Universal Bar Noise

Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

I've been doing a bit of home recording on a uni and really struggle with the amount of bar noise I get.

I use my bar hand thumb to dampen the bass strings (which doesn't seem to help much) and keep the nose of the bar off the top strings as much as I can but it's still pretty noisy.

I've also been trying to raise the bar and play only the strings I need in cases where I want to eliminate the bar noise (like playing harmonics) but this is a bit beyond me and usually ends in disaster! (and that's if im lucky enough to hit the harmonic!)

Any pointers on how to get round this or is this just something you have to live with on a uni?

Henry
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Henry Senior - Pedal Steel Guitar

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I haven't heard your sound, but if you play with NO bar pressure, it seems to scrape rather than slide. Just a bit of left hand pressure might help.
If you have a stainless bar on stainless strings, they'll "grab" a little. Chrome plated bars are the slickest.
That's my thoughts from the cab.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

thanks Lane, I'll try that out and look into getting a chrome bar. I think mine is stainless steel but I just got it when I bought the guitar..

Henry
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Henry Senior - Pedal Steel Guitar

Mike Wheeler · From: Delaware, Ohio, USA

Here's a few thoughts.....Use enough bar pressure to avoid string rattle, pick like you mean it (firmly), and make sure your blocking technique is muting the unwanted strings.
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Mike

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Frenchy's Silent wound strings.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Good advice you're getting so far…

It may depend somewhat on whether the noise you're getting is on all the strings at any given time, or just the strings you're not playing.

You can kind of "track" the set of strings you're picking, say, moving from 3,4,5 to 4,5,6 by moving the bar back toward you, covering just the string above the top one you're playing with the bullet nose so un-played higher strings are muted with your bar-hand second finger sticking out beyond the bar. Playing notes on the first string, I move the bar out along with my right hand position to cover those strings needed. I also mute un wanted strings at the lower end of the bar with my left-hand thumb, but just dropping it down to stop ringing to bring out a particular note or voicing, You can't really drag your thumb along back and forth along with the bar.

The basic amount of light bar pressure and confident attack seems to be the trick for me.
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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

as to materials: types of bars and types of strings are a very insignificant part of tone. the main ingredient necessary is bar pressure, pick attack and ears. i've played most of a set with the bottom of a can of beer and probably no one noticed.

Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

thanks everyone for all the advice. I will get practising.. might try some of those silent strings, see what a difference they make too.
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Henry Senior - Pedal Steel Guitar

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

The edge of your right palm should probably be doing most of the blocking on the lower strings. (It's very seldom that I have seen pros use the left thumb for blocking.) Stainless-steel strings also can contribute to noise, especially if you use a stainless steel bar.

Geoff Noble · From: Scotland

I noticed a reduction in string noise on my Uni when I put in gauged rollers. Less pressure is required as the bottom strings are no longer physically higher than the top strings.

Also made a big difference to play-ability and ease of string damping.
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Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

It depends on how many Beers you drank before playing Chris. Very Happy

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Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

it's the same length bar I'd use on a 10 string

I've got gauged rollers on it already so the strings are level

The main problem I've got the bass strings work up a bit of a noise cos they are wound with coarser steel but I guess my right hand should take care of that..?
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Henry Senior - Pedal Steel Guitar

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

A certain amount of it is just signal-to-noise ratio. The bar's going to make the same amount of noise if you pick softly or if you pick hard. Unlike real clams, steel guitar clams can be drowned.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Right. In the words of the late King of Bluegrass (that's Jimmy Martin), pick the fire out of it (but that's pronounced "far").
Drown scrape with note.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Geoff Noble · From: Scotland

I use a chrome bar, BJS John Hughey on stainless steel strings, I have read numerous times that stainless on stainless gives more bar noise.

I'm damping the strings with my right hand but I have another problem in that if I push down just a little too hard on the lower strings, the strings hit the pickup pole pieces and I get a pop. Getting the right amount of pressure to damp and not hit the pole pieces is a bit of a balancing act for me.
_________________
"Nothing can ever be wrong about music" - D Allman

"There is no bad music, only music you don't like" - Me

YTube- http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFqsA-Ahlgr2Z2sw71WJHGg/videos

SCloud - https://soundcloud.com/just-jef/tracks

Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

Hey Geoff, how are you doing?

I've got an alumitone pickup so I dont have pole piece problems. But I do get that on my 10 string with a single coil.

Did you have problems like this when you moved from S10 to S12? (I think I read on the UK forum that you used to be an S10 player?)

by the way I checked out yr youtube channel, really like what you've been doing.. Smile

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Henry Senior - Pedal Steel Guitar

Henry Senior · From: United Kingdom

Geoff Noble · From: Scotland

Hi Henry,

Thanks very much Smile

I used to have a GFI student with a George L E-66 on it, so there were no pole pieces to hit, but I used to scrape it a bit from the marks on the plastic, but never really noticed it when I was playing.

I have a Truetone on the Carter and it is adjusted so it is quite close to the strings, I have tried lowering it a bit but I prefer the tone higher.

It's not as bad as it used to be though, so my right hand technique must be getting more ingrained. It is a bit of a beast to grapple with though, fer sure Laughing

_________________
"Nothing can ever be wrong about music" - D Allman

"There is no bad music, only music you don't like" - Me

YTube- http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFqsA-Ahlgr2Z2sw71WJHGg/videos

SCloud - https://soundcloud.com/just-jef/tracks

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Back when I was playing a U-12, I had Jim Burdon (sp?) make me one of his Bullet Bars that was only 3 inches long. I could slide the bar forward, off the big wound strings, and cut down on the noise. It worked quite well. It also cut down some wide grips, though.

Lee

Dean Parks · From: Sherman Oaks, California, USA

Lee, would you like to sell that bar?

Frank De Vincenzo · From: The Garden State

Dean Parks · From: Sherman Oaks, California, USA

Thanks, Frank.

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