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Topic: Raising the bar ? |
John Haney
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 6:48 pm |
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| I am having trouble raising and lowering the bar off the strings. The bar is very slippery in my hands. Does any one have a techniques or tips? |
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Jim Saunders
From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 7:12 pm Bar Lifting
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John, try the Red Rajah sold by Brattain Guitar Products. I have a touch arthritis too and I find the RR much easier to hold. I think his slogan is, "it slips on the strings, not in your hand".
_________________
Mullen, G2, D10, Peavey Nashville 112, Roland Cube 80XL, DD3, Goodrich L10 VP. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 7:27 pm
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Here is a direct link to their site. I have very dry hands and have problems holding a very slick bar. I'm ready to try one of Chuck's new double powder coated bars.
CLICK HERE |
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John Haney
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 8:00 pm
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Lee, Thank you for the direct link. I will have to give it a try
Thanks again! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 9:02 pm
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Here's what I do with bars for resonator guitar. I dip them several times in the rubberised stuff they make for coating handtools, and then I cut off the part where the steel meets the strings. No more slippage or lost bar during a number. You can do the same thing with a PSG bar.
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 9:25 pm
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| I'm thinking about getting Chuck to powder-coat my left hand. |
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A. J. Schobert
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio,
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Posted 22 Jun 2007 9:32 pm
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John I don't know where in Ohio you live, but there is a technique.
If I want to raise the bar off the lower strings I may use the 10th string as a balance point.
The higher note strings I may use more of a "hamer" on or off attack (depending on the song)
The bar should be relaxed in your hand.
Is it slippery because of sweat?
I have a chrome bar and a Red Rahja bar, I love the RR bar and use it exclusively, however when I put new strings on my PSG I first play with my chrome bar to where the strings in a little. |
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Mark White
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 3:52 am
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I use one of Chuck's powder coated bars exclusively, they're much easier to grip. A word of caution though, he does not recommend them for use with stainless strings, a fact that I demonstrated to myself when I scuffed mine up on a friends guitar, not realizing right away that he had stainless strings on his guitar. I use nickel wound and it holds up nicely on them. I use the older Black Phoenix and have to try the new double coated Red Rajah.
With a regular bar, I found that washing the bar with soap and water made it easier to pick up. |
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Moon in Alaska
From:
Kasilof, Alaska * R.I.P.
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 8:54 am
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Yes, I wash BOTH my hand and my bar with hand soap. Be sure to rince to "skweaky" feel !!!
Thanks goodness, I can play better than I can spell !! LOL
Moon
_________________
<<Moon>>
==Carter S-10==
1962 Fender 400
== Evans FET 500 Custom LV ==
http://www.geocities.com/moon9999610/alaska.html |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 10:03 am Re: Raising the bar ?
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| John Haney wrote: |
| I am having trouble raising and lowering the bar off the strings. The bar is very slippery in my hands. Does any one have a techniques or tips? |
Tip: don't raise the bar. Use the edge of your right hand to mute the strings, then slide the bar to the next position. It will sound cleaner than raising the bar.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 5:08 pm
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Use a larger bar like 15/16ths or even 1".
It'll be much easier to get your fingers under and around and you'll have better tone too. |
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Robbie Daniels
From:
Casper, Wyoming, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 7:28 pm
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RR is a great bar. I had one and liked it. The only problem I had is that I use stainless steel strings and stainless steel strings will scratch the RR bar
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Carter D12, MSA S12, 12 String Custom Made Non-Pedal, Evans FET 500LV, Evans SE200, Peavey Nashville 400, Fender Steel King |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 2:40 am
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| Actual holding of the bar is done with your thumb and middle finger. The grip should be light and free - squeezing too much will cause the bar to slip, as will applying too much pressure on top of the bar with the first finger, or gripping the bar too high. If you have very large fingers, it may help you to have a larger diameter bar. |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 5:06 am
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| I agree with Moon, wash and dry the hands and bar, it makes a difference. You may want to consider using a bar with more of it's weight towards the front end. A bar that's drilled out at the back end seems to lift easier. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 7:58 am
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If I'm playing a song that requires lifting the bar a lot (blues or rock), I use a Stevens style bar with finger grooves. In country music, you shouldn't need to lift the bar very often.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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John Haney
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 8:59 am
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Thanks for all of your seggustions. Being a newbie it has bewen a great help.
Bob where is the Stevens style bar sold? |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 1:58 pm
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| If there is a song that requires bouncing the bar I found that licking your finger and thumb will make it stick. It looks silly but it works for a while, the same as it works for holding your picks on. I was embarrassed to lick my finger tips but I saw John Hughey do it, if it's good enough for him it's fine for me. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 4:59 pm
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| Howard Tate wrote: |
| If there is a song that requires bouncing the bar I found that licking your finger and thumb will make it stick. |
Is that after the Kentucky Fried Chicken ?  |
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Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
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Posted 27 Jun 2007 1:12 am Re: Raising the bar ?
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Hello, I agree with Michael Johnstone. After 37 years playing I tried my mates 15/16 bar and found it more comfortable than my previous 7/8 bar. I've treated myself to a BJS 15/16 bar. Try it you won't regret it.
Micky Byrne United Kingdom |
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