High Tech Bars

[Paul Higgins]

Nicholai
It works like a dream...
I should be able to get some practice now while waiting for the other bar's..
Thanking you again for your help it is aprecaited very much...I hope i can return the help one day..RdGs Paul

[Nicholai Steindler]

No problem! Glad to help. You might want to try putting the ring in the middle as you practice slants. Makes it easier to turn it sideways.

Have fun and goodluck!

[Marty Smith]

I can make any type of custom bar you want.
Thanks
Marty

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

[Steve Ahola]

While I have had no problem holding my Shubb GS-1 bar (which works great for blues and "frantic" lap steel LOL) to dig a little deeper into country music I prefer to use a traditional round bar. As long as it is sliding on the strings it works great but because of problems with my hands I can't lift it off the fretboard. I liked the idea of putting velcro on the bar and somehow attaching velcro to my index finger.

Looking at one of Andy's coated fingerpicks I figured that would work perfectly once I flattened it out. For my first experiment I used heavy duty velcro to secure it to a regular 7.5oz steel bar from Jim Dunlop (the 920 I believe).

I put the hooks on the flat of the fingerpick and the loops on the bar, using the Gorilla Glue Epoxy to add to the self-adhesiveness. I wrapped the fingerpick/velcro assy with tin foil and then put two mini-bar clamps on it. For the bar I wrapped it tightly with masking tape to secure it while everything cured. The Gorilla Glue held the velcro on securely but the heavy duty velcro did not feel very secure, as though the hooks and loops would unlash themselves at any time.

On to Version 2.0! I've been using the "Superlock Fasteners" from Radio Shack for many years now; it is like a super velcro and I would typically use it to fasten something like a video processor to a VCR. Very heavy duty stuff. Radio Shack still sells it in clear and black varieties, with the clear being a dollar more than the black. So I got a 4 pack of the black fasteners for $3.99 (RD# 64-2360). There are no hooks and loops- both pieces you use are the same.

For the fingerpick I used Krazy Glue to assist the adhesive and used my miniclamps to hold it together (after wrapping it with tin foil). For the bar I used the Gorilla Glue Epoxy with a different trick to secure it (since I had to shape the fastener to fit the curve- it is normally flat). I wrapped it first with heavy duty tin foil and then with masking tape and wrapped some 20GA solid wire around it to mold it to the curve of the bar followed by another wrap of masking tape to keep the wire from unwrapping.

Woohoo! That fastener is going to stay together until Kingdom Come. In fact rather than try to pull the fasteners apart with the fingerpick on my finger I just slip the whole thing off.

You can position your index finger as you want on the bar and I find that you can still play forward and reverse slants.

Now that I know that the technology does work I will probably do the same with my JD 918 "Jerry Byrd" bar that weighs 5.5oz. (My hand gets really strained using the 7.5 oz bar.)

Steve Ahola

P.S. A tip about epoxy: when you mix it up on a paper plate (I assume that you do not use the good china!) save the plate and mixing device (where I come from we call them "toothpicks"). That way you can be sure that it was properly mixed. If the epoxy on the plate doesn't cure properly you better start over from scratch. And buy gloves (or swipe some from the doctor's office while you are in the examination room waiting- it is only fair that you are reimbursed for your time! ) Epoxy can really screw up the fretboard or finish of a guitar.






P.P.S. I am amazed at how well this setup works. It gives me a lot more control than the GS-1 bar because all of my fingers are close to the strings. And it is extremely easy for me to lift up and move the bar around without worrying about it across the room by mistake. I think I will call this my Bionic Finger and the Wonder Bar...

[Michael Elzey]

Hi
High Tech Bars can anyone help on this Goergeboards says there are some of these around smaller lighter than the norm..

I am having problems holding picking it up and moving it around..I surgery twice on the tendon's in my thum wrist.This altho many years ago has left it evry week and when bringing my thumb around to hold the weight to move it there is not enough strength in the thumb..
As a last resort I have used some tape around the bottom of my finget to try and take some of the weight..So a lighter bar would be a wonder for me if they are available..
Thanks Regards Paul

I'm having a hard time holding the steel bars as well. I've got a glass finger "bottle type" slide that i got from musician friend. Its light and i have no problem holding it, cupping it in the palm of my hand. My notes sound a little cleaner too. I'm a beginner tho , so keep that in mind. the glass is light as a feather so maybe?

[Nicholai Steindler]

I also find using a glass tone bar to be easier than using a metal one. Coincidentally, I'm in a position to make them if anyone needs one and can also attach a finger strap if anyone needs one of those too!

Good luck to anyone having problems, I feel your pain.

[ed packard]

Billy uses a white Zirconia bar...it is not Plastic.
He has been using it for about a decade.
Search ZBAR, ZIRC, Zirconia and you will find info and posts re them.

There is a batch being prepared for shipment about mid MAY.

[Paul Higgins]

Hello
Re my GS1 bar it's great to hold...BUT it is not a bull nose and I keep catching it on string 1

I took my 3and1/2 put it in a vice and took the disc grinder to it ( was surprised to find it was brass cromed..quite soft realy..) took it down half way and stuck with epoxy Resin my own peice of wood cramped it over night it is solid now..

What I did do wrong was I was not realy expecting it to stick I dident shape the wood first to the right shape..so had to try and do it while the steel was stuck on but it works good..

I was expecting it to be steel was dident realy know if it would grind down...

Regards Paul

[John Bushouse]

Tom Doughty is a guitarist in the UK. Tom was in an auto accident in 1974, leaving him with no movement in his left hand fingers and limited movement in his right hand fingers.

Here's the slide he uses. He puts the slide on his first finger:

http://www.diamondbottlenecks.com/DB08/index.asp?n=16



http://www.tomdoughty.com/

[Steve Ahola]

Tom Doughty is a guitarist in the UK. Tom was in an auto accident in 1974, leaving him with no movement in his left hand fingers and limited movement in his right hand fingers...

John:

Tom's story is an inspiration to all of us! Another inspiration is Steve Samuels who I first heard about 2 months ago. I was feeling sorry for myself as I had another finger go numb from peripheral neuropathy, and here is this guy with no right hand or forearm playing his ass off. I sent a link of this YouTube to a friend who said that Steve had played a lot arpund the UC Davis campus when he went to school there in the early 70's. There are some comments from his friends after the second video listed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3i2sLJJbE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUit-dhxWc

Steve Ahola

P.S. A silver lining to my cloud: I am learning that I can play faster and stronger leads with 3 fingers rather than 4. And those physical problems have goaded me into seriously pursuing lap and pedal steel after dabbling on and off for 40 years- and meeting all of the great people on this forum!

[Michael Elzey]

Now thats having some fun! great chording and lead work from both. make ya want to grab your guitar and go out to a jam.
Excellent