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Topic: Love my BJS bar |
Alan Pagliere
From:
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2009 2:34 pm |
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I have been playing with a stainless steel bar for a long, long time. I recently heard about BJS bars. I thought through that if they were chrome and chrome is harder than steel, then not only will there likely be more sustain and tone for the same diameter bar but the bar itself is less likely to get scratched as it slides over stainless strings over years and decades. Though I'm not 100% sure about the science behind those two assumptions, they seemed like reasonable ones. You can, as I did, search for information about the bars on this forum and find glowing reviews.
So, I started calling around to buy a 12-string, 1-inch diameter BJS bar. It took me quite a number of phone calls to track one down; most steel shops seemed to be out of stock (though there seem to be ones available with the birthstone inset, I wanted a plain bar). I called Al Brisco at Steel Guitars of Canada and he had one in stock.
After playing with it for just a short time, I could hear the difference in tone, especially above fret 12, and the way the bar glides over the strings has changed my own way of playing just a little. I seem to be more relaxed and fluid myself.
Anyway, I just wanted to post this, the email I sent to Al and to Bill Stroud himself.
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I just wanted to let you know that the bar arrived the other day in the mail. I've had a chance to play with it and it's great. It really is. It is smoother than my old stainless bar, it glides over the strings by comparison. I wondered whether the lighter bar would have a slightly thinner tone, but the opposite is true. I imagine it's due to the hardness of the chrome and the sustain it gives. The tone is more bell-like, rounder, especially at the higher frets. So, in fact, with a better tone, the less weight is actually better in that I can move around the frets in a more relaxed way.
I wonder why I played with stainless for so long.
So, thank you for a great bar and for your combined fantastic customer service. |
Disclaimer ... There is none. I have no stake in this at all. I'm just a thrilled customer.
_________________
Alan Pagliere
MSA Millennium S-12 Universal
OnePSG |
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Pat Comeau
From:
New Brunswick, Canada
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Ronnie Boettcher
From:
Brunswick Ohio, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2009 8:45 pm
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I just bought my bar a few weeks ago from bill. I went to his "BJSbars" site and sent him a E-mail. Wonderful service, and the bar was in my mailbox in 3 days. I bought a 15/16"x3 3/8". It is just great. And I am very pleased.
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Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142 |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 9:54 am Bjs
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Thanks for the comments, it pleases me to know that you guys are satisfied with your bar, if you ever need anything let me know.
Slide on...
Bill |
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Johnny Thomasson
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 10:15 am
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| Pat Comeau wrote: |
Bill Stroud does magic with making these bars  |
I couldn't agree more. I was amazed when I got mine. Best investment I ever made.
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Johnny Thomasson |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 10:32 am
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i've always wondered..these bars are chrome plated?
can the plating wear thin?
how can this have more integrity than a solid stainless steel bar? |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 10:51 am Wear
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Hi Chris,
If this helps, about the chrome wearing thin, I've got one that I've used at Church since 1974 and shows no wear.
I'm sure a lot of guys will chime in on their experience with them, you might want to check and see how long Herby Wallace has been playing with his, Jody Sanders also got his years ago along with many more professionals.
Pat Comeau got his from Al Brisco 18 years ago, and if Al sees this he can tell you how long he's been playing his.
I think you'll get your mileage out of it to your satisfaction, as others have.
Bill |
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Pat Comeau
From:
New Brunswick, Canada
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 10:55 am
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Chris said=
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| how can this have more integrity than a solid stainless steel bar? |
I don't know why...but i know they do 
That made me thinking about how would fingers on the changer would sound made out of hard chrome plated,
cause i know fingers made of aluminum or stainless steel wears out after awhile or grooved in, so imagine how the BJS bar sounds and slides smooth on the strings with no friction , i'm sure it would sound better with less friction and wears on the fingers. 
_________________
Comeau SD10 4x5, Comeau S10 3x5, Peavey Session 500,Fender Telecaster,Fender Stratocaster, Fender Precision,1978 Ovation Viper electric. Alvarez 4 strings Violin electric.
Click the links to listen to my Comeau's Pedal Steel Guitars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIYiaomZx3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2GhZTN_yXI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvDTw2zNriI |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 11:03 am Good
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Pat I had that done on my Dekley Double Twelve Sounds great and since 1982 shows no wear.
It works.
Bill |
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Hook Moore
From:
South Charleston,West Virginia
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 2:15 pm
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great bars..........great service!
I bought a 15/16" solid bar which caused problems with my hand arthritis. Bill let me up grade to a "Hughey" drilled-out bar, 8 months later. All I had to pay was shipping and the difference in price between the 2 bars. |
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Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
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Posted 31 Jan 2009 2:37 pm BJS bar
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| Definitely a difference. I have 6 bars and the BJS is the top one in my opinion. |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2009 11:15 pm Re: Good
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| Bill Stroud wrote: |
Pat I had that done on my Dekley Double Twelve Sounds great and since 1982 shows no wear.
It works.
Bill |
Bill, all of the Dekleys had chrome plated changer fingers. Is this what you're referring to, or did you redo yours with your plating process? |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Feb 2009 5:18 am Chrome
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I told Jim to put the hard chrome on mine and he said that he would, even the knee levers are chromed.
Jim Gurley said that he had the source to do what I wanted.
You guys even stamped BJS in the key heads, pretty neat, covered the pickups, it did not effect the sound at all.
Good sounding steel, plays great.
I would probably consider in selling this one for the right price and get me another steel.
Bill
Thanks Jim for the update. |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2009 10:22 am
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Bill, I left Dekley and moved to Texas in November, 1980, so they may well have used a different chrome on your fingers.
Here's a picture of your guitar from 2002 that was probably posted on the Forum back then. It looks a lot like mine, and is also an H&S (Hilt and Smith) Custom Signature guitar that Larry Hilt and I designed.
Mine is serial number one of the custom D-12s we made. It is maple and walnut with the same decorative inserts as yours, the veneered pickups, and chrome knee levers. I have my initials engraved in my keyheads too.
I played that thing non-stop for over 20 years, including six nights a week for about four years, and the chrome looks as good as the day it was built.
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Feb 2009 11:16 am Dekley
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That's my baby, it looks like the day I bought it, never played it out it just sits at home, great sounding steel, I believe it is because of the wood cabinet.
Very rich tone.
I would like to add some pulls to it, do you know where I might fine parts to do that. Bell Cranks, rods, bushings, etc.
Thanks Jim,
Bill |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2009 11:30 am
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| I've got a few parts from some changes I removed, and sent you an email about them. |
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Marc Stone
From:
Louisiana, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2009 2:01 pm
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Hi Bill,
Just got my bar in the mail today, 3 biz days after you took my order, and I'm thrilled already. Not only is it wonderfully smooth and musical, the darn thing is actually more in tune than my old bar by virtue of the fact that it balances better on the strings, and probably has a much more even surface.
Great product, great service. Can't wait to gig my steel tonight!
Thanks,
Marc |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 5 Feb 2009 4:33 pm Hi
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Well Marc how did your gig go with your new bar?
Jim I'll be glad to py you for the extra parts for the Dekley when we get to Dallas.
thanks,
Bill |
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Gary Preston
From:
Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2009 12:56 pm
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| Great bar and looks nice with the birthstone in the end . Gary . |
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Bill Stroud
From:
Dresden, Tennessee, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Feb 2009 3:53 pm Clic Tab
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I will have the Cd's from Ron Turner to sell now and at the Dallas Convention they are great and only $60.00 for all that work.
Check it out.
Bill
Thanks Gary |
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