OT: sliding stuff guitarists wear in their finger

[zener]

I may be an ignorant by asking this question (at least I'm honest about it :wink: ):

I've been seeing that metal small tube for a long time that some guitarists wear in their pinky and use to slide along the neck of the guitar. What do you call that?

What is it made of that makes the sliding with it sounds different (it seems?)? Is there anything I can use to improvise or emulate that stuff?

Thanks.

[smoguzbenjamin]

It's called a bottleneck. You can use a metal tube but there's also some glass ones and plastic. I prefer metal. Just go to your local music shop and ask for a bottleneck. If you wanna make one yourself, here are some simple instructions:

1) Buy a bottle of beer.
2) Drink the beer.
3) Break the neck off the beer bottle.
4) File down the sharp edges of the glass.

You're done!

[slajeune]

Hi Zener,

it is called a slide.  There are various types of slides:

- Steel (good one)
- Brass (good one)
- Glass (I have ordinary slide and coricidin medecin bottle)
- Ceramic (never tried one)
- Plastic (I don't like this one)

They all have different sounds.  If you don't have access to slides, here are a few alternatives:

- You can use a small glass medecine bottle (can be hard to find, none existant almost in north america)
- You can use a ratchet socket this can be easier to find

It will get you a nice slide sound.

Enjoy playing slide, it's fun!  You should learn how to tune your guitar in open tunings (do a search on google for that), it makes playing slide easier.

Cheers,
Stephane.

[GuitarLord5000]

Sounds to me like you're talking about a slide.  Yup, that's what its called!  They're made of all kinds of materials ranging from glass to metal to porcelain.  You can check one out here:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040216085546152163252097830747/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/364041/

For myself, the brief period of time that I was interested in slides, I used a socket for a socket wrench with a deep hole that fit my finger.


edit: Blast, beat to the punch!

[smoguzbenjamin]

:| Oh damn now I'm confused. Is it a bottleneck or a slide?

[GuitarLord5000]

The bottleneck refers to the type of slide that looks like the top of a wine bottle got lopped-off, if im not mistaken.  Though the terms have been interchanged for some time now where im from.

[Xlrator]

It's both!  

[slajeune]

Hi smoguzbenjamin,

it's called a slide.  A bottleneck is a variety of slides.  It is made from the neck of a bottle (hence the name).  You need a very straight neck and also a uniform wall for the bottle neck.  This can be hard to find.  Also, breaking the neck of a bottle can be a bit dangerous.  In old blues folklore, it is said that some of the first slides where from necks of bottles of alchool that were borken off.  To smooth the jagged edges of the bottle neck, they would "sand" it on asphalt or anything as hard as asphalt.  But then again, maybe it is just folklore!

Cheers,
Stephane.

[zener]

:| Oh damn now I'm confused. Is it a bottleneck or a slide?

I thought that you were simply joking when you call it a bottleneck when everybody simply called it slide .

Regarding the bottleneck stuff, wouldn't it make a screaching sound as it slide against the string(s)?

Still to try out one tomorrow and look for a smooth bottle with a straight neck.

[GuitarLord5000]

No.  The glass slides (including the bottleneck) all have a very musical sound to them.  However, be careful not to depress the slide all the way down to the frets.  That results in a horrible (in my opinion, of course) sound.

[slajeune]

Hi Zener,

here is a site that can get you started:

http://www.slideguitar.com/

Enjoy!

Slide is very fun the play.  The 'buzzing' sound can be part of the slide sound.  A brass slide can produce a 'harsh / scraping' sound that is particular to it.  A glass slide will produce a more 'muted / warm' sound.  Try different materials and see which sound you like more!

Stephane.

[smoguzbenjamin]

Ok that clears it up Oh man how embarassing  :oops:

[blabj]

Tip: When using a slide, if you mute the strings behind the slide, you dont get a buzzing sound.

another random material to make a slide out of is copper piping, although im not that sure that its ok to use, and it makes your finger smell  :shock:

callum
P.S: sorry of someone had already said this, i just wanted to make sure that if you were gonna use a slide, that you do it the right way  

[Johan]

I do use the neck from a broken winebottle..dont remeber what brand, but it was red and I'm sure, very tasty..I put it on my ring finger so I can controll it a little better and it takes a little practice...but its worth it, so stick with it for a while...

Johan

[Ge_Whiz]

Izz called a "beer bottle"....hic!  :mrgreen:

Now, who wansa fight?

[Arn C.]

I use steel and Brass is my favorite, but I have been known to use beerbottles, drinking glasses, deep well sockets(spark plug ones)...
Peaace!
Arn C.

[MR COFFEE]

The shell from large size Switchcraft phone plugs with the knurling ground off with a bench grinder is nice for a pinky-finger slide that fits over two knuckles of your pinky so you can alternate fingering and slide. The threads keep it from falling off. FWIW

[smoguzbenjamin]

Oh man I need one of those things!

[The Tone God]

I've played for awhile now. Some of weapons used are:

CO2 cartridge
wrenches
rachet sockets
shot glasses
buck knives
butter Kkives
Letherman
chrome zippo lighters
microphone stand
edge of the stage (if it has a steel lip)
road case edge
bine bottles (necks and body)
beer bottles (necks and body)
Xacto handle
copper pipe
drum stick
rings
tubes
pop bottles (glass)
chair leg
drum stands
another guitar or bass
broken guitar string
etc.

Along with my slide collection which includes glass, chrome, steel, brass, ceramic (plain, glazed, metal glazed), procline (plain, glazed, metal glazed), zinc alloy, and a few others I can 't think of right now. Here is one thing I got in to the habit of doing. I buy fairly stiff foam, cut it into strips that can fit into the slide with space to spare, then glue the foam in the slide. When you slide you finger in it will hold the slide on to your finger. It makes sure you have good control and contact with the slide.

Fun stuff even though its tricky to get used to it. One thing beginners don't quite get it that you have to float the slide of the fret itself to properly pitch the note. They seem to just put the slide where their fingers go behind the fret. The slide is a moving fret.

Andrew

[bwanasonic]

Beer bottle glass is generally not advised for slide/ bottleneck use (too thin). A wine bottle neck is the prefered material. I use an 11/16 craftsman socket wrench, or a medium sized Jim Dunlop Glass slide. A hacked off (straight) section of bicycle handlebar will do. This style originated with blues players in the Mississippi delta who used pretty much anything they could find, including pocket knives and pieces of bone, but became known as *bottleneck* as this was the most widely used material.

See: Ry Cooder, Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Tronzo, Sonny Landreth, George Harrison, Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Tampa Red, John Fahey... for a start

Kerry M

PS. Nice little article on bottleneck:

http://www.bluemoonbottleneck.co.uk/history.htm