Brass or Glass?

Does anyone here ever mess with playing slide? For years I have be using the old glass slide and today I tried a brass slide. I had never been able to handle the brass slide and today I figured out why.

The brass slide I have is tapered just slightly to make it actually hit the strings flat.Yes I have been putting it on backwards. Low and behold it feels better than the glass I have been using and the tone is sweet and controlled. I couldn't get it to work at all before. It makes me wonder what else I put on backwards.

The lesson learned is that I am as dumb as a rock. My kids are right!

y2kc

Hi Casey,

I actually use both glass and brass but it has taken me ages to actually find one of each that I really liked. I tried Dunlop for both materials but their sizes never fit right; medium are too small for my fingers, large too big. Same for medicine jars; you almost need one custom made. The brass ones I tried were all too heavy and it's like carrying a piece of concrete around. These new fangled ones that are basically a thin rod you can rotate out of the way so you can play chords and slide interchangeably didn't do it for me either.

About a year ago I bought a The Rock Slide glass slide at Dusty Strings here in Seattle after going through their complete selection of slides of makes and materials they had on display. Next bought a brass one online and I love these things. The small little taper at the end allows it to 'stick' to the tip of your finger whereas that bevel at the bottom makes it incredibly comfortable to wear. Now I have a box with about 15 unused slides.

And yes, the sound is slightly different between g;ass and brass. Makes that the next time you pick up the National Tricone, there is always something new to discover. Not that it doesn't work on electric but I still haven't set up a guitar specifically for slide, which I should because I'm fighting the board radius at times.

Have fun man!

- Jos

Tim and Jos,

What guitars do you choose for slide most often? Today I am playing a first year heritage h-140 and digging the tones.

Tim and Jos,

What guitars do you choose for slide most often? Today I am playing a first year heritage h-140 and digging the tones.

Hey Casey,

As mentioned, I play a National Tricone for the acoustic end of the spectrum (tuned GBDGBD) and a PRS Sunburst 245 (standerd tuning) and ASAT Jr. (I and II, one in EBEA♭BE, other in DGDGBD) ) for the electric side of things.

- Jos

BTW, quite the exciting day today. GO, HAWKS!!

That was a bad hawks game and it has been hard to watch them lately. They had close to 40 shots on goal going into the 3rd tied and lost by three. Hard to watch.

That was a bad hawks game and it has been hard to watch them lately. They had close to 40 shots on goal going into the 3rd tied and lost by three. Hard to watch.

That was a bad hawks game and it has been hard to watch them lately. They had close to 40 shots on goal going into the 3rd tied and lost by three. Hard to watch.

uh … Yup, guess the Blackhawks are Hawks too. Now, if they would learn too how to win games in the last 3 minutes, after spotting the opponent 16 and having 4 turn-overs …

- Jos

Hi Casey!

Glass slides: Smoother tone, think George Harrison as he used glass.

Brass slides: A bit more sustain and brighter to me. Think Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters.

I've used ceramic, porcelain, stainless steel, synthetic, Will Ray's ring slides (which I think takes even more talent to use -- but Will's a master!!!), slides made from necks of wine bottles (when we owned the shop we had a plethora of different slides, etc.). Weight can make a different and as weird as this will sound one of my best slides is a socket from a socket wrench I bought at Sears. :) You do need to find one that fits. It's critical. There was a really cool custom slide company and I went to order just in December and they are temporarily shut down - they actually took the measurements of your finger for length, girth and offered slides in custom sizes.

Nice thing is THEY ARE CHEAP ENOUGH and so I recommend buying both. My thing isn't so much the girth but the length as I like bend my finger in the middle instead of at the hand. I must have 5 or 6 slides and I do switch what I use from certain guitars (especially on electric versus acoustic - I usually use a heavier one on acoustic) ~ but as mentioned, they are usually $9.95 - $15.00 so won't break the bank but buy two.

Tim

I agree with Tim. I would also add that the mass and weight of the slide, as well as the string height, will determine the best & smoothest tone.
My 2¢
Will

I'd suggest a small extra investment in a heavy-ish slide, which really means brass or stainless, in addition to what you already use, because it may introduce you to a good learning curve.
When the slide is light, weak tone can result from the fact the strings "kick it about" with their vibration, and the only available cure is to raise the action so as to get more downforce to try and tame it. And then you're pressing down all the time, maybe quite a lot.
But the heavier slide will "float" more authoritatively, and give more security of getting clear notes as well as bigger tone. The trick with it is to become aware of how you control the heavier slide. When you're new to it, you will likely find that its momentum, as you move around, may crash the strings onto the frets. If you relax and give yourself some learning room, you may find you get a good handle on it, though, and you might just really like it. You can float like a (heavy) butterfly...
I've ended up using a fairly hefty Martin Simpson stainless for everything, acoustic and electric, and I've never been happier.
But having said that, somewhere I've still got a really skinny chrome steel tube one for the odd moments when I want to do an Elmore soundalike. Nothing else does that nerve-end-edgy slide sound he had quite as well for me as that bit of old 1950s steel bicycle handlebar.

I like the ceramic ones. Has the sound and feel of glass, but the weight of brass.

The brass is working. The added mass is the trick for me. I had enjoyed using glass but this is nicer. The ceramics look like a perfect match of surface and weight so I will try those for sure.

Guitars are so much fun,

y2kc

I only use a slide on two songs, and I'm probably the worst slide player in the world.

I use a chromed Dunlop slide. It's like their standard steel slide, but it is smaller in length and diameter; sorry, I can't remember the number. They must not be very popular, 'cause they're harder than heck to find. I like the thin wall, and the light weight and mass; it's easier for me to manipulate.

And smooth tone?

What's that's?

Bill

Bill, that sounds like the same as my Elmore slide.

I did literally cut up a scrapheap bicycle's bars in the 1960's when I first tried to get Elmore James' thing happening.
I must look out for a Dunlop for a spare! It can be such a great raw sound to play with.

And a plywood acoustic with some sort of basic pickup, like my old broke-teenager rig, and that would be getting close again. What a different world James was in; perhaps we forget. Those records mostly sold locally, and predominantly to the ladies, I believe...