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Topic: Who Uses A Bakelite Tone Bar? |
Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2015 12:19 pm |
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I wonder if people still use the old Bakelite bars?
If you do, what has been your experience in keeping them free of grooves and nicks from playing them?
Or do they just get beat up? I very much like their tone, but I feel that they couldn't possibly hold up to hard use. Maybe I'm heavy-handed?
Were they just a fad?
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2015 1:26 pm
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| Good concept, ahead of its time in regard to materials available for manufacture. |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2015 5:57 pm
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I use a Black Raja (tapered bakelite) bar. I've got about 4. I haven't been playing them long enough to say how they hold up long term. None of them are 100% free of nicks (they were used when I got them) but it really doesn't seem to be a problem. I also have a Tribotone that I use at home. But at this point it's easier to replace the Rajas if I loose it at a gig than the Tribotone.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2015 6:19 pm
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Frank,
What are the specs on the Raja bar?
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 5:23 am
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So, Rick, are you using "Bakelite" in a generic sense in reference to any coated bar?
The old Manoloff Bakelite bars don't hold up well. Is anyone really using phenol formaldehyde resin to make them nowadays? That would surprise me, given the vast number of tougher modern materials avalilable - for example, whatever material Tribotone uses.
I'm a fan of coated bars - use a Black Phoenix and a Tribotone. I have an old Manoloff that is indeed nice, but I hate to use it as it seems to wear pretty quickly. |
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Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 5:33 am
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| What materials are similar to bakelite that you could make something out of today? I'm a mech. designer who works closely with a few machine shops and would be interested in making some but I know almost nothing of plastics. |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 5:36 am
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The Rajas I have are about 3/4 inch at the back end and 1/2 inch at the nose. Length varies, most of mine are around 2 3/4 inch but one is around 3 inch
Some have a brass center others have what appears to be lead.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 6:02 am
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Dustin,
Delrin is the modern material that is used for tone bars.
Trib-o-Tone and Telonics bars are Delrin. I really like my Trib-o-Tone. Very slick and also very quiet on the strings...like Bakelite.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 6:05 am
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| I knew Delrin was what was being used for the Tribotones. I wonder how Ultem would work. Its what a lot of high end guitar picks are made of now and its tough stuff. |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 12:12 pm
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I recently purchased a nice aqua-swirl Manoloff bar from a forum member and was able to polish the scratches out by wrapping it and the rotating it in a piece of 400 grit followed by 600 grit and finally the sanding scratches were polished out with some semi-chrome metal polish. Looks and feels great now. Can't do much with a cracked or deeply chipped one though. Being that it's made with formaldehyde, I'd be cautious about breathing the dust.
I also have a tapered Black Raja like the ones Frank is talking about. I love it. If you can find one of the 3" ones for your 8-string, that would probably come the closest to your beloved Kona bar. |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 12:38 pm
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So, Bill, you use yours regularly?
I wonder if the secret to keeping them free of grooves is having a light touch?
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 12:45 pm
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| Are all bars of this style tapered? |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 1:05 pm
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Rick,
I've only been playing for about a year and only had the Raja for about 5 months so I'm afraid I'm not much of a sample. I kind of rotate use between my stainless Dunlop 919 bullet, the Manoloff bar and the Black Raja. So far no scratches on the Raja and I probably play it for an hour or two a week. I think I like the tapered bar the best but I'm still finding my way. Hopefully the rumors about Tribotone making bars again are true as I'd sure like to try a Delrin bar. I might go for a powder coated bar too. All of mine are 2-3/4" for six-string lap.
Dustin,
The vintage Manoloff bar that I have and all of the modern bars that I know of are not tapered. The original Black Rajas and Rick's vintage Kona bar were. |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2015 4:55 pm
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I have compiled a boatload of bars over the years. I use old Black Raja (not very tapered) bars as my go-to bar all the time. The lead filled ones are better (to me) than ones filled with brass. The bakelite has a stickier feel and is very controlable but they are a little dark sounding compared to plated steel bars, but that can work in your favor on a bright instrument.
On National tricones, Dobros and Weissenborns bakelite isn't crisp enough so I use something else on them.
 
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 25 Mar 2015 6:47 am
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I like the sound of the high-end frequencies produced by Bakelite. Delrin is very, very close to the same. Both feel like they want to stay in the grip, but Bakelite is stickier I think.
Did Bakelite just phase out of manufacture? Could someone still make bars if they wanted to?
I'm pretty sure that E.R. Watson was working out of his garage, he made killer tone bars.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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