One of the best things I've received this season arrived in yesterday's post:
A genuine Diamond Bottleneck slide, in lovely red lead crystal, hand made to my preferred dimensions.
I've long known that Diamond Bottlenecks' slides were "The Rolls Royce of glass slides," and heard other players singing their praises. Now I really understand why. I've been a pretty hardcore metal slide player for the last few years, occasionally pulling out one of the bottlenecks I've cut or even a Dunlop Pyrex slide to use on an electric. But the crystal slide is a huge improvement on my bottlenecks, and is way out of the pyrex tubes' league. Not as heavy as my Bronze Bomber, Craftsman socket or large Dunlop #224 brass slide, nevertheless the crystal has a nice mass, feeling more substantial than similarly sized Pyrex slides. It's substantial enough to work authoritatively on the super-heavy .017-.070" strings I still have on my reso, but light enough to be handy on the .012-.052" strings on my electric. It's a nice weight for my pinky, and I feel a bit more nimble with it than the heavy metal ones I'm used to. The finish is, well, "slick as glass." Perfectly slick and smooth, it makes no scratching or squeaking sounds on the strings at all. It makes a beautiful singing tone on the strings, with amazing sustain. (Scratchier slides can excite continuing vibration of the strings with vibrato, but the scratchy sound intrudes on the musical tone.)
To say I'm happy with this slide is a great understatement. I'm delighted! And the icing on the cake is that it's red, my favorite color. :D
I'll still get out my metal slides when I want to do some really nasty, loud banging on the guitar, but I definitely have a new favorite slide for most of my playing. It makes me sound like a better slider than I am. 8)
Thanks to Ian McWee of Diamond for getting me set up with such an ideal slide! I'm not inclined to believe there's one perfect slide, but this seems about as close as I could get for all around playing. :D
Oh yeah; check out Diamond's site and see what they've got: http://diamondbottlenecks.com/
:D
(I've been using that grinning smiley a lot, haven't I?)
:D :D :D :D :D :D
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
nice report rico. less weight on that slide? and you have the same or better tones than from a heavier slide?
hmmm. I have heard that is the case, as I have read raves but Red Diamond.
I am mainly a lap style player. would this slifde work for that/
and...where and how much?
happy new year...and thanks for turning me on to this Forum.
Yep. That's what I'm saying.
Diamond now is offering a tone bar for steel guitars. Check out the link I posted to their site above.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Check this thread over at the IGS forum, in which Ian from Diamond bottleneck and me exchange some thoughts abouot glass bars for lap steel. Seems like we both agree that they haven't quite 'arrived' yet - but I bet the bottlenecks are great, too bad I hardly ever play bottleneck slide anymore.. :wink:
Oh, and a Happy New Year, it is now one hour into '07 over here! 8)
Steinar
Happy New Year, Steinar! It's still 2006 over here.
That's quite a collection of bars you have!
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Lead crystal...WOW. That must just SING. I'll toast to that :)
"Yes and an old guitar is all that he can afford,
when he gets up under the lights to play his thing..."-Dire Straits
http://www.myspace.com/misterpete42
Happy New Year, Steinar! It's still 2006 over here.
That's quite a collection of bars you have!
happy new year.
Steinar has a lot of bars or hangs out in a lot of bars?
Both, perhaps. If you follow his link above you can see the bars he has.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Many thanks for posting the picture of your new slide Rico - it looks way cool sitting atop your Johnson :lol: Hi also to the good Steinar, and yes - i reckon between ourselves we'll sort out the 'ideal glass bar' quest one day soon :wink:
Happy New Year to all & Slide On!!
Ian.
Thanks again, Ian! :D
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
