Post by Matt Milton on Feb 18, 2020 11:05:54 GMT
I’ve started playing a bit of slide guitar recently, mainly to play a few of Tampa Red’s blues songs. This kind of playing is usually single string, or just two strings – it’s not that full-on, all-strings approach.
I’ve already wasted a bit of money with a couple of slides that are way too big. Seems to be a common complaint. I have quite thin fingers.
I’ve worked out that I like lightweight knuckle slides or short slides, with a thin wall (minimizes knocking against the fret.) Of the 4 or 5 slides I now own, there are two that work for me.
One is a smallish tapered lightweight glass slide that cost me £20 from a shop on Denmark St, which I think the shop assistant said was called a ‘Swamp Slide’ but he wasn’t actually sure. It’s really well made with a nice taper to it. Fits my ring finger really well and my little finger tolerably. I find sliding with my ring finger preferable to my little finger anyway, feels more natural and controlled. Must pop back and confirm the brand and size.
The other is the Jim Dunlop knuckle slide (brass), which is described as ring size 9 or 10. It only really fits on my middle finger: too big for all the others, too small for the index. But this actually works very well for Tampa Red-style single-string playing, and I can still sound notes with that same finger.
I’m content with these two. But does anyone have any particular slide recommendations for slim fingers? I’m currently eyeing up three from Jim Dunlop: the Joe Perry 256; the Shy Slide; and the Blues Bottle 274.
www.jimdunlop.com/content/manuals/Slide_Chart.pdf
Also, has anyone ever stuffed anything in a slide to make it fit your finger – what material did you use? And has anyone ever sawn down a slide to make it shorter?
I’ve already wasted a bit of money with a couple of slides that are way too big. Seems to be a common complaint. I have quite thin fingers.
I’ve worked out that I like lightweight knuckle slides or short slides, with a thin wall (minimizes knocking against the fret.) Of the 4 or 5 slides I now own, there are two that work for me.
One is a smallish tapered lightweight glass slide that cost me £20 from a shop on Denmark St, which I think the shop assistant said was called a ‘Swamp Slide’ but he wasn’t actually sure. It’s really well made with a nice taper to it. Fits my ring finger really well and my little finger tolerably. I find sliding with my ring finger preferable to my little finger anyway, feels more natural and controlled. Must pop back and confirm the brand and size.
The other is the Jim Dunlop knuckle slide (brass), which is described as ring size 9 or 10. It only really fits on my middle finger: too big for all the others, too small for the index. But this actually works very well for Tampa Red-style single-string playing, and I can still sound notes with that same finger.
I’m content with these two. But does anyone have any particular slide recommendations for slim fingers? I’m currently eyeing up three from Jim Dunlop: the Joe Perry 256; the Shy Slide; and the Blues Bottle 274.
www.jimdunlop.com/content/manuals/Slide_Chart.pdf
Also, has anyone ever stuffed anything in a slide to make it fit your finger – what material did you use? And has anyone ever sawn down a slide to make it shorter?