Makeshift Slide?

[Johnny the Kid]

Seeing as how I'm not in a band anymore (I'm currently at Indiana State, 3 hours away from the rest of my band), I hooked up with a couple friends down here and we're currently playing some blues type stuff. I never really got into slide guitar but figured it would be a worthwhile time investment for some bluesy stuff. I used to have a glass slide, a porcelain slide, and a metal slide when I first started playing (my lessons teacher insisted that I learn it, then proceeded to not teach me anything about it), but I've since lost/ given them away. So instead of buying a fourth slide, I made (sort of) my own.

This is part of a tin cigar tube that I had in my dorm (smoked the cigar at my brother's wedding, kept the tube for some reason), and man it does the job well. It's big enough to fit my middle finger in (the finger I'm most comfortable sliding with), sounds great, and looks pretty cool.



So what is the best makeshift slide that you've used, and do you still use it?

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I've always used a Bic lighter.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I play very little slide. I used to do this thing with a band a while back where we'd break off into this obnoxious call and response thing with the female singer cat calling into the mic and I'd grab a beer bottle from someone in the audience (usually...preferably a girl) and I'd just slide up the neck to mimic her screeching and beer would foam up from the bottle and go everywhere.

People seemed to like it a couple of times but it was a pain to clean up.

:sad:

I'll take a dunlop glass slide anyday.

I made one in metal shop in highschool but it sounded aweful...maybe because I made it out of aluminum.

 

[kirbyg]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I don't play much slide so when I do i just grab the best fitting deep well socket out of my tool box.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I have a makeshift slide that is a piece of copper piping left over from construction at a nearby site. I just polished the edges so no sharp corners remained. Except for the fact that it is short (kindof a half-finger slide), it is pretty awesome.

I picked up a Dunlop glass slide at Best Buy (no kidding, BB here has a guitar misc. isle) for like $5.

I wouldn't mind getting a good ceramic slide, but have yet to find one that fits my finger well. There is a pretty big difference in sound between the copper pipe and the glass. I want to get the ceramic just to comopare how it sounds and feels.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I use a deep well socket. Much more mass and better tone.

 

[LReese]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I use my toenail clippers. Never clean the toejam out of them - ya know for that jammin' tone.

Actually anything smooth and hard that will allow a defined note should work to a varying degree.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

A big ol' empty 40 o' steel.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

If it works, it works.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Rob Iacullo]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

a mechanics socket, for a socket wrench, works, too. And try a glass slide. They have a unique sound.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I have both a metal slide and a glass slide, but I usually just grab the closest Bic lighter or beer bottle. I have also used a drum stick and a mic stand.

Don't get that cigar tube stuck on your finger!

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I cut a slide from a wine bottle neck one time with a hacksaw. Took a ridiculously long time to do . . . but it worked well. All of this socket set talk really makes me feel stupid for not trying that first though!

 

[trevorus]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

The ones I really love are the ceramic slides. They're a bit harder to improvise. A coffee mug is just a bit too big.

 

[cohara41]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

Big old thick 13mm deep well socket. Cut the top off, nice. Had an old 70's Matuse wine bottle neck that I'm lookin' for another. My cat knocked it off a window sill. They not made anymore. & many others.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

+ another for teh Bic

:headbang:

 

[DeathALT.]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

Randomly stumbled upon this video. Thought it would be helpful for anyone that wants to make a glass slide.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

My first thought was "glass dildo", but then my second thought was "but, I've never actually tried that". Back in a minute...

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

I've used the trem bar from my x1 and a pen before. Now I have a ceramic slide and I'm happy with it

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

Anyone else ever used the remote control to their tv?

 

[erksin]

Re: Makeshift Slide?

IMO, for slide you need mass to generate meat and sustain - that thin little cigar tube would never work for me.

I use glass for electric and metal for acoustic - and use these two guys:

The bottle is from an old RX I got when I was a kid (can't believe I've not broken it in 30 years lol), and the other is a chrome deep socket. Both have enough weight to them that I can get as much sustain as I want but are still light enough to get good vibrato.