Anyone Familiar With a "Speed Bar"?

Allan Jirik · From: Wichita Falls TX

During my first go-round with pedal steel in the 70s some players were using a drilled-out (lighter) bar to increase their speed on fast tunes. My dad was a machinist and he drilled out a Sho-Bud bar for me, which I still have. I remember using it on tunes such as Skillet Lickin' and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, switching back to the standard weight bar for slow tunes. Was this just a fad, or is the speed bar still in use?

Blake Hawkins · From: Florida

In 1956 I purchased a bar from Paul Bigsby.
It was chrome plated steel and had been drilled out.
The cavity was then filled with aluminum.
Still have it. Some of the chrome has flaked off.
Used it for about 40 years.

Brian Henry · Posted 3 Mar 2010 9:46 am

My favorite bar is a brass bar, heavily chrome plated, drilled out and filled with lead. It is really heavy and fits perfectly in my hand. Needless to say, great tone and awesome speed. It is a Neely Bar. you can do a forum search. They are still available.
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Jim Hollingsworth · From: Way out West

One of my favorites is a glass covered bar from Clayton (the pick makers) that has outstanding tone & is very quick to move about. I wish they still made them!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

sounds ridiculous to me. moving a bar around does not hamper speed picking. if you can't move a bar fast enough i doubt that you could transport a steel and amp to a gig...let alone drive a car.

Brian Henry · Posted 3 Mar 2010 4:33 pm

I think that Chris Ivey is missing the point. When we refer to speed in this context we are refering to speed between frets, not between strings which has nothing to do with bar movement!
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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

no i didn't. i'm saying that the difference in weight of a light and a heavy bar isn't going to make that much difference unless you are incredibly weak.

Nicholai Steindler · From: New York, USA

I have arthritis, at 32, I like a light bar. I doubt you would call me incredibly weak to my face if you saw me. Laughing

I imagine there are any number of reasons people might like a lighter bar besides disabilities, it is truly easier to move it around, though you do sacrifice tone.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

that's a different situation.

Nicholai Steindler · From: New York, USA

I can drive and transport an amp and guitar...... Mr. Green

Brian Henry · Posted 4 Mar 2010 1:21 pm

I can drive and transport an amp, a guitar, and a small but heavy bar.
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Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

I still keep a Chase tapered chrome plated bar for the 'speed' tunes. It is the lightest I have ever used, plus it does not have much sustain which is not needed on the speed stuff. Also, I use the nose of the bar for the quick single string notes.

Thanx,
Jim

Franklin · Posted 5 Mar 2010 1:11 pm

Allan,

Personally, I prefer using the standard chromed 12 string bar.... My experience is that technical speed increases as I gain more single note knowledge of the instrument - Not by changing the picking tools I use.

Back in my teens, I tried using a lighter bar assuming it would help increase my left hand speed. I discovered my speed did not increase...My tone did change for the worse with the lighter bar. My tone is better and easier to achieve when I use the heavier bar. I don't have to focus as much on downward pressure to pull tone out of the guitar. The heavier weighted bar helps me loosen up the bar hand grip, which in turn helps me to relax, which is a plus in the tone and speed column.

For newbies, There is a strong reason why there are pro standards for picks and bars.....Every variation was tried years ago by the instruments masters when pedal steel was in its infancy.....What survived the pro's experimentations were the tools that sounded best, while providing the most technical proficiency......The National picks, and the various other brands that copied their design, along with the 10 and 12 string chromed or stainless steel bars, have dominated our industry for decades for a good reason.

IMO Its great that folks are exploring other options trying to improve the tools we use. Personally, I will continue trying those other options when they are presented.....So far, the Jeffran picks (exact copies of the old Nationals) and 12 string chromed BJS and Bullet Bars work the best for my needs.

Paul

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

Back in the mid-70s when I started playing steel, I purchased a Deckley bar that was drilled out hollow (seen at left in the photo below).

If I recall correctly, the small slip of printed paper that came with it actually called it a Speed Bar. But, my reason for buying it wasn't for that at all ... it was simply because it was the only 1" diameter bar I could find at the time.

I was never really fond of how light it was, but I used it until I found and bought a solid 1" diameter bar. For years I was tempted to get rid of it, but after an accident occurred that severely damaged the ulnar nerve in both arms, I'm glad I kept it.

While I use my BJS 1" bar almost exclusively, there are times (usually during colder weather) when the nerve damage seems far worse and my left arm is so weak it's difficult to handle or control the BJS bar. At times like that bar weight actually becomes a factor for me and I switch to my old Deckley bar.

I'm still not crazy about the lighter weight of the bar, or the slightly thinner and brighter tone it gives, but it definitely gets me by whenever that nerve damage acts up and makes bar control difficult.
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Stephen Silver · From: Asheville, NC

What Paul said is something Jeff Newman said for years. Using a lighter bar sacrifices significant tone without any other benefit to speak of (if, indeed, you can handle the weight of a normal bar). Tone is very much in the bar hand.

I like the BJS Hughey model.....same weight as a standard bar, just a little bit bigger (cause I have big hands).

SS
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Allan Jirik · From: Wichita Falls TX

From the responses I guess we put Speed Bar in the "fad" category. I kept it all these years mostly because it's something my late dad made for me (he also made me a brass "sitar" bar). I'm using a Dunlop bar at the moment... I see many use BJS bars. Are they worth the extra $$$?

Tom Stolaski · From: Huntsville, AL, USA

I bought a Sho~Bud Pro II in the Detroit area in the late 70's that came with a bar. The guy I bought it from told me it was a Paul Franklin bar. It was small bullet head bar almost completely hollowed out, with a pit in the tip, really light. It gave you a bottle neck guitar kind of a tone. No sustain at all.

Bob Simons · From: Kansas City, Mo, USA

THis my "speed" and "security" solution....

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Danny Hall · From: Nevada, USA

Bob:
I knew I had seen something like that in my misspent youth but I haven't seen one since. Seems like such a logical thing to do and yet I've not come across a similar shape since.

Do you know who made it?
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Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I have used differnt bars to get achieve a different tonal quality or less sustain.. but never to gain speed.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

see....paul says i'm right after all...nyaa nyaa..

i've used a heavy 1 inch dekley bar since it crawled into my hand many years ago. i try to practice at home occassionally with a standard 7/8 emmons bar, but always seem to opt for the dekley at the gig.
my tone is very consistent with it.

Brian Henry · Posted 6 Mar 2010 12:09 pm

Chris, I think I hear you saying that a heavy 1" bar is right for YOU when you are performing at a gig!!!!
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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

yes...you heard me clearly.

Bob Simons · From: Kansas City, Mo, USA

Danny-

I believe it was called a "Carter" bar. I've had this one for 30 years. I made 3 more. Successful, but I'm not satisfied with the surface I've achieved yet. If you know someone who wants to give it a try I'll supply dimensioned drawings..

It loses a bit of tone but not much. Unnoticeable in a band environment.
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Nicholai Steindler · From: New York, USA

You guys might want to look into some of the Pyrex bars I'm making right now. They are comfortable, light and have good tone. My arthitic hands love them. I like bigger bars then normal now that are lighter then they would be if metal, that's a personal choice, bigger might not be right for you. All my bars are lighter though. If you don't like it send it back. Mr. Green

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=1577798#1577798

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