| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Shubb tone bar
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Shubb tone bar
Luke Foo

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 5:32 pm    
Reply with quote

Hi All:

I am new to steel guitar, been at it for about 3 months now, and I am loving' it. I initially bought a Dunlop cylindrical stainless steel tone bar (919), but had difficulty handling it because of weight and shape. So I then got a Dunlop Long Dawg tone bar made of chromed brass (927). Although I like the feel of the 927 because it has a raised "handle" (sorry, I don't know the correct terminology), I much prefer the tone from the stainless steel 919.

Today I came across a Shubb tone bar with a raised handle that is made of stainless steel. Would this give me the equivalent tone of my Dunlop 919? Has anyone tried the Shubb? The price is right too. Here is the link: http://www.shubb.com/sp/index.html

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

regards
Luke
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
John Culp

 

From:
Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 6:15 pm    
Reply with quote

Shubb has several different contoured bars. I have the Shubb-Pearse SP-1, which has a similar contour of the round bottom and nose to my large Dunlop bullet bar. It, like the Dunlop, is a rather long bar that works well on 8 strings. I find the contoured bar easier to play with, too. There are many far more experienced players on here who can advise you. Starting out, though, I had the same issues as you, and I do like the SP-1. It is made of chromed brass, not stainless steel.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Michael Maddex


From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 7:34 pm    
Reply with quote

I, too, like the Shubb-Pearse bars, especially the SP-1. The SP bars that I have are chromed brass, but I believe that Shubb went to stainless bars a few years ago. He felt that machining stainless was easier on the environment than machining and plating brass. You can check the website for the real thing and current product info.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Shubb, Pearse, and related products. HTH. YMMV. Have fun. After a few years we all wind up with a bunch of tone bars. Cool
_________________
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 8:41 pm     Sp-2
Reply with quote

For 8-string non-pedal steel, I love the Shubb SP-2. The first ones were plated and I wore thru many bars doing bar slams. When Shubb came out with the SS version, that problem went away. My SS SP-2 bars are holding up quite well now.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 9:04 pm     Sp-2
Reply with quote

I believe the SP-2 bar was designed by Peter Grant.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.


Last edited by Tom Wolverton on 23 Oct 2017 9:41 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brad Davis


From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Oct 2017 9:33 pm    
Reply with quote

I mainly use the Shubb SP-2, the round nose makes it workable for electric steel, whereas something like the Dunlop lap/long dawg is more for acoustic steels like dobros.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Roman Sonnleitner


From:
Vienna, Austria
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2017 3:43 am    
Reply with quote

I use the SP2 on my 8-string lap steel - tried switching to a bullet bar for a while, but the SP2 feels more natural to me.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Luke Foo

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2017 5:58 am    
Reply with quote

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to buy the SP-2 and see how it sounds. It's only about $29, so it wouldn't be a big loss if it didn't work out.

Regards
Luke
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brad Davis


From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2017 10:07 am    
Reply with quote

It's a good choice. I also have an SP-1 laying around somewhere. Aside from the materials, I find it too long for my hand, and the narrower build a bit uncomfortable. It extends too far past the tip of my middle finger, when really they should be close or the finger should even extend past the bar a little. While the SP-2 does in fact cover all 8 strings on my consoles, that is not really necessary for 8-string electric most of the time. Comfort and ability to manipulate the bar are more important, so I find the SP-2 works much better in this regard.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill Burch

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2017 8:53 pm    
Reply with quote

I had the same experience with Brad with the SP-1...too long. I ended up cutting about 3/8" off the non-rounded end to make it fit my hand better. Easier to grip, but the tone is not quite on par with a solid bullet bar

Bill
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ron Simpson

 

From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 24 Oct 2017 6:07 am    
Reply with quote

I favor the SP-1 because it makes 3 note slant chords a breeze.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron