The Steel Guitar Forum

I bought a Dunlop 920 bar at my local music store soon after I got my lap steel last Christmas. As a newbie, I didn't really know what I was looking for, and besides, this was the only one they had

I like the dimensions, but I find it rather heavy - so these Paloma Slides looked ideal. Just ordered a Cobalt Blue RB185 with a thumb indent -really looking forward to trying it out!

I ordered an RB1 .85 x 3.50 Cobalt Blue with thumb indent. Sent payment through paypal, along with a pm here, and an email. I trust you're merely busy, but when you get time, let me know you rec'd my order and payment. Thanks...Bob

I'd like to let everyone know that I'll be on the road for a few weeks beginning the last weekend in May so I will not be able to make any slides and bars from May 28 to June 21. I will be traveling with a good stock selection and my lap top so I will be able get all my emails and be able to respond to fill orders for many stock items.

All orders I have in hand now will be completed and shipped before I leave. If you'd like to order something before I leave, do it now so I have time to add it to the last production run.

I'll be in Las Vegas the first weekend in June and Prescott, AZ the second weekend so if you are in either area, perhaps we can connect!

I'd like to thank those of you who have been supportive through my recent tough times and am happy to say I am back on track again!

I continue to integrate suggestions from y'all and have included upgrades at no additional charge. The bars and slides are still only $20!!!

For those of you who have already purchased Paloma Slides and Bars... perhaps you'd like to write a review and/or send me any comments you might have. I want to make slides and bars the players want to play and your input is invaluable!

20 bucks guys! Did you see that?

He's gettin' rich off of us!

I can't wait for mine to be delivered.

Lee, from South Texas

Jay Seibert wrote: For those of you who have already purchased Paloma Slides and Bars... perhaps you'd like to write a review and/or send me any comments you might have. I want to make slides and bars the players want to play and your input is invaluable!

I am getting on with my Paloma Slide very well indeed. One unexpected side-effect has been discovering the balance between pressure on the strings and tone. The big, heavy Dunlop bar I started with seems to do all that work for me - the Paloma has introduced a new dimension.

Now if only I could acclimate to these wretched fingerpicks...

It seems that quite a few players are finding that it's not all about the weight in a tone bar... that a lighter bar can produce great tone and sustain and be more nimble. And yes, there is a bit of technique adjustment if one is used to a heavy bar. Seems that there are a bunch of players who have gotten over that "different feeling" and enjoy the change that Paloma ceramic bars bring to their playing.

And then there are the players who are liking the larger diameter ceramic bars in their hand... comfortable to hold, better sustain, and still lighter than a smaller steel bar. There are some mighty fine players who use a large diameter bar quite effectively. At this time I offer three, soon to be four, stock diameter bars, in four stock lengths. www.stoneslides.com .

Jay Seibert wrote:It seems that quite a few players are finding that it's not all about the weight in a tone bar... that a lighter bar can produce great tone and sustain and be more nimble...

I just got your bars the other day and I have only two words for them: Wow!

Your tone bars are the only ones that I can hold and lift properly because of some medical issues, but besides that they have an amazing tone. As you mentioned in an earlier post you can feel these bars resonate in your hand.

Throughout history there have been countless stories of stones possessing certain powers, but not that many about enchanted metals.

Your choices of clays, glazes and firing techniques produce a tone bar that is very musical and perhaps even magical.

Kudos for coming up with such a great product!

Steve Ahola

Steve Ahola wrote:I just got your bars the other day and I have only two words for them: Wow!

Better check your math, bro!

Steve Ahola wrote:Your tone bars are the only ones that I can hold and lift properly because of some medical issues, but besides that they have an amazing tone. As you mentioned in an earlier post you can feel these bars resonate in your hand.

[...] Your choices of clays, glazes and firing techniques produce a tone bar that is very musical and perhaps even magical.

That's a mighty positive review - which model(s) did you get? I've got some hand issues, myself...

-- Mark

Please see post under 'Pedal Steel', Introducing Ceramic Tone Bars Thanks....Bob

Mark Lavelle wrote:

Steve Ahola wrote:Your tone bars are the only ones that I can hold and lift properly because of some medical issues, but besides that they have an amazing tone. As you mentioned in an earlier post you can feel these bars resonate in your hand.

[...] Your choices of clays, glazes and firing techniques produce a tone bar that is very musical and perhaps even magical.

That's a mighty positive review - which model(s) did you get? I've got some hand issues, myself...

-- Mark

Mark:

I got the RB285 just guessing on the length not really knowing how I was going to hold the bar. Where it seems to work best is holding it between the tip of my index finger and the pocket at the base of my thumb. I'll be ordering the bigger RB3 when Jay gets back from his road trip.

Before this the only bars I could hold were initially the Stevens bar and then the GS bar (basically dobro bars) when my hand problems developed. But there is a certain advantage to a big round bullet bar...

Steve

P.S. It isn't just the weight of the steel bars that is a problem for me- it is the density. The stone bars are roughly 2 grams lighter than a comparable steel bar just to give you some idea. Don't forget the glaze! The clear is brighter while the blue is warmer and fuller (to my ears).

having just received a "stone" bullet bar from mr. jay seibert, the first thing i did with the thing was pluck away at my favorite "barn" axe -- a 26"+ scale mexican "Superior", upon which i enjoy playing traditional hawaiian hulas and meles in taro patch G on hefty-gauged strings. the bar's lightness was certainly more of an asset than a liability -- especially given the longer scale length and the particular requirements of that style of playing -- and the tone was both pleasant and uniquely warm.

i vote "yes" on these things, and on mr seibert's level of service.

Steve Ahola wrote:: [...] But there is a certain advantage to a big round bullet bar...

Is that a tone or handling opinion? Discuss...

It has been very interesting and instructive that so many Forum members who have tried a larger diameter Paloma tone bar in lieu of their standard 3/4" steel bar have found that they enjoy the easier handling characteristics and tone that Paloma offers.

I must admit that when I started playing lap steel, I used what so many recommended, a 3/4" bar. But since I have a wide variety of diameter and length available to me, I have gravitated to using my RB3 model exclusively. Still easy to move around, comfortable to hold, and a nice, full tone. I enjoy alternating between the blue and clear glazed bars because I can hear the difference in tone when recording in my Pro Tools-equipped studio.

You hear a tonal difference between the colors? Please explain. I'm going to order soon and would like to know what you feel the changes in tone are from the changes in glaze. Thanks!

Rick,

The tonal difference between the clear/white glaze and the cobalt blue glaze is due to the addition of cobalt oxide to the glaze formula. This is an unplanned accident which turned out to be a benefit! And it makes sense in that as different elements are added or subtracted to a glaze formula, properties will change... in this case, we note a difference in tone rendered.

Steel's tone is brightest
My clear/white glaze is a bit warmer
My cobalt blue glaze is a bit warmer than white.

I have met a few players who cannot distinguish the tonal differences... but they admit that they can't tell the difference from glass and steel.

If you have a good ear, you'll hear the difference!

The only high-fire stoneware tone bars in the world!

Lighter weight promotes speed and handling.

Dense clay body delivers excellent sustain.

Proprietary glaze is super hard, super smooth, and yields a slightly warmer, organic tone.

Multiple diameters and lengths available.

Carved indent for the thumb enables slants.

Totally hand made.

Only $24... includes shipping everywhere!

Getting great tone and playability doesn't have to cost and arm and a leg!

Product info and player reviews at www.stoneslides.com

Jay:

Your stone slides are amazing, especially for an old geezer like me with damaged nerves, tendons and muscles in both hands. And like you say they have a much warmer sound than steel. I like having a 15/16" bar that weighs about half as much as a 7/8" steel bar.

The only downside I see is that they are too light to be much help in a bar-room brawl. (Not a problem for me since I head for the door whenever a fight starts.)

Thanks for offering such a great product at a reasonable price!

Steve Ahola

There is NO doubt I'll need to try one (or more) of your bars. But I have a thought, maybe it's been asked, maybe not.

In the old days of bakelite bars, which are slick and warm sounding, they added some weight to them with lead or some other material. Could you somehow add a center-filling of either lead, brass or steel? I'm seeking the slick surface and a medium weight.

Thanks!!

Rick,

Thanks for your question... it has been posed several times and the answer remains the same. Some of the following information might be considered by some as trade secrets; It is not really feasible to stuff weight into the tone bar. When it is first made, the clay is very soft to the touch.. wet with water content which allows me to put a shape on it. When the water dries from the the clay, the remaining clay body is very fragile and can easily break with any sort of pressure (drilling would shatter the dried clay). The clay is then fired to 1950 degrees which makes the clay vitreous. Drilling, at this point, would ruin many bits to even go into the body an inch with the risk of shattering being very high. I then coat the bar with my glaze and then fire again to 2450 degrees. Drilling now is totally out of the question. Diamond bits won't do it!

I have had a couple players with machine shop buddies attempt to drill into the tone bar to add weight... they failed!

All that being said, I haven't figured out how to add weight, yet. But I have come to realize that the weight of my bars proves to be an advantage that others can't duplicate... the super smooth and extremely hard glazed surface, a result of my own formulas, is not easy to duplicate, and the combination of clay body and glaze finish gives Paloma tone bars their excellent sustain and tone. And the lighter weight makes them pretty easy to flick about.

Rick, if you order a tone bar from me and you find it not to your liking, I'll gladly refund your money paid.

I've been using a sculpted bar for years mainly because I lift a lot and I just never could get along with a round bar. I like the concept of a round bar for slants, etc, but I just never liked any that I tried.

Well, I chatted with Jay and ended up ordering one of his stone slides several months ago. I knew I wanted something larger that 3/4 but I was torn between getting a 7/8 or a 1". Jay was nice enough to send me both and as it turned out I really liked the 1". It's big but I was amazed at how easy it was to get used to and hold on to. Somehow the slick surface sticks to your hand and has lower string noise than my steel. I have a heavy hand so the weight hasn't been an issue with me. I timed the sustain and I couldn't discern a difference between stone and steel. The tone of the stone is a bit warmer but not in a bad way and by that I mean that the tone isn't dull, just different. I actually like the warmer tone.

So I now have a bullet bar that I like.

Thanks, Jay, and I apologize that it's taken me this long to say that.

I have several of Jay's tone bars (RB1 and RB2) along with a couple of his slides.

They are lightweight and highly maneuverable but give a sustain that belies their lack of weight.

I prefer the cobalt blue to the clear glaze as the cobalt blue is definitely "warmer" in tone.

They are extremely easy to hold on to. The glaze is not slippery. With the summer coming....heat and humidity are the bane of a steel guitarist...and these Paloma Stone Slides are outstanding in the heat/humidity. No problems whatsoever holding on to them.

Lastly, the slides (for slide guitar, duh) are superb. The inside of the slide is NOT gritty and moisture is not a problem/issue like it is for ceramic slides. They are great on acoustic or electric guitar.

I gave these slides a very positive review way way back in this thread.

I do have one issue, and it's not necessarily a fault, but I have found that, compared to my Shubb-Pearse SP1 & SP2 bars, it seems like I have to be somewhat farther to the right of the fret compared to the SP's to play in tune. So this messes me a up a little when I try to visually site moving to a new fret.

I suppose that this is because the radius may be a little flatter or because the bar is taller and I tend to tilt the bar (on the rotational axis) counterclockwise a bit when I play.

Anybody else notice this, and if so, how do you correct for it? It's not a super big deal, but I think it's made me reach for the metal bars more often than Jay's which have some great tonal properties.

Another cool thing about these bars is that you can use sandpaper on the unglazed part to form fit them to your hand a little. This helped me make the longer one I got more comfortable and snug fitting.

Got mine the other day and as Steve said - Wow! I love them. Somehow 'different' and there is a tonal diffrence between the steel and the stone. The sustain is definately a fraction less and I mean a fraction. Back up chord work may see you want the sustain of steel but with instrumentals I seem to grab this one first. I think I will order more. I seem to be able to move quicker and more accurately.

Thanks Jay for a graet product at a great price. Service was great as well

Thanks, guys... for all the very kind words. It's great to be back at work after a tough Spring. Thanks for all the support from so many Forum members. It just doesn't get any better.

Cheers,

Jay

Hi Jay:
My slides arrived today and I practiced for an hour already with them. I got 3 cobalt blues, one shaped tapered nose, two Jerry Byrd Style bullet nose bars with a thumb indent. I absolutely really like them. Playing is so much easier with these bars to do single note riffs, hammer ons, pull offs, they have a rich warm tone to my ears anyway. And as others have mentioned about sustain, I really cannot tell that sustain is less with these than all the steel tone bars I've used, some hear a small difference. Now to get at those reverse slants.
Thanks much, and I am so glad to see you back home in action. Good health and God's blessings.
sincerely
Dick Chapple Sr