Tone bar

[Woodentop56]

Hi guys had a really good week since I got my guitar just got to play along with my wife on her keyboard to country roads went quite well however I am not happy with the Erie ball tone bar I was looking at getting a shuub has anyone tried these

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Terry, bite the bullet and get yourself a BJS bar nice heavy one for good tone and you will never wear it out

[Ken Byng]

What JD said.

[Donny Johnston]

What the two old guys said.

[Uncle Roy]

What the three old guys said.

[dessa]

I have two bars made by Mr Wheelhouse. Stainless Steel and slightly heavier than BJS. Tommy White uses them....Nuff said
They are less expensive also!!

[Tony Smart]

I've got a BJS bar but like Derek I still use my old Emmons stainless bar.
The same reason, slightly heavier.

[slimbo]

What's a BJS bar, never seen one of these, does' it make you sound better, I've tried different amp's, steel's, strings, picks, and I still sound like crap, where do I get me one of these, then stand back and give me room.

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

I have tried various tone bars and always come back to the BJS which is hard chrome plated and has little or no resistance when sliding on the strings.I tried a hardened stainless bar which I found to be dragging somewhat on the wound strings.
BJS bars are available in several sizes and weights,I like the "John Hughey" signature bar which makes Me think I sound like the late Pappa John
Billy

[Ken Byng]

Slim
If you haven't tried a BJS bar, nip over to Gerry's place and try one out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

If the original poster is referring to the Shubb bar of the type illustrated below, a round bullet nosed bar is far better for pedal steel. The type shown is good for use with a resonator guitar where hammer-ons and pull-offs are the order of the day.

A stainless bar will drag on stainless strings. A hardened and polished chrome bar is very smooth, and will slide up and down the strings with virtually no drag. I used to find that my stainless bar used to drag something rotten on stainless strings. As soon as I tried the BJS bar it felt amazing. It was just so slick.

Here is another old guy's (Bobbe Seymour) view from April 2001 in a forum debate on the use of stainless steel bars.

"You guys are missing the biggest point of all. Stainless bars on stainless strings don't work. Period. If you cant hear and feel the difference between hard chrome and stainless bars on stainless steel strings,you shouldn't even be reading this. HARD CHROME is the only way to go on S. S. strings. If you have trouble holding your bar and drop it often and chip it up, buy another bar and get some experience learning to hold it. Be a good steel player, not a good bar dropper. S.S. is OK for amateur or training purposes or players that cant tell the difference, NOT for professionals.
IF YOU WANT A STAINLESS STEEL BAR USE NICKEL STRINGS! STAINLESS STRINGS NEED HARD CHROME BARS !

Either will work with nickel strings, chrome or S.S. Two objects in contact with each other made of the same material have a tendency to adhere or stick to each other. Bearings in auto engines are only one of thousands of applications that demonstrate this phenomenon. (bronze,against cast iron,example). My airplane has chrome cylinder bores with aluminum pistons. Chrome cylinders cannot be used with chrome rings on the pistons,(identical materials). Chrome bars work best,'till we can find something harder that is affordable. The other fads will come and go, just like they have since steel guitar started.

P.S. Also ,don't use a nickel bar on nickel strings or chrome bar on chrome strings, if you can even find chrome strings any more. (These are very breakable,i.e.brittle). Cobra Coil strings are very compatible with all common bar materials, as are Geo. L strings. BUT, chrome still has the edge on eliminating "bar drag".
Bobbe Seymour