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6-string conversion

Posted: 1 May 2006 4:35 am
by Don J. Dixon
Many thanks to all those who helped me convert a 6-string standard guitar to a steel. I got a nut extension and an inexpensive stevens bar from Elderly. To make the nut extension stay in place, I had to wind #1 and #6 string on outside of the tuning posts and #2,#3,#4,& #5 strings on the inside of the tuning posts. I also ground off the front edge of the Stevens bar to keep it from catching the next higher string when playing single string notes. The Stevens bar makes it sound more like a dobro than the bullet bar, apparently due to the different shape,mass, and composition. Hope this can someone else.


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GFI Ultra D-10, Airline 6-string lap steel
steelsanta@aol.com
steelsanta@aol.com


Posted: 1 May 2006 8:09 am
by Bill Hatcher
Don. Get a Shubb-Pearse SP1 bar. Has a nice hook on the front that lets you raise up the back of the bar and use the front hook area for single notes.

Posted: 2 May 2006 4:49 pm
by Alan Brookes
I agree with Bill. The other thing I do with mine is to submerge it in the liquid rubber compound that's made for screwdriver handles; then when it's dry I cut off the rubber on the slide side. You end up with a bar which is less likely to slide out of your hand.