INTERNAL DIAMETER
A too-loose or too-tight fit will likely prove bothersome. Fortunately, most human beings have roughly similar fingers. So finding an appropriately-sized slide will hopefully not be particularly difficult for you.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Getting Started with Guitar Slides - Part 1 - Length
LENGTH
Your slide needs to be of sufficient length to bridge all the strings you wish to bridge. On a three-string guitar, I find a 4.7-cm slide manageable but bordering on too short. The neighborhood of 6-7 cm seems about right to me. (Prominent cigar box guitar player and YouTube-ist Shane Speal strongly advocates a shorter, or "stubby," slide. So even regarding length there can be scope for preference.)
Your slide needs to be of sufficient length to bridge all the strings you wish to bridge. On a three-string guitar, I find a 4.7-cm slide manageable but bordering on too short. The neighborhood of 6-7 cm seems about right to me. (Prominent cigar box guitar player and YouTube-ist Shane Speal strongly advocates a shorter, or "stubby," slide. So even regarding length there can be scope for preference.)
Getting Started with Guitar Slides - Intro
INTRO
When it comes to guitar slides, some people make the sad mistake of imagining there must be -- somehow, somewhere -- a "perfect" slide that will utterly delight and satisfy them, in a way that no other slide can approximate. This unfortunate condition is called HGSD (Holy Grail of Slides Disorder). Trying out guitar slides is a lot more fun if you just enjoy the qualities of the different slides without constantly evaluating them as better or worse, inferior or superior.
It also must be said that one's preferences are highly subjective. What bothers one person might seem desirable to another. The purpose here is simply to point out basic things to consider when trying out slides. It is up to you to carry out your own exploration and to discover what suits you best. If you're similar to me, you might feel each slide you come across has its own peculiar attraction and that it's impossible to choose one definitive favorite.
I've broken down the ensuing discussion into five areas:
The first two are fairly straightforward practical matters; the latter three involve subjective preference.
When it comes to guitar slides, some people make the sad mistake of imagining there must be -- somehow, somewhere -- a "perfect" slide that will utterly delight and satisfy them, in a way that no other slide can approximate. This unfortunate condition is called HGSD (Holy Grail of Slides Disorder). Trying out guitar slides is a lot more fun if you just enjoy the qualities of the different slides without constantly evaluating them as better or worse, inferior or superior.
It also must be said that one's preferences are highly subjective. What bothers one person might seem desirable to another. The purpose here is simply to point out basic things to consider when trying out slides. It is up to you to carry out your own exploration and to discover what suits you best. If you're similar to me, you might feel each slide you come across has its own peculiar attraction and that it's impossible to choose one definitive favorite.
I've broken down the ensuing discussion into five areas:
- Part 1 - Length
- Part 2 - Internal diameter
- Part 3 - Material
- Part 4 - Weight
- Park 5 - Bulk
The first two are fairly straightforward practical matters; the latter three involve subjective preference.
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