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bottleneck choice


blindboygrunt

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whats thoughts on slides folk.

BK in particular since you're the bluesking.

 

heavy seems to be good for tone from what I read, but I'm learning and it just clatters a lot.

 

my most comfortable one is just a chrome thing. goes on middle finger full length of finger and isn't what you would call thick or heavy.

 

have a glass one but it's a bit loose . and thicker glass than the chrome .

The thinner it is seems to help me with accuracy. thinner as in the thickness of the material

 

and online ordering - how do I know what size ?

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I'm watching, but have to take the hound for walkies!

 

This is important stuff and we don't want to 'lead you astray'....ho ho....too.

 

While I'm thinking on it, look up Diamond Bottlenecks - get your finger size by going to a jeweller and asking for your ring size...I kid you not. ( or buy a ring size card).

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

PS: I am not any kind of blues king - phew - too tough - I just own a Gibson Blues King guitar!

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I'm watching, but have to take the hound for walkies!

 

This is important stuff and we don't want to 'lead you astray'....ho ho....too.

 

While I'm thinking on it, look up Diamond Bottlenecks - get your finger size by going to a jeweller and asking for your ring size...I kid you not. ( or buy a ring size card).

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

PS: I am not any kind of blues king - phew - too tough - I just own a Gibson Blues King guitar!

 

Not sure I want any jewellers measuring my ring, thank you very much.

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Hey, BB. The general rule of thumb is metal for honk, glass for smooth (ceremaic slides are similar to glass, but I personally don't care for the feel). Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Fred McDowell, Duane Allman, Steve James, Paul Geremia, & Tom Feldmann use/used glass. You can get away with a thinner slide on electric (J. Winters copper tube, Coricidin bottle) but for acoustic, you want denser material. I've made my own, but right now, Im using a single cut Sly Devil, like it a lot

 

Bottlenecks.jpg

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Hey, BB. The general rule of thumb is metal for honk, glass for smooth (ceremaic slides are similar to glass, but I personally don't care for the feel). Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Fred McDowell, Duane Allman, Steve James, Paul Geremia, & Tom Feldmann use/used glass. You can get away with a thinner slide on electric (J. Winters copper tube, Coricidin bottle) but for acoustic, you want denser material. I've made my own, but right now, Im using a single cut Sly Devil, like it a lot

 

Bottlenecks.jpg

 

cheers rambler

 

does the ridge on the bottle not get in the way ?

 

obviously not , hence the recommendation , but .... am puzzled

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First BBG...watch this video a number of times without your guitar - lock guitar in another room. It may not be RJ just yet, but the goods are there:

 

 

 

 

He says to raise your action - leave it and get another old guitar to really keep zinging on, maybe a.... hmmm.... LG1!

Borrow cousin Bob's old guitar with the action that makes people cry in pain, and that will do just nicely for sliding.

 

Use the slide you already have until you get some sliding time under your belt.

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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First BBG...watch this video a number of times without your guitar - lock guitar in another room. It may not be RJ just yet, but the goods are there:

 

 

 

 

He says to raise your action - leave it and get another old guitar to really keep zinging on, maybe a.... hmmm.... LG1!

Borrow cousin Bob's old guitar with the action that makes people cry in pain, and that will do just nicely for sliding.

 

Use the slide you already have until you get some sliding time under your belt.

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

I picked up one of those cheap little washburns with some birthday cash BK.

something to not worry about whacking with a slide

 

nice little box.

 

I've been planning to do a wee video.

watch this space.

 

you're probably right. just mess with what I have .

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I picked up one of those cheap little washburns with some birthday cash BK.

something to not worry about whacking with a slide

 

nice little box.

 

I've been planning to do a wee video.

watch this space.

 

you're probably right. just mess with what I have .

 

 

Yeah - you don't want to bruise the frets on the Gibson.

 

Going with the slide you got - only very temporary!

 

I only had a plain Dunlop type brass slide for about 20 years - then....Internet, then forums...then.....you can't live another day unless you have the slide equivalent of the Elliot....

 

I got so many different slides I have bought and tried, that I put some nails in a bit of wood, gaffer taped them to make way for.......yep.... 12 slides various and a few spares in the toolbox.

 

I use my a Diamond Bottlenecks Blue Diamond or DB Redhouse the most - I play with it on my pinky so I can grab 3 finger chords also. Only single catch with bottles is they break - the old Dunlop brass could get run over with a truck and still be played later.

 

 

BluesKing777.

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I have a Gen-U-Wine glass slide made years ago by Eric Park; don't know if he's still around. I like the tone but it's a mite short in my opinion; difficult to play across all the strings or get to the low strings without the flange getting in the way. I recently ordered one of these and really like it:

 

http://www.jpstrings.com/braccess.htm#Contour

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Folks have used pretty much anything from a piece of bone to a knife to a tool socket. I prefer glass. Not being much for store bought slides, I use medicine bottles I picked up at flea markets and bottlenecks I make myself. One you figure out the weight/thickness you want they are easy to make.

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Folks have used pretty much anything from a piece of bone to a knife to a tool socket.

 

 

What about this one with Booker White:

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

PS: I don't like that Pearse concave slide much, Prairie - they just feel plain weird to me because they are not flat....

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I didn't want to put any distractions next to Booker white above - he stands alone!

 

So here is another reply, BBG, with a photo of some of the slides/bottlenecks I mentioned!

 

(Plus the famous Mateus bottle with the long neck that everyone likes to make slides from.... a dangerous hobby for guitar player fingers!)

 

 

Bottleneck01d_zpsd092eee6.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

And thus:

 

 

Bottleneck01e_zps8607b258.jpg

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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What ever happened to the Coracidin bottles that everyone had in their cases back in the 70s?? The Allman Bros sure sold a lot of cold tablets by releasing that info. Every guy in town had a glass Coracidin bottle in their case whether they played slide or not. Mine disappeared many years ago during a move.

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What ever happened to the Coracidin bottles that everyone had in their cases back in the 70s?? The Allman Bros sure sold a lot of cold tablets by releasing that info. Every guy in town had a glass Coracidin bottle in their case whether they played slide or not. Mine disappeared many years ago during a move.

 

 

 

I think the company may have gone to plastic bottles and that, as they say, is that!

 

 

Diamond Bottlenecks (no affiliation by the way, but they are THE best), have some pill bottle slides with nice thick glass and a hole to let the steam out!

 

I have one, but it is better for electric guitar sliding really....

 

 

 

http://www.diamondbottlenecks.com/PillBottle.html

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Hey bbg, I personally like all of these I own and have used....

 

http://www.moonshine...s.com/Home.html

 

Glazed porcelain....The interior has a good grip and feel and the tone is"to die for".....extra long lenghs makes them a real usefull tool....in my opinion!

 

I use the mudslide primarily! I use it on cigar box guitar as well as my 6-strings.

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cheers rambler.. does the ridge on the bottle not get in the way ?
Not really, B. The contact with the strings is on the middle to the upper end of the bottle, so the ridge in not in play. I have found, tho, that longer bottlenecks (2.5" and up) are great for block chords and the outside strings but a little harder to articualte in the middle strings (Fred McDowell's Wirried Life or Son House's Country Farm, both in open A). My current fave is 2 1/4 and works right nice.
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Not really, B. The contact with the strings is on the middle to the upper end of the bottle, so the ridge in not in play. I have found, tho, that longer bottlenecks (2.5" and up) are great for block chords and the outside strings but a little harder to articualte in the middle strings (Fred McDowell's Wirried Life or Son House's Country Farm, both in open A). My current fave is 2 1/4 and works right nice.

 

you're confusing me. my fault .

 

If I play slide it's in open tuning. so , what's a guy to do with a slide that doesn't reach across all the strings ??

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I'm even more of a novice slide player than just straight guitar player but I like the Coricidin bottle the best (I play it on my ring finger) followed by one made from the neck of a Fighting Cock whiskey bottle a la Ry Cooder. There's a certain heft to the Fighting Cock and the taper is great. Now if I could just get that soul and the tone Ry wrings out of a guitar I'd be all set.

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If I play slide it's in open tuning. so , what's a guy to do with a slide that doesn't reach across all the strings ??
The classic bottleneck guys --Blind Willie Johnson, WIllie McTell, Son House, Robt Johnson, Booker White, Fred McDowell -- dont really hit a lot of block chords. You hear a lot more of single and double string lines, melody notes, bass runs. Sure, there's Elmore James with his da-da-dat da-da-dat da-da-dat daaah-dah movem, but these other guys had a little more finesse.

 

In the examples below, see how tiny Fred McDowell's slide is and see how he moves between the high and low registers. Fred McDowell

 

Tom Feldmann does sveral slide numbers in this segment. Again, see how he picks off specific liens and doenst jsut go 'waaaaah"

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The classic bottleneck guys --Blind Willie Johnson, WIllie McTell, Son House, Robt Johnson, Booker White, Fred McDowell -- dont really hit a lot of block chords. You hear a lot more of single and double string lines, melody notes, bass runs. Sure, there's Elmore James with his da-da-dat da-da-dat da-da-dat daaah-dah movem, but these other guys had a little more finesse.

 

In the examples below, see how tiny Fred McDowell's slide is and see how he moves between the high and low registers. Fred McDowell

 

Tom Feldmann does sveral slide numbers in this segment. Again, see how he picks off specific liens and doenst jsut go 'waaaaah"

 

I get ya. blatantly obvious really.

funny how often I can't see the wood for the trees.

 

I really am impressed that you typed out the Elmore riff. ...

 

cheers rambler

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Especially if they have trouble sizing....

 

 

 

I have a variety of DB glass - like Gibbies, they all vary a touch. But generally, I get the size that 'just' fits across all 6 strings, in case I go 'lectric' and want to go Dah da da dah lump....(George Thorogood riff).

 

I also have a DB 'original) with the lip, ok for Fred McD stuff, but no good for 6 string chord.

 

Do I have to get the tape measure out....bang, crash, thump....(getting tape measure out noises) .... They are mostly 61-62 mm.

 

 

It is probably best to have a selection of weaponry.

 

 

BluesKing777.

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