| Author |
Topic: best dobro bar with rounded tip ? |
Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
|
Posted 22 Jan 2011 12:13 pm |
|
finally taking up the dobro and need to know which dobro style bar is recommended that has a rounded tip. thankx  |
|
|
 |
Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
|
|
|
|
Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
|
Posted 22 Jan 2011 3:17 pm
|
|
| peter, from the pics looks like there is a little up curve on one end of the sp2 is that correct? is that sufficient for sliding across strings with out getting hung up and doing tilts, pull offs etc.? Being used to bullet bars on pedal steel, i'd like to use those same techniques. |
|
|
|
Julian Goldwhite
From:
Alhambra, CA, USA
|
|
|
|
Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
|
Posted 22 Jan 2011 6:19 pm
|
|
| guess I'll be going thru several kinds to find what will suite me best. I'm quite at home with a SS bullet bar on PSG but I find a shub type bar very comfortable and right on a reso. Not sure why that is. Thanks for the feedback |
|
|
|
Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
|
Posted 22 Jan 2011 10:23 pm
|
|
I have both an Sp2 and a Broz-0-phonic. I prefer the latter because of its' weight and because I'm used to a bullet bar. But the former is adequate.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 23 Jan 2011 10:39 am
|
|
| i prefer the sp2 for dobro...i use a bullet bar for steel. |
|
|
|
Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
|
Posted 23 Jan 2011 10:44 am
|
|
Well, it does depend a little on what you do with the, "Dobro." If one is doing alot of hammers and pulls, one wants a more traditional, "Dobro," bar. The SP2 is certainly alot better for that. And it can even be turned around and turned into a straight edged bar when the situation calls for it and back to the rounded end position when it doesn't. I do almost all of my playing up the neck. For me the, "Dobro," is an acoustic steel guitar. Thus my preference for the bullet.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
|
|
|
L. Bogue Sandberg
From:
Chassell, Michigan, USA
|
Posted 23 Jan 2011 4:04 pm
|
|
For many years I played bluegrass/oldtime style dobro on a 6 string in standard G tuning, always with a Stevens style bar. Frankly, I never was much good at the open-string/hammer-on/pull-off style. Too slow and too lazy. When I started playing G6 and later G13 I found the Stevens bar didn't work well on split slants and went to the SP2. But the SP2 gave me difficulties with reverse slants, too much height to move easily under the hand, leading to trying to do it with the wrist, leading to bad arthritic pain. My solution was to go to the Broz-0-Phonic bullet. After a couple weeks, it felt completely normal. Now when I pick up a Stevens, I'm snagging strings like crazy.
Like others have said, it is really a matter of individual preference and playing style. You have to experiment.
Bogue |
|
|
|
Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
|
Posted 23 Jan 2011 7:06 pm
|
|
| Having played mostly PSG for a long time without touching my Dobro, when I got my Beard, I went with the SP2, but I soon found myself turning it around so I could do pulloffs better. Now I can't even play with the round tip. I got the Sheerhorn stainless steel bar and I can't imagine playing with anything else. It does slants better than anything else for me and is excellent for pull-offs. It only took about a half hour to get used to not catching a string when moving forward. |
|
|
|
Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
|
Posted 23 Jan 2011 7:33 pm
|
|
| Webb Kline wrote: |
| Having played mostly PSG for a long time without touching my Dobro, when I got my Beard, I went with the SP2, but I soon found myself turning it around so I could do pulloffs better. Now I can't even play with the round tip. I got the Sheerhorn stainless steel bar and I can't imagine playing with anything else. It does slants better than anything else for me and is excellent for pull-offs. It only took about a half hour to get used to not catching a string when moving forward. |
You're a better man than I, Webb. I can't get the hang of that flat edged bar to save my soul. 
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
|
|
|
Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
|
Posted 24 Jan 2011 6:06 am
|
|
| Steven Welborn wrote: |
| peter, from the pics looks like there is a little up curve on one end of the sp2 is that correct? is that sufficient for sliding across strings with out getting hung up and doing tilts, pull offs etc.? Being used to bullet bars on pedal steel, i'd like to use those same techniques. |
Steven - yes, the curved end keeps me from getting hung up when I slide across the strings, and still gives me control for single notes (within the limits of my ability, which ain't much). I can do pull-offs pretty cleanly, but if I want real "snap", I'll turn the bar around and use the other end.
Sometimes I'll use a Lap Dawg bar on reso, but that's just to change things up. I prefer the Shubb's weight and proportions.
_________________
Peter
---------
www.splinterville.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splinterville6278/videos |
|
|
|
Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2011 3:39 pm
|
|
You're a better man than I, Webb. I can't get the hang of that flat edged bar to save my soul. [/quote]
I must confess that I was at a bluegrass festival last summer. There were some killer dobro players there and they shamed me into converting to the Sheerhorn bar.  I first started to turn my SB2 around when they were showing me some stuff I couldn't do with the round tip. After about a week, I caught on and never looked back. I do still use the real long round tip once in a while for some slower traditional tunes, but that progressive stuff absolutely needs the percussive pull-off power of the flat tip.
I'm going to Beard in about a week to have them install the Fishman pup and I'm getting the Jerry Douglas mic modeling preamp. I heard one and it sounded exactly like it does w/o the pup only louder. Amazing. Can't wait.  |
|
|
|
Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
|
Posted 27 Jan 2011 9:03 am
|
|
Just to toss my hat in...
Paloma Stones Slides offers a bull-nosed or rounded tipped shaped bar that has been receiving nice reviews from players. Lighter than steel or brass, yet yields excellent sustain and a nice, full tone. Will not scratch like metal and comes in two glaze finishes which yield different tones.
Comes in three profile sizes and four stock lengths. Custom-cut lengths are also available.
First presented to this forum a year ago, there are many comments available on the Forum and on my web site: www.stoneslides.com/reviews.
Only $24, which includes shipping!
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
|
|
|
Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2011 1:34 pm
|
|
The issue that has not come up here is tone. I like the tone I get with the Broz-0-phonic alot. And it is appropriate for the music I play. Stevens style bars are kind of bright for my taste.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
|
|
|
Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2011 5:35 pm
|
|
It is important to note that different materials will yield different tones; metal, glass, brass, bone, plastic, clay...all have a different tone. My two glaze finishes yield different tones as well.
The good side to all this is that a player can choose his/her bar to match the style or sound to go with the music at hand. Choose your tone without touching your tone nobs on your amp or steel.
Paul Franklin has each of my bar sizes/diameters in each glaze color. He'll choose the bar for what the song calls for. He uses bars of all compositions for his session work and live performances.
There is no right or wrong bar. Most players have several bars and choose between them. Some players only use a steel bar and won't touch anything else.
The notion that one should only use a steel bar to play steel guitar is very traditional but limiting.
The name of the game is choice...
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
|
|
|
