MARTIN HARLEY’S GUIDE TO SLIDE
CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS
Not all slides are created equal…
“When you’re playing slide guitar, obviously you need one of these. The slide you use and the finger you use it on is really personal. I’ve come to slide guitar from playing lap steel, so traditionally I’m comfortable playing that way with a heavy tonebar. But for this new record, this instrument is much better. So it’s very much a learning curve for me. I’ve been through glass, ceramic, short, fat, heavy, and all kinds of slides. I’ve settled on this fairly heavy brass slide at the moment. I’m not sure how much it weighs, but it’s quite thick, so heavier than the regular Jim Dunlop slide that you’d just walk into a store and buy. It’s a bit more cumbersome, but the advantage of a heavier slide is better sustain. What you lose in maneuverability I think you gain in tone and sustain. The one thing I would say is that it just takes time to get comfortable, and everyone’s approach is going to be different. So try a bunch of stuff until you find something you’re happy with. You’ll find metal slides have a
