The Steel Guitar Forum

i have been playing guitar for 40 years but just recently picked up an asher electro hawaiian junior and it is a lot of fun. i've been using either a stevens or a lap dawg and thought i'd try a tone bar. i have no idea how to choose a size nor a material.

any recommendations? i plan on purchasing one of wayne johnson's but thought i'd check here first.

thanks in advance.
mikeB.

Michael Butler wrote:i have been playing guitar for 40 years but just recently picked up an asher electro hawaiian junior and it is a lot of fun. i've been using either a stevens or a lap dawg and thought i'd try a tone bar. i have no idea how to choose a size nor a material.

any recommendations? i plan on purchasing one of wayne johnson's but thought i'd check here first.

thanks in advance.
mikeB.

Hi Michael,
From what I've read the great Jerry Byrd recommends a bullet nose 3/4 diameter by 2 3/4 length

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/tonebars

Dunlop states the 918 model was designed for Jerry Byrd

This is the one I use it's about the same
BROZ-O-PHONIC HAWAIIAN STEEL SLIDE

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/BOPGS.htm

Deirdre Higgins wrote:

Michael Butler wrote:i have been playing guitar for 40 years but just recently picked up an asher electro hawaiian junior and it is a lot of fun. i've been using either a stevens or a lap dawg and thought i'd try a tone bar. i have no idea how to choose a size nor a material.

any recommendations? i plan on purchasing one of wayne johnson's but thought i'd check here first.

thanks in advance.
mikeB.

Hi Michael,
From what I've read the great Jerry Byrd recommends a bullet nose 3/4 diameter by 2 3/4 length

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/tonebars

Dunlop states the 918 model was designed for Jerry Byrd

This is the one I use it's about the same
BROZ-O-PHONIC HAWAIIAN STEEL SLIDE

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/BOPGS.htm

thanks diedre!

If you want the Cadillac go with a BJS Jerry Byrd.

http://www.bjsbars.com/steel-guitar-bars.php

This one is also very nice.

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/JP-B2/

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier wrote:This one is also very nice.

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/JP-B2/

thanks jean, what about sizes and materials from your standpoint?

play music!

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier wrote:This one is also very nice.

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/JP-B2/

I like these. But, twice the cost of the "Broz-o-phonic". The two are virtually identical in size. The Pearse seems to be slightly harder steel, and for some reason feels better in my hand. I have no idea whether the cryogenic treatment bit is hokum.

Actually, I prefer these http://www.tribotone.com/ but they don't appear to be available at the moment.

Eventually you'll end up with a whole drawer of them, anyway.

For size I like 3/4 and not to long, the Bronzophonic is too long for me. This is for easy slant.

For material, I want a very slick bar that will not scratch, for this the best I tried is BJS and close second is the Pearse bar.

I never had the chance to try a tribotone.

thanks jean and james for your info.

play music!

Michael, a selection from Dunlop, John Pearse, or Broz-O-Phonic would provide a nice bar for starters. The Broz-O-Phonic is usually least expensive, Dunlop in the mid-range of price, and John Pearse a little more expensive. I have and use each of these periodically. All are excellent bars.

C. E.

I use a 3" X 3/8" Emmons Bullet nose bar and I drilled it out and left only 1/16 th of a inch thickness and filled it with Hot Glue and it is nice and light and it feel great and get a great sound.
Sam White

samuel: what does the hot glue do? does it keep the bar tight on your finger?

and, thanks to mr. jackson. that is a good idea to get a few different ones. just like i have the stevens and the lap dawg- - variety is the spice of life.
thanks,
mikeB.

I have the Jerry Byrd size tonebar and the next size up from Dunlop. I like them both but I think I like the slightly larger one a bit better. I can't remember the number but in some ads it is referred to as "medium" and has a weight of 5.5 oz. I personally think the Dunlop solid stainless bars are a pretty good buy for the money. I don't care for chrome plated ones.

I, like Jim, like the "bullet-nose" solid stainless steel round bars. It seems to me that a heavier solid bar gives a better tone. However, I have some hollow stainless steel bars that give excellent tone. I guess it's a players choice.

Regarding the plated bars, I have only playing experience with one plated bar. It is a "bullet-nose" 2 13/16 x 3/4 round bar which came with my first steel in 1949. I have used it so much that 90% of the chrome is worn off, but it still does a good job.

The only comment I can remember from steel players who prefer the chrome plated over the stainless steel bars is that chrome plated bars seem to have a little less moving resistance. I have tried other plated bars from time to time, and personally, I can't tell the difference.

C. E.

I've seen it posted here that if you are using stainless steel strings, a stainless bar is not recommended. I use nickel strings though. I have a very old chrome bar that I got with a steel I bought..the chrome peeled off to the point that it basically can't be used anymore. Solid stainless doesn't peel off

I've seen it posted here that if you are using stainless steel strings, a stainless bar is not recommended. I use nickel strings though. I have a very old chrome bar that I got with a steel I bought..the chrome peeled off to the point that it basically can't be used anymore. Solid stainless doesn't peel off

thanks to jim and c.e.

great info. looks like i'd better invest in a couple different ones just to have a choice. ha!

thanks again,
mikeB.

play music!

Wooden bullet tonebars why not?

Ermanno Pasqualato wrote:
Wooden bullet tonebars why not?

Where can you get those, Ermanno? I'd love to try one.

Like Jean-Sebastien, I prefer the BJS and Pearse (and Tribotone) bars in the smaller sizes, although they do cost more.

The Dunlop bars are great starters, but the more expensive bars do sound and feel better to me. I'm no great player, but I can tell the difference. You'll get more string noise and more of a resistance feel with the less expensive bars.

When I play Cajun music, I use a bigger, lighter bar (another Tribotone), but there are so many lifts and pull-offs in that kind of music, I need the big pipe. For the old country and swingy stuff, I prefer the smaller Byrd-sized bars.

Wooden Bars? I haven't tried a bar made entirely of wood, but have tried the wooden side of my EPI-ROCCO Bar. It does work and sounds good.



My ANTHONY ROCCO STEEL and EPI-ROCCO BAR


Here is a link to information on the ANTHONY ROCCO STEEL and the EPI-ROCCO BAR:
http://epiphonewiki.com/index.php/Elect ... eel_Guitar

The following note from the article states that the bar is made to play on both sides.

"Epi-Rocco Bar:
The Epi-Rooco bar was developed in conjunction with Anthony Rocco. Made from self-lubricating wood and a chrome-plated metal alloy, the Rocco Bar is designed for use on both sides. The metal side for conventional wooden instruments, and the wooden side for amplified instruments. The Rocco bar was intended to reduce the "swish" sound noticed when using other lap steel bars."

I would like to try an all wooden bar.

C. E.