it has been awhile.
what do you use?
what have you heard?
what is new?
I use the Dunlop bullet slide I got years ago.
it feels great; second nature now.
it is a Dunlop 918. 3/4" and 2 15/16" long.
it is a Jerry Byrd model.
I play primarily lap steel an lap resonator. I read somewhere that reso players like a flat ended slide because they can execute pulls offs.
I tried it with the round end and then the flat end of my slide.
the flat end definately has better clarity or sharpness to the pull off.
so now Ive learned how to flip my slide end for end while playing.
fairly seamless..
my 2 cents.
I'm sorta stuck on a 'flattie' I got on eBay a few months back - one of those vintage ( 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 x 1/4" thick) flat bars. Actually, it IS vintage; nobody seems to make them anymore.
I really wanted to get one because I wanted to see how different it would be. It looked like it would be different, but sometimes you just have to have a piece of gear and use it to see what it's all about. I wanted to see what the 'olden day guys' had to work with, and what, if any, limitations they had to work around.
I hardly use the round bar anymore!
Seems it's difficult - or impossible, according to some - to do reverse/back slants with a flattie...but having fooled around with mine, I beg to differ. Yes, I know there are long-time steelers out there who love their flatties, but there is a way to do it, and pretty consistently.
Have yet to record with it (or with the lap steel for that matter - waiting for the next album to begin), but I reeeeally love it.
I do think that the 2 3/4" length (or thereabouts) will be what I'll go with though. I had been thinking of getting a 7/8 diameter round bar, but never got around to it. Also the over-3" lengths you normally see; I didn't know if I could get used to that. But then the flattie came along and it's...really pretty interesting to use.
That's it for now.
Best regards.
Here's the majority of mine:
I guess the SP-2 is my 'everyday' slide and the one I bring to gigs since it feels "safest". I practice a lot with the bullet bars and have always wanted to get comfortable with them, but I still get problems with my left shoulder from using them (I play a lot with the bar 'tilted', there's no problem as long as it lay flat on the strings and I love them for easy slants).
The Scheerhorns... well.. they're too small for my hand and I can't get comfy with only having sharp ends. The GS bar is bigger and very comfortable to hold, but it's the same problem with sharp-only ends.
Glass bars are cool,- the small led filled Boyett bar doesn't have all the sustain and volume in the world but is easy to use, the big blue one is a custom led filled bar from Diamond Bottleneck and without a doubt the best sounding bar I have, too bad it's so huge, and the "psychedelic" one is from Lapdancer Guitars, cool for sitar sounds because of the flatted part of it - it's a one trick pony, too light to get a decent 'normal' sound..
The Black Phoenix and Red Rajah bars are way cool, I'm waiting for a smaller Black Phoenix now..
8)
Steinar
I like glass slides. to my ear they have a softer sound.
those lead filled slides are interesting because glass by itself doesnt have the heft I like for lap slide.
lead filling resolves that. cool!
Ive seen footage of western players using flatties. they accomplish slants all the time.
I think the next thing I want to do is gather a list of slide sellers.
Q. for Steinar. do you use your glass slides primarily for your acoustic instruments?
have you tried them on your lap steels?
Randy - truth is I don't use them much. The Boyett bar was a disappointment after all the good stuff I read about it on the forums, it simply doesn't have enough weight to sound good and sustain well enough. It also came "pre-scratched"...
While I love the tone of the huge Diamond bar it's just too big for my stile of playing, but if I ever get an 8-string again I may very well start using it. It's got a wonderful tone and sustain.
The "Slipperislide" (the Lapdancer model) is in use now and then, but only when I want the "sitar" sound. It's the one I use at the break and ending of "God Only Knows" on my CD.
Steinar
thanks for the feedback Steinar.
Ive always wondered if I were an anomoly, in that , I like having one slide.
there are so many out there. although I dont get GAS for them, I am curious about some.
my experience with glass is a bit similar to yours. the difference being I use my glass Dunlop playing lap style on my regular acoustic, the glass is light so I dont fret out. when I find my acoustic slide guitar Iwould try a lead filled bar to feel for my self.
the slide I have used for my pedal steel was monster heavy. but then that instrument demanded that.
I agree that an eight string would handle that heavier bar.
My newest one is a large Bronze Bomber from Big Heart Slides. I'm loving it!
I've got an experimental one en route from a machinist friend. Looking forward to trying it. :D
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
