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Topic: stone, rock, or other than steel bars, anyone?? |
Francisco Castillo
From:
Easter Island, Chile
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Posted 7 Feb 2021 11:54 am |
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Hi all
Just recieved some stone/rock bars.
They give way less sustain than my others steel or steel+powder bars.
Its really noticeable, kind of 30% (maybe more) less sustain in all the excerises i did.
That fact alone makes them unusable for me.
Anyone here have similar/different opinions? |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 7 Feb 2021 4:59 pm
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If you play a steel guitar with a rock, does that make it a rock guitar?
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Bob Womack
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2021 7:25 pm
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I stacked pennies into a long Pyrex Coricidin bottle and sealed them in with candle wax. It was heavy, smooth, and sweet, and had great sustain. I just wish I could find it!
Bob
_________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (My Little Website) |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2021 8:45 pm
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| I have a Paloma ceramic tone bar. I would say sustain is in that 30% less than steel ballpark that you mention. But it produces a pleasant tone and weighs maybe half as much as steel. I use it mostly for a slide guitar effect. It’s a different sound for pedal steel and forces you to make adjustments in your approach. Definitely not useless. Although, when you go back to playing with the regular steel bar, the thing feels like it weighs a ton. |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2021 5:45 am
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| Frank, that sounds about right. I have a bunch of bars but the one I use most is a Shubb GS1. I think I gravitate to that one becasue it has good sustain but is lighter than a solid steel and easier to grip. |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2021 6:12 am
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My favorite are the old Nick Manoloff bakelite bars, the wider one not the narrow version:
For me they sound as good as the steel bars but are lighter and just feel better in my hand. |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2021 7:50 pm
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I use all those different bars, and metal too. Everybody is different. I love them.
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 7:46 pm
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I used to use Paloma Stone... they worked for me, with some noticeable loss of sustain. Of course, now they're not in business any more. I also found them to be really fragile... one drop and it's over.
Now I use Rocky Mountain Slides... the sustain is noticeably better than the Paloma bars... and they're prettier too! The prices are more, but you're getting a real piece of agate instead of a ceramic from a kiln.
I dropped one the other day, onto a ceramic tile floor... it did not break, although I think it did crack on one side. The absolute worst floor for this, saltillo tile.
I've tried their slides... not my cup of tea, I'm more of a bottle-neck guy. The bars, however, are wonderful for 8-string.
https://rockymountainslides.com/
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 3:10 pm
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| The polymer bars from Basil are fantastic. They are warmer to hold in cold temps. Sound and sustain are similar to the stainless steel bars and you can get custom weight and sizes. I have 2 of his and one Tribo tone bar. |
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 5:24 pm
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I find that on pedal steel, E9 neck, I use a BJS bar. It's just got the stuff. But on either pedal or non pedal steel C6 or other tunings, I use either a polymer bar (I have a tapered one from Basil that's my favorite, but have others that I also really like) or a Zirc bar, which I also really like. The slightly lessened sustain is actually a good thing here to me.
The polymer bars have noticeably less sustain than the BJS, but a really good tone on the C6 or lap steel tunings. I prefer them. The zirc has nearly the same sustain as the BJS, but a bit warmer tone.
All in all, for lap steel, I'd go with one of Basil's bars or one of Todd Clinesmith's. They're both super smooth and sound great. The zircs are made of unobtanium, so aren't really in the running these days.
Dave |
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Eric Gross
From:
Perkasie PA, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2021 2:51 pm
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| I use crystal tone bars from Diamond Bottlenecks, they sound great and Ian is a good guy to work with. I still use traditional metal bullet for certain songs that need more sustain. |
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