Press reviews

Martin Simpson and Michael Messer Signature Slides

Martin Simpson & Michael Messer Signature Slides

Acoustic magazine Summer 2014

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Martin Simpson & Michael Messer Signature Slides

Guitarist magazing issue 383

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Martin Simpson Signature Slide
 

fRoots magazine issue 365

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Martin Simpson Artist Series Signature Slide

Martin Simpson Artist Series Signature Slide

Guitarist Presents Acoustic magazine Winter 2015

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Precision : Crystal nail file

Martin Simpson Artist Series Signature Slide

Guitarist Presents Acoustic magazine Autumn 2015

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Customer testimonials

" After a few weeks of playing with it, I have to say that this is one of the most significant pieces of musical equipment that I now own. Having studied personally with Martin Simpson for about two weeks over the last two years, I felt quite confident that it would be a wise purchase and would be a great product. That confidence was entirely justified. Your workmanship is top notch, the tone coming through my guitars is phenomenal. The overall sustain is longer, the volume is louder, and using the slide on the notes on the lower bass strings speak much clearer than any other slide I have tried. "

Luke, USA

" Your wolfram slide is quite extraordinary. The tone is better than anything I have tried before and I have a drawer full of glass,brass,bronze german silver and bone slides.The tone is pure brings out previously unheard overtones and is almost friction free.

At first the slide seemed heavy but I quickly became used to it and the weighted end allows vibrato better than a uniform slide. From my perspective the slide is worth every penny. It makes on OK guitar sound good and a good guitar sound marvellous. It will now be my number 1 slide "

Steve, UK

" David, I recieved the Martin Simpson Slide today, so I've had to pull myself away from it to let you know :) Its a fantastic piece of kit, it completely opens up my slide playing and opens up endless possibilities in terms of the way I can now play, the sustain and noiseless performance astounded me when I first struck a note !! Many thanks, also, its very well packaged with the informative literature, great product !!

Wait till I next speak to Martin, the cheating b*****d !!! LMAO :) "

Brendan, UK

" So the first thing is: You Can't Have It Back! If I decide I want a different shape I'll just order that shape. This thing is too much fun to give up, even if I have another one coming. Besides, it'll probably take me more than a month to decide what different shape, if any, I'd want.

Second thing: This thing is an instrument unto itself. It's past the point of being an accessory. It's a partner. Last Thursday's jam session, there was a bit a lull in the playing and I picked up the slide and was making a few sounds. Then I got lost in what I was doing. Then I kinda started paying attention outside of myself and realised everyone was politely listening to whatever it was I was doing. So I made a flourish and ended and they all applauded. Apparently I had taken my turn. :-) The damn thing plays the guitar *for* you.

I read your included booklet. It is a thing of beauty and I love the advice. It all makes sense and I am attempting to incorporate it all into my hacking about. The only thing I could wish for is if you could add the Martin Simpson Hand-Graft Option. Get on it, k? "

Don, USA

" I got it yesterday and spent most of last evening playing with it. It is fantastic! I wanted to spend a few more nights getting used to it as it is significantly heavier than my brass one. I can't get over how smooth it is and the sound is astounding. I feel quite honoured to have one of the first ones. "

Chris, UK

" It's a work of art, just sliding the slide across all strings up and down the neck you notice the difference how much smoother it is compared to my others even the ones I thought were highly polished
And the weight is perfect, as soon as I tried it at your stall in Olympia I wanted it straight away.

But as I said if you want quality there's a price and thank goodness I purchased it.

We have all wasted money on crap, only to find it was crap. This is special
Many thanks! "

Philip, UK

" I think it's absolutely amazing. Sort of the best of a glass (smoothness of tone) and weight (and some more) of a metal slide in one. It's kind of impossible for me to go back a normal brass slide now, I find it so noisy/scratchy. It did take some adjustment for the weight but I think it's well worth it. "

Ian, UK

" Hi David. This is my fourth attempt to compose a message to describe my experience with my slide. I'm just delighted with it. It's very difficult to adequately describe the huge range of sound, texture and nuance available tonally. Singing, soaring crystal clear tone, with a huge dynamic range. Physically I find it very agile and controllable. But it is that Tone!! I'm entranced by it, I go away to another place just listening, and all the while I'm hearing new stuff from it. You deserve great credit for your achievement, and I am so pleased at having discovered your wonderful slide. Thanks again, "

Michael, Ireland

" I am pleased to report that my new slide (now referred to as the KMA SLIDE) is top-notch. Lovely tone, terrific ease and playability, and almost jewelry in appearance. Thank you. Rest assured it will be treasured, guarded, well cared for, and named in my will to the lucky beneficiary. "

John, USA

" I am a great fan of products that have been developed with the goal of achieving excellence for the end user and it's quite clear that this is the ethos at Wolfram "

Thomas, UK

" Unbelievable! Wow, what can I say. Firstly you have done it, you have made a steel slide that is as good on the high strings as glass, something I thought not possible. I play with the slide on my ring finger and this fits like it was made just for me. I love that it is so streamline I can make all my chords without the slide getting in the way. "

David Byers, Australia

" I just received my stainless steel slide from you, and tried it out on my electric guitars, with some reverb and distortion. Wow! I now realize that your sales pitch is no exaggeration. There was no noise between the slide and the string, the sustain was great, and the tone was wonderful. Apart from that of course, the slide is comfortable and beautiful.
I will now buy the pick! "

Mark, Australia

" I love the slide. It has encouraged me to put several slide pieces back into my concert repertoire, which I did on the weekend - seriously tempted to check out the heavier version as well. "

Graham McLellan, Australia

" I have just spent the last hour playing with my new artist series martin simpson slide and just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with it. My slide of choice for the past 5 years was a glass bottleneck I bought from Catfish Keith at a gig which has served me well, but while I love glass slides for resonator guitars, I have found it a bit too light to get the best tone from a regular acoustic, particularly when playing with nails and thumbpick.

I had read about the tungsten carbide signature slide with great interest, and when I saw the steel Artist Series slide was available I ordered one straight away. My first impressions were were the weight and profile of the slide were very comfortable on my little finger, I really like the way the slide is profiled to be heavier at the end. I grabbed the guitar and was really impressed straight away with the sustain of the notes and lack of string noise.

Where the slide really shines is when playing single note melodies with wide vibrato, "Dark is the Night" and "Amazing Grace" have never sounded better on my guitar. I am intruiged by the tungsten carbide version, as the quality of this slide is fantastic, the slide actually rings with bell like tones when you flick it and that's before you take it near a guitar. "

Chris Carrol, UK

" David, just a quick thank you for what I hear was wonderful customer service in helping my dear wife to select another one of your fantastic slides. Again, it's a small masterpiece; such a well balanced and great slide to play with.

As with the custom you made me, it's far above anything else I've used in terms of quality and I'm sure it will come into its own for different playing than the tungsten one. I look forward to getting to know it better! "

Nick, UK

" The package arrived this morning. I'll get the bad news out the way with first. The bad news is that I am unlikely to be shopping around for the holy-grail of guitar slides any more. Countless slides from other companies are going to be homeless and unloved, un-moaned at and eventually disregarded.

The Wedding ring is perfect. It fits like a dream and feels great and when put with the slide, it is clear that they are one. Really lovely finish. I've never been one for gold and silver and the brightness they give-off, so the dark yet lustrous finish on the ring is just what I was after.

The guitar slide is a work of art. I own a decent collection of slides; glass, brass, steel, ceramic (and tried many more) and although I have a few favorites within that collection, not one of them does exactly what I have wanted in terms of comfort, playability, tone and sustain. Though I have by no means got to know it properly as yet, my first play with it made me smile. I have read various reviews, and seen various threads on forums that discuss your slides, some of which have focused exclusively on price and to be honest I too was at first unsure and a little worried that I was going to see little difference in quality of sound. After talking with you over the last six months or so, I was more confident through your passion and certainty, though still unsure. Now, after the short play I have had using the slide, I am in complete agreement that you have created probably the best slide in the world. The tone is astonishing. Even with low attack on the lower notes, it resonates incredibly well with plenty of sustain allowing delicacy in playing without sacrificing volume. It's weight is excellent without the bulkiness that a steel or brass slide of the same weight has, allowing greater dexterity. Believe it or not, I have just weighed your slide against a steel one and a brass one I own. The steel one weighs 122 grams, the brass one 126 with yours fitting in between at 124. The difference is the steel and brass, although good for sustain and volume, are too uncomfortably bulky and clumsy to play with. The finish on the slide also allows such a nice glide over the strings; it really does feel effortless moving between notes whilst keeping the note alive. Brilliant!

Most of what I have said above, you already know through work with other guitarists. Needless to say that I'm very pleased with both the slide and the ring. When I first thought of this whole 'slide-ring-combo' I wasn't sure it was going to be pulled off. The first companies I tried were jewelers who told me to do one, and I was pleased when you said you were up for the challenge. I didn't know it would turn out at all, let alone as good as it has.

Many thanks David, first for your willingness to go along with this. Secondly, many thanks for your patience throughout, sending countless emails, phone calls and your'e efforts to redraw plans and regrind rings when dickhead here has moved the targets a little. I hope that in the future you get other projects that are similar, only less hassle. I really am grateful for all you have done. "

Nick, UK

" Jacob absolutely loves it you have completely outdone yourself!!! I hope you are so proud of how it turned out because I am in awe of it. It is EXACTLY what he wanted to a pinpoint. I know it isn't your specialty but it is fantastic what you can make without much experience in making wedding rings with a special texture and color. I appreciate you joining us in the process and agreeing to take on such a task to make something truly special to him. I couldn't even imagine us having purchased a ring from the jeweler. We are fans of art in many ways and you are truly an artist. I catch him sneaking into the box regularly to try on the ring. I knew it would be difficult to find something special enough to match up to the ring he designed when he proposed but I am convinced this is the ONLY ring I could have gotten him. You are fabulous and we appreciate you and your work more than you could imagine. I want you to know you will be a big part of our wedding day and your work will be on him for a lifetime. How cool!!! "

Kristin & Jacob, USA

" The slide arrived this morning, beautifully packaged. Terrific machining, wonderful balance, great tone ... you will have to cut my finger off to get this back from me !!!

Congratulations on producing the ultimate slide .... every player should have one and even the outstanding review in Guitarist doesn't do it justice. "

John, UK

" The slide is exactly what I wanted. It fits perfectly snugly on the little finger, and feels just right for weight. I've been using it this week and comparing with my other steel and glass slides. The extra weight feels much better, and together with the smoother finish make a definite difference to the tone and sustain.

I normally play slide on a National resonator and it has the added bonus of matching the silver finish!

It's a real work of art, and amazing how accurately you made it to my dimensions. "

John, UK

" In the reality of playing it, I am shocked by how good this is. Everything is clean, clear, strong, secure and agile. All the dimensions, mass and balance are everything I could have hoped for and your end-face radius is perfect for melody that moves across isolated strings, with no noises-off from neighbouring ones. Effortless clarity and confidence!! Lovely mass.
Fantastically good. This lovely slide has been almost half as century in the imagining and thanks to your skill it's real. You have really made something very musical; you've made a brilliant job. "

Nicholas, UK

" I'm very happy with the dimensions and weight. It's very heavy compared to everything else I've used, but not too heavy. Where it really sounds different is with the wound strings, with the elimination of scrape on the winds, and the tone is stronger probably due to the extra weight.

Your slide is better than anything I've tried for more refined, 'prettier' sounding things. There are a lot of old country blues pieces that have subtlety to the slide lines, and this new slide is what I'll use for them. This tungsten slide really opens up a whole new arena to the style. "

Steve, USA

" Seriously, it has blown any other file I've ever used clean out of the water; all are now in the bin. It removes a lot of nail effortlessly (depending on pressure) and quickly, and, at the same time, leaves a really smooth surface; my metal files always left a rough surface that needed a lot of cleaning up with a micromesh. I used to hate filing my nails; now - believe it or not - it's a real pleasure. At the price, it's a total bargain. "

Steve, UK

" Received my file a few days ago and am blown away by it. I am in my mid-60’s and my nails have become brittle over time. A fairly common problem with folks my age I’m told. I used to use a Diamond Deb file, followed by an emery board to smooth the ends as best I could. My nails still were rough on the ends and easily caught on objects and chipped or tore, forcing me to trim them back and wait two or three weeks until they grew out far enough to play fingerstyle acoustic again. Using your file, the ends of my nails are as smooth as glass. I am amazed by how simply varying the pressure can control material removal, and by how smooth I am able to get the nail ends. I had almost gotten to the point of giving up fingerstyle guitar, but your file has given me hope that I can continue after all. Congratulations on a superb product. It’s absolutely worth every penny of the price. "

Jeff, USA

" I'm amazed at the quality and performance. I never thought there would be a day when I would be impressed this much about a nail file. "

Gary, USA

" This precision file is formidable. And my nails get so well filed that any 'dirty' sound they might make is eliminated. After fifty years of finger picking still a nice discovery! "

Karel, Netherlands

" Thanks a lot for the fast shipment. The file arrived today in perfect condition thanks to this really smart packaging. I tried the file immediatelly and was impressed by the difference to the drug store glass file I am using regularly. Never expected such a big difference. "

Harald, Germany

" I've been very impressed with the overall 'feel' of the file. It has the right amount of abrasion without being harsh, but also removes quickly. Well done on your research and producing such a good product. Thanks again for your prompt customer service - I hope the demand continues at a manageable level, and will certainly recommend it. "

Ian, UK

" Having used [other files] for years, these are better and cheaper... these fantastic Wolfram files take much less time to get a great tone. 10/10 "

Warwick, UK

" My Wolfram file made it across the pond and I'm very glad it did. I have had another glass file for many years, but the Wolfram is far superior. "

Kim, USA

" The file arrived today. Thank you very much for an excellent product. Very pleased, far and away the best nail file I have used. "

John, Norway

" Loving it, excellent product. It's very smooth, I like the fine control! "

Matthew, USA

" I've received the Wolfram Precision : Crystal today with perfect quality as I expected from the classicalguitardelcamp.com review. I love this nail file and want to send to my friends as gifts. "

Porntep, Thailand

" The file is a work of art - nice touch with the etched logo. "

Vic, UK

" The pick is amazing! The quality of engineering far surpassed my expectations, with such a challenging material, you have produced something of real finesse and quality.

It's taken a little time to get used to the increase in weight, but it feels incredibly natural and effortless now. This thing is absolutely charged with energy, and produces a significantly smoother tone than I was first expecting, but the dynamic and tonal range available is exceptional. The the attention to detail and finish is flawless, and very impressive. It brings out a lot more 'information' from the note, which is great but at the same time it's ruthless when it comes to shouting out sloppy playing.

A little pricey, but 100% worth it, although when It does inevitably wreak havoc on the washing machine, I'm sure my wife will have something to say about it. Thank-you, superb product!!! H "

Harry, UK

" It feels really fine... first impression: it is very "direct" and very fast, even compared with a Blue Chip Pick. "

Joachim, Germany

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