Finding the most gorgeous and  best guitar slide for blues that will offer you that soft and smooth twang you’re trying to find isn’t that simple. Beginner slide players have a tough time deciding between a metal guitar slide vs a glass guitar slide, however, that’s why I’m penning this article.

There are plenty of various guitar slide shapes and designs to decide on from. Steel and glass slides have totally different tones, however they each sound smart. chances are high that if you enjoy playing slide guitar, you’ll most likely get to induce each. The most factor you must consider is your finger size and therefore the accessibility of your slide to buy the best guitar slides for blues.

For instance, some slides have a cut-out that build it easier to get on and off quickly after you are exploiting the slide for solos and selecting the remainder of your song.

This guide can make a case for everything you wish to grasp while purchasing a guitar slide from finding the proper size to the sort of material. I’ve even added the best guitar slide for blues and directions on a way to live your finger to search out the correct size guitar slide.

What is a guitar Slide?

A guitar slide could be a metal, glass, or ceramic cylinder a player places over a finger to glide up and down the guitar’s fretboard. A guitar slide creates a soft and smooth and slippery sound renowned in blues music.

Best Guitar Slides for Blues

Let’s verify the best guitar slides for blues and review their professionals, cons, and tones, therefore you’ll be able to realize the most gorgeous and best one for your sound.

Vivica Pieces Stainless Guitar Medium

So my first pick up is Vivipa Pieces Stainless Guitar Medium. This glass slide will intensify the center harmonics of your sound, and supply silklike bluesy slide sounds.

And the metal slide offers superior sustain, glorious intonation, and a transparent bright sound; each of them is appropriate for execs and beginners.

Product Specification: 

Pros

• Smooth and round cross section protect your fingers
• Double protection
• Premium quality
• Durable

Cons

• Too small for the average adult fingers

Ernie Ball Glass Slide Medium

Ernie Ball offers tiny, medium, and huge glass slides at competitive costs. If you’re a blues guitar player, this slide style is also the one for you.

When it involves glass slides, this can be obscurity close to the foremost fragile. 

All in all, I actually like how nice the slide is for registration, notwithstanding that’s to be expected with the sleek surface. It creates a transparent sound that may lend itself to varied genres over and on the far side blues.

The edges of the cylinder are terribly swish therefore there won’t be any problems slipping your finger ins.

Product Specification: 

Pros

• Good length
• Durable
• Straight

Cons

• Sounds little bit bad

Dunlop Moonshine Ceramic Guitar Medium

The Dunlop 243 Moonshine may be a ceramic guitar slide that’s a lot of of a preference. It’s not a replacement model however it’s slightly pricier than most and also the fascinating texture might not play to everyone’s sturdy suits.

It’s obtainable in sizes medium and huge at nearly a similar worth. 

You should grasp that the playing surface is correct between soft and harsh.

Product Specification: 

Pros

• Unique tone
• Durable ceramic slide
• Nice polished blue finish
• Relatively longer among similar guitar slides

Cons

• Slightly expensive

Dunlop RWS12 Gibbons Guitar Porcelain

Dunlop RWS12 Billy Gibbons Magic Guitar Slide differs from the previous things in our list in terms of the fabric it absolutely was made from. 

It’s ceramic ware slides I tend to be talking about. However, it’s not solely that it’s made from ceramic ware it’s additionally glazed and it shines therefore bright.

Dunlop RWS12 Billy Gibbons Magic Guitar Slide sounds nice for blues on your acoustic. If you wish to brag either as a guitarist or a collector of musical accessories, you must undoubtedly get this slide.

Product Specification: 

Pros

• Warm sounds
• Celebrity slide
• A perfect balance material
• Provides tiny metal sounds

Cons

• Easily shattered

Mr. Power Guitar Slide Glass Sider

The work is nice and works alright on all of your guitars. You’ll be terribly proud of this and so your guitars will have a replacement and totally different sounds that you simply will play with.

It will be the most effective alternative for your electrical or guitar.

Product Specification:

Pros

• The fit is good
• Good quality
• Storage sleeve

Cons

• Too small thickness

Dunlop Glass Regular Thickness Medium

The Dunlop 202 Glass Slide is an evident, shatter-resistant guitar slide that will take the warmth. 

Select a Dunlop Glass Slide for a warmer, thicker tone accentuating the center harmonics of your sound. 

The Dunlop 202 Glass is today’s most well-liked guitar slide. Processed from high-quality element silicate. Heat-treated and treated to provide a perfect tube.

Product Specification:

Pros

• Traditional
• Bright and cutting tone
• Provides a fluid and vocal style

Cons

• Bad fitting

Fender Guitar Glass Slide Standard

Fender has slides to suit each player, style, and taste. The Fender Glass Guitar Slide is understood for its mellow, old-school bottle tone — the sort of sound that solely tempered glass will manufacture. 

And with many lengths and thicknesses on the market, the Fender Glass Slide is just about custom-fit for every player’s desires.

Product Specification:

Pros

• Harmonically rich
• Nice tone on electric
• Perfect length
• Well made

Cons

• No tad thicker walled

Dunlop 232 Harris Slide Large

Machined from solid brass for a bright tone with nice sustain, the Harris Slide encompasses a distinctive style. Its increasing sides supply higher management, less damping, and a lot of comfort.

Product Specification:

Pros

• Improves sound
• Functional
• Easy to use
• Premium quality

Cons

• A bit long for pinky
• Narrow sizing

Dunlop Tempered Glass Thickness Medium

The Dunlop 218 features a lot of hotter tone than most glass guitar slides. That said, this can be a brief slide that’s not meant to cover all the strings.

The perfect external glass surface maintains sonic clarity. At identical times, this may conjointly create any mistakes clearly hearable, thus contemplating yourself warned. The Dunlop 218 is additionally one in every of the most cost-effective glass slides out there, and one that’s capable of a perfect tone.

Product Specification:

Pros

• Very smooth and silky finish
• Tempered glass
• Ideal for lead and solos
• Very affordable

Cons

• High learning curve

Dunlop Derek Trucks Signature

Dunlop DT01 was based on Derek Trucks’ blues slide. However, it does not solely support his original slide, however, it conjointly includes his signature.

DT01 may be a celebrity slide, which can positively look nice in your slide assortment. If you’re an admirer of ancient slides, this is often simply the issue for you.

Product Specification:

Pros

• Authentic aesthetic
• Great time
• Beautifully made

Cons

• Traditional

Buying Guide

When selecting a guitar slide, there are many key concerns. Your selection can depend on these factors:

• Materials

• Size

• Length

• Weight

• Slide Finger

Materials

Slides is made of nearly something, except for our functions, let’s continue these 3 main classes:

###Glass

Usually made up of Pyrex, may be tempered glass.

The smooth, warm tone

Regular wall — lighter weight, diluent glass

Heavy wall — thicker and heavier

###Brass/Nickel-plated Brass

Heavyweight

Maximum sustain

Bright tone

Adding chrome or nickel plating provides the brightest tone

###Ceramic/Porcelain

Between glass and brass for weight and tone

Glazed exterior — completely different glazes will produce slightly brighter or darker tones

Porous interior absorbs perspiration and keeps the slide in order

Size, Length, Weight

###Size

Slides generally are sized S, M, L, and XL, which refers to the within diameter, specifically.

Small — Ring size 4–7.5

Medium — Ring size 8–10.5

Large — Ring size 11–13.5

Extra Large — Ring size 14–16

These are approximate — slides vary from model to model and are hand-crafted. The fundamental method is to work out that finger you would like to use, get a hoop size, find out what material/type of slide you would like, and find shut. 

###Length

Shorter slides are helpful if you would like to wear a slide and switch back and forth between fretting and slippy. A shorter slide permits your finger to bend and tuck out of the method.

• Longer slides will cover across the whole neck (all six strings) 

• Permitting a lot of immediate note decisions and prospects.

###Weight

Size and length each issue into a load of a slide, however material and thickness have the best result. There are millions of crossover in this class between the 3 completely different materials.

Glass is the lightest, however, an oversized, long, heavy-wall slide is heavier than a brief, small, diluent brass slide.

Ceramic/porcelain has a lot of consistent weight from model to model, with size enjoying the largest role in weight variations.

Make sure you have got a slide that’s the suitable weight for your guitar’s string height and gauge.

Slide Finger

Which finger you wear your slide on is strictly a personal selection. The ring finger is perhaps the foremost common; it permits you to wear a much bigger, heavier slide that puts a lot of weight on the strings for an even bigger tone and a lot of sustain. It conjointly permits for nice management, as a result of you having fingers on either aspect to assist stabilize it. 

The pinkie finger is the most well-liked selection. On your pinkie, even a full-length slide tucks showing neatness out of the method, permitting you 3 adjacent fingers to worry with. 

If the flexibility to freely switch between slide and fretted notes is very important to you, think about the pinkie finger. It’ll take a smaller slide size. 

The struggle is also to find a slide heavy enough to induce the tone you would like, however light-weight enough to manage. Which will need some experimentation. 

I will speak from my very own expertise, as a result of I play with the slide on my pinkie. I finally settled on a full-sized ceramic for tone, however, my sensible aspect needs a brief, glass slide. 

FAQ

Which finger is best for slide guitar?

Essentially, carrying it on your second finger (middle finger) can give nice management over the slide, and carrying it on your fourth finger (pinky) can mean you’ll reach an extended far the neck (especially with an acoustic or non-cutaway guitar) and have several spare fingers behind the slide for interspersing traditional playing.

Does slide harm the guitar?

The bottleneck or metal slide has no negative effects however alternate tunings and heavier gauge strings would possibly. If you are considering lap style playing, ancient Dobro tuning would possibly wreck the typical guitar, and also the nut extender wanting to raise the strings will not love any favors either.

Can you use a slide on any guitar?

Use the correct guitar. The best guitar to use for slippy is one with higher action. This suggests you would like to search out a guitar that has a lot of space between the fretboard and also the strings. You may have higher luck with a glass slide.

Conclusion

Since most guitar slides are cheap, do not be afraid to travel out of your temperature and take a look at ones from a distinct maker or with a distinct material. In this fashion, you get to experience for yourself the texture and tone distinction which may inspire you to make new music.

At the end of the day, a guitar slide is simply a tool, it is your ability that produces it fun and fulfilling, thus why not have one more?

I hope my article has provided a small amount of inspiration and knowledge prior to your guitar slide purchase. Thankfully, in contrast to a decent resonator, guitar slides tend to be terribly cheap, thus there’s nothing stopping you from purchasing some to undertake out.

You may notice you like to use totally different slides for various songs – maybe there’s one slide you like for a slow blues variety, however, would rather the sound of a very totally different model for an upbeat country tune. You’ll forever raise to do a couple of out in your native guitar store 1st, to check if the match and tone work for you before you purchase.