish, Lancs, and is a fairly heavy glass bottle neck with the end smoothed, and very slight curvature to fit my guitar neck. Infinitely better than the "Tyrozet" tubes I started with. I've always preferred glass to metal - probably something to do with the coefficient of friction.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Jayto
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 08:28 PM

I normally use brass on acoustic and glass on electric but I will play glass on acoustic as well. I never play brass on electric though bc the weight of the slide is too much for the lighter electric strings (in my opinion). I normally wear the slide on my ring finger. I sometimes play with it on my pinky but it just doesn't feel right to me even though it allows me to use my fingers with more ease. I have an old glass slide that was Duane Allman's slide that I use pretty frequent but it is a bit small for my finger. I also have an old medicine bottle I found at the Merle Travis birth house years ago. I like it the best out of all of my slides. I am not sure what the brass slide is that I play with. I have had it so long I can't even remember where or when I got it. It is tapered and feels really good. Actually I like it better than the medicine bottle when I play my National steel body. On every other guitar though the medicine bottle wins. I have no clue what kind of bottle it is because when I found it there was no label or anything on it. Just a plain glass bottle with no markings or anything on it.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Zen
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 08:34 PM

I now prefer a brass slide called a Jet Slide that is worn on the third finger and which can be brought into play with the pinkie when required. Advantage is that you can play chords easily when not using it. As far as I know only the German online supplier Tone Toys at the link above distribute them.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Zen
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 08:35 PM

P.S. The Jet Slides come in different sizes.

Zen

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 09:18 PM

I play 90% slide...Have fir years... Find the heaviest brass slide you can find... I mean, heavy... Real thick walled... No glass... They are tinty... Heavy and brass...

B~

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Mooh
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 12:07 PM

Size? Whatever fits. A 3/4" inside diameter fits me well, and I like thick walls for tone, except the Dunlop reproduction Coricidin bottles which make up for it a little by some extra mass in the bottom. I have lots of slides in all kinds of materials, but mostly I stick to what I mention below.

My electric slide style approximates that of Derek Trucks (I say approximates because the man is a giant whose knees I could barely touch), which is to say I use a Coricidin bottle on my third finger. Sometimes I use a ceramic or glass slide the same way. Either standard or open G tuning.

On acoustic I generally use a ceramic or glass side on my third finger unless I'm doing the Leo Kottke thing with a larger slide on my 4th finger to cover all the strings at once in an open tuning. Various open tunings.

Brass is nice for the occasional difference in tone, but it rattles a lot in my hands.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 08:02 AM

I second Bobert - for guitar at least! I mainly use a heavy brass slide, approx. 2 1/4 inch long, 1/8" sidewall, 3/4 inch bore. I use fairly heavy strings and a high action, and play on a couple of single-cone resonators (both cheapish, a Republic Miniolian wood bodied and an Ozark metal-bodied).

I also play slide banjo! Strings here are much lighter and I use a much lighter slide too - brass again, but a much thinner sidewall - about a millimeter.

I use the slide on my little finger (pinky). It's a loose fit so I hold it steady with my ring finger, which is also used to damp the strings behind the slide. I don't have arthritis (yet) but it I do have family & friends with it so I know where you are coming from. I'd imagine a fairly loose slide would suit better than a tight one? The best bet would be to try a few out at the local music store?

I quite like the sound of glass slides but as Melissa has said above stone floors can be unforgiving if you drop the slide on them...

Good luck with the slide playing,

Pete

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:22 AM

Merle Watson used to use a 3/4 inch Sears Socket, if you damaged or broke it [ unlikely ] Sears will replace it free for life.

Dave H

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 10:28 AM

My brother uses a slide. It's about three feet long and he plays it with his right hand hand. The mouthpiece fits into the top and music (such as it is*) comes out of the bell on his left. I've often suggested we also use his trombone as a still but he's opposed to the idea.



*He is, after all, my brother.

Subject: RE: What kind and size slide?
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 08:00 PM

11/16s deep well scoket works purdy well for me... I acxtually forgot my slide one time so I stopped off at a Sears store and bought a socket and muddled thru with it just fine... The brass slide I use has a slight taper toward where yer finger and palm meet which makes it fit real nice...

B~