The Steel Guitar Forum

I took the first step and ordered a Stage One! Now, I need some accessories. I have a three-finger-grip steel that I've been using for dobro, but I've never tried the round nose type. I noticed Robert Randolph uses one of the three-fingered steels. My guitar playing is more along his style than country, but the traditional country sound of a pedal steel is what got me hooked.

I plan to play some bluesy-rock type stuff, but I want to be able to get that traditional sound also.

Any suggestions on what type of bar to use just starting out on pedal steel, or benefits of one over the other?

Thanks,
Kyle

My own personal opinion is, get a round nose (bullet) bar and work on that. Also, don't abandon using the bar you have now. There are times when that one may feel better to you depending on what you are playing.

Kyle,I have at least 9 or 10 bars
my favorite,hands down is my BJS.

They have a web site. You will never deal with more honest people.

A straight Dobro style bar with ridges is designed for 6 strings where you are not moving back and forth with the bar.
A pedal steel usually has 10 strings. Which a bar will not fit the whole way across. So the bar is designed to have a round nose so when you are pressing down and move it forward across the strings you will not hang on the string in front of the bar as you move across.
One course I had taught to move the bar according to the strings you are playing. Hope this helps.

Also, the common method of producing vibrato by rolling the round-nosed bar between the index and middle fingers can't really be achieved using a dobro style bar.