We have now started offering brass slides to our line at our shop. Mostly because a lot of my customers want exactly what they see me using and I use brass most of the time..
Our price ranges now run from $3.00 for copper,$3.00 for a glass bottle ( empty Brandy) Emptied by me ,,,,,, of course,,,I like to sell the bottle full , then pop the top off and guzzle down the contents in front of the customer.After they all get a good laugh I explain that it was TEA I was drinking,
Brass sells for $8.00.
I find that the heavier the slide the better. I make copper pipe slides to give away with a CBG purchase. The tone of these is a little muted...but adequate. My favorite is a short heavy chrome Dunlop and also a long heavy porcelain slide called a Mudslide. I have a variety of slides, including glass bottleneck. Each one is unique, just as each CBG is unique. I rarely use the term 'best'...Rod
My friend Greg at www.bottleneckstore.com made me a port wine bottle slide. I heard that these bottles are usually very thick glass. Greg told me the glass is different in that it tends to chip instead of crack. The slide is great. It is very heavy and thick, but not bulky.
The bone slides that are available at www.smokehouseguitars.com are cool too. For the longest time I wanted one after seeing Roy BookBinder use one. Fred McDowell learned from a relative how to fashion a ring sized one out of a steak bone.
I like metal too. The one I currently use was made by a company back in the 1970s called Mighty Mite. I read on the back of Sam Mitchell's Art of Bottleneck/slide guitar album (Yikes! an album, I guess I had this a long time) he used one. A few years ago, I searched on ebay everytime I went on. What a country! I found one.
I like brass or glass 45mm long , glass from the wine botte necks , with the brass ones i like to dremmel a slot were my nuckle goes so there s no ride up when you bend your finger. oh and i like them tight.
I am a brass user, my favourite is a rollover for the small finger which can be flipped away in one hand ovement when playing finger stuff, as it is open on one side and has arotating bearing to fit on the finger.
Matter of taste I suppose...
depends on the sound you're looking for... scratchy/grindy-go with metal (copper, brass).... for smoother, sweeter slides, go with glass, ceramic, bone.... I have gotten attached to my homemade bottle necks (different lengths for note-ing or chording)...
Thanks to all who responded, I got a pretty good idea now. Because of my big fat hands it's hard to fit a slide on my fingers. But I do have an old bottle neck slide I can use by useing the wide part on my ring finger. Will cut the mouth off to make a stubby slide because all I have is a three string.
Thank you all Roger
My favorite slide is a medium thick piece of brass pipe somebody made for me. It's slightly shorter than a commercial slide. I also have a Dunlop thick walled glass slide that I like the sound of, but I have trouble with it slipping off my finger when my hand sweats. The brass sticks on real good. I've experimented with gluing some thin leather on the inside of the glass slide and it seems to help the slipping.
On the other hand, Cedell Davis plays with the flat blade of a butter knife!
Like the others are saying, slides are relatively cheap in the scheme of things, so go ahead and get several and experiment until you find what you like in terms of sound and fit.
I offer copper slides to some of my customers IF they are having trouble being able to buy the CBG AND a slide.I'm not a big fan of copper, to me it seems to suck some of the sound away from the string . I 'm wondering if the copper being softer is the reason. BUT I have them if the customer wants 1. I explain why I'm not real fond of copper but I leave it up to the customer.I use a brass slide and have been happy with it so far.We DO sell steel slides as well to help round out the choices for our customers now.
Replies
Our price ranges now run from $3.00 for copper,$3.00 for a glass bottle ( empty Brandy) Emptied by me ,,,,,, of course,,,I like to sell the bottle full , then pop the top off and guzzle down the contents in front of the customer.After they all get a good laugh I explain that it was TEA I was drinking,
Brass sells for $8.00.
The bone slides that are available at www.smokehouseguitars.com are cool too. For the longest time I wanted one after seeing Roy BookBinder use one. Fred McDowell learned from a relative how to fashion a ring sized one out of a steak bone.
I like metal too. The one I currently use was made by a company back in the 1970s called Mighty Mite. I read on the back of Sam Mitchell's Art of Bottleneck/slide guitar album (Yikes! an album, I guess I had this a long time) he used one. A few years ago, I searched on ebay everytime I went on. What a country! I found one.
Matter of taste I suppose...
just some thoughts,
the best,
Wichita Sam
Thank you all Roger
On the other hand, Cedell Davis plays with the flat blade of a butter knife!
Like the others are saying, slides are relatively cheap in the scheme of things, so go ahead and get several and experiment until you find what you like in terms of sound and fit.
Skeesix
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