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To round out the year, we take a look at some of the neatest new accessories from D'Addario.
D’Addario has busy releasing a bevy of cool accessories for acoustic players throughout the year, and I found these items particularly intriguing. The company teamed up with the former Black Crowes and current Magpie Salute guitarist to create the Rich Robinson Signature Brass Slide ($19.99 street). IN GP’s June cover story on the Magpie Salute, Robinson explained how his slide facilitates a wide vibrato: “It’s the weight of the brass. I learned that from Lowell George. He believed the slide’s density gives it a particular sound. For example, Derek Trucks uses glass or Pyrex, and it’s effortless. You can do a lot when you don’t have much weight. When you use a heavy slide like mine, you let the slide do the work, and it becomes more natural.”
Having mostly used mostly Pyrex or small metal slides, I was eager to give Robinson’s signature slide a try on an acoustic, as heavier strings pair well with heavier slides. I used a Taylor 514ce Grand Auditorium strung with D’Addario EJ17s gauged .013-.054. Robinson’s stylish brass slide arrived in a classy little box housing it firmly inside like a fancy ring from a jewelry store. The slide had a nice shine, and Robinson’s logo—his initials with a feather in between—was emblazoned at the bottom. It appeared hipper than a chromed brass slide to my eyes. The Robinson slide at size 13 was slightly larger than the high school graduation ring on my ring finger, but it tapered in significantly upwards until fitting snugly at the top, which wound up being about halfway up the last notch on that particular digit. The slide indeed felt weighty, but, thanks to the taper,