Slides

The home of guitar slides in Australia — shop quality slides online today!

Want to add some extra attitude to your music? You can’t go wrong with a classic guitar slide. Think Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant, Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes and basically anything by the Rolling Stones — slide guitar effortlessly adds a glissando effect and a deep vibrato to the tune.

At Musos Corner, we stock some of the best guitar slides in Australia. Sourced from reliable brands like Dunlop and Ernie Ball, gliding your way across the strings is easy. Change the way you play — pick up a slide from Musos Corner online. We offer fast and affordable shipping throughout Australia. 

Comparing different slide materials

There are three different types of slide materials available on the market — glass, metal and ceramic. Each material comes with its own pros and cons.

• Glass — glass is the softest and lightest option, offering the warmest tone and shortest destain. Glass slides are also very smooth, so it’s easy to glide your fingers up and down the strings. The only downside is that glass is fragile and will most likely break if you drop it, so if you’re gigging live, you might be better off with something more durable like metal.
  

• Metal — metal is harder and heavier than glass, resulting in a brighter, harsher sound with a longer disdain. For an even louder, darker sound, we recommend opting for a brass slide. Brass is slightly denser and softer than steel.

• Ceramic — ceramic slides are a good compromise between glass and metal. The weight, hardness and texture are somewhere in between, and so is the sustain, tone and glide along the strings. 

Not sure what material is best for you? Get in touch with our team of diehard Musos on (02) 4929 2829. We’ll find the right weight, toughness and material to deliver the sound you want to hear.

FAQs about slides

• Do I need a special guitar to use a slide?
  No, not at all. There are different instruments that are good for slide guitarists but you don’t necessarily need a separate guitar or a particularly special guitar. In fact, if you have an acoustic guitar with steel strings, you’re basically set for playing a slide guitar.
  
  Our one recommendation is to adjust the action of your guitar i.e. increase the distance between the strings and the fretboard. If you’re not sure how to do this, drop into Musos Corner in Newcastle West, NSW. We can adjust the action for you in a few short minutes!
  

• Is there a particular tuning needed for slide guitar?
  No! You don’t have to have special tuning to play slide guitar — the standard E-A-D-G-B-E will do the trick. There are a few open tuning options you might want to consider, though e.g. drop D. This makes it easier to strum or riff while sliding.

• Do slides damage guitars?
  If used properly, a slide will do no damage at all. If you’re overly energetic, it’s possible to hit the body of the guitar or chip the nut when sliding the other way but it’s very unlikely to happen. Plus, slides are generally made of metal, glass, steel or ceramic materials. These materials are very slippery, so you should have nothing to worry about.

• What size slide do I need?
  It depends on how many of the strings you want to cover at once. Most guitarists want a slide that will cover all six strings at the same time, whereas some only want to play a few strings at once. A full-length slide is usually around 70mm in length and covers all six strings.

• What’s the best slide material?
  Arguably, metal is the best slide material. Metal is heavier and harder than glass, resulting in a sound that’s brighter, harsher and with longer sustain. Metal slides tend to be popular for electric guitars in the rock n roll and blues genres — they’re very American sounding!
  
  The hardness of the material plays into how you sound, too. If a slide is too soft, the sustain will be too short, the vibrations will get absorbed and the note will die out faster. If the slide is too hard, there will be too much string noise and a mess of high frequencies.
  
  When choosing a slide, consider what kind of music you want to play and what sound you want to get out of your strings. This will guide what material you choose.

• Can I use a slide on an acoustic guitar?
  Yes! We recommend opting for a heavier metal slide — acoustic guitars are reliant on their own natural volume, so you will need a heavier slide to get the right sound out of the strings. Stainless steel is a popular choice, although brass is softer and can give you a darker sound.

• Why are some slides heavy and others aren’t?
  Heavier slides have more volume, more sustain, a warmer tone and less buzzing on the strings. The downside is that heavy slides are hard to manipulate and you can easily press too hard on the strings or bump the fretboard. With this in mind, it’s better to use a heavier slide on an acoustic guitar because acoustics rely on their own natural volume and sustain. Lighter slides are best used on electric guitars. They’re easy to manipulate and volume, sustain and brightness can be adjusted elsewhere with effects.

• What finger do you wear a slide on?
  We recommend wearing a slide on your third finger (ring finger). Wearing it on your middle finger gives you control over the slide and wearing it on your pinky finger can give you more reach up the guitar’s neck, but your third finger is a solid compromise. You’ll still have control and have fingers one and two free for normal playing. Of course, it all comes down to personal preference — if you’re more comfortable wearing a slide on a different finger, go right ahead!

Shop guitar slides in Australia with Musos Corner

Add a little extra attitude and twang to your tunes — shop guitar slides in Australia with Musos Corner! We offer fast and affordable shipping throughout Australia as well as convenient payment options like Zippay, so you can stock up on gear and accessories now and pay it off over time. 

Shop online or visit us in-store in Newcastle West, NSW! Our team would love to pair you with a durable guitar slide to transform your sound.