Round tone bar - or change to shubb?

Tony Harris · Post by **Tony Harris** » 25 Jun 2023 3:55 am

I play lap steel using a round pedal-steel type bar. I've tried three weights of Dunlop and settled on a medium weight. But I find reverse slants a bit awkward, and I'm now trying to master behind the bar bends - and I struggle to keep hold of the bar. I've tried a Lap Dawg (easier to keep hold) - good for pull-offs, and I've ordered a cheap (Chinese?) Shubb-type with a semi-bullet tip at one end.
Anyone tried these cheap bars? Is a semi-bullet Shubb the best compromise? Thanks

Paul Seager · Post by **Paul Seager** » 25 Jun 2023 5:16 am

Tony, even with Internet, Dunlop and Shubb seem to be the only bars easily available in Europe. I use a 918 for lap, same or a Shubb SP2 for acoustic and a 920 for PSG.

My only experience of "copies" has been short and, with hindsight, largely pointless; design was either wrong shape, wrong length/ breadth, lacking indents, weight wrong. Just never found anything as good as Dunlop / Shubb. I once bought a glass bar, a bullet design (cant remember the company) and absolutely loved it ... until I lost my grip and watched it shatter on a tiled floor!

As an aside I've been exploring Pedal Steel and purchased Paul Franklin's introduction course. He advocates practicing PSG with a Stevens (Shubb) design to develop better finger positioning and I can say this tip has worked for me.

Since taking this tip, I regularly switch between bars during practice and sometimes in gigs.

David Knutson · Post by **David Knutson** » 25 Jun 2023 6:46 am

I use a Shubb SP1 for everything. The length is perfect for my 8 string laps, and reso, and I switch between the “bullet” end and the flat end for different styles of playing. My hands are not very large, so the grooved shape really helps with stability. And behind the bar bends are infinitely easier.

Jim Pollard · Post by **Jim Pollard** » 26 Jun 2023 4:36 am

I use a Shubb for 6 string dobro tuning and a powdercoated Michael Hillman grooved round bar for 8 string C6. Easy to get a hold of for slants and pull offs but plenty of nice smooth movement string to string and up and down the fretboard. You can find Michael Hillman here in the forum.. in fact I think he was just running a special.

Jim

G Strout · Post by **G Strout** » 4 Jul 2023 6:35 pm

I used several bar types on non pedal over the years but have settled on a Scheerhorn bar on Bruce Boutons recommendation. A bit pricey but it has made a world of difference......
Gary

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 5 Jul 2023 6:55 am

I don't know how you can make slants with a grooved bar.
I never saw Jerry Byrd use a grooved bar.
Erv

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 5 Jul 2023 7:39 am

Here’s how
https://youtu.be/mo1DyyHx3nY

G Strout · Post by **G Strout** » 5 Jul 2023 6:29 pm

Erv Niehaus wrote:I don't know how you can make slants with a grooved bar.
I never saw Jerry Byrd use a grooved bar.
Erv

Erv, I never saw Jerry use one either, but it can be done. Takes a bit of getting accustomed to. I use a Scheerhorn on lap steel because the curved end makes for really succinct pull offs.
Gary

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Jul 2023 7:33 am

I prefer a round bar with a dished out butt end for your thumb, for making reverse slants.

Erv

Derrick Simon · Post by **Derrick Simon** » 6 Jul 2023 9:09 am

I am new to lap steel.
I recently got a Fouke 6 string.
I bought three tonebars to see which I would prefer.
A Clinesmith,a Shubb SP2 and a Shubb GS1.
I prefer the 13/16 three inch Clinesmith.
It seems the easiest to control and the best sounding of the three.
I also get less string noise with the Clinesmith.
Everything is open at this point in my journey.
Next thing you know,I'll be preferring the Shubb SP2,because I can get a better grip on it.