The 7 Best Guitar Slides For Acoustic Guitar (2024)

Using a guitar slide is a common technique in country-style and blues-style guitar playing, allowing the guitarists to play unique licks and riffs. It is a relatively simple tool, but of course, there are some elements to consider, like the material, the size, and the weight.

Worn over a finger of your choice, an acoustic guitar slide is a tube that can be made from different materials such as glass, metal, or ceramic. With the tool on your finger, you slide up and down the fretboard, creating a smooth sound from one pitch to another.

My top pick for acoustic guitar slide is the hand-crafted ceramic Dunlop 243 Moonshine with its warm sound and great sustain.

My budget pick is the Ernie Ball Glass Slide which provides a smooth and clear tone with its durable material, pyrex glass.

The 7 Best Guitar Slides For Acoustic Guitar (2024)

1. Dunlop Moonshine Guitar Slide
Top Pick - Hand-crafted ceramic slide with great sound and looks.
2. Ernie Ball Glass Slide
Budget Pick - Highly affordable glass slide for casual guitarists.
3. Taylor Guitar Slide Ebony Large
Budget-friendly, wooden slide made from ebony for a unique tone.
4. The Rock Slide Ariel Posen Signature
Quality-made, durable brass slide with superb sustain and cutaway design for finger bendability.
5. Dunlop Billy Gibbons Mojo Guitar Slide
Bluesy and mellow-sounding porcelain guitar slide inspired by Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top.
6. D'Addario Planet Waves Glass Slide
Thick-sounding glass short slide with smooth finish.
7. Dunlop Eric Sardinas Preachin' Pipe Brass Slide
Top-quality brass acoustic guitar slide inspired by Eric Sardinas' own slides.

Let’s compare them in more detail:

1. Dunlop Moonshine Guitar Slide

Top Pick
Hand-crafted ceramic slide with great sound and looks.
View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

With its lovely look and great tone, Dunlop Moonshine is one of the best acoustic guitar slides available in the market today. It comes in two sizes, medium and large, both featuring 2.76” (70 mm) of length.

Pros

  • Hand-crafted
  • Warm tone, great sustain
  • Great value for the price
  • Porous interior design

Cons

  • Not the most durable guitar slide

These ceramic slides are hand-crafted and have a warm, mellow tone. They also feel pretty comfortable with the porous interior design, allowing your finger to breathe inside, absorbing moisture.

MaterialCeramic
Weight (Medium)2.1 oz (60 gr)
SizeMedium – Large
Length2.76” (70 mm)
Sound Smooth tone and good sustain

Overall, these slides are great value for the price, but you have to be careful with them as they can easily get broken.

2. Ernie Ball Glass Slide

Budget Pick
Highly affordable glass slide for casual guitarists.
View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

When it comes to guitar accessories, Ernie Ball is one of the first brands that comes to mind. Again, they do not disappoint with their highly affordable glass acoustic guitar slide made of durable Pyrex glass, providing a warm sound.

Pros

  • Highly affordable
  • Lightweight
  • Durable Pyrex Glass

Cons

  • Sizing can be inconsistent

It comes in three different sizes for every guitarist, and its thickness creates clear and warm tones, especially for acoustic blues. 

MaterialPyrex Glass
Weight (Medium)1.6 oz (45.4 gr)
SizeSmall, Medium, Large
Length2.72” (69 mm)
Sound Warm and clear tone

Overall, you get much more than what you pay for with this slide. It is a great slide for casual guitarists and beginners who want to learn slide-style playing.

3. Taylor Guitar Slide Ebony Large

Affordable, Durable
Budget-friendly, wooden slide made from ebony for a unique tone.
View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

The Taylor Guitar Slide Ebony is a large wooden slide made exceptionally durable from quality wood and produces a natural, one-of-a-kind sound. The heavy wall thickness adds so much value to this slide as well as overall value.

Pros

  • Durable craftsmanship
  • Comes in all sizes
  • Exotic aesthetics

Cons

  • Might be too thick for some

The general design is very pleasing, with an exotic vibe and comfortable wear. Made from African ebony, it’s your choice if you’re looking for longevity. Sound-wise, it produces a natural, warm tone that lives up to the quality of wood and design.

MaterialEbony Wood
Weight (Large)2.4 oz (68 gr)
SizeSmall, Medium, Large, Extra Large
Length2.05″ (52.1mm)
Sound Natural, warm, subtle tone

If you want quality without breaking the bank, the Taylor Guitar Slide Ebony Large is a great choice. Plus, you wouldn’t have to worry about getting another slide for a long time.

4. The Rock Slide Ariel Posen Signature

Well-rounded
Quality-made, durable brass slide with superb sustain and cutaway design for finger bendability.
View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

The Rock Slide Ariel Posen Signature is a quality and unique guitar slide of the Bros. Landreth slide player Ariel Posen. It’s a thin brass slide with an extended length to ensure full string coverage with a tapered interior for a comfortable fit and wear.

Pros

  • Quality brass slide
  • Thin walls, meaning reduced weight
  • Cutaway design for better finger bendability

Cons

  • Too small for some
  • Pricier slide than most

The cutaway design is a very useful addition as you can bend your finger more freely without worrying about pinching your finger. It excels at providing ample sustain and sound due to the steel design but the only issue is that it might be too small for some as it only comes in a small size.

MaterialBrass
Weight (Large)2 oz (56 gr)
SizeSmall
Length2.32″ (59mm)
Sound Bright tone with good sustain

Although the Ariel Posen Signature slide is a pricier slide than most of its competitors, it’s a quality choice with a good value-for-price ratio.

5. Dunlop Billy Gibbons Mojo Guitar Slide

Balanced-sounding Slide
Bluesy and mellow-sounding porcelain guitar slide inspired by Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top.
View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

Dunlop Billy Gibbons Mojo differs from the other slides on the list as it is made of a different material, porcelain. It offers a mellow blues sound between bright glass and tinny metal sounds, just like the blues master Billy Gibbons was after.

Pros

  • Moisture-absorbent interior design
  • Great sustain, balanced mellow sound
  • Looks great

Cons

  • Relatively fragile

The slide looks great, and the moisture-absorbent interior design gives your finger comfort and stability. However, porcelain is a highly delicate material, so you must take extra care when using the slide.

MaterialPorcelain
Weight (Large)2.4 oz (68 gr)
SizeLarge, X-Large
Length2.76” (70 mm)
Sound Mellow blues tone with great sustain

This one is a great candidate if you are after a mellow-sounding bluesy slide with less brightness.

6. D'Addario Planet Waves Glass Slide

Knuckle-Length Slide Pick
Thick-sounding glass short slide with smooth finish.
View Price at Amazon

D’Addario Planet Waves Glass Slide is a good choice for guitarists looking for a relatively shorter, knuckle-length glass slide with a warm and thick tone. It is made of boron silicate, slightly more durable than regular glass, and is specially treated with heat for a smoother surface. But of course, glass is glass; so, you have to be careful with it.

Pros

  • Warm and thick tone, great sustain
  • Smooth surface
  • Lightweight and short, good to use with index, middle, or ring finger

Cons

  • Relatively fragile

This slide provides a good playing experience thanks to the flat surface and immaculate finish. It comes in three sizes; small, medium, and large, allowing guitarists to use it with indexü middle or ring finger, thanks to its short length.

MaterialBoron silicate 
Weight (Medium)1.1 oz (32 gr)
SizeSmall, Medium, Large
Length2.4.”  (60 mm)
Sound Warm and thick sound

If you are after a knuckle-length good-quality glass slide, the D’Addario Planet Waves is a great choice.

7. Dunlop Eric Sardinas Preachin' Pipe Brass Slide

Durable
Top-quality brass acoustic guitar slide inspired by Eric Sardinas' own slides.
View Price at AmazonView Price at Guitar Center

Inspired by the authentic guitar slide of Eric Sardinas, Dunlop Preachin Pipe is one of the highest-quality acoustic guitar slides on the market today. It is made from pure brass and provides the great classic blues sound associated with the slide master Sardinas.

Pros

  • Very durable
  • Great sound
  • Tapered shape

Cons

  • Can be hard to get used to the shape

The slide features a tapered shape, minimizing the fret buzz, which is also great for beginners as well as professional players. The shape makes it easier to play chords and double-stops. It is highly comfortable on fingers, and the brass material makes it extremely durable.

MaterialBrass
Weight (Medium)4 oz (113.4 gr)
SizeMedium, Large
Length4.9” (124 mm)
Sound Great bluesy sound

If you are after a durable, top-quality acoustic guitar slide with a bluesy sound, this is one to consider.

What is a guitar slide?

A guitar slide is a cylinder-shaped tool often made from glass, ceramic, or metal, which is placed over a finger to slide up and down the fretboard, creating smooth and unique sounds from one pitch to another. 

The story of the guitar slides dates back to the late 19th century when a guitar player in Hawaii started using a metal bolt, sliding it on the strings of his instruments. Later, the sound amazed many musicians in the United States, and many guitarists deployed the technique. Since then, slide guitar is often used in blues and country music and occasionally in rock music.

Is a guitar slide easy to use?

Fortunately, playing your guitar with a guitar slide is pretty easy to learn. There are some key points to take into account, such as the tuning, the location to create the notes with your slide, which fingers to use, and muting the strings.

Do not worry, as it is a pretty easy technique that you can learn and start playing with just a little bit of practice, even if you have never touched a guitar slide before. Tune your guitar, try to gently touch the strings in a parallel way, slide between the frets to create the desired notes, and do not forget to mute strings while sliding.

If you are more of a visual learner, check out this beginner guitar slide lesson to get started.

Can a guitar slide damage the strings?

No, guitar slides do not harm the strings, frets, or your fretboard at all. However, using alternative tunings while playing with guitar slides may put a lot of stress on your strings, shortening their life or causing tuning instabilities.

What are the different types of guitar slides?

Today, there are three popular types of guitar slides that you can choose from depending on your needs and the tone color you want. These types are glass, metal, and ceramic.

Glass slides offer a smooth and warm sound, while metal slides provide a brighter and rougher sound. Ceramic slides are relatively new compared to the other materials, and they provide a more balanced sound between the metal and glass slides.

Besides the material, there are other factors, such as the thickness and the length of the guitar slide. There are full-length guitar slides that are around 2.76” (70 mm) and cover your whole finger, and there are knuckle-length guitar slides that cover only a part of your finger. The guitar slides also differ in thickness which heavily affects the sound. 

Thinner slides are easier to control as they allow players to feel the strings more than the thicker slides. But, they are not as durable and rigid as the thicker ones. Thicker slides are harder to control, but they provide a warmer sound with better sustain.

What is the best material for an acoustic guitar slide?

I can not say any of the materials is “the best,” as all materials have advantages and disadvantages. The best slide will depend on your needs and the style you play.

What to look for when you’re planning on buying a guitar slide?

The things you should consider when buying a guitar slide are the material and the thickness as they affect the sound heavily.

Furthermore, you should check for the weight, size, and length as they are closely related to the feel and control of the slide. You can not play with a slide that is too small or too big for your hand, so it is better to try and buy afterward.

And finally, you should check the looks of the slide, because, you know, the prettier, the better.

Verdict

Guitar slides are extremely fun to play with cool-sounding tools that can add a bit of spice to your playing style. Luckily, they are highly affordable and easy-to-use tools that you can quickly grab and start playing with. Now you know the top choices in the market, and what to look for in a good guitar slide, you can step into this world without hesitation.

My top recommendation would be the Dunlop Moonshine ceramic guitar slide, as it offers a warm and balanced tone with high comfortability.

My second recommendation would be the Ernie Ball Glass Slide, as it features a high value-for-price ratio and is a great-sounding tool for beginners.

Brian Clark

Brian Clark

I’ve been a writer with Musician Wave for six years, turning my 17-year journey as a multi-instrumentalist and music producer into insightful news, tutorials, reviews, and features.

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