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Topic: Buying a tone bar...4.5 or 5.5 ounce for lap steel? |
Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 3 Feb 2014 1:22 pm |
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I have a Shubb SP2 tone bar that I have been using thus far, but want to get used to using standard round bar. Dunlop has two, one a 4.5 ounce and the other a 5.5 ounce. Both are 3/4 inch diameter, the heavier being 1/8 inch longer. I have small hands and fingers so I'm thinking about trying the slightly lighter bar. Any comments?? At this point, all my lap steels are 6 string, and I mainly play in C6th. Will there be much difference in tone because of the 1 ounce weight difference?
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GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2014 1:39 pm
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i'd get the lighter one, esp for 6 string. I think they still make the "Jerry Byrd model" - i picked up one of those with a lap steel i bought and like it a lot - even over my BJS at 10x the price.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2014 1:40 pm
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| Heavier bars always seem to give more tone and sustain, but small hands/fingers vs weight doesn't generally translate to being as much of an issue as bar length. A 3" bar became natural feeling for me and my stubby fingers, but for only 6 strings you should be very safe. |
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L. Bogue Sandberg
From:
Chassell, Michigan, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2014 8:21 am
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| When I went from open G to G13 tuning, I migrated from Stevens bar to SP2, then a 3/4" x 3" bullet and finally to my current 13/16" x 2.75" bullet, from Jim Burden of Bullet Bars. The 2.75" inch length makes reverse slants easier then with 3". And I find the 13/16" diameter (per a Mike Neer recommendation here) a little easier to grip. I had Jim Burden center bore a 5/16 hole in the bar, giving a weight of about 5 oz. I have a Dunlop 919 bar (2.75") like you're considering. It's good place to start. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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