The Best Guitar Slides

Also known as a ‘bottleneck’, a guitar slide is one of those must-have guitar accessories for guitarists who want to capture the true spirit of blues and country music. Some experienced guitarists will use an improvised slide to create the desired effect, whether an actual glass bottle neck (hence the nickname), a ring, metal piping or some other repurposed device. Famously, both Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix used a cigarette lighter as a slide, with the latter using his for the solo of All Along the Watchtower. However, in this article we are looking at bona fide tube slides – those created specifically for that purpose. We will be highlighting ten of the best guitar slides on the market today, before taking a more detailed look at slides and what to keep an eye out for when buying one. Two things to note before we get started. Firstly, we are only focusing on slides for electric or acoustic guitar, instead of the tone bars used for more specialist lap steel or pedal steel guitars. Also, note that the following chart is in no particular order, although we have tried to group together similar slides for ease of comparison. Enough talk – let’s get started!

The Best Guitar Slides

What is a Guitar Slide?

In short, a slide is a simple tubular device that slips over one of your fretting fingers (usually the third or fourth) and acts like a movable fret, allowing you to slide between notes as well as create glissandos (think Hawaiian guitar). The effect is a very fluid and emotive sound, which is why slides are so popular in emotion-fueled genres such as blues and country styles. Slides are very often associated with lap steel guitars, although used just as much on electric and acoustic guitars too. To illustrate some of the emotion and fun that can be added into a song with a slide, check out this fantastic demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5ObF0NhY5Q

What to Look for in a Guitar Slide

As you may have seen from our chart above, guitar slides come in a variety of different sizes and materials, which all offer subtle differences to the overall sound and volume they provide. Materials Starting with the materials, you will soon discover that every slide is different. In general, the harder the material, the better the sustain but harsher the sound. The softer the material, the shorter the sustain but warmer the sound. This is backed up by the general performance of the following:

• Glass slides offer a smooth and warm sound, with slightly less sustain
• Metal slides (usually steel or brass) give a grittier and brighter sound, with longer sustain
• Ceramic or porcelain slides sit somewhere in between glass and metal in terms of both tone and sustain

Thickness The thickness of the slide will also play a part in the overall feel and sound that it offers. A thicker-walled slide usually offers a warmer tone but can be harder to control, whereas a thinner-walled slide gives you a bit more ‘feel’ but tends to be less durable. Weight If you are sliding on an electric guitar, you should aim to use a lighter slide, as your guitar and amp are already working to amplify the signal. Using something too heavy may result in you touching the frets as you move the slide. However, if you are playing on an acoustic guitar, a heavier slide will be required to help you get the full sound and sustain when playing unplugged. Length When it comes to length, you can find slides that cover the entire finger and those that cover just a bit (knuckle slides). The longer the slide, the better it will be at covering the strings – if you want to slide across all six strings at one time then a long slide will allow you to do this. The only disadvantage of a long slide (and, therefore, an advantage of a shorter slide) is that it restricts that finger as a fretting finger. As you may have seen on our chart, you can find short or reversable slides that allow you to slide, then fret, then slide again without having to remove the slide from your finger in between. Fit You also have to consider the fit of the slide on your finger. If it’s too tight it’s going to end up being difficult to put on, uncomfortable to wear and just as difficult to take off! However, if it’s too loose, applying pressure to the strings takes more effort and you will have less control. Ultimately, aim for ‘snug but not tight’ and you should be fine. If in doubt, buy a slightly larger slide, which you can then stuff with leather or another material to increase the snugness. However, before you start stuffing, the easiest way to settle with the right size for you is to measure your ring size – either pop into a local jewelry store or use this handy guide from Dunlop. Then simply refer to this number when shopping for a slide. You will find that most product listings or reviews list the correct ring size, allowing you to always end up with something that should fit you perfectly.

The Final Word

We hope our chart and article has provided a bit of inspiration and information ahead of your guitar slide purchase. Thankfully, unlike a good resonator, guitar slides tend to be very affordable, so there is nothing stopping you buying a couple to try out. You may find you prefer to use different slides for different songs – perhaps there is one slide you prefer for a slow blues number, but would rather the sound of a completely different model for an upbeat country tune. You can always ask to try a few out in your local guitar store first, to see if the fit and tone works for you before you buy.