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Topic: Whats Your Bar? |
Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2016 3:20 pm |
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| Been using a 1" BJS bar now for about 20 years. Thinking about buying me a new back bar. What is a good tone bar? Chrome or stainless? |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2016 3:21 pm Whats Your Bar?
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| Back up bar............. |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 31 Jul 2016 3:32 pm
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Kevin I've been using BJS bars since about 1982 ..never needed anything else -- 15/16" Hughey Light for me
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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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Butch Mullen
From:
North Carolina, USA 28681
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Posted 31 Jul 2016 4:13 pm
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| The Long Branch Saloon in Vero Beach, Fla. But that was a long time ago. Butch in NC |
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Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 1:30 am
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I have several: Emmons, Sho-Bud, John Pearse, all stainless.
And 2 zirconia bars in different diameters.
The most used are the Sho-Bud bar and the zirconia bars. All differences between them are very very subtle, only the Sho-Bud bar sounds noticeably better.
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 3:54 am
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Emmons & Peavey |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 4:28 am
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| I have two that I use interchangeably, a BJS and a Bullet Bar. Both sound the same. |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 5:17 am Re: Whats Your Bar?
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| Kevin Fix wrote: |
| Been using a 1" BJS bar now for about 20 years. |
With a last name such as yours, I'm sure you're familiar with the old adage, "if it ain't broke..."
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Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe.
Last edited by Rick Barnhart on 1 Aug 2016 6:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Wilson
From:
Mansfield, Ohio, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 5:37 am
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| I use a BJS 12 string bar and an old original Emmons bar from the 70s. I have five of those and dug them out to sell and started using one of them again and have been using it since. Makes me wonder what all the hype is about the new bars. |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Mark Hershey
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 6:36 am
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BJS.
My teacher had a John Pearse and he did a quick comparison during one of my lessons. They both sounded great and either one of them will get the job done.
I don't recall one sounding much different than the other.
I had a Dunlop when I started out and the improvement in tone when I got a BJS was very noticeable. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 7:11 am
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Just a BJS bar now, 15/16". I had a Zirconium bar for a few years and it was a bit more slippery but still feel that the BJS has a clearer tone and more sustain.
Here's a few pics and a recording of the zirc bar:
http://www.gregcutshaw.com/StroboPlusHD/StroboPlusHD.html |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 7:26 am
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I would keep another BJS bar around that is the same for backup.
For experimenting I try out everything I can. Sometimes I will just use an old Emmons bar for a while.
The only bars I don't like are the chromed dunlops . The chrome wears off pretty easy.
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Bob |
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Jonah Turner
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 7:45 am
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I have an Ernie Ball Heavy bar with the red end but I'm thinking of investing in a BJS bar in the near future, as they seem to be some of the most popular on the forum and mine fits kinda funny in my hand. I think I'd like a 15/16" better.
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Carter D-10 9&8 |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 7:56 am
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I recently bought a BJS 12 string. I do like chromed bars.
My other favorites are a handful of my SDF bars: chromed brass, polished brass, and my tungsten filled stainless.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 8:35 am
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I alternate between a BJS, a Pearse, and one of Glen Porters red barn bars. They're all fine bars. I recommend all of them.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 8:36 am
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| I've got a Dunlop that I used from 1999 to 2003, but in 2003, I got a Sacred Steel bar from the International Steel Guitar Convention from Billy Phelps, John and Ann Fabian, and Bud Carter, who worked with Carter Steel Guitars, and it's been my main bar now for thirteen years, and it's my favorite and best bar, because it helps me to play better and it's easier for my left hand to handle. It's the bar I use playing at my house, at shows, and at church, and works really well with my Jackson Steel. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 11:53 am
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BJS. In the past I've used Emmons, Sho~Bud, ZB, Dunlop, Ernie Ball.
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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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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 5:26 pm Whats Your Bar?
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| Great response!!!!! I like the, "If it's Not Broke, Don't Fix-it". I am a retired HD truck mechanic. So that makes since!!! Nice chatting with you guys. Always a pleasure to chat with you all..... |
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Jerry Berger
From:
Nampa, Idaho USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 6:08 pm
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I have a BJS bar that I've been using but I recently bought a bar from Glen Porter. Both bars are very nice. Here is a pic of Glen's bar. You can see why I was attracted to it. 
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John Peay
From:
Cumming, Georgia USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 6:26 pm
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| BJS 15/16"....it's slicker than boiled okra. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2016 8:57 pm
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| Mike Wilson wrote: |
| an old original Emmons bar from the 70s |
Same here, Emmons 7/8" stainless bar, working fine since 1973, never needs batteries.
1" heavy Dunlop bar beckons from time to time. Nice to know its there for "crowd control," but the 7/8" bar feels right to me. |
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Steve Helm
From:
Western Ky.
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Posted 2 Aug 2016 7:31 am Sdf
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| My favorite lately is the SDF chromed brass. Gives more full body sound with volume. I have 6 or so bars including BJS. |
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Ned McIntosh
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 2 Aug 2016 8:55 pm
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My "go-to" bar is a BJS I bought from a forum-member. If I was in the market for another bar I'd go to BJS first.
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 3 Aug 2016 1:25 am
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My favorite is a 15/16 Zirc bar followed by one of Glen Potter's Nu-Generation 15/16,and a 7/8 John Pearse! 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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