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Topic: Technique question |
Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 7:45 am |
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I am doing some design research on bullet bars and am wondering if some of you might give me some feedback regarding steel guitar bullet bars and your personal playing technique. How much of that rounded nose do you actually use? 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or...?
Your answers will be considered in my development process of a new tone bar design for lap and pedal steel players. As this process moves forward, I will be looking for a few players to test the new design(s). If you are interested in being a part of this "Focus Group", let me know.
Thanks in advance for your participation.
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 9:16 am
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| Amongst other concerns a fully hemispherical nose is necessary to play certain bar slants in-tune. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 9:40 am
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When I tip my bar up to play, the string contacts the nose probably 1/2 way between where the nose starts and the tip. And, I think if the nose was anything other than what it is now, I probably wouldn't be able to use it.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 10:32 am
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I have noticed that when I play 2 and 3 string slants, I don't use more than 1/3rd of the bar nose if that... staying away from the tip. And it doesn't seem like I'm using very much downward pressure at all. Although it has been a traditionally used design, I'm wondering how useful that tip section really is.
I'd love to get more responses from players... please... 
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 11:02 am
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| You can probably flatten off / hollow out 5-6 millimeter (diameter) at the center of a 7/8" bar without it becoming a problem. It would be somewhat like having the gem at the nose of some BJS bars, as although the gem is quite small it prevents setting the bar on its nose and I can't see anyone having a problem with that - I certainly don't. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 15 Mar 2012 5:43 pm
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I use about 1/2 to 2/3 of the bullet end. The part you don't use really isn't good for anything else, so it might as well be just rounded metal, IMHO. I respect that some players might want a "jewel" in their bar, but I have no desire for something like that.
Uhhh...might I ask why you're asking?  |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Jay Seibert
From:
Woodland, WA, USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2012 5:46 am
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Yes, that could be closer to what I have in mind... I wonder how many players could "play" with that nose treatment?
_________________
www.stoneslides.com is my Paloma Tone Bar and Bottleneck Slide web site
www.clayrabbit.com is my Pottery web site |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 16 Mar 2012 11:04 am
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Since I tip my bar up a lot when playing single string runs, this might not work. I think I hit the string in the curved portion of the bar in Russ' pic, but would be afraid of it catching on the next string up as I moved onto that string to play. I would have that same problem with a dobro type bar.
And might I ask, what would be the purpose of having the flat nose on the bar. Unless there was a real reason, such as a new technique in playing, I think it is a moot point. I don't personally know anyone that has any problem with a round nosed bar.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 16 Mar 2012 4:35 pm
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The bar pictured above is a John Hughey Sitar Bar from the '70's.
Sitar Bars were something of a 'novelty' at the time.
I've tried playing with the 'missing nose' and it really 'left me
hangin' when I'd play certain techniques, hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc.
Fwiw, I'll take a bar with a complete hemisphere on its forward end,
a 'bullet-bar', as they're referred to.
And, make the radius tangent to the length of the bar
- I've had several bars that have a distinct 'hard angle' where
the radius meets the straight length of the bar (radius of the arc
is greater than radius of the bar-stock), and when moving the bar
forward to higher strings, each string it encounters is like driving
over a speed bump! Quite unfun to play with.
~Russ
_________________
www.russface
www.russguru |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 16 Mar 2012 11:43 pm
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Yup. Gotta agree with Russ. If I remember right, I had a Sho~Bud bar that had the break where the nose would taper. I didn't like that.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 18 Mar 2012 7:05 am
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Last night was the first chance I had to check, but it seems that I'm using about 1/2", from the burst out to the tip.
Pretty much like Richard states, tipping the bar for unison single string runs and other similar things. I find I use it more and more out of the open tuning, picking or letting other strings sustain, while running up and down an adjacent string.
My guess would be that these things I'm doing would be difficult to accomplish with less of a bullet nose, but I'd give it a try if it would help your research.
I'm always looking for new ideas and willing to try other approaches so I'd be happy to be part of your study group if you are still looking for participants. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 21 Mar 2012 4:28 pm
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| Jay Seibert wrote: |
I have noticed that when I play 2 and 3 string slants, I don't use more than 1/3rd of the bar nose if that... staying away from the tip. And it doesn't seem like I'm using very much downward pressure at all. Although it has been a traditionally used design, I'm wondering how useful that tip section really is.
I'd love to get more responses from players... please... |
Jay, it may just be that I'm weird or confused, but I'm having a real hard time figuring out exactly why you're questioning the "usefullness" of a design that is probably used by more than 99% of all pedal steelers.  I think that the almost universal acceptance of a full-rounded bar nose sorta speaks for itself. Maybe I'm alone in this, and if so, I do apologize for my...curiosity (for lack of a better word).
By the way, I agree that slants do usually require less pressure, most likely because you're "covering" fewer strings. |
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