Bullseye Bar, A Review.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

I waited til I played it hard for three nights.

To begin with I got cross ordered somehow, and came up with a .9375" standard length bar. I thought Id give it a spin anyhow.

I ended up liking the size difference. Not too bog like the one incher I remember Don West using, and it wasn't hard to handle on the fast two+ fret moves.

NOW, The Finish:

Whatever it is, is definitely wierd stuff. The bar takes NO scratches, or minute use marks whatsoever. Im used to a pretty "inert" stainless moly ally bar, but this is even more mark resistant. It's WAY different. I played three HARD nghts with plenty of sweat on the Strings. Ususally I can feel friction.

I'm not going to say that it increases "sustain", or makes the volume "louder", as I really dont know. It probably does doe to the lack of friction. I DO know that it's WIERD how little friction there is against the strings.

I actually had a little trouble feeling the strings when I did rolling smooth vibrato. THAT's how smooth it is. Also in the bright stage light, I am more able to see a "light fog" over the bar. It's NOT a "foggy surface", but more fingerprints etc and "smears" that seem to vanish when the bar's wiped off/ I can't explain it further. It's NOT a "teflon" type coating, and I'll be darned if I know what it is. It's more part of the metal than anything else, like a kind of "anodizing" with a totally non metallic, non ceramic, element.

Anyhow, maybe someone else can put it in more understandable terms.

It's the slickest bar I've ever used, and I plan on having my old 7/8" 24 year old bars polished up by JH, and coated similarly if the metal in my "classified alloy" bars will take it.

I really like the one I got and will keep the 15/16". I have pretty big hands, and it's not clumsy in the least. They've also got a nice "rounding" on the rear of the bar to keep from getting "stuck" over the 10-9 strings.

I recommend them very heartily.

EJL

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Like my buddy EJ, I've been using the BullsEye bar for about a week. I come from a different position: I've been using BJS for many years and rarely play a gig with anything else. I only have one and they're so expensive I have hesitated getting another. Therefore, when the BullsEye came along, since it was substantially less expensive and sounded like they offered similar properties arrived at a different way (smooth coating vs chrome plating), I bought the 12-string length 15/16" bar -- same size as my BJS.

My conclusions:
It is basically interchangeable with the BJS and I'll have to look at it to know the difference.
IMHO, it is NOT substantially better than BJS, unlike what I've heard others say.
It IS less expensive ($60 vs $75 -- the new BJS price for the 15/16" bars).

My only reservation:
How long the coating will last and how close to Bill Stroud's 'no questions asked' warranty the Hilburns will provide if it flakes off or becomes otherwise damaged. All I can say is if they do, I'll consider their bar equal in features (shape, weight, smoothness) to the BJS and, since it is less expensive, a BETTER VALUE THAN BJS.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Larry,

I commend you totally for giving a completely unbiased assessment of a product. It is refreshing to hear this when one considers how "advertisers" and so many others "rate" things. You gave only the facts as you knew them. And let them fall where they may. I applaud you.

Consumers' Report's has done this a lot ever since they began. I will sight just one case which will tie in directly with your post rating one bar against another.

In 1990, Consumers' Report in their annual Auotmobile issue, boiled it down to 3 cars they felt were the best (excluding the Mercedes which most cannot offord).

They were listed in the order of quality:

1. Toyoto Cressida

2. Nissan Maxima

3. Honda Accord

What I found to be most interesting was the following:

"While our test driver's rated the Toyota best overall, it costs 5,000 dollars more. And we therefore rate the Nissan Maxima as the best buy; since no test driver rated it that much better".

You did this too, and again thanks for your unbiased assessment.

carl

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Thanks. I can't say anything about the BJS comparison because I've only used Doug Jones' BJS for a couple sets. I liked it, and didn't ask the price. It seemed to "taper" a bit at the end, where mine have a well defined shoulder, and the Bullseye seems to be between the two for definition of the end radius. Just a personal preference.

My two bars I have used professionally, and regularly for 25 years, I got from a fellow student at Oxon Hill Music in 78 that made hundreds of them from bench stock in a naval machine shop. They are made of an alloy that I understand was not available "to the public" and without being more technical than that, I can say that they *don't* scratch. They are not "Rockwell hard" and they do "dent", but for some reason they don't pick up ANY string marks. That's my reference point. Some day I'll have them analysed, and know. I'd guess a Stainless moly/titanium/upsidaisium

. Maybe I'll end up at GITMO with a hundred other guys that bought them back then until the alloy becomes "unclassified"..

It was time for a change, and every other bar I've tried was either the wrong length, or I just didn't like the idea of "plating". In the "Harley" game, I've surmised that "if it is plated, it is plated."

"Sustain increase" and especially "volume increase" I view in the same light as "10% more horsepower" claims. If they were true, my old 90cid panhead would be putting out over 500 HP.

If owners of BJS bars find a similar difficulty "feeling contact" on slow rolling vibrato, then I'd put them in that category as well. I can't help but *think* that that would lend to "more sustain", or at least longer string life than others I've tried. Mine only last a couple weeks at the most before I change them anyhow due to constant hard use.

I'd like a better explanation of the "coating", but it seems to be more of a "treatment" rather than a "covering", like there is a "permeation" of some type.

I'm a real "tough sell". I've played solid and steady gigs for about 24 years, and it took me ten years to try the thinner L type cables, and Danny Shields had to pass away before I tried another source for my Pickups, which I've now chosen JW for. Indeed I've only tried EB, Emmons, Shobud, and ther non descript bars, but I've never found one that I liked as well as my two " Old Standards". Until now.

"Barring" any unforseen developments, I'll be at the very least, sending my two "babies" in for refinishing and treatment, and I should be set for another quarter century..

*Others' results may vary.

I got mine directly from www.bullseyebars.com and was able to talk to Jerry when I called him to confirm the specifics.

EJL

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Nicholas Dedring · From: Beacon, New York, USA

I played around with one of the bullseye's in St. Louis, and not only was the bar neat, but they seemed like really good folks... I did not buy one at the time, but I held off only because I wanted to know from somebody whether Stainless Steel strings are okay with the bullseye bar.

What I was told was that the coating is a process used to provide friction and thermal protection to oilfield equipment. The intensity of use in those applications makes me assume the coating won't rub off under the stress of a little string friction...

The folks above who are using them, are you also using stainless strings?

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

The set I have on are stainless GHS. I'm about to try the SS Jagwires when it's time in about a week.

Wayne Cox · From: Chatham, Louisiana, USA * R.I.P.

About 3.5 years ago I was playing a job in my home state of Louisiana when I was approached by a cleancut young man who introduced himself as "Jerry Hilbun". He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a steel guitar bar, then asked if I would play a set with it and give my honest opinion. I complied and loved it and told him so. He thanked me and left. I've been wondering, ever since, where to get one of those. Thanks for including the link to their homepage.
~~W.C.~~

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

It was sold on eBay a few years ago as being "The authentic bar once used by Wayne Cox." Fetched a pretty penny, if I recall...

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

BTW, what I did on a key word search yielded insights on what would probably be a similar process. Maybe they could coat airliners and tall buildings with it...

I had a specific link, but in fairness to JH I canned it. It's HIS deal.

Just a guess, but it makes sense. Much more durable from the research that I did than plating.

Leave it to those Russians..

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 12 October 2003 at 10:57 PM.]

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Nick,
FWIW, I always use stainless strings and that's one reason why I am very partial to chromed bars. A stainless bar does not slide well on stainless strings, as others have pointed out here and elsewhere. I am now convinced that chrome plating is not the only solution. As I said before, I can't tell the difference between the BJS and the BullsEye. Ask again in a year or two and we'll discuss how well the coating wears. That's the only question/reservation I have about them.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

I just ordered one ... I love new products, especially innovative ones.

Thanks for postin' this info ...

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www.horseshoemagnets.com

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

I can't find a link for BullsEye Bars. Where are you guys buying these?

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Bullseye Bars

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