How to make a bottleneck fit?

[SoloBill]

Hi all,
If you can't get the exact size of bottleneck that you prefer, do any of you have tips on what you do to make a bottleneck/slide comfortable for you? Any particular spacer material?

I am thinking of buying a Diamond Bottlenecks 'Evolution' for the reasons it was designed in the first place but I prefer a 19 mm ID rather than the 20 mm ID of the Evolution.
TIA,

[andys]

I sometime use a shim of folded card to pack out a slide. I have one made from a socket set, which I love the sound of, but it is too big, so it has a shim of card in there to kae it fit my pinky

Heres a tip, the lightweight Dunlop brass slide is a perfect fit into their bigger heavy brass slide. Slip one into the other and it fits like a glove. Weighs a ton though!

If you want one that fits though the best place to go is Diamond Bottlenecks. Bespoke slides, you'll never look back

[Deleted]

Better too big than too small. Learn to bend your bottleneck finger to hold the bottleneck in place. I use the 4th finger and have a massive DB glass bottleneck that I keep in place by bending the finger. That slide would fit my thimb!

[Deleted]

or even thumb!

[maxxengland]

Look at your computer keyboard. Think carefully about this - the word shotgun always worries me. And phrases like "shot in the head". And who can forget the image conjured by a misspelled double barrelled shotgun?

As for slide fit, I await the day when the pharmacists marry digitalis and Viagra to produce a drug that makes your finger swell up for 36 hours.

[slidenpickit]

Hi SoloBill,
It is annoying when a bottleneck/slide is too loose. What's worked for me in the past is to get some sticky backed velcro and cut an appropriate sized strip then carefully insert it into the slide and reduce the diameter to suit through trial and error. Both the fluffy side and the hooked side work well for grip, especially if things do get a bit sweaty and is reversible. When the pile is fully depressed and gripping the finger, it should measure about a mm. I'll gladly send you some if you like, just send me a PM.

Regards

Chris

[Michael Messer]

I have dozens of slides all different sizes. I have my favourites, but each has its own quality. My main slides that I use on most shows & recordings have quite a large internal diameter. I like to be able to move my finger around in the slide, plus, I like to move the slide up and down my finger. This technique I use to reach high notes on resophonic guitars. A tight slide is too restricting for me.

Each to their own!

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

Learning to crook your finger like Barry suggests is the way to go in my experience, as I feel too close a fit actually restricts your finger too much. Having a positive grip on the slide with your finger also helps with the overall control of the slide rather than having it stuck on your finger as a deadweight.

Certainly, crooking your finger like this will cope with 1 or 2mm oversize, otherwise a wrap of folded paper round your finger can help....or use a $10 note to be flash.

[wolvoboy]

i think it depends on the lenght of the slide you are using if it runs along the lengh of your finger,then chickenbone john is right,i like my slides that go to the second joint and are a snug fit that alows me to bend my finger and easier to play chords, i think you should try a few different sizes of bottlenecks to find one that suits you,or find a bottle that fits your requirements and send it to Ian at Diamond Bottlenecks he will sort it for you,
wolvoboy

[snakehips]

Hi there !

Go in to a guitar shop and try out a few slides that they are bound to have for sale. Usually, I have found, they are far to wide internally and far too long (way wider than your average fretboard - WHY ??).
Get an idea by how your finger sits inside one - too tight, too loose ?
Measure the internal diameter with a rule and work out from that if that is what you want or how different you want it. THEN you know what to order for your Diamond slide.

I think it works best that the slide is not tight BUT not loads of space around you chosen finger either. I really don't think it should be necessary to stuff the inside of the slide with anything. That to me is cheating and very non-blues-authentic !

Hold that slide, just as Barry says, with a bend in your finger, so your skin blanches on your finger-tip pad, your last knuckle (closest to your hand) on the palm side, and the fatty pad of skin between the hand knuckle and next closest knuckle. Don't put the slide up "to the hilt" otherwise bending your finger far enough to get the slide flat onto the strings is too difficult.

Oh yes, wedge your ring finger (or next finger) against the side of your slide as well, for added grip.

You should be able to turn the palm of your hand, face down towards the ground, without the slide falling off your finger. Tip - don't practice that over a tiled or concrete floor !!
I've bust 2 Diamond Bottlenecks by dropping them on tiled floors !!!

[SoloBill]

Thanks all,
I'm going to try the slightly bigger slide and see whether I can get comfortable with it. If not, then I'll have a go with the suggestions to make it fit.

Barry, I'm interested in your massive DB slide, how thick is the wall? I'm wondering whether to go down that route.

Chris, do you put the velco all the way around the inside of the slide or is it a strip a centimetre wide along the length?

[Deleted]

Hi

The slide, a big yellow and black stripped glass tube, is 34.8mm in diameter with 5.8mm thick walls. It is 73mm long.

[slidenpickit]

Hi SoloBill,

you can do either, in the case of the evolution slide you could stick some round the fingernail end. This would give you a snug fit at the fingernail end but also leave enough space for the rest of the finger to curve slightly which would feel less restrictive (the best of both worlds). This works particularly well with slides that have an internal taper (the widest internal diameter end at the base of the finger). Having plenty of room is fine but as I said if your finger gets a touch sweaty it helps to keep the slide in place.

Like Michael says, each to their own.

Chris W

[fitchmeister]

Hi - here's my tuppence

I do a combination of Chris & CBJ/Barry. I use a large slide but have circle of 'velcro (fluffy side - i am after all a delicate soul) glued in about 2/3rds of the way up. When i crook my finger inside i can grip the velcro/slide for more control. When i straighten my finger it wobbles a bit more giving me a more subtle vibrato.

As stated in previous posts - dont use super glue to glue the velcro - impact adhesive is best IMO

Roj

[slidenpickit]

Good point Roj,

The sticky back velcro can sometimes come unstuck especially with glass but this does give you the chance to experiment and move the velcro around until you get the ideal fit. Then you can make things a bit more permanent with impact adhesive, roughening up the internal wall (in the case of glass especially) if necessary to get a good 'stick'.

Chris W