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Topic: Introducing Ceramic Tone Bars |
Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2010 3:17 pm |
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Introducing the only high-fire stoneware tone bars made in the world! Developed over the course of a year(almost 800 prototypes made)with a dedicated focus group, my ceramic tone bars offer the discriminating player a new option when it comes to tone and playability.
Lighter in weight than steel, Paloma Stone Slides exhibit excellent sustain, a warmer, organic tone, super-low string noise, and a never-wear scratch-free playing surface... all at a very reasonable price... only $20 for all sizes and glaze finishes.
The round tone bars are available in three diameters, four stock lengths, indent or non-indent ends, and two glazes... blue and white. The white/clear glazed bars have a bit brighter tone spectrum than the warmer- toned cobalt blue bars. Both being warmer than steel.
I also make Peterson-shaped tone bars and bottleneck style slides...
Noted in the latest issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, the bars and slides are getting very good reviews on my web site and in the "Steel Without Pedals" world.
You'll find lots of info on my web site... www.stoneslides.com or feel welcome to email me. These are not prototypes, these are the real deal!
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Bob Cox
From:
Buckeye State
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Posted 28 Mar 2010 4:36 pm bar
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| Do you have these in 3 3/8" x 7/8" |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 28 Mar 2010 6:02 pm
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| Bump for a buddy........Jay, see you at the steel jam. |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2010 5:39 am The Great Lower Northwest Oregon Steel Guitar Jam Apr/18/10
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Tony, do I need to register for this? I don't plan on playin' but I plan to bring a box full of Paloma Stone Slide round tone bars in different sizes for the players to sample... and purchase if they like 'em.
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2010 6:06 am
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Hi Jay, these look great.
I'll be at the jam and definetly want a tone bar. Could you also bring a couple bottlenecks? I want one of those too.  |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2010 6:06 am
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I liked em so much i posted twice  |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2010 8:18 am The Great Lower Northwest Oregon Steel Guitar Jam Apr/18/10
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I'll be bringing a selection of bars for everyone to sample and purchase, if they like. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand how the players like the bars. I've been getting nice written reviews in the Forum and in my emails, but getting it straight from the player's mouth will be very interesting and hopefully, educational.
And for those players who are also into bottleneck and slide guitar, I'll have some slides for them to check out as well.
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Dave Simonis
From:
Stevens Point, WI USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2010 7:39 pm
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Jay,
Thanks - received the bar...loving it! I will be ordering another within the week!
Dave
_________________
Dave Simonis
Fiddle: Zeta, Arthur Conner, many others.../Steel: GFI SD-10 Ultra.../Mandolin: Breedlove.../Guitar: Gibson, Fender, Taylor.../Amps: Peavey NV112, Evans FET 500.../Others: Hilton, Goodrich, Stereo Steel, Pendulum Pre-amp... |
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Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2010 6:53 pm
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| I picked up one of Jay's new bars at the NW steel jam that matches my standard bar in length and diameter. But what a difference in weight! If you want to play fast, this is the bar for you - super easy to move around, low drag. Thanks Jay! |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 21 Apr 2010 4:36 pm
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Jay,
Good to see you at the jam. Thanks for the stone-bar. It sounds very good and is "ultra-light"
. See you at the next jam if not before. |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2010 9:05 am
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I also picked up one of Jay's new "stone-bars" and it is a blast.
Light and comfortable bullet nose about the same size as the Dunlop I have gotten used to.
It is almost like putting a different tone setting on the amp because the upper mids come out more. To my ear it is a blusier tone more like a lapsteel.
I bet it will react wonderfully with a touch of overdrive.
And the price was right, too! Great to meet up with you, Jay. |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2010 6:25 pm
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Is Jay making any weighted bars yet? We exchanged e-mails on what I would want weight-wise, but no answer yet if can or would make some.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 23 Apr 2010 7:49 pm
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| Jim Bates wrote: |
Is Jay making any weighted bars yet? We exchanged e-mails on what I would want weight-wise, but no answer yet if can or would make some.
Thanx,
Jim |
I spoke w/ Jay about the same thing @ the NW Steel Jam last week. I guess the stone is too tough to drill and the injection mold was not made to leave a core for weighting. I would imagine retooling costs might be prohibitive, but I'll let my ol' buddy Jay speak for himself.
I find the "blue-bar" to remove some of the overtones (?) compared to my Stroud. It's a slightly cleaner and warmer sound, which might do well in the studio. It sounds great w/ both my Zum and P/P, but the lightness of it throws me off a bit. |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2010 6:34 am Heavier Paloma Bars
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| Jim Bates wrote: |
Is Jay making any weighted bars yet? We exchanged e-mails on what I would want weight-wise, but no answer yet if can or would make some.
Thanx,
Jim |
Jim,
I replied to your request and asked which bars you wanted weights for... perhaps you missed that reply. As I have over 48 size and shape options now, each slide/bar having a different weight, I am gradually weighing each unit and will be posting the weights when they are all compiled. I'll put a reference post on this forum when they are all entered.
As far as adding weight is concerned, Tony is correct. You can not drill into the fired clay body. The temps that these are fired at yield an extremely hard material... it will completely ruin diamond/glass bits!!! I have a customer in Tennessee who is trying to do this with a buddy who has a high-tech machine shop. No word yet on his result. This "hardness" results in a very dense finished product and contributes considerably to the resultant "tone".
It would be possible to make a hollow slide and fill it with a heavy material and then cap the end but the extra time and set up would boost the cost of the bar/slide out of the ball park!
As my goal has been to not compete with steel, but to provide another option, I have chosen to stay with the existing weights as being part of my bars/slides "personality". The lighter weight has been an issue for a few players but so far, there have been so many positive compliments, I have hesitated to make such a drastic change to the bar's design. And players seem to like the $20 unit cost!
As I move forward with the bars and slides, I continue to incorporate suggestions from players to improve playability and may have to give the extra weight "issue" additional attention if the requests for heavier bars keep coming in. The main issue then would be how much more would one be willing to pay to get a Paloma bar that weighs almost as much as steel. It is an intriguing concept!
Using a lighter bar does feel different than what one may be used to. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be to start with a light bar, use it for years, and then be asked to switch to a heavy bar. I think there would be quite a few players who would find the heavy bar to be an "issue" for them... and they would prefer lighter!
Thanks so much to everyone who has sent in comments and suggestions, please keep them coming... I make these bars/slides to meet players' requirements, not mine. It's all about making music!
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Bob Snelgrove
From:
san jose, ca
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Posted 24 Apr 2010 9:10 am
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Does the lighter weight affect sustain vs steel bars?
I know there is a "tone" difference?
bob
(dedicated bjs user  |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2010 9:49 am Lighter weight affect sustain?
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Hi Bob,
There seems to be a mixed opinion regarding any loss in sustain with my ceramic bars vs. steel bars. There are those who say they can detect it and find it not an issue. There are those who say they can't detect it. And then there are those who haven't tried the bars yet and claim that they can't possibly sustain because they aren't heavy like steel! Many reviews posted on the Forum and on my web site bear these statements out.
Personally, I tend to think that there is a very slight loss of sustain (when I monitor with a good mic and have headphones on) but that might not be an issue as the difference is so slight. I feel the slight loss is more than offset by the benefits of lighter weight (easier to move and hold), warmer tone, virtually silent surface noise on the strings, and a super hard surface that won't scratch and won't damage strings.
It all comes down to how good your ears are, how good your equipment is, and what you are looking for in tone and playability. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel here... just present another option for the player at a reasonable price.
One must bear in mind that steel players have not had many choices over the years when it comes to bar materials, almost all have been made of steel with the exception of a few makers, like Tribotone and Slipperyslide for example.
I think it's time for another option.
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 24 Apr 2010 6:03 pm Re: Lighter weight affect sustain?
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| Jay Seibert wrote: |
| And then there are those who haven't tried the bars yet and claim that they can't possibly sustain because they aren't heavy like steel! |
Jay:
These people would obviously have the most unbiased opinion since they don't let the facts influence their decisions... <g>
I just read a letter to the editor in my newspaper from someone who had stopped reading a particular columnist's articles, but is sure that he knows what was written because he reads their headlines. I wonder why the newspaper would publish such a uniformed letter...
Speaking of weight and sustain, back in the 70's and early 80's everybody thought that heavier bridges, etc., on standard guitars would sustain better but they found out that the opposite was true. It could be that sustain on a steel guitar might be related to a bar's diameter, which with a traditional steel bar would make it heavier. Or not. I think that a lot of the sustain comes from the players left hand more than the bar.
Obviously a ceramic bar will respond differently from a solid chromed bar (like Ernie Ball) or a semi-hollow SS bar (like the Jim Dunlop). Each bar has its own strengths and weaknesses, and people will undoubtedly have their own preference.
Your ceramic bars do fill a need which will increase as we all grow older, namely a lighter bar for those people (like me) who can no longer hold a traditional steel bar properly. The Shubb GS fills that need for dobro and manic lap steel, but AFAIK this is the first available solution for full sized tone bars.
I am figuring out which size bar I need and will be ordering it soon!
Steve Ahola
_________________
www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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A. J. Martinez
From:
Ca.
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Posted 26 Apr 2010 5:26 pm
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| Got mine today...Super good bar! A.J. |
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Ulric Utsi-Åhlin
From:
Sweden
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Posted 26 Apr 2010 11:28 pm
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| Too interesting a stone to leave unturned...I´ll place an order in a couple of days.McUtsi |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 17 May 2010 9:21 am Going on the road...
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I'd like to let everyone know that I'll be on the road for a few weeks beginning the last weekend in May so I will not be able to make any slides and bars from May 28 to June 21. I will be traveling with a good stock selection and my lap top so I will be able get all my emails and be able to respond to fill orders for many stock items.
All orders I have in hand now will be completed and shipped before I leave. If you'd like to order something before I leave, do it now so I have time to add it to the last production run.
I'll be in Las Vegas the first weekend in June and Prescott, AZ the second weekend so if you are in either area, perhaps we can connect!
I'd like to thank those of you who have been supportive through my recent tough times and am happy to say I am back on track again!
I continue to integrate suggestions from y'all and have included upgrades at no additional charge. The bars and slides are still only $20!!!
For those of you who have already purchased Paloma Slides and Bars... perhaps you'd like to write a review and/or send me any comments you might have. I want to make slides and bars the players want to play and your input is invaluable!
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 17 May 2010 10:42 am
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In case you missed it, Jay is selling these bars for a whopping $20. 
He can't be in it for the money.
I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of mine.
Lee, from South Texas |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 19 May 2010 8:47 pm
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congratulations - looks like a great product at a great price
you realise you guys can't claim to be playing "steel guitar" any more. You will have to say you are playing "rock guitar"
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Ulric Utsi-Åhlin
From:
Sweden
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Posted 19 May 2010 11:09 pm
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| Yeah...Pedal Stoneware Guitar...McUtsi |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 20 May 2010 4:29 am
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I'm guessing this would be Fred Flintstone's bar of choice...  |
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