Guitar slides for smaller fingers
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- The search for the perfect slide for the guitarist with smaller fingers.
The slides featured:
Jim Dunlop 224 brass 22mm internal diameter
Glass bottleneck 19-20mm
Jim Dunlop (?) alloy slide 19.2mm
Jim DUnlop 222 brass slide 18.8mm
The Rock Slide by Songhurst guitars - small brass - 16mm
Johnny Winter Texas slide 286 by Jim Dunlop 17mm
Jim Dunlop glass slide 212 17.5mm
See the Dunlop Johnny Winter slide in action: • Beacon Hill - Sidecar ...
The Rock Slide Minnie Marks was the solution to my longtime search. It's so tiny, it only fits my pinkie, but that's what I've been looking for, so I'd definitely suggest checking it out if you have small fingers.
Thanks 🙂
Thanks Susan. So nice to see a fellow woman talking guitars on UA-cam for a change. Very helpful advice too!
Hi Susie, here's an idea for you. There's a craft outlet, mostly for kids called "pots of art." Get to one and make yourself a few ceramic slides that fit your fingers exactly how you'd like. The staff there will "fire" them for you in their kiln and you can pick them up a day or two later. Ceramic sounds very similar to glass.
These days I think the best answer to your dilemma (mine too) is the Joey Landreth Rock Slide, essentially a longer version of the rock slide you discussed. Great video :-)
To everybody who says "get an oversized slide and stuff it with bogroll/tape/faeces". You're missing the point, you don't do that with shoes, gloves, wedding rings, hats or any other item, because it's stupid, so why do that with a slide?
Great vid.
I like metal vs glass for me.
If you like metal slide, go to the hardware store and go the the socket/wrench section.
Try on any size you like , I use a 5/8 long drive socket on my pinky. You’ll get some funny looks while trying them on. I like a heavy slide and you can’t get more durable.
I must have twenty slides, but I really only wanted two, a metal and a glass slide. I'm finally happy but it took a lot to get here. Like you I wear the slide to my knuckle, not the entire finger. But unlike you I wear it on my pinky. For years I'd just buy a regular metal slide and build up electrical tape on the inside in order to get a snug fit on my pinky.
Finally I started looking for boutique slides that I could order to fit my needs, hopefully they could be ordered to my specs. And I found them!
For glass I went with one from Ian at Diamond Bottlenecks, specifically the "Ultimate" as it's made of lead glass and has the best glass tone for my needs. I was able to order to my specs for wall thickness, inner diameter, and length.
For metal, I found a German company, Daddy Slides. They make metal slides out of a choice of three materials, I chose the "German Silver" option, and I was able to specify wall thickness, inner diameter and length.
I'm finally at peace in my slidy slide world!
Very good video, Susan; addresses problems no one seems to actually talk about openly. It kinda stands to reason that everyone is different and a big, loose slide simply won't do for loads of players.
I play slide in, probably, only a couple of songs per gig, however what's wrong with wanting those two songs to be as good as they can be?
I bought a handful of slides over the years, most sliding off my pinkie until I just got fed-up working with a slide. I found the perfect solution one day as I had a walk through Curry's/PC World. They were in the process of changing their displays around and I noticed these little 'shot-glass' items lying around in parts of the shop. These shot-glass items were little supports for shelving. I picked one up and, naturally, placed it over my pinkie - it was absolutely perfect for me. It tapered in the centre which made it fit snugly over my pinkie. It's the best slide I ever worked with, for the basic reason that it didn't - never has - slipped off my finger.
The way I see it; if manufacturers really wanted to provide a good service for musicians they would do their homework and manufacture a slide for 'everyone'. I'm sure they'd sell more of one size than other more obscure sizes, but that's business and that's what musicians require. I wish they'd do it.
Good video.
Hi Susan, You can get any size at your local auto parts store by using deep sockets. Chrome of course.
Thanks so much for this video. I’ve just started my slide ‘journey’ too and first one I bought was that same Dunlop 212. It’s huge for both ring and pinky fingers but sits on the joint of my middle finger. One commenter mentions a Minnie Marks XS brass slide with an internal of 15.8 (barely much smaller) I’m relying on the fact that it tapers down even smaller (it’s ring size 4 - 6).
EDIT: I just got a Minnie Marx XS brass slide and it is perfect for my smallest finger.
Thankyou so much. Dunlop 212 glass - perfect fit - thanks to you and your great advice.😁
Found one that fits! Stagg do copper slides with a 15mm internal diameter, search "Stagg SGC", they do them in 3 different lengths. Not an ideal material, but it fits me like a.....slide.
I like a really secure above the knuckle fit but also like a nice big high mass slide so the inner diameter of these slides are a bit big. Any slides like this I just take and glue in some mouse pad material in the inside. They fit like a glove. No wiggle, no slip.
Same here except I use adhesive velcro (hook side) It grips without discomfort and hasn't moved in twenty years!
Thanks for making this video. Super useful. 👍🏻
Thanks for the video. I bought the Johnny Winter signature because I like aggressive steel sound.
Susan, considering that you're experienced slide-guitar player, you might know that none of the slides ever fit anyone's fingers perfectly, most of the slides fall off pretty easily or don't fit tight on one's fingers. Thus there are couple of ways to adapt to any size of guitar slides: first and the most important thing is that WEIGHT matters - the heavier weight of the slide gives better resonance and overall sound which is very important in ACOUSTIC/RESONATOR guitars (which true classic blues has been played on), and yes, the WEIGHT is not important for playing electric guitar slide because of the amplification. No matter of what and how you prefer to play using slide it always your RING and PINKY fingers connected to each other - so slide on the PINKY finger is always supported by RING finger - PINKY is the most convenient way to put SLIDE on, so RING finger always supports it, no matter of what size is that slide - it just goes naturally - this was the 1ST WAY. The 2ND WAY is to wrap your pinky with a small paper napkin to fit any BIG good sounding slide on your finger. It works very well and you can use heavy WEIGHT slides without any inconvenience. 3RD WAY is to FLEX your finger inside the slide thus keepin the slide from falling off!
In the conclusion:You know, guys like Howlin Wolf and Robert Johnson didn't have lots of possibilities to choose from slides back in the 30's so they used to adapt to any WIDTH and WEIGHT slides they played just by holding them on their finger no matter what! So do i. Hope your quest to search perfect slide will stop coz your collection is very good! Dunlop 224 brass slide is the heaviest and coolest slide for acoustic resonators. Putting it on pinky using 1ST WAY is possible also, but PINKY gets tired pretty soon coz og the weight, but practicing will make it easier. 224 sits well on MIDDLE finger also - works good there!
Hiya I have fairly small fingers and when I wanted a brass slide I was told to get a 50cal cartridge and it works a treat.
Thank you! This is very helpful.
Helpful. Thank you.
Thanks !
I just loosely wrapped my pinky with 3 medium sized rubber bands, pretty much covering entire finger except very tip. Seemed to work pretty well at taking up the extra space of the way to big slide. Since they were loosely wrapped was reasonably comfortable. Had to screw or twist slide onto finger so rubber bands would not bunch up when forcing slide onto finger. Seemed to stabilize loose slide on pinky for its full length. No glue residue to cause problem as when using some sort of tape.
great vid! thanks
I just discovered today an ITT style XLR Plug has a shroud that has i.d. 16mm to 14mm taper, length 47mm. Just right for my little finger...
Also I remember that Lowell George used deep wrench sockets (11/16th I think) but whatever socket fits your finger innit.
Nice!!!
Sue, you can always put a plaster on your finger under the slide to make it fit,
Hello Suzie great rock and roll name ... I know its a while later but I have smaller fingers and I have just purchased a brass slide .... a very cool slide It's made by D'Addario and it's called the RR for Rich Robertson of the Black Crowes....It only comes in one size and I love it...It's tapered wonderfully and I can use it on my small finger and my ring finger due to its fantastic educated taper It is expensive but I feel well worth it ...It is a wonderful slide...Good slide to consider Suzie...I love it...Good luck and keep on slidin ! James forgot to say this is a first class brass slide...the tapers are amazing for your fingers !
Btw The Rock Slide makes a small sized slide that is long to cover more strings. The Joey Landreth signature slide is basically that. The Ariel Posen slide is similar, except with a ball end. Take care!
I went to the hardware store and bought a few single sockets for a wrench, it maybe took 20 mins to find the right fit.
Thank you Susan! Great video. Unfortunately I have rather small fingers and want one for my pinky which i haven't been able to find. Around 15mm diameter would be perfect... Its very frustrating so good to know I'm not the only one having a problem with it!
This video is 5 years old, but I’ll always recommend these:
Rock Slide Joey Landreth
Rock Slide Ariel Posen
Rock Slide Small Balltip
Dunlop Johnny Winter
I play on my pinkie, but these work on my ring as well!
Moonshine Slides/Mudslides and Rocky Mountain Slides both have models with ID of 5/8 inch (16mm).
It's really hard to drop on a perfect fit, but if it slightly too can pad them out by various methods. electrical Tape, draft excluder tape, and many other options.
Susan you should look into the JetSlide these are great slides. and I am planning on getting one some time. they are a unique design which allows the player to either use the slide or flip it out of the way and play chords. you just order your ring size and that's it.
I have a metal lathe, so I make my own slides. Any machine shop can measure your fingers and make you any size you want. Want one out of hard wood? Go to a wood shop that make bowls.
Thanks, Susie! This was helpful. Have you ever tried a slide from the Rocky Mountain Slide company?
Now I don’t feel so bad. I am at about five slides now. I am 5’9” but I have thin fingers.
Other options:
-Dunlop 211-smaller than the 212, thick walled and long enough to reach across the fretboard. I do not own one but that is what I have found out.
- Ariel Posen The Rock Slide brand. 17.5 mm, brass, will reach across the fretboard. Ball tip. I have it on order.
- Sonny Landreth the Rock Slide. A little shorter than the one previous, but still long enough. Open ended..
I've been in a similar quest over the years. Its interesting to see how many of the same slides we both have. I've pretty much settled on heavy walled brass. I find I just don't get the tone or volume from another other material (or even thinner brass slides). At the moment I find the Eric Sardinas "preachin' Pipe" (Dunlop 284) to be the closest. I would love to have one a little bit smaller (without sacrificing thickness of the walls).
Thank you for this. I'm still searching for a slide to fit my ring finger, which is apparently very small although I don't have especially small hands - at least I don't think I do, as I'm five feet eight inches and not particularly thin. Years ago I had a brass slide that was perfect. Unfortunately, someone gave it to me as a gift and I have no idea what kind it was. More unfortunately, it got lost over the years of moving from place to place. I'll try the ones that you said fit and see what happens. I just invested in an old parlour resonator and really need a slide that works. Thanks again.
Rockslide do occasional runs of small sizes, but I'm not sure if they'd go little finger small. Might be worth contacting them. Wolfram Slides will do custom orders, but they are VERY expensive - something like £200
Susan go to a hobby shop and buy self adhesive felt cut it to ft inside the slide .Sorted
I find it a bit scary to put something that sticks to my ring-finger.
When I selected my Wedding ring I choose a size that didn't stick to the other fingers.
Because of that my ring stuck for 10 year.
When I finally got it off I wasn't too keen on putting it back so I tucked it away in a safe place.
So safe that I cannot find it anymore.
I looked up what P meant and found out that I have the same size as you.
So the same slide would fit my finger.
Just a thought. Perhaps a plumbing supplier will have brass pipe in a variety of diameters. It can be cut and polished and otherwise customized to your taste.
I was going to point out that the Rockslide folks are really quick to answer email and do have various things that aren't listed on their website, but looking at the comments below it looks like you found that out already.
Also, Diamond Bottlenecks in the UK will custom make glass slides in whatever size you want... but I see someone else mentioned that, too. There are options, though!
How to say "pillocks" without saying a word at 3.56. Magic.
yes none I buy fits but I use hobby self adhesive felt
It is some years since you di this clip, However, I like you use the Dunlop 212 Glass 17mm interior on my 3rd finger mostly, sometimes my little finger. I have other slides purchased over the years trying to find that just right slide. I am on the other hand am trying to find a slightly shorter length slide with a 17 or 18mm interior and length somewhere a Dunlop glass 204 and a 212 around 43mm. So I emphasize and share your dilemma although for slightly differing reasons.
If you have smaller fingers and can't find a small enough slide just use the slide you've got on your ring finger and use your middle finger and pinky finger to hold the slide in place.
Susan, this is really useful, thanks. How does the Rock Slide's tone compare to the others? I'm thinking of getting one. By the way, if you like the tone of the glass/pyrex slide across the guitar's frequency range, one company you might want to check out (if you haven't already) is Diamond Bottlenecks. They're based somewhere in the Midlands and do custom orders based on your finger size. I play a lot of single-note, standard tuning slide with my little finger and for ages had all the same problems you have - my hands are tiny - but I was really pleased with the one they made me. Can't remember how much it was, but probably in the £20 ballpark.
Thanks Ben, I think the tone of the Rockslide is my favourite - a little warmer and more positive on the lower strings than the Johnny Winter. I've just received a longer version of the Rockslide from Songhurst guitars so it now ticks all the boxes. They will also be doing a run of even narrower slides later this year. I will probably do a follow up video.
Thanks for the tip - I'll check the link out
check out the JetSlide on ebay it's not your average slide and may be just the thing
I've been using the Rock Slide small and it works well, but I agree longer would be better. So, I got Ariel Posen's Rock Slide and it's better for my pinky and sounds great, but it goes down past my knuckle, so I've stuffed it and put a wrap on the inside to keep it tighter. However, not perfect. I'll just have to practice until I can get my own signature slide. 😆
I have the same problem long skinny fingers
I play ring finger style....but I need to keep my knuckle free of the slide. It works out because I play in Open G...with only 5 strings. The low E is omitted.
hi..may i suggest using a ' lea and perrins Worcestershire sauce bottle... just score round the neck..heat for a minute over a candle along the line then place under cold tap..and it will brake off...hey presto a ' small' glass slide for £1.75,, give it a go susie
Genius idea! Thanks for that
It seems a common problem and i do not get why.I am a man who favours roughly 17-18mm slides.Inner diameter is usually really big with the assumption that one size fits all.I have recently purchased the Dunlop Mudslide a ceramic slide-i think its 243-anyway its medium and works great.I also love the 212 glass slide you mention but want brass too and am looking on the Dunlop site at a tapered one i think that is medium.
Check out this one from rock slide:
www.therockslide.com/shop/the-bros-landreth/
Here's the description:
Joey’s guitar slide is a modified version of our original small brass slide. We stretched it out to 2 1/8 - inch length compared to the original 1 3/4 - inch length. This gives some added weight and full string coverage. 17.5mm x 54mm Ring Size 7-8.5
I have very thin fingers. My ideal slide is a minibar-sized bottleneck but I have yet to find a way to cut it off the bottle in one piece. And I don't even drink, lol.
Hi there Susan.. thanks for the vid..
I'm a picky guitar player (pun intended) and i'm having a hard time starting to play the slide..
All because it is really uncomfortable. So I am trying to find one that fits my small fingers as well... I have come across this one one the internet - Planet Waves chrome small size slide.
I also prefer brass but it's harder to find in these sizes and normal price.
You could try using gorilla tape / duct tape to line the inside of the slide to make a snug fit
unfortunately non of them would fit me :( the dunlop to 212 is waaay too big for me. It fits on my thumb and not ring finger…. I need different recommendations sadly
I use a Jim Dunlop Moonshine, medium sized, ON MY INDEX FINGER lol
It works, but I'll never be playing chords with a slide
The Perfect Slide:
www.ebay.com/itm/172407809623?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
rock slide makes an EXTRA SMALL in glass only.. Problem is nobody SELLS them..
I am just in the process of returning two different 4 packs to Amazon uk as they are all far too big for my fingers. Your advice was very helpful and like you I will persist I am a man of
74 years, so i would think it is very difficult for ladies.
Derrence
Look up Rocky Mountain Slide Company and they make a bunch of ceramic slides in different colors, lengths, and sizes. I have little fingers and when I found them it was God sent. Check them out and pick your poison.
You need a Delta Slide...
I use a leather around my finger to fit slides of all types & u can use all those slides OHHHHHH !!! Don'y forget to Subscribe ha ha
Make your own slide with 1/2" copper water pipe
I use 3/4" and it's perfect!
That won't go over your finger though - try 22mm.
i can cut you a good slide , i have some old copper pipe bout 30 years old ,Contact me ill send you one. They sound great.
Thanks!
Susan you should look into the JetSlide these are great slides. and I am planning on getting one some time. they are a unique design which allows the player to either use the slide or flip it out of the way and play chords. you just order your ring size and that's it.