Gibson And Other Rare Steel Guitar Bars

[C. E. Jackson]

Forum Member, Steve Cummings, asked if I had any Gibson bars. I currently have more than 150 bars of all
types, names and endorsed by many famous players. Hope you enjoy the photos, Steve.

Here are the only 4 bars I own or have ever seen with the Gibson name on them.










C. E. Jackson

[Noah Miller]

I think this one is different from any of yours; it's 7/8" by 3.25":

[Rick Abbott]

I'll get a picture of my buddy's gibson bar, it's like a bullet bar but has both ends flat, and I think it's an endorsed bar, like Smeck, or some such.

[C. E. Jackson]

Another Rare Vintage Bar

I can recall only seeing 2 of these bars. Maybe I have just missed seeing others????



C. E. Jackson

[Noah Miller]

I have a Rocco bar as well. It came in the case with some other brand of steel.

[David Ball]

I have a Rocco too--don't have it handy to take a pic, but like Noah's, it was case candy with a guitar I got years back.

Dave

[C. E. Jackson]

I think this one is different from any of yours; it's 7/8" by 3.25":

C. E. Jackson wrote: Noah, your Gibson bar is larger than mine. Mine are:

2-7/8 x 5/8

3-1/4 x 5/8



C. E. Jackson Wrote: My Rocco bar.

I have a Rocco bar as well. It came in the case with some other brand of steel.

There is some slight difference in the wood projection on the 2 bars.


C. E. Jackson Rocco bar came with this Rocco Steel.

EPIPHONE ELECTAR ANTHONY ROCCO 7-8 STRING: c. 1937


Thanks to Noah, Rick, and David for comments.

C. E. Jackson

[Dennis Saydak]

Not a Gibson but I have this keepsake. A snowbird friend of mine bought it for me at a flea market in Arizona a few years ago. It looks unused.

[C. E. Jackson]

Not a Gibson but I have this keepsake. A snowbird friend of mine bought it for me at a flea market in Arizona a few years ago. It looks unused.

Dennis, a nice vintage bar. Thanks for posting the photo.

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Here are photos and comments on 2 of my vintage bars from an earlier post.

I collect steel guitar bars, and am always looking for bars to add to my collection, especially vintage GIBSON BARS. During a recent conversation with Scales Street Music, Reidsville, NC, the owner mentioned that he had purchased all inventory when the MARLEN PEDAL STEEL COMPANY liquidated. No Gibson bars, but I purchased the following other bars for my collection:

SPEEDY WEST 3 1/4 x 7/8 STAINLESS STEEL (see image below)
EMMONS 3 3/8 x 7/8 STAINLESS STEEL
MARLEN 3 3/8 x 7/8 STAINLESS STEEL
MARLEN 2 3/4 x 7/8 SITAR STAINLESS STEEL
MARLEN 3 1/4 x 7/8 SITAR STAINLESS STEEL
SAM 3 1/4 x 7/8 STAINLESS STEEL (see image below)

All bars were new/old stock and still in wrappers.

Apparently the SAM bars were not made for a particular individual, as the owner still had 2 of those. My question is who is SAM, if a famous player? My research has not found anyone named SAM, that I am familiar with, who was a famous player/endorser (during the 1950-2008 period). Have I overlooked someone? Any information on SAM will be appreciated. The following writing is on the end of the SAM bar:




I value the Speedy West bar highest, since I have only heard of 2 people in the past who have had one. However, I am sure many others, including Forum members have them. The following writing is on the end of the Speedy West bar:



Thanks,
C. E. Jackson

[Lee Holliday]

Strange that we value old chunks of steel as if they have a soul, or do they....

[C. E. Jackson]

Strange that we value old chunks of steel as if they have a soul, or do they....

Thanks Lee, for the comment and photo.

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

How many have tried the Zane Beck Bar?
The following information is from the STEEL GUITAR HALL OF FAME website.

ZANE BECK

A FORMIDABLE PLAYER, TUNING INNOVATOR. MASTER BUILDER AND
HONEST BUSINESSMAN. HE PIONEERED THE USE OF KNEE LEVERS,
AND WAS THE FIRST TO INSTALL THEM ON PRODUCTION GUITARS.
HIS ZB AND BMI STEELS SET A STANDARD FOR DESIGN, SOUND, AND
EASE OF PLAYING. A HUMBLE MAN WHOSE DEPTH OF CHARACTER
LIKEWISE SET A STANDARD TO MEASURE OTHERS.

BORN: DECEMBER 24, 1927 CLARKSVILLE, ARKANSAS
DIED: MAY 26, 1985
INDUCTED: 1991

I have a Zane Beck SS Bar. I use it frequently and like it for the following reasons.

1. Length is 3-1/4"
2. Diameter is 7/8"
3. Hollow and light wt.
4. Partial bullet end transitions smoothly to 1/2" flat end
5. Initials ZB on the flat area
6. The transition to flat area won't hang on strings
7. When making reverse slants the flat area gives great grip without slipping







C. E. Jackson

[Brooks Montgomery]

C.E., what can you tell me about this old steel in my collection. “Elton”.

[C. E. Jackson]

Brooks, thanks for the question and photos. I don't know the history of Elton bars.
Maybe another Forum member can furnish us with a history.

Here are 3 of my Elton bars




C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

An Unusual Bar Made by Maurice Anderson, Member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

From the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Website:

MAURICE ANDERSON

EARLY IN HIS CAREER, REECE GAINED NATIONAL PROMINENCE WITH BOB WILLS, THEN DISTINGUISHED
HIMSELF WITH REMARKABLE TALENT AND FACILITY IN MANY MUSICAL GENRES. HE RECORDED AND PERFORMED
INTERNATIONALLY WITH MAJOR ARTISTS ON RADIO, TELEVISION AND MOTION PICTURES. CO-FOUNDER
AND PRESIDENT OF MSA GUITARS. HE IS A LEGENDARY PLAYER KNOWN WORLDWIDE AS A TEACHER, INNOVATOR,
WRITER AND RECORDING ARTIST AND IS REFERENCED AS THE “MASTER OF CHORDS”.

BORN: DECEMBER 12, 1934 DALLAS, TEXAS
DIED: JULY 4, 2013
INDUCTED: 2006

I got the bar from a very dear friend, the late Charlie Norris, owner of Norris Family Music, and past president of the
Texas Steel Guitar Association. Charlie told me that this bar was made by Maurice Anderson of MSA Guitars.


Bar made by the late Maurice Anderson, President of MSA Guitars.
3-3/8 x 7/8 Stainless Steel/Plastic.















The bar is a playable bar, by holding it very carefully.

C. E. Jackson

[Glenn Wilde]

Hi guys, i just joined and this is my first post. There's some pretty neat bars on here, these are the one's i've picked up. L to R, two Manoloff bakelite's,an Oahu 7k, a Dobro brand bar and an Oahu Hy-Tone with original box. I haven't seen another bar marked Dobro though i bet there's some around.

[C. E. Jackson]

Hi guys, i just joined and this is my first post. There's some pretty neat bars on here, these are the one's i've picked up. L to R, two Manoloff bakelite's,an Oahu 7k, a Dobro brand bar and an Oahu Hy-Tone with original box. I haven't seen another bar marked Dobro though i bet there's some around.

Welcome to the Forum, Glenn. Thanks for the photos and comment. Your bars are very much vintage, and having
a box for the Oahu Hy Tone is unusual. I don't see vintage Dobro bars often.

I would appreciate you posting photos and comments of your favorite or most valuable steel under my current post,
if you wish, which is: My Most Valuable Lap Steel. Please Share Yours.


C. E. Jackson

[Glenn Wilde]

Thanks for the welcome mr. Jackson. Ill be sure to put up my current favorite in your other thread. The Hy-Tone came in the case of a beautiful little Stella square neck i found. The guitar is from 1959 and the slide probably is too. Its a very small bar though and i can't really hold it, i play the Stella alot though. Here's the Stella, it is in great shape.

[C. E. Jackson]

Thanks for the welcome mr. Jackson. Ill be sure to put up my current favorite in your other thread. The Hy-Tone came in the case of a beautiful little Stella square neck i found. The guitar is from 1959 and the slide probably is too. Its a very small bar though and i can't really hold it, i play the Stella alot though. Here's the Stella, it is in great shape.

Glenn, thanks for the photo and comment. The "OAHU HY-TONE" was probably the current
one as of the date of the Stella square neck sale. You can be proud of the Stella.

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Tom Wheeler states in his book "AMERICAN GUITARS" that C. Bruno & Son, Inc. of New York was
founded in 1834.

Bruno Bar 3-1/4 x 7/8 stainless. I can't identify a date for this bar.






This bar is a great player for me. I've only seen 2. Are there lots more????

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Well, I can't let this topic die without commenting on the most treasured bar in my collection. This
bar came with my 1949 Silvertone steel which I discussed in my earlier post, My Most Valuable
Lap Steel. Please Share Yours. As you can see, it was chrome plated steel, and through the years
I used it enough to wear most of the chrome plating off. This was my most used steel for many
years. It is the most treasured and valuable bar in my collection, to me.

CHROME PLATED 2-7/8 X 3/4 BULLET-NOSE BAR (1949)



C. E. Jackson

[George Rout]

Well, being an old guy, I have a collection of old bars and some odd new ones. In recent times, I've switched to Diamond Bottlenecks blown glass bars with nice swirl colours made in England. Ian McWee there is the great contact person. One bar says Fulawka, from the late Ed Fulawka pedal steels here in Ontario. Another bar has Nick Manoloff from days long gone by. And another from Roy Smeck again of days gone by. I have a few more and a couple new ones coming from England shortly.



Geo

[Doug Beaumier]

I believe the SAM bar was made by Sam Gibson, a pedal steel guitarist from western Mass. Sam was also a machinist, now retired, and he made bars and various parts for pedal steels. He made a couple of bars for me 30 years ago. One of them I still use often on gigs. His business was called SAMachine (SAM).

[Doug Beaumier]

Here’s an oddball bar I owned about 10 years ago. You push down on the little metal section with your finger and that one string is flatted 1/2 step, presumably lowering the third of the chord to make a minor. Did it work? Not really. The sound was choppy and the thing was clumsy to use. I think a player is better off learning to slant.