The Steel Guitar Forum

Just got a new 13/16X3 inch bullet bar from Jim Burden today for my lap steels. Beautifully made. I Know I'm going to enjoy this size bar. Jim polishes these bars to a fantastic finish.

Congrats on the new bar...I've tried my large pedal steel bar on my lap steel, and didn't like it at all, but I have pretty small hands so that might be a factor.

I went the other way recently with my lap steel bar, buying a "Jerry Byrd" sized bar. Initially I didn't like it and thought it was too small, and ordered the next size up with the intention of returning the small one. However after playing with it a while I grew to like it quite a bit and decided to keep both of them. I kind of go between it and the other slightly larger one depending on the music and how my hand is working on that day. I started out with a Shubb SP2 stevens type bar with a bullet nose on one end, but for the most part switched from that to the bullet bars.

I have 3 Jim Burden bars in different widths and lengths. Great, quality work.

I started playing console with one of Jim's bullet bars a few years back, and I haven't been able to use anything else since. I went for heavy and long, trying to get max sustain and also to do longer slants. The bar is 3 1/2' wide (or long) and a one inch diameter. Later I got a pedal, and then a lap and another console. I always use the same bar; love the sound. Have tried other bars, but I always go back to that big bullet bar.

Ron Taylor wrote:heavy and long to get max sustain and do longer slants, 3 1/2" long X 1" diameter.

I'm partial to my 3" Dunlop but it's inspiring to consider more ease at getting those distant slants and even more tone with a bit more steel. The virtues of bar length is a topic rarely touched on since so few use a bar that can extend musical choices that a minimum of 3" does.