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slide materials

Ok because I'm just a picky guy,

I have been playing with a glass slide, I have liked the effect but not the sound.. it's kind of jangly. It may be because I am using a coricidin bottle that is very thin glass and have wanted to try a ceramic. I cannot seem to find one that fits me (big fingers) and the bone one that I see Justin Johnson using intrigued me. Well last sunday I was on a hike and found skeletal remains of a bear, I grabbed a thigh bone that was dry and whitened and when I cut it open it was already cleared of marrow. I cut a stubby slide and then split and thinned it a bit and glued it back together for a nice fit. I have to say that bone does sound dramatically different than my coricidin bottle and I really like the rasp as it slides up and down the strings.. the more I use bone the more I like it and antler over any synthetics.. now if it would just smell better to work it..

so am I the only one here with a bear bone slide?

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Permalink Reply by Goldsmithexile on May 13, 2015 at 8:53am

I dont know mate, but I have had success using a piece of solid buffalo horn ("buffalo dowel", sold on ebay for people who make walking sticks or canes) I had a piece left over from making some shofar mouthpieces, about 2 1/4 inches long and 1 1/8th inch diameter. On my slide bass diddley with a single round wound string, it is virtually noiseless whereas the heavy dunlop glass dunlop slide sort of "bites" on that same string and is a little abrasive. I have some hard teak, will try that sometime, also maybe hornbeam or even ebony. I always have a slide handy in my pocket, but am nervous of keeping a glass one in case the damned thing smashed and cut me bad.

PS I know what you mean about the smell when you are working bone and horn, it can smell like burnt meat or worse.LOL

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Permalink Reply by Keith on May 13, 2015 at 9:00am

lol.. sadly the skull was gone, this may have been a hunter kill as the skull was gone and it was near a trail. after hearing what the bone slide sounds like now, I'm gonna go back for more of it and make a few of them. might even be convinced to do some horse tradin for em. but it's really cool to take something like a bleached out dried old bone and use it to make music.. see life after death!

Might have to try that horn Gold, sounds cool. I also read about some black bone can't remember from what some buffalo or something. I am really digging the natural materials for nuts and bridges might be my "thing" signature of sorts.. dunno

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Permalink Reply by robert jones on May 13, 2015 at 11:36pm

Giraffe bone is black.

You can get it from knife making supply sites.

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Permalink Reply by Keith on May 14, 2015 at 3:30am

Thanks Robert, I'll check on that!

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Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on May 14, 2015 at 12:48am

I`m Mojobone Works..I do custom bone slides for the past 9 years, world wide sales. https://www.facebook.com/MojoboneWorks

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Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on May 14, 2015 at 12:52am

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/albums/slides-2

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on May 14, 2015 at 2:38am

yup , he do ;-) like mah witch slide ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on May 14, 2015 at 12:57am

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Permalink Reply by Keith on May 14, 2015 at 2:02am

That my fried is some beautiful work. Don't think I could ever accomplish that carving. The bone and laminated wood though, that is the slide that got me lookin into it. Awesome stuff Randy!