The Steel Guitar Forum

For you guys who are looking for some bars with fluted cuts in the sides like the Sacred Steel bars that Carter used to offer, there is a fellow in Georgia who made me a couple and they turned out very nice. His name is Marshall Neely and his email address is rmneely52@yahoo.com.

The base price of the 7/8th" bar is $29.95 and the 1 1/16th bar is $39.95. The extra cost of the fluting is yet to be determined by him, but I think it will be very reasonable.

The flutes on the Carter bar and on these are 1/2" wide by about 1/8th" deep. The bars are rounded on both ends. I find the 7/8" bar is nice for 6 and 8 string lap/non pedal and the large 1 1/16" bar is nice for 10 and 12 string non pedal or pedal steel.

Edit. I had the wrong email address listed. It has been corrected.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 07 July 2006 at 09:11 AM.]</p></FONT>

That's good news Bill. Those are great bars and offer the best of both worlds.

I would suggest having one end flat as on the original Carter bars.

Howard. I originally thought that one end would be flat, but when they arrived both were round. After using them, I kind of like both ends round. I am also going to use these on a 12 string neck so the double rounded end is good for moving across and back on a 12 string without having a longer heavier bar.

He can make these in either configuration.

<SMALL>...Sacred Steel bars...</SMALL>

They're not "Sacred",unless they've been "blessed" by the Pope.

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mm if it ain't got that twang.</pre></font>

Well, if he attends Dallas this year, I'm bringing mine...


When Carter sold these bars I jumped on the bandwagon. I bought two of the 10 string bars, a two groove & a three groove (3rd groove on top) and the 12 string bar. That 12 string is a huge bar, so right you are about that.

I often thought that a 6 string bar, 2 3/4" in length would be desirable. I would imagine that the 3/4" diameter might be too small because of the width & depth of the grooves. 7/8" diameter makes sense. Yes?

Howard. I too have the three groove Carter 10 string bar. Now that I have had the chance to play a two groove bar, I am leaning toward liking it as much as the three groove.

Do you have a preference between the two and three fluted bars.

I like the two groove bars because I find it easier to slant (properly) and tend to not bend my wrist which I have a tendency to do with a top grooved bar. Having the two side grooves is fine enough for holding the bar secure.

I would take this a step further. In addition to having one end flat, I would also have some kind of recess in that flat end. So, the bullet nose for split string slants and flowing steel playing, the flat end for hammer ons, pull offs, and heavier playing, and the recess to aid in slanting, particularly reverse slants.

Can someone post a picture of these type of bars?

Howard, that is also the sort of bar I'd like to try-- a bullet bar with two side grooves & recessed at one end. When I hear people talk about those no-longer-made Carter bars, this is what I pictured. The 7/8" dimension could also translate into better tone due to the added mass.

Bill, this is a good find. What is the length of these bars, by the way?

--Steve

I can post photos after the weekend.

I think that if you started with 3/4", it would end up being too small because of the grooves.

I'll also take measurement when I get back.

Tried the e-mail address above,never got a reply.Have been trying to get a bar like this for months,would like to have information how to contact Marshall,Thanks Charles Davidson.

I'm looking for a grooved bar suitable for 8-string lap-style playing...sounds like a sacred steel bar might be the one.

Already have Scheerhorn, Lap Dawg, Shubb for 6 strings. Also several 7/8" and 15/16" bars for PSG, and one 3/4" bar for 8-string.

Need something different from all these. Any ideas on where to look?

Take a look at Shubb's new Robert Randolph bars, perhaps one of those is what you're looking for.

Steinar

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"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
Southern Moon Northern Lights

Nice bars, but I don't like the flat end. I like a round end or the "hook" end like the Shub Pearse bar.

Bill,- me too, I've never become comfortable with flat ends on the bars. But since Dave (?) already own a Scheerhorn and a LapDawg I figured he might be more comfortable with these types of bars.

Steinar

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"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
Southern Moon Northern Lights

I think I'd like a round nose better, but will probably try one of those RR models in the meantime.

I recently ordered one of Marshall Neely's fluted 7/8" bars and I love it. It cost 70 bucks and worth every penny of it. I contacted him through that email address and he replied pretty quick and sent pictures. It handles real nice, just like a round bar except I can hold on to it. Works real easy on slants too, forward or reverse.

Don, does one end of this bar have a hollow for reverse slants?

If they are Sacred Steel bars, by definition it would seem that they would be flat ended.

The Randolph bars are far too long to use for 8 string guitars, they are made for Robert to use on his 13 and 14 stringers.

I would like to see an extended Lap Dawg bar, as that has been my bar of choice for quite awhile.

Does Jim Burden of Bullet Bars on the forum also make these ?

Keith. The original sacred steel bars made by Carter were bullet nose.

Yeah I have one of those, Bill. It's OK, but most of the guys in that style- at least these days- use the flat ended bar, or did. Maybe Del Ray will chime in about that, I can only go off the pictures and instructional material I have collected. I can't recall seeing anyone in the Sacred Steel tradition using bullet bars, except for a photo of Willie Eason which appears to have a small round noser- maybe a Black Rajah.

The bar I have is round on both end and I like it just fine. Shouldn't be too hard to cut one end off.

Keith. I see what you are talking about. Maybe the bar from Carter was just their own design that they felt might be of interest to the Sacred steel guys since it had the cuts in the side.

Speaking of bars, (not the drinking type), I was sitting innocently in the Vancouver International Airport awaiting my flight to Edmonton last May. All of a sudden, throughout the airport p.a. system my name was being paged to report immediately to SECURITY !
Gads, what had I done ? Seems they were going through my luggage and discovered my RED RAJAH and also an extra round steel bar. It took about 15 minutes to convince them that these bars were as important to me as a bow is to a violinist. I'm sure they must have thought the RED RAJAH in particular was a mini stick of dynamite !<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 14 October 2006 at 01:01 PM.]</p></FONT>