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Topic: Stainless Steel or Chrome Bar??? |
A. Roncetti
From:
Toronto,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 1 Aug 2007 6:27 pm |
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| I'm wondering what would be the best choice. I know this can be a matter of personal choice but I'd like feedback as far as tone goes. I have heard the stainless holds up longer as the chrome plate wears off over time. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 1 Aug 2007 7:40 pm
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I think most people play a chrome bar; those who play stainless bars seem to be pretty happy. Personally I hear very little difference between the two. I'd go with whatever's cheaper unless you have a specific reason for choosing the other.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 1:48 am
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| A Stainless bar DOESN'T like Stainless strings. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 3:25 am
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I prefer the Burden hard chrome bullet bar.
His stainless bars are real nice, but the hard chrome bars are superior. |
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Don Sulesky
From:
Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 4:06 am SS vs. Chrome bars
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I use both Stainless and the BJS Chrome bars.
But since I had a special size and weight Burden hard chrome "bullet bar" made for me I use it 95% of the time. The stainless strings attack the stainless bars and leave gouges in them.
Don |
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 6:11 am edit
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edit
Last edited by George Piburn on 19 Jun 2012 6:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 6:18 am
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| Jim Burden makes a superb chrome bar. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 6:18 am
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Stainless steel bars are more abrasive on the strings. They just don't slide as smooth as a chrome bar.
If you are worrying about the chrome going to pot, just get yourself a BJS bar. It would take several life times to wear one of these out. |
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A. Roncetti
From:
Toronto,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 6:25 am
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| Interesting indeed. When I first started PSG I was using a stainless Fulawka bullet then got my self a chrome BJS which I think is great. On Dobro I'm using a chrome Scheerhorn. I love that thing! A few fellow dobro players I know like the stainless and they sounded great too. They also cost more! |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 7:47 am
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Chrome bars are a little slicker feeling on the strings, but it is a minor difference. Some chrome bars do chip and show wear. There are different kinds and thicknesses of chrome, and that probably makes a big difference in durability.
I think the idea you can't use a stainless steel bar on stainless steel strings is a myth. The unwound strings are all the same whether you buy SS or nickel string sets. There have been a number of threads on this in the past. In one thread the various alloys used for strings and bars was discussed. There are a number of different alloys called stainless steel. As I remember, the alloy used for SS strings is not the same as that used in SS bars.
I use both a chromeplated Shubb-Pearse #2 grooved bar and a Twister double-bullet stainless steel bar, and I only use stainless steel strings. The chrome bar feels a little slicker, but there is no undue drag on the stainless steel bar. It's my favorite round bar and is completely usable on SS strings. I have noticed no wear at all on the bar. If the SS bar wears the wound stings more, I haven't noticed. My SS strings still sound new much longer than nickel strings, which is why I use them.
If the Twister came with a hard, thick chrome plating, I'd buy it. But until then, I am completely happy with my SS Twister on SS strings. I like the double bullet ends because the back end doesn't catch on the low strings of my U12 as I move the bar back and forth onto the high strings.
As for tone, the size and weight of the bar has much more effect on tone than whether or not it is chromeplated. I don't know if I can hear any difference between chrome and SS bars the same size and weight. |
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Mike Dougherty
From:
Orcutt, California
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Posted 2 Aug 2007 1:33 pm
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The inexpensive chrome bars always seemed to scratch up too fast for me. Plus they only come in small diameters. I've had real good luck with the John Pearse Big Daddy stainless steel bars. After 5 years of moderate to heavy gigging my last one is starting to get fairly scratched up. I'll probably bite the bullet and try a BJS next. I definitely like the larger diameter bars tonewise.
_________________
As Bill Flores often tells me: "You only have to carry it for ten minutes, but you have to listen to it all night." |
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John Bushouse
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Paul Warnik
From:
Illinois,USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2007 11:34 pm
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I like stainless strings-I use a BJS bar-no drag on the strings-the only use I have for a stainless bar is as a "punch weight" in case the barroom goes up into a donnybrooke  |
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Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 9 Aug 2007 12:42 pm
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| Mike Dougherty wrote: |
| After 5 years of moderate to heavy gigging my last one is starting to get fairly scratched up. I'll probably bite the bullet and try a BJS next. |
Biting the bullet might scratch it up even more!  |
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