The Steel Guitar Forum

I thought I'd found an online source (Resound), but it turns out they're in France, and though a UK contact is mentioned, it's evenings and weekends only. Shady? I want a sensible 6 string C6 set for an old cheap and nasty electric lap steel, a bullet steel, and some finger and thumbpicks. Who can steer me appropriately?

Dunno about C6th stringsets, but I get my picks from here
They do steels too ( put "tonebars" in the searchbar...) though I usually get mine off the ebay, as they're cheaper from the USA, even with shipping!
( I prefer the Lap-Dawg, I'm not a bullet-guy )

Newtone Strings are great and made in the UK. Their "Michael Messer Electric Slide Classics" last for ages.

C6th string sets are for sale here on the forum! See link at the top of the page.

As for other lap steel accessories, as Chris pointed out, it is cheaper to buy from the USA. I get most of my supplies from Elderly. They only charge $7 (or has it gone up to $10 - still a very fair price) shipping for small international orders.

The Broz-o-Phonic is a good place to start for a bullet bar, but the best all-round bullet bar IMHO (and many others' to) is the Tribo-Tone. Pricy but worth it.

Cheers,

Fred

Thanks guys. It turned out StringsDirect could've sold me everything I wanted (though I'd have had to settle for plastic fingerpicks), but my entire order, strings, picks and bar from Elderly, plus shipping, was about the same that SD would've charged me just for the tonebar. I guess it may take some time to get here, but never mind. Thankyou!

Sam, did you try Gerry Hogan?, he is in Berkshire.
For the life of me I cant remember where.
I am also from Southampton originally, and I got my first steel from Gerry a Rickenbacker D8.
When I picked up my guitar he set me up with strings picks and a bar.
Lee

Just out of interest, why would you have had to settle for plastic fingerpicks?
I get the metal ones from SD, I tried various gauges & settled on the .20s.
You don't need to get the pliers on them ( or hot water like the plastic ones ).
Just coax the band to the size you need, I rotate them slightly on my fingers so they hit the string nice & square, to avoid/minimize pick-noise.

Oops, don't mean to sound like an authority on fingerpicks - I'm still getting to grips with actually using them!
I tried them for a while some time ago but ended up chickening out & going back to just the thumbpick & bare fingers.
With fingerpicks the tone/volume is more balanced between thumb&fingers but they do take some getting used to!
One day I'll get there!

So, what bar did you go for?
It's a shame they cost so much over here.

I looked through the SD range, but couldn't see the metal ones. Probably me being incompetent! I tried fingerpicks for fingerstyle guitar when I was much, much younger, but we honestly didn't know which way round to put them on! I went for the Brozophonic bar, hope it's gonna be good!

They're here but never mind eh!

I often find that most guitar shops ( certainly here in Bristol ) actually have thumb & fingerpicks in stock, usually all mixed up together in a clear plastic "candy-jar" on the counter that most regular guitar-shoppers ignore...

I've found some very strange fingerpicks in this way, some with a kind of "loop" instead of a blade, some with a wierd shape, strangely in a tub with ALL LEFT-HANDED thumbpicks !

It's worth checking your locals!
Mind-you, as with SD & most UK retailers, if they have ANY steels at all the choice will be limited & overpriced.

Gerry Hogan can be found here: http://www.steelguitars.co.uk/

Bill