bar question

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i had a 7/8 bar and had trouble with vibrato , i just could not seem to get it to roll . would going to a 1 inch bar help ?

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

I've been mostly using a 1" Bullet bar. I started with a 7/8" lesser quality bar. I feel the 1" is a little harder to roll for vibrato but I think it helps my sound. Along the way of experimenting I also tried, and still like using, a 15/16" Red Rajah bar (although the black may be a better choice). The Rajah bar has a "stickiness" to it that may help you if you are slipping on top of the bar (but it's slick where the bar contacts the strings also so they may offset each other as an advantage to ease of rolling the bar). My opinions have only been formed during the year I've been playing, so I'm sure others have more significant thoughts than mine. But, for what it's worth, I'd say keep experimenting with a few sizes and styles until you are happy. You can always sell the ones you really don't like for some return. You might want to at least take a look at the Rajah bars.

Bob P.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

I think your vibrato has more to do with your technique than your bar. As they say, practice,practice,practice..........JD

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

never heard of the rajah bar , i'll look for it. i have ordered one of those contured bars just to try it , i could slide the 7/8 fine just could not seem to get it to roll...maybe its the way i'm holding it

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

John is obviously right. I think my response was more of an opinion that there is nothing wrong with experimenting. I do think that in trying different bars you might find a certain size feeling more "natural" for you than another. Everyone's hands are different. I hope I'm not digging my "opinion" hole deeper with that

.

Bob P.

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

Calvin: if you ever get a chance to see that video that goes with those Carter Starter steel guitars, that Jeff Newman made, he demonstrates the vibrato better than anyone I have ever seen demo it, damn, sure miss having Ol Jeff around, but a lot of his stuff is still out there to check out. If you can't find a copy of that, let me know & I'll see what I can do for you. Oh, I also use an 1" BJS Bar, its great and I really like the tone & vibrato with it. It is more of a 'roll' the bar than sliding it back & forth.

Ernie

http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm

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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

If you can't get your bar to "roll", just try sliding it back and forth for vibrato. I've done it this way for 50 years and I haven't been struck by lightning yet.
Erv

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Who dreamed up the idea of rolling the bar, in the first place? It might come in handy for a phaser-effect, but; I wouldn't use it for regular-playing! It's not a movement that would lend itself to any amount of speed!

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“Big John” Bechtel
’49/’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-issue Fender Twin-Reverb Custom™ 15”
click here click here

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I'm with John Bechtold.I could never get the bar to roll for me.I had a friend of mine tell me along time ago if you don't get the roll vibrato going,then your vibrato won't be right.The way I figure it is vibrato is modulation of pitch at different rates,and widths so all that matters is the end product.I still like to watch people do thought.

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I like my 1 1/16 stainless for tone. As far as effect on vibrato,the larger bar slows down my vibrato pattern. It's a very heavy bar.

Susan Alcorn (deceased) · From: Baltimore, MD, USA

Calvin,

I'm not sure that a bar "roll" is necessarrily such an important thing, but uncontrolled vibrato probably is, and it (like the uncontrolled foot on the volume pedal) are sometimes hard to deal with because they are often tied to our emotions and to nervousness. One thing I would recommend is to play for awhile, especially when you practice, without any vibrato at all. Just hold the bar where it is. This is also good for hearing correct intonation. Then eventually start adding just a little vibrato -- perhaps at the end of a note -- for effect. The thing is to have control over your left arm, hand, and wrist until you reach a point where it seems to automatically do what your music calls for.

Good luck,
Susan

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

What Susan said has a lot of merit. JMO: I think rolling the bar is superior to sliding it because you eliminate the noise generated by sliding over the wrapped strings. BTW - the secret to rolling the bar is to lift your hand off the strings behind the bar, after a little practice you'll get the feel.
(Just make sure your intonation is as good as you can make it prior to lifting your hand.)
Hope this helps.

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 01 January 2005 at 09:43 PM.]

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Susan and Jim gave you good advise. Rolling the bar is the best sounding vibrato. I do not keep the vibrato going as I play. I only add it on a slow song at the end of a long sustained note. Listen to some of the "good" singers. That is how they do it.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

i've learnt from this great forum that you can either Rock or Roll the bar
Rockin' it seems to me to be the easiest way of gettin' a type of vibrato
but Rollin' it is much more subtle and seems (to me) harder to get the hang of
as usual, practice & more practice will get you Rockin' & a Rollin'

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

Rolling is better on slow stuff, as it cuts down the string noise you get when you slide the bar. For the fast vibrato, though, the sliding technique is far easier (and I don't know of anyone who could "roll" a bar as fast as I could slide one

).

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

I've always heard that rolling the bar made for more sustain. I try it when I think of it, but I usually just slide it.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

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