bigd1 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 As well as playing Bass I play quite a bit of guitar. I want to start playing slide, but as have never used a slide. I wonder if any BC musicians can offer any advice as to which slide to buy. Brass, glass, plastic etc I know they all give a different sound and are really personal preference, but how are they different. I quite fancy, and I don't know why, a Jim Dunlop slide. Any advice, thoughts etc would be fantastic. Ta very glad BIGd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Jamin Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 (edited) I've got one of those cheap blue plastic ones. Really not that hard to use - I just keep it in the garden and my nephews/nieces love it. Not sure how you'd use it with a guitar though. Although I don't really know much about guitar to be fair Edited August 15, 2012 by Ben Jamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd1 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Slides are quite personal. I have a Dunlop and I don't like it. I prefer the idea of making one's own. I like the look of Gilmour's on the Pompeii vid. It depends on what you want to do with it too. I used to use a piece of thin brass pipe from a wind chime as a gliss, a la El Alien. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 (edited) I found glass easier in the bad old days of playing thin wimpy strings. Brass was a bit clanky. Now go and beat yourself up for messing with the dark side Edited August 16, 2012 by Geek99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 (edited) I have a brass one that's too big for my finger (given to me as a present - must've thought I had fingers like sausages) and then I got a chrome one that fits me better. Whatever you get, make sure it fits snugly. Glass is meant to be 'warmer' than metal. G. Edited August 16, 2012 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Glass slides give you a warmer tone, whereas brass (or metal) slides give you a slightly brighter, thinner sound, at least to my ears that is. I ended up with a ceramic one, it's a Joe Perry signature one, trouble is, with my sausage fingers, it's not really large enough for me, and only fits on the top part of my finger. It's all in the ear of the beholder, but I prefer a warmer tone, so glass would be my first choice, and the neck of a beer bottle seems to have the edge, can't think why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd1 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 I think it's the warmer sounds I'm after, for Blues/Rock type styles. Gilmour, Page, Bonamassa, Gallagher sort of thing. It's always difficult explaining the sound you have in your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Might be worth considering the guitar and type of pickup. For the single coils I use, I really can't abide the sound of metal slides (really thin sound), so it's glass all the way for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Glass on a 'lectric, and Brass on acoustic usually. Works for me, and if it's not tight, stick bits of cloth/paper in there until it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 They're cheap enough: buy a few different ones and see what works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 My friend has a Brass one that he uses & I found it too twangy for my liking. Beer bottle all the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I once saw a tutorial on how to heat up a Jack Daniel's bottle& tap the neck off to get an authentic Southern slide..............y'all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I worked my way through various slides over the years and came to the conclusion that plastic slides weren't to my taste - too 'sticky' on the strings. Glass was good, steel was better and brass was best - for me. The most important thing, IMO, was that they had a bit of mass, so I eventually settled on a brass one where the thickness increased towards the top. Very heavy but it felt easier to control. Downside was that you had to give it a quick polish with brasso every so often, because the tarnishing spoiled the sound a bit. Slides - def a YMMV thing. And anyway, you can always play slide on a bass's G string. Such larks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1345108168' post='1773520'] I think it's the warmer sounds I'm after, for Blues/Rock type styles. Gilmour, Page, Bonamassa, Gallagher sort of thing. [/quote] I sincerely hope the Gallagher you are referring to is Rory & not Noel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd1 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1345122951' post='1773838'] I sincerely hope the Gallagher you are referring to is Rory & not Noel. [/quote] Rory all the way. Noel who ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I have a glass bottle neck slide and I believe it has the nicest and warmest tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerstodge Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Bottle o bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 My OH uses a glass one, our guitarist in the band uses a brass one. To be honest, I think the glass one gives a softer tone, the brass one sounds brassier and harsher in my mind. depends on the sound you are going for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musophilr Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I believe it is customary to use heavier guage strings with a higher action for slide guitar, although light strings and low action never seemed to bother Ritchie Blackmore when he used a slide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1345192443' post='1774696'] My OH uses a glass one, our guitarist in the band uses a brass one. To be honest, I think the glass one gives a softer tone, the[b] brass one sounds brassier [/b]and harsher in my mind. depends on the sound you are going for. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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