The Steel Guitar Forum

In another thread on tone bars, I suggested trying lignum vitae. I received some quite humorous feedback. This, however did not deter me from trying it out. I found a gentleman in the area who made me a lignum vitae tone bar as well as a cocabola tone bar (the one on top is the cocabola). I just got them today and tried them out immediately. They are everthing I was looking for. They take the "edge" and overtones out of the strings. I can get a much softer and smoother sound. Contrary to what you may expect, they don't make the strings sound dead. They just decay more quickly. Both lignum vitae and cocabola are very dense.
I had them made as 1" x 4" for my 12 string universal.

Karlis

Hi Karlis:

Those are very unique and beautiful looking tone bars.

If you tap them, they have a ceramic-like tone. The Cocabolo bar has a higher pitch.

Karlis

If you can find some, try making a bar out of Pakkawood. It's resin impregnated under heat and pressure. Dekley's necks were made of it, people are making jewelry with it now, and it's also used for dishwasher-proof knife handles. Be advised that regular woodworking tools won't work though, you'll need to use carbide tipped tools.

Great Idea.I had a batch of custom bars made for 6/8 string out of industrial bronze at a local foundry,then had some of them hard chrome plated.The lap steel players liked the chromed ones, but the bluegrass/country dobro players liked the bronze.I have a few left over on the buy and sell.I think lots of players are looking for that special sound,and different materials in the bars will produce just that.

I've been thinking about this sorta thing for when I play my 6-string lap thru the SuperBro. The lap steel has too much sustain to sound natural, and I've been thinking a wooden bar would be the way to go.

Think you'd be able to make one like the Shubb Pearse SP2? http://www.shubb.com/spsteel.html#

What a great idea, Karlis! Please check your e-mail.

They sure are pretty, especially the Coca.

What style of music do they sound best on?

Can they achieve the sustain needed for slow ballads?

I suspect you'll still use a Steel Bar, and switch to these as needed.

Those bars look a lot better than cut-off broom handles too!

The wood grain on those bars is absolutely beautiful, but I would be concerned about getting them dinged on the bandstand.

Are they available in mica, too?



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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

I think they would be great for acoustic
playing (Dobro, Hawaiian acoustic).
Could you ream in a steel centre to give
the bar more weight?
Roy

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These bars sound really great. I tried them without reverb and can charaterize them as strong in the lows and midrange. They cut a lot of the upper harmonics so chords sound fuller and clearer. When I do harmony scales and chord scales, the chords sound more distinct. When I do the same thing with my steel bar, the chords have more disharmonius upper harmonics.

Karlis

Hello,
Well those bars are beautiful, and if the tone is what you say it is. Then, boy I have to try one. So, where can I get one, or two of those bar, hey!
thanks,
Skip

Hello,
Those bars are very beautiful. I've have made one in EBONY and i must say i like the sound very much. I try now to make one with a metal bar in it, to add a little more sustain. You can try every kind of hard wood, this depend on the taste of the player.
Good luck.

very pretty!