glass tonebar question

Dan Lebowitz · Post by **Dan Lebowitz** » 14 Jan 2013 12:10 am

I'm looking to get a pyrex tonebar with a 3/4" diameter and is 3" in length. Having a heck of a time finding such a thing.... Anybody know where I could get one?
Thanks!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 14 Jan 2013 8:01 am

Nicholai Steindler had some - see this discussion.

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 14 Jan 2013 8:49 am

My brother does work with pyrex glass rods and he has made me some in the past. He could make you one or have his son make you one. They are in San Luis Obispo.

Larry Brebes
805-550-6249

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 14 Jan 2013 9:55 am

http://www.lapdancerguitars.com/Slides.htm Another lead.

Dan Lebowitz · Post by **Dan Lebowitz** » 14 Jan 2013 11:08 am

Thanks! I tried Nicholai Steindler the other day, but he's moving his shop and is out of bars. There is some stock out there, but not in the size I need. Lapdancer is "out of stock until further notice". I'll drop a line to Larry Brebes. Hopefully he can set me up. Thanks for the tips everyone!

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 14 Jan 2013 5:44 pm

Diamond Bottlenecks in the UK make the Rolls-Royce version, out of hand-blown leaded crystal -

http://www.diamondbottlenecks.com/DB08/index.asp?n=17

They've usually got stock on hand, but they can pretty much make anything you can think of, like a 1.25" X 3.375" emerald bar... or a 4" double bullet - their guitar slides are pretty fierce too.

http://www.diamondbottlenecks.com/DB08/index.asp?n=23

Jim Sallis · Post by **Jim Sallis** » 14 Jan 2013 9:14 pm

I've one of the glass tonebars from Diamond Bottlenecks, and it's a favorite -- almost weightless, handles effortlessly, sounds great. I use it on most of my steels, but it seems particularly to like the Weissenborn and my old Oahu Deluxe.

Ian McWee · Post by **Ian McWee** » 15 Jan 2013 3:58 am

Hi folks!

My first posting on the S.G.F., even though i've 'lurked' here for several years!

Very many thanks to David, Jim, the late & much-missed Steinar, and other fine folk here on the forum for posting such inspiring comments about our hand-blown glass tone-bars over the past few years ~ it's a real pleasure to talk 'slides & bars' with you guys off-forum.

I personally won't advertise our products on discussion forums, but if you wish to chat about our crystal glass tone-bars please feel free to drop me a line anytime on our Diamond Bottlenecks e-mail address - slides(at)diamondbottlenecks(dot)com ~ look forward to talking with you

Very best regards ~ Ian (Diamond Bottlenecks)

Nicholai Steindler · Post by **Nicholai Steindler** » 18 Jan 2013 8:53 am

Hi guys!

Michael Lee Allen has some very nice bars by me.

I'll be back in business within a few weeks I hope, I also caught a brain injury that slowed me down. I just need to sort out some power issues. I stopped advertising the bars out of lack of orders honestly, stocking the glass didn't make sense, I was using special glass, not soda lime or "crystal" and I'm not someone to push anything new on anyone, but I live next to my glass supplier now, maybe I can be more flexible without raising the price. I am not above advertising a bit, I love my bars they are totally unique, nobody else makes anything like them, I have had customers respond by sending me videos, telling me it allowed them to play like they used to, like they always wanted to sound like,so many nice things, I really feel I ought to spread the word a bit. When I do start up again I offer a money back guarantee, but Michael Lee Allen has the last of my stock before the move, and I made sure to make him the best bars I could. I fully endorse his stock. If you are thrown off by the size, personally Imight be brave and go a bit larger than normal. The weight and size go well together. Than again I sold one not much bigger than a pencil to a legend (I'm not going to name drop) and she loved it. Made it easy for her arthritic fingers to play and she loved the sound. Replaced her old Plastic slide with the metal insert, manello? Too early for me.

Thanks for the interest and shout out.

Eric Gross · Post by **Eric Gross** » 18 Jan 2013 7:41 pm

+1 for tonebars from Diamond Bottlenecks, Ian was great to work with to get the tonebar I wanted.

I actually misplaced mine for a couple months but just found it recently, made me realize I better order a spare!

Eric

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 18 Jan 2013 7:57 pm

I have four of Josh's bars left. They are listed in the "Amps and Accessories" section and by now have sunk to page two. I have three of his custom bars myself, the only other bars I use are the RR1 and RR2, everything else I either sold or gave away.
MLA

Nicholai Steindler · Post by **Nicholai Steindler** » 19 Jan 2013 6:11 am

Diamond does not make Pyrex or borosilicate slides.

I don't crash their business (though I have some very nice crystal and quartz bars I'm not selling, roses and notes down the center, little expensive, but i like pyrex better, I think for bars it's superior, my opinion, and others including the Dunlop corporation). Hopefully they don't crash mine, my side business of helping people get what they want does not affect their bottom line, trust me. I started my business as an attempt to help older or disabled people keep playing And realized I had a superior product while doing the research.

Ian you know you don't make Pyrex. Frankly I'm a little miffed you chose a thread looking for me as a first post (the only pyrex bar maker in the world who takes it seriously i know of, I've compared Stevens to original coricidin bottles on vintage 50's guitars tryin to assure the sound was right.) Maybe I will expand my line. I do have some nice ones that fit on your finger too I never released because Diamond sold them already. Respect.

My name was already mentioned. I'm easily reached. Bars are available. Tacky. It's like me jumping into a metal bar thread.

I make tone bars out of love. Paul Stankard is my former employer and friend. Ian knows what that means. (Lol wonder if my bars will be worth something). I've worked with the best glassblower in the world. Choose to get where you want it's a free market but I will stay out of diamonds threads.

Ian McWee · Post by **Ian McWee** » 19 Jan 2013 9:10 am

Many thanks for your kind words also Eric ~ much appreciated

Nicholai ~ Firstly, I find your above posting astonishing!!! Yes - your name was mentioned in the above posting....but so was ours! My posting is in response to some very kind comments from David & Jim BEFORE I posted ~ I'm just saying 'Thanks' to my customers & mentioned us in the same posting.

I'm a guitarist & glass 'cold-worker', making bottlenecks for over 30 years - I'm not a glassblower, so I don't know of the glassblower you've mentioned here. Our glassblowers are Richard Golding (Europe's #1 glassblower) and Steve Bradley (former Head of Glassblowing at the London School of Art).

Secondly ~ that's quite correct, we don't work with boro-silicate, only soda-lime & hand-blown leaded crystal glass which we (and many hundreds of professional slide guitarists) consider a superior glass product to pyrex in regards to guitar slides & bars, so if anyone insists on boro-silicate I know where to send them. Lastly, i WILL NOT trade insults on open discussion forums, therefore if you wish to continue please use our e-mail address I've mentioned above.

Thanks all ~ with best regards, Ian (D.B's)

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 19 Jan 2013 10:29 am

Jeez, I wasn't looking to rile anyone up, just making the point that a great glass bar can be had from Diamond, in any shape or size (eventually...

)

I tried to find bars under "amps and accessories" under Michael Lee Allen? I couldn't find any website or.... I did find some mugshots, but they didn't look like a steel guitarist. I'd like to try one of those bars too, by this point it'd be kinda hard to find a "right" or a "wrong" one.

at this point I can only pay in cat hair, but it's like your primo, white sable Russian Angora ninja cat hai... well, maybe later.

Nicholai Steindler · Post by **Nicholai Steindler** » 19 Jan 2013 11:05 am

I don't believe I insulted you one time, I even assumed you knew glass based on your product line. I think I complemented vaguely an item you make. I wasn't directly referring to you when I said superior product, just meaning, a good product to sell.

You want to take insults to emails? um no. You insulted my product publicly too, I won't sink to your level. Have you tried my bars? I've tried yours. Maybe I know something you don't. You don't even make glass, don't you think it's possible I make a good slide? Wow.

I personally won't advertise our products on discussion forums, but if you wish to chat about our crystal glass tone-bars please feel free to drop me a line anytime on our Diamond Bottlenecks e-mail address - slides(at)diamondbottlenecks(dot)com ~ look forward to talking with you

Lol. You are advertising your bars while insulting me. Sorry I assumed you knew real art and glass.

Let me repeat, Diamond does not make what the author of the thread wants made. I have no idea why the owner is in here advertising he is better than me.

(not to mention sound is totally subjective, some people want my sound)
(notice I never mentioned the other boro bar maker, he can make what is wanted)

Nicholai Steindler · Post by **Nicholai Steindler** » 19 Jan 2013 11:34 am

Whats funny, and has nothing to do with slide guitar is what is echoed here is the age old whats better, borosilicate vs furnace glass (soda lime/crystal). Age old isn't fair, boro was only invented in the last 100 years but the old school hates the new school. They both work for different things is the truth. You have applications for every material. There are slides made of plastic, metal, glass, wood, bone, you name it. Glass is glass and the old guys think of the new guys as a bunch of likely pipe making idiots. It's a new world though. Both are useful glass. I do make crystal I just don't sell it because the market had it already. Why bother. I guess that's business. Market market market. I'm just an artist.

Ian McWee · Post by **Ian McWee** » 19 Jan 2013 11:40 am

Hey David ~ remember 200? & the reaction to the 'I've seen the future of bars' thread when you received the 'green monster' ~ please don't worry about it my friend

Nicholai ~ I've been called many things, but 'tacky' is a new one for me!

Correct ~ I don't know the various ingredients of glass, I've been a slide guitarist since the early '70's & a very novice lap-slide player for the last few years who 'cold-works' bottles & glass tubes into bottleneck slides....but I'm very fortunate to know many professional & non-professional bottleneck slide players & lap-sliders who are 'tone-hounds' looking for the optimum tone from every available material ~ and it's these players who have been so important to our business, telling me which glass to use & who, in their personal opinion, makes our best glass. If I need to pass on any information regarding our glass production to customers....I call just Richard or Steve & ask them

Nicholai ~ you have no competition from Diamond Bottlenecks in regards to offering boro (Pyrex) bars - we have no need or desire to go boro-silicate, so if anyone contacts us specifically for a boro bar I'll be more than happy to point them in your direction.

Thanks again folks ~ with best regards, Ian (D.B's)