Latch Lake began with a friend helping a friend. In the late 1980’s, guitarist Leo Kottke found that he could no longer get the French wine bottles from which he'd been making his guitar slides. It was only a matter of time until his last glass slide broke. He turned to his long time friend (and former touring sound engineer) Jeff Roberts for help.

Jeff's family business had extensive metalworking capabilities, and Leo wanted to explore the possibility of developing a metal slide that had the right shape and sound, and wouldn't break on the way to the stage. Six months later, Jeff and Leo came up with a prototype that had the right shape. After two more years they found a brass alloy that, to Leo's ear actually had a better sound than glass. Thus, the patented AcoustaGlide guitar slide (along with Latch Lake Music Products) was born.

Over the years, Latch Lake's line of guitar slides has grown. Whether you're a beginner or a living legend, click to our Slide Shop and you'll find one that's right for you. But that's just the first chapter in the Latch Lake story. In early 2002, Latch Lake released what is now known as the micKing® 3300, accompanied by the Xtra® Boom.

The micKing is the best mic stand available for under $1,000. The Xtra Boom is the strongest and most versatile clamp-on boom available at any price.

The micKing 2200, a slightly smaller version of the original micKing, was introduced at AES 2006, and released to the market in March, 2007.

More Latch Lake products will be added in the years ahead too, and each will be as quietly revolutionary as the guitar slide that started it all.