Ordered some new Slides

[sinner]

I'm excited about some new Slides I ordered. Getting a Brass Slide and a Lead Crystal. Silly I guess, but I think they all look so beautiful, like functional art, you know art that you can make music with. All the Slides I have are very different from each other: some ceramic, thin pyrec glass, thicker wine bottle bottleneckers, the old coracidin bottle--but so far I don't have any Brass, or this fancy Lead Crystal. Each slide feels and sounds different, and it's fun to experiment. Some work best on a flat top acoustic, others on the metal reso, and the most difficult so far to find is a slide for my electrics.

Here's whats coming: a Dunlop "Eric Sardinas Preachin' Pipe" Brass Slide, it's "aged" to work and look like a well-worn, old used brass pipe slide; next is a fancy Lead Crystal Slide from Diamond Bottlenecks:

http://www.lilypix.com/photos/data/4d2e7bd33c475784381a64e43e50922f/3188_p53490.jpg

http://www.lilypix.com/photos/data/4d2e7bd33c475784381a64e43e50922f/3188_p53491.gif

[sliding-tom]

Here's a little "slide-porn", as they called it on TFF for you:

http://www.lilypix.com/photos/data/e3251075554389fe91d17a794861d47b/3358_p44955.jpeg

I do have a couple more. Lead crystal is great for slide! Since I don't like those pyrex slides the only glass slides I liked so far were the bottlenecks I made myself and that's a PITA! Stainless steel is also great - different tone than any other metal.
another one I'd recommend to try out (no affiliation here) - is "The Rockslide" a very thoughtful creation and well engineered. They have a website, check it out!

[Bluesgtr20]

Tom,
I've tried and tried again. I just can't get the hang of slide guitar. How did you learn to do it? Awesome pics btw!!

[sinner]

Thanks for the tip SlidingTom about the Rockslides! I just called them and ordered up a medium Gold Plated one and the limited edition Nickel Plated one--they look pretty cool and the notch concept should be a delight!

Bluesgtr: it takes time to get the hang of slide. It's like a whole new instrument. Be patient and little by little it will come. Keep it nice and slow and just try to make the sound clear and precise (right over the fret). It's sort of like when you first learned to bend strings and find the note then add vibrato.

It can help to have the right type of guitar, strings, and set-up for slide. It's pretty tought to start on an electric with low action and light strings! Once you decide on a guitar to use, it can be very helpful to get instructional DVD and/or book and start with the very basics. When I got my first resonator guitar I discovered right away I had entered a whole new world and decided to get lessons specifically for resonator slide/fingerpicking technique. I owed it to this wonderful old guitar! Country blues music is a whole universe and I have made my first steps into this new world.

[sliding-tom]

Thanks for the tip SlidingTom about the Rockslides! I just called them and ordered up a medium Gold Plated one and the limited edition Nickel Plated one--they look pretty cool and the notch concept should be a delight!

Bluesgtr: it takes time to get the hang of slide. It's like a whole new instrument. Be patient and little by little it will come. Keep it nice and slow and just try to make the sound clear and precise (right over the fret). It's sort of like when you first learned to bend strings and find the note then add vibrato.

It can help to have the right type of guitar, strings, and set-up for slide. It's pretty tought to start on an electric with low action and light strings! Once you decide on a guitar to use, it can be very helpful to get instructional DVD and/or book and start with the very basics. When I got my first resonator guitar I discovered right away I had entered a whole new world and decided to get lessons specifically for resonator slide/fingerpicking technique. I owed it to this wonderful old guitar! Country blues music is a whole universe and I have made my first steps into this new world.

Everything sinner says: you can use ANY guitar for slide but it's an entirely different instrument! I started out in standard tuning because I only had one instrument and was too lazy to go back and forth between tunings (and I wasn't good at tuning anyway back then!). A good starting point might be the linear style where you play your lines only on the 1st string, while thumbing the low E-string for rhythm. One VERY nice thing about slide is you can intonate the perfect pitches of the natural harmonics scale instead of the tempered scale - sounds so sweet! - Just got back from rehearsal and I'm tired and going to bed right now, got to be back up early tomorrow morning, but if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help you out!

[sinner]

(goodnite Tom, sleep well!)...

[sliding-tom]

I'm back - but tired again - been a busy week. Almost lost my right hand ring finger today closing the sliding door of my VW van but I'm O.K.! Looks like we're going to get this place going somewhat, don't we? Up until now it still looks more like a private conversation between me, you and bluesgtr20 - so let's draw in more folks!

[sinner]

Wow--got to watch them doors, slidingtom! I closed the big iron security gate at my bookstore on my left index finger, more pain than anything I ever felt, and it took over a year to feel like normal again. I didn't want to stop playing the guitar, and started right away with the practice. The finger actually felt better after I played, kind of loosened up, but there were certain positions I couldn't do for quite a while without a lot of pain. I avoided those but kept playing. Watch yourself, guys!

Bluesgtr20: another Slide tip: at first it helped me to be very conscious about technique, holding the slide perfectly parrallel to the strings, and keeping my hand and fingers behind the slide very flat against the strings. I would drag my fingers behind the slide and dampen the string noise this way. I use the slide on my pinky, or ring finger to be able to use my pinky when needed, like making those 7th note reaches. Making a clean sound was my goal. Then when it felt like second nature, I could lighten up a bit and not pay as much attention, try turning the slide, or using the top of it, exploring around a bit and find other good sounds and techniques. Sometimes you want some "noise" involved and work this into the sound you are going for. I think eventually you find and perfect your own technique and style, but at first it's good to try and do it "correct" and get results, then go off on your own--my two cents...

It also helped me to use only my finger for picking for a while, kind of making you more "one" with the guitar, strings, and slide. You have more control over the strings and tone this way too. One can also dampen strings using the picking hand fingers too, resting a finger on a string you don't want to make sound. Snapping the string is easy with fingers too and brightens the tone. I do use a pick some time, and it is good to explore that as well, but it did help me at first just using my fingers. Then, of course you got your thumb to thump a beat on the open strings, while playing the melody with the slide on the top string(s).

Let us know how it's coming along!

[sliding-tom]

Right, sinner! Best approach is to learn it the right way, that means damping and all the techniques to get a good clean tone. Then you can go and break the rules - but like I 'd say: you got to know the rules before you break them! About half the time in my slide playing I don't dampen much because I want that "dirt" in there (I remember Ry Cooder saying he wants those "ghost" notes to ring along with his plying), same goes for the slide I choose for which style - some are noisier than others and I like that for certain tunes and styles. But it's always good to be able to pull off a super clean tone like Tampa Red or Earl Hooker.
Tilting the slide: this way you can get much closer or even spot on "natural" intervals which sound much sweeter than the tempered. I'll give you an example: open G-tuning - play the top two strings at the 12th fret and tilt the slide slightly so that the third on the B-string is slightly flat. Listen to that sound and compare with your slide straight over the fret.
playing the 2nd and 3rd string tilt the slight the other way around so that the third on the b-string is slightly flat again.
Then play the dominant seventh (fret 15, strings 1 + 2) with the slide tilted so the f on the 1rst string is slightly flat. Get it?
See you all next time!

[gakees]

Hello everybody. I've followed this forum for the last couple of years and only recently joined. I'm much more of a reader than a poster and I've enjoyed all of the recent posts. But, all of the recent talk about slamming fingers in doors has really caught my attention. I lost the first joint of the ring finger of my left hand in 1975 when a box safe door closed on it. It's virtually useless now with the exception of making a couple of chords. I had been playing guitar for about 10 years at the time. Basically, it was back to the drawing board learning the chords and scales using the little finger in its place. And that took quite a while. Anyway, it eventually dawned on me to drop a slide on it and a whole new world of guitar playing was born. I love blues, rock and roll and George Winstorn on the piano. Playing in 3 bands these days, one of which is all acoustic. Have no plans of ever stopping.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/gakees/P2110025.jpg

[sliding-tom]

gakees, you have my highest respect for not giving up!

[gakees]

sliding-tom, thanks for the kind words! I wonder to this day what prompted me to re-learn playing the guitar. I guess it's just the spit and vinegar we had in ourselves when we were 18 years old. My older brother and I were playing in our first band at the time and I had just bought my first Les Paul. I seem to remember that I was able to start the process of learning to use the little finger about a month after losing the ring finger. It was VERY painful as the habit of using the ring finger wasn't easy to break. And I remember playing two songs over and over in trying to get used to using the little finger for solos---Jessica and Ramblin Man. Now, exactly when that was, I don't really remember. 1975 was a long time ago. But, I don't really recall that not re-learning was an option. I started playing guitar around 1965, when I was 8 or so and, shortly thereafter, our parents bought us a banjo and a mandollin. So, playing music was just something we did growing up as kids. I know I'm rambling here and I apologize for that. But, cutting the finger off kept me from playing in a band for maybe 3 months and, by then, I was good to go. And, cutting off the finger probably saved my life. I was determined to play music for a living well after cutting the finger off. Then, one day, my oldest brother told me how stupid I was and to go get a real job. So, I did and for the last 24 years I've been a banker. Now ain't that a hell of a note? Now, in an effort to convince everyone that I'm not trying to hijack a thread, ain't playing slide great? Once again, Thanks for the kind words.

[sliding-tom]

sliding-tom, thanks for the kind words! I wonder to this day what prompted me to re-learn playing the guitar. I guess it's just the spit and vinegar we had in ourselves when we were 18 years old. My older brother and I were playing in our first band at the time and I had just bought my first Les Paul. I seem to remember that I was able to start the process of learning to use the little finger about a month after losing the ring finger. It was VERY painful as the habit of using the ring finger wasn't easy to break. And I remember playing two songs over and over in trying to get used to using the little finger for solos---Jessica and Ramblin Man. Now, exactly when that was, I don't really remember. 1975 was a long time ago. But, I don't really recall that not re-learning was an option. I started playing guitar around 1965, when I was 8 or so and, shortly thereafter, our parents bought us a banjo and a mandollin. So, playing music was just something we did growing up as kids. I know I'm rambling here and I apologize for that. But, cutting the finger off kept me from playing in a band for maybe 3 months and, by then, I was good to go. And, cutting off the finger probably saved my life. I was determined to play music for a living well after cutting the finger off. Then, one day, my oldest brother told me how stupid I was and to go get a real job. So, I did and for the last 24 years I've been a banker. Now ain't that a hell of a note? Now, in an effort to convince everyone that I'm not trying to hijack a thread, ain't playing slide great? Once again, Thanks for the kind words.


No rambling and no hijacking here as far as I'm concerned - I'm always interested to learn about fellow forum members, where and how they live, what they're doing for a living etc., so I appreciate that glimpse into your personal life.
Concerning playing music for a living and a "real" job: I was a pro for a substantial part of my adult life - nowadays I have a "real" profession and sometimes having a hard time making ends meet - so go figure. Still, I would advise anybody who wants to be serious about music to get an education that he/she could fall back on if music doesn't work out.
Back to slide: got Roy Rogers' live CD today in the mail, only had time to listen to the first few tracks but like it very much so far. See Ya!
Tom

[sinner]

Hello everyone! I too was motivated after reading your post Gakees, that's persistence for sure!

Just got my RockSlides in the mail today. A gold plated one and the limited nickel, bot medium size. Haven't tried them out on a guitar yet, but put them on the finger for a quick get acquainted. The notch cut-out feels good, and the small, flat area on the side for your next door finger to rest against, all seem good, but I was surprised at how short they are. Mediums were suppose to be "six string" coverage, but it is a shory slide. But might be fine, I'll see.

My favorite slide is a bottleneck, just a hint of a flare, and it is fairly long, extending at least a half inch over my pinky. It is medium-heavy, and I was looking for something lighter for other guitars I have with lower action (and even electric guitars) as this big bottleneck is a bit too heavy for them. Maybe the Rockslides will work good for those.

My favorite slide sound lately has been Johnny Winter, using either his old German Sliver Tricone or his single-cone Duolian. His sound is so clear and cuts through, I wonder if the recording has a lot to do with this? It also sounds like he may actually be using a flat pick rather than fingers or fingerpicks. Who knows, but it sounds great!

[gakees]

I've used a Dunlop large, thick walled glass slide for years and it's still my favorite. Still, I use a variety including a moonshine ceramic and an acoustic-glide brass that I recently bought. I also have a Planet Waves short brass that I'm still getting used to. As far as slide players go, I'm amazed at Sonny Landreth but Ry Cooder is one of my alltime favorites. His work on Rainy Day Crossroads Blues off the Doobie Bros Stampede album never gets old with me.

[sliding-tom]

I don't know how wide the fretboards on your guitars are, sinner but the medium Rockslide covers all six strings on mine with the possible exception of my tricone. Although I very very rarely play all six strings at once with the slide. The medium is just perfect for me (although my all time favourite is a homemade bottleneck that accidentally got the notch out when breaking off the lip). I wished Rockslide would make a stainless steel slide, cause stainless has a tone all of its own. I have one made by a guy here in Germany, but it's a little too big and heavy for my taste and playing style. One of these days I'm going to have him make one for me to my specs - he already offered to do that, but I'm still not exactly sure about the size and measurements.
Re Johnny Winter: great slide player, although a little busy sometimes! I suspect that he strung his Nationals with relatively light strings, like a set of .011 - .049. But what I do know is he used a thumbpick much in the fashion you use a flatpick.