The Steel Guitar Forum

I don't know if these are common or not, but here is an old bar that I've had for years that I've always thought was pretty cool. I guess it went with the old Rocco guitars. The playing surface is rosewood, so it cuts down on bar noise on the strings like a bakelite bar would, but the heavy metal backbone of the bar adds a lot of mass and helps it sustain very nicely.

Dave

Wow, what a great bar--even if it didn't function well it would still be a great '30's object. Cool indeed, Dave. I wish these turned up more often.
Part of a set...here's one of the other components...




All that's needed now is the revolutionary Tonexpressor pedal and nice little tweed amp with the detachable speaker cover and lightning bolt "E" and we'd truly be jammin' like AR himself back in '37.

David,
I might be wrong, but it's possible that you're holding the bar upside down.
Mark,
I think I have the amp you're looking for.
BTW that is the finest looking prewar lap steel double neck I've ever seen.
R

Nice guitar Mark! I've always thought the Roccos were great looking instruments. Yours looks extra nice!

Dave

It was a lucky find in a rural music store about 15 years ago. If you want to hear one in action there is a Curb Records promotional video for Hank Williams III on YouTube that has Big Jim Murphy getting an amazingly cool sound. You barely catch a glimpse of his Rocco, but that's what it is, and check that playing and tone. I have a few other photos of these that I have picked up over the years if anyone's interested.

Mark Tucker wrote:It was a lucky find in a rural music store about 15 years ago. If you want to hear one in action there is a Curb Records promotional video for Hank Williams III on YouTube that has Big Jim Murphy getting an amazingly cool sound. You barely catch a glimpse of his Rocco, but that's what it is, and check that playing and tone. I have a few other photos of these that I have picked up over the years if anyone's interested.

Do you have a few other guitars exactly like that beauty?
Lucky find? Yes!
I saw Big Jim w/III using his Rocco on a ripping Cocaine Blues on Conan long ago, never to see it again. I'll look for the one you mention.

Thanx for posting!

Sorry, Ron, my wording made it sound like I have a roomful of Rocco steels. I meant that I have gathered photos of them--not the steels themselves! Here's a good shot I found of a display at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum--some real lookers in there along with a very fine looking Rocco Model.
Anyone know where this collection came from?


And yes, I have read in posts here going back a ways about that Conan version of Cocaine Blues. Wish it would turn up somewhere--Big Jim Murphy was a terrific steel guitarist.

No misunderstanding there, Mark, just my overt admiration for these old Rocco's bubbling forth. Certainly one of the best steels ever made, and the single necks w/horseshoe are great too. Just getting to hold Kelii's Epi was a thrill. I'm surprised these have been so neglected all these years by tone hounds.
I've always wondered if Big Jim's Rocco was once Boggs'.

Dave -

You've posted a couple gems here - I've recently moved to Knoxville, & would love to witness your collection.

Thanks for sharing -

Chad

Chad--welcome to Ktown! I don't really have much of a collection to witness--just some odds and ends, but I'd be happy to show you what I do have sometime.

Dave

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I don't know about his steel playing, but Anthony Rocco was quite the wordsmith. Elbert Hubbard with a tone bar. Maybe he had some help from a copy writer for Epiphone. Thanks for posting this.

Very interesting slide, so which is it? Wood side down?

I'm fairly certain it's wood side down--the top (metal) surface is completely unworn on mine, but the wood side shows some string wear. The shape of the top, while rounded, isn't really well suited to playing. The tip of the wooden end of the bar is rounded like a bullet, but can be used to pull off like a Shubb-Pearse bar. Finally, in AR's words, he "stumbled on a method of eliminating the friction noises caused by the steel bar which reduces friction noise... This led to the later development of a steel bar which reduces friction noises to a minimum." Sounds like a wooden or bakelite string contact to me.

Dave