Recommend a steel bar please

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 24 Jul 2012 8:35 am

I am awaiting delivery of a square neck dobro(type) and would welcome suggestions for a good bar.
Many thanks
Billy

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 24 Jul 2012 11:59 am

Are we to infer that you are a beginner? Then the Stevens bar available at your local Guitar Center will do fine... by the time you want a better one, you'll be beyond dropping it on the floor, etc and be ready for one. Some folks like a flat end (like the Stevens), some want a rounded end (Dunlop etc)... for a beginner, a flat end is fine.

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 24 Jul 2012 12:55 pm

Thanks for Your reply Stephen.
I suppose I should have said that I play pedal steel, and have done for a number of Years.
I am as adept as I am going to get with a plain bar.
I would prefer to purchase a bar which I will stay with rather than up grading after a while.
Best regards
Billy

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 24 Jul 2012 1:58 pm

My choice

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 24 Jul 2012 4:28 pm

Billy Murdoch wrote:Thanks for Your reply Stephen.
I suppose I should have said that I play pedal steel, and have done for a number of Years.
I am as adept as I am going to get with a plain bar.
I would prefer to purchase a bar which I will stay with rather than up grading after a while.
Best regards
Billy

OK... good luck with that (buying one bar)... I find that half of the fun is collecting every possible steel/bar made. The Stevens bar is one that belongs in every collection (IMO) just because it's the one you can buy at your local GC. They also have a nice Dunlop with the swoopy end... I found I preferred the Stevens to it. You can do pull-offs off of the sharp end that you can't do off of the rounded end.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 24 Jul 2012 4:34 pm

If you're used to a bullet style bar, you can't go wrong with a BJS Jerry Byrd bar. I believe new owner Butch Gardner has the plain nose ones in stock. Click the link at the upper left corner of this page.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 24 Jul 2012 4:51 pm

Billy I always have trouble hanging on to one of the smaller dobro type bars so I went with the Shubb Pearce #1 which has a more rounded front as well !

Check them out here on the Beard site :
https://www.beardguitars.com/Merchant2/ ... ry_Code=S1

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 24 Jul 2012 4:59 pm

Rick Barnhart wrote:If you're used to a bullet style bar, you can't go wrong with a BJS Jerry Byrd bar. I believe new owner Butch Gardner has the plain nose ones in stock. Click the link at the upper left corner of this page.

I thought the BJS Jerry Byrd (PBUH) bar had the nipple end... I bought one at Dallas and it was way short (and very slippery!)... since I'm playing steel-style instead of dobro-style (tuned E13) I need a bar that spans the strings. I've got an old Don Haase bar, 3/4" x 3.2", that's just about perfect, if it was not so beat up... and if it was as easy to hold onto as the Paloma. Got four Palomas for the price of the BJS, BTW.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 24 Jul 2012 5:06 pm

If you're going for a "dobro" bar.....my vote is for the Stevens........it's your basic comfortable bar that (IMO) is the easiest to execute forward and (particularly) reverse slants with.......Mike Auldridge never seemed to need an "upgrade".....if I'm not mistaken.....

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 24 Jul 2012 10:53 pm

I think the Dunlop Dobro Lap Dawg bar is nickle plated brass and the Shubb Pearce is nickle plated steel. This may or may not be an issue to you. I have and use them both for different purposes. I am a novice steel player so am limited in experience.

Steven Cummings · Post by **Steven Cummings** » 25 Jul 2012 2:46 am

Paloma slides are nice and inexpensive. The Stevens bar works well also.

Rick Langdon · Post by **Rick Langdon** » 25 Jul 2012 4:57 am

Paddy Long wrote:I went with the Shubb Pearce #1 which has a more rounded front as well !

I am still fairly new to the world of Lap Steels / Resophonic Squarenecks so my credentials for offering any advice are minimal (still learning) ... I have tried a few different tonebars and I find myself gravitating to two:

- Scheerhorn (nice weight and design; good all-around for resophonic) (the Lap Dawg is also a good choice in this type of tonebar IMO; similar to the Scheerhorn and less expensive)

- Shubb Pearse SP1 (longer and with a bullet tip; I like this one for slower tunes; the bullet tip works really well and allows me to use some techniques that are not as easy to do w/o it; I also find I like this tonebar for my Lap Steel)

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 25 Jul 2012 5:46 am

The topic was discussed here, modifications too. Although I'm very attached to my BJS Jerry Byrd model, what turned out to be my favorite bar for dobro and lap steel is a stainless steel Scheerhorn bar that was modified for me by my brother. There a couple pics of it in the link below.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

James Trout · Post by **James Trout** » 25 Jul 2012 5:54 am

As with most things personal preference starts to play a big role. Last year I started playing Weissenborn and then also bought a square neck resonator. It is hard to go wrong with a Stevens style bar and I still use this for my Weissenborn. However, after I got more involved with the faster pull offs and hammer ons typical with bluegrass music I now use a Scheerhorn bar for my Benoit resonator. I find that I can get a cleaner hammer on or pull off with the "sharper" end on the scheerhorn then the weissenborn. Bottom line though, it is what you get used to. If the bar felt good in my hand, and was comfortable I would use it. Time spent adjusting to new bars can be time spent learning new songs or improving your tone. Have fun - Nelson

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 25 Jul 2012 8:36 am

BJS is working on a "Dobro" bar so I hear. But in the meantime, my favorite is the
SP2. It has a stevens style grip with a round nose on one end and a square nose on the other. So you can have things both ways. There is also an S6 (or is that SP6)if you prefer a bigger bar.

Steve Ahola · Post by **Steve Ahola** » 26 Jul 2012 11:15 am

Steven Cummings wrote:Paloma slides are nice and inexpensive.

I have been very impressed with the bars that Jay has been making lately- I haven't even bothered to use one of my "steel" steels for quite awhile now.

http://www.stoneslides.com/home

His website was not working right for me today- but the problem could be on my end. In any case if you have trouble getting to the page to order the shaped or round bars send him an email:

jay@stoneslides.com

Steve Ahola

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 27 Jul 2012 3:10 pm

I use a Tribotone bar for both resonator guitar and pedal steel. They're *ceramic, and have a warmer tone than steel. They also don't freeze your hands in the winter.

*see Stephen's post below. I was mistaken. They're plastic, not ceramic.

Philip Tamarkin · Post by **Philip Tamarkin** » 28 Jul 2012 5:14 am

I've owned and used a lot of bars, and highly recommend the E.G. Smith. Email me if you want a Stevens - there are a couple taking up space in my bar museum.

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 28 Jul 2012 6:29 am

Just so that there is no confusion.......the Tribotone bars that Alan spoke of are NOT ceramic....and therefore not to be confused with Moonshine slides, Rocky Mountain slides, etc in the material sense.

Per the Tribotone website....they are "self-lubricating plastic" aka...space-age polymer....and they are wonderful bars and do an amazing job of reducing string noise.

http://www.tribotone.com/

Steve Ahola · Post by **Steve Ahola** » 28 Jul 2012 11:33 am

Stephen Abruzzo wrote:Just so that there is no confusion.......the Tribotone bars that Alan spoke of are NOT ceramic....and therefore not to be confused with Moonshine slides, Rocky Mountain slides, etc in the material sense.

Per the Tribotone website....they are "self-lubricating plastic" aka...space-age polymer....and they are wonderful bars and do an amazing job of reducing string noise.

Do the Tribotone bars have a metal core as in the patent for the Nick Manoloff bars which is posted on his site? I guess if someone has a metal detector they could check their bar...

Steve Ahola

P.S. I did want to mention that all ceramics are not created equal. Jay's Paloma Stone ceramic tone bars use a high-fire stoneware clay with varied particular size that makes them very strong, and his glazes are as smooth as glass but much more durable. I would put them up there in a tone bar "shootout" if we ever have them at our conventions...

Charles Dennis · Post by **Charles Dennis** » 28 Jul 2012 2:11 pm

disclaimer: total newb to this sport.

gotta tribotone.

like it alot. highly recommend it.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 28 Jul 2012 2:14 pm

Steve Ahola wrote:...Do the Tribotone bars have a metal core...

Yes, and on the blunt end there's a serial number etched onto the metal.

Rick Langdon · Post by **Rick Langdon** » 28 Jul 2012 2:24 pm

Steve Ahola wrote: P.S. I did want to mention that all ceramics are not created equal. Jay's Paloma Stone ceramic tone bars use a high-fire stoneware clay with varied particular size that makes them very strong, and his glazes are as smooth as glass but much more durable. I would put them up there in a tone bar "shootout" if we ever have them at our conventions...

Good ... I just ordered a couple of Paloma's ... I like the mellow tones this material offers ...

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 28 Jul 2012 3:20 pm

I just want to add, if there was an initially-perfect bar, we wouldn't each have twenty of them...

And the Shubb-Pearce SP1 and SP2 and all are now newly being made out of stainless steel instead of chromed brass. I doubt it will make a huge difference, but it's worth knowing. Hang on to your old ones, there's sure to be a market for the "vintage" bar in a few years.

Rick Langdon · Post by **Rick Langdon** » 28 Jul 2012 5:56 pm

Yes, as a beginner to the world of steel, I can attest to the fact that I am having to try a number of different tonebars to arrive at what I really like ... and I can see that there is no one slide that can do it all ... but I am honing in on what will work best for me ... I am sure the journey has just begun ... my wallet is feeling the affects ...

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