The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been unable to find a central location/thread that discusses the bars available to players in 2016.

It seems that beyond Pearse and Dunlop, manufacturers run very small operations. It's nearly impossible for us relative newcomers to learn what materials are used, who makes them, and whether they're still in business.

After about four years with Dunlop stuff, I recently got a Pearse cryo bar. Within two seconds, I was like, "Oh, that was my problem. " The denser bar smoothed out a lot of unpleasant (upper mid?) harmonic content that had been plaguing me since I started playing. It's MUCH better for traditional clean country playing with my setup. Not nearly as much "hair" as the lighter Dunlops--even the much bigger size. And that "hair" is anathema to some of the playing I like to do.

My new bar has made almost as big a difference as anything else I've bought. Now, I'm thinking about a different bar to add back some "openness" for distorted Allman/Lindley sounds. You know, horses for courses.

I'd like to try many other materials/sizes but need a primer of some kind.

I've heard of brass, Delrin, Zirconia, chrome(d), ceramic, Nylon . . . it's overwhelming and apparently costly.

Where should I be looking/searching out this information? Is there a directory of manufacturers who are still in business?

Don't forget there's also lead crystal/pyrex/glass tone bars as well. Oh and I think I saw one that was a brass center with a glass exterior as well.

Robert Gifford wrote:Don't forget there's also lead crystal/pyrex/glass tone bars as well. Oh and I think I saw one that was a brass center with a glass exterior as well.

So complicated!

Does anybody actually make those?

Is BJS still in business?

Good bars are better than cheap bars.

I've got about 15 bars and I never use any of them since I got
the coated bars from Michael Hillman. Tommy White uses them.
These are truly the best bars I've ever used. Check em' out here.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=297345

Yes, BJS is still in business and in my book, they are the finest ever made.

SDF bars in Topeka (call him at 785-608-0207) makes all sorts of bars. If you want extra-dense, he does a tungsten-filled stainless bar, if you want lightweight but still hard enough to sound "country bright" he makes a titanium bar, and if you want reduced sustain but bright tone he does a hard aluminum bar that's great for Dobro or Mooney pedal steel.

Red Barn is another high quality bar. Are they still making them?

I have not played a lot of bars but I am very satisfied with Michael Hillman's bars.

Thanks everyone! Do these folks have websites at all? I can't imagine they're making bars in great quantities.

Anyone know much about ceramics or a similar light bar that would give me "looser" output for more of a "slide guitar" sound through a drive pedal (within limits, of course)?

Cheap Dunlops are better for that than Pearse, and I would think something less dense than the Dunlops would be even more useful for that purpose.

I've been playing six-string guitar a long time, and I'm flabbergasted at how much difference bars make in my PSG's sound.

I don't think Steve Gunder has a website.
What do you mean by "looser"?

Buell Wisner wrote:Anyone know much about ceramics or a similar light bar that would give me "looser" output for more of a "slide guitar" sound through a drive pedal (within limits, of course)?

I think what you want is a hard, but lightweight bar...or maybe a glass bar...so you can get a bit of string chatter into the sound. Don't have any recommendations, though.

Lane Gray wrote:I don't think Steve Gunder has a website.
What do you mean by "looser"?

As opposed to "focused." With the Dunlops (especially the standard size, which is probably Ernie Ball labeled), there was always an openness in the mids--more overtones somewhere? This is less pronounced with the biggest Dunlop, which got far more downward pressure on the strings, but it's still there to some extent.

Anyways, these "overtones" often tended toward hair when I was playing "clean." Think "You Ain't Going Nowhere," and you probably know what I mean.

However, at band volumes and with an overdrive pedal, I was often able to get a pretty cool "slide" sound with the standard-sized Dunlop, much like one can get with open E tuning, a vintage output pickup, and a cooking amp, whether that's Derek Trucks or David Lindley.

The Pearse is more focused and helps me get better clean sounds, but it's still smooth and focused when I try to achieve the "slide" tone.

The difference has been an eye opener, and I'm wondering if many players keep a kit bag full of slides they use for different things. I've heard that "sitar bars" were popular in the '70s, for instance (I saw Ralph Mooney using one on youtube?).

I want to experiment, but I want to be educated before I do something crazy like throwing $300 at six different bars (if I can even find six different bars).

Anybody use one of these Poncha bullet slides?

www.rockymountainslides.com/poncha-bullet.ht

Mike Wheeler wrote:

Buell Wisner wrote:Anyone know much about ceramics or a similar light bar that would give me "looser" output for more of a "slide guitar" sound through a drive pedal (within limits, of course)?

I think what you want is a hard, but lightweight bar...or maybe a glass bar...so you can get a bit of string chatter into the sound. Don't have any recommendations, though.

I do know that glass makes a pretty big difference on slide guitar (Allman, Haynes, Trucks). A lot of the notes that bloom into feedback for those guys don't do that with chromed steel or brass slides.

I actually don't like the string noise, though. Just the overtones (if that's what they're called) in the mids. That may just be an unrealistic expectation for modern PSG pickups, but I do wonder what different directions are made possible just by changing bars.

If I can get enough suggestions (thanks so far, y'all), I can bookmark this thread to keep me occupied for the next few years.

Bars are a whole lot cheaper than pickups!

I have an Emmons bar, a Sho-Bud bar, a John Pearse an 2 Zirconia bars. All are extremely close in sound, except the Sho-Bud, it has an extra "sparkle" in it's tone. The Emmons feels the best in the hand, the rounded edges on the flat side are perfect. I usually use the Sho-Bud bar...

In my mind's eye, it's a tossup between a John Hughey BJS bar and a zirconia bar.

I used a Dunlop bar when I first started playing steel in 1999 and I loved it, but it slid around a lot in my left hand, because of my cerebral palsy, it was my main bar until 2003, when I went to the ISGC in St. Louis and got my current bar, which is called a Sacred Steel, I believe. The Sacred Steel bar is my bar of choice now, and has been for thirteen years.

I tried several Bars, but found for me, the tone and handling of the John Hughey BJS bar was the best. JAMES TAYLOR

Thanks, everyone!

So, do most of you just use one bar? No one swaps materials mid-set to get different sounds?

I'm pretty happy with the the Pearse for standard clean country, but that's not all I want to play.

I like a variety of sounds.

I switch. The aluminum, brass and powder coated ones get a lot of play time, along with the BJS bar

If you want the best get a B J S , YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

Lane Gray wrote:I switch. The aluminum, brass and powder coated ones get a lot of play time, along with the BJS bar

You're about the only person who seems to have a big collection of bars.

I've read nylon bars recommended (by you, maybe) for use with a Dobro simulator, but I'm not sure that anyone currently manufactures them.

I have a large collection because Steve Gunder swapped me some of his early production for the loan of my MSA while he waited for the manufacture of his Ritt.
I mention them because they're good.
I find the aluminum bar does well enough for killing the sustain for the Dobro simulation.