Tone Bar Question

[Dorsey Faught IV]

Hey everyone, I’m a newbie here. I’ve been playing for about a year now and have been lurking on these forums for a while until I recently joined.

I’m wondering how you decide which bar to go with? Mainly size being the biggest consideration. I’m currently using a BJS bar and it’s great, but I feel it may be too thick for me. But, I don’t really have any reference point on that. Thanks!

[Bobby D. Jones]

Getting a bar that fits you and your hand, Is very important in having complete control of the bar, Which is a must have, To play with confidence in yourself.
Both length and diameter are important. Search here on the Forum, Mr. Franklin has some good advise on choosing a proper bar.
Good luck, Happy Steelin.

[Jerry Overstreet]

What size is your BJS bar? I'd say about 90% of players use the standard 7/8 x 3 3/8 bar. That's the common size for the standard BJS. Unless you have unusually large or unusually small hands this size bar should work for you.

Players generally experiment with different sizes and weights of bars over the years, but there's just no way to know if there's a "perfect" bar for you without doing that.

Try not to dwell so much on whether there's something better as much as just concentrating on your playing and execution.
Happy pickin'!

[Mike Vallandigham]

I've always used the standard size 7/8" - a BJS. I bought a 15/16" BJS, but always felt like it was too heavy - now it's just a paper-weight.

Even when I play a 12 string, use the standard length bar.

[Dorsey Faught IV]

What size is your BJS bar?

I’m using a 7/8 12 string bar. I wonder if the extra length is maybe the issue?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Opinions vary, but even when I played 12 and 14 string guitars I always used the standard 10 string 3 3/8 [app. length], bars.

[Dorsey Faught IV]

Thanks everyone. I just ordered a shorter bar to see how I get on with it.

[Ian Rae]

The length of bar depends on the length of your hand, not the number of strings.
The term "12-string bar" is particularly misleading. How often does anyone strum across all twelve strings?!
The bar that Dorsey has been using sounds unnecessarily massive and he should find a standard one quite refreshing.

[Brett Day]

On YouTube, there are videos where Paul Franklin talks about this, and he says you don't pick out the bar for the number of strings on the guitar, you pick it out for the length of your finger so the bar will feel comfortable in your hand in order to get a great tone on the guitar-he uses a twelve string BJS bar, but says if you like to experiment, try different bars to see what works best for you

[Andy Henriksen]

Paul Franklin also suggests that you need a bar long enough to nestle into the skin between your thumb and finger, and still reach out to near the end of your index finger, or else you will have control problems. For me, that’s like a 4” bar.

I’ve tried that and it feels super uncomfortable to me and seems to limit my mobility.

But of course, he’s Paul Franklin, and I’m definitely not!

Anyway, I guess that’s just to say that there are personal preferences and not only one right way, one right size, etc.

[Bobby D. Jones]

BJS also makes a John Hughey bar that is drilled out. This cuts the weight down and causes less stress on your bar hand. It allows for much easier control, When quickly moving up and down the neck.
When I got into steel guitar a local player gave me a George L. 1" X 3 3/8" 11.2 oz bar. And said this is the bar to use. For many years I fought with the bar. It moved around in my hand, And I had to hunt it in my hand to keep properly placed on the strings.

When I bought my first S12 there was a 1" X 3 3/4" 11.5 oz bar in the case with the guitar. When I got it in my hand, It set against the web between index finger and thumb and stayed right there. I tried it, At least it was easier to control in my long fingered hands. But like the George L. weighing the near same weight, It put stress on my left hand.
I took the Bar, Kitchen Scale, copper strips and Drills to my friends Lathe. I started drilling the bar out and weighing it. I never noticed much difference in the weight till I ran a 31/64" drill into the bar. When I took it out of the lathe. It felt much better. On the scales the bar weighed 9.7 oz. The bar now feels like it is part of my hand. I have another 1" X 3 3/4" bar that needs a drilling.

To play at your best, You need a bar that fits your hand and finger length.
There is 2 ways you actually hold a bar in your hand.
1st. You can grip the bar and friction holds the bar.
2nd. If a bar is large enough diameter, That allows the bones in your fingers to go below the center of the bar. This gives you a actual wedge grip on the bar. Holds more firm if hand sweats.

Good Luck finding the proper bar, For Happy Steelin.

[Brett Day]

My experience with tone bars is one where I've had to do a lot of experimenting until now-the reason is due to cerebral palsy in my left hand. When I started playing steel 25 years ago, I'd gotten my first steel, a 1974 Emmons, and the bar was a Dunlop bar-not really sure what the size or diameter was, and it seemed like, no matter how I would put the bar on the strings, it would slide around, but in 2003, I went to St Louis for the International Steel Guitar Convention and Billy Phelps was there and saw how my left hand wasn't really cooperating with a round bar, so he lets me try out a grooved bar-not a Dobro bar, but it was called Sacred Steel-I used it for awhile, and loved it, but my left hand got tired. In 2023, while on a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, I visited Emmons Guitar Company, and when I got to the shop, two minutes in the store, Junior Mercer had me sitting behind a blue 1994 Emmons D-10, and I wanted to know what bar would help me on the E9th neck, so there were two or three bars I tried out-one was grooved, but after two or three more bars, he hands me a white bar, and at first I felt a little nervous, but when I put it on the neck of the Emmons, and it didn't slide around, I was amazed-I then found out those bars are called polymer bars. After I left the Emmons shop that day, I decided that my main bar for pedal steel would be a polymer bar, and I now have an Ezzee Slide bar, which is Sneaky Pete size-meaning it's a bigger bar and tapered, and it works well for me and is my main bar.

[Ron Pruter]

I love my Hillman bar. It's coated with something that allows you to maintain a nice, secure grip. RP

[Dorsey Faught IV]

I love my Hillman bar. It's coated with something that allows you to maintain a nice, secure grip. RP

That’s actually what I ordered so we’ll see how that goes.

[Chris Templeton]

For me, not very often is the span of 10 strings needed for a bar. The problem I've had using a smaller bar, like a BJS, on a pedal steel, is without the weight, the uneven heights of the strings can cause a buzz/rattle, and one has to exert downward pressure to get rid of it, burning more energy.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I use 10 string bars from just about all earlier builders. I have a couple that I bought from the old Jackson store in N'ville, I have a Geo. L's bar, a couple of Dunlops from the cheapest up to the 920 and a BJS. I use whichever one is handiest at the time and I can't feel or tell one bit of difference between them when I'm playing whether stainless or chrome.

I think those are correct who stated the size you choose depends on the size of your hand, but also the length of your fingers.

No secret I'm a Jeff Newman disciple and I follow what he taught about bars for the most part. He even took us down to the Jackson store where we could buy appropriate bars.

I find I hold the bar for most songs with the index, middle and a little bit with the thumb but I don't squeeze it. For the most part, except for the methods described below, It just kind of floats there with just enough pressure to keep the big strings from rattling. I want it loose enough to roll easily for vibrato.
The bar butt edge touches my thumb about the middle of the first joint but it does not go up into the pocket.

For slow ballad pretty things the thumb barely or sometimes is not even touching the bar. It's just the 2 fingers rolling vibrato thing. Yes, it can get away from me, rarely, and I have the 'tweener nicks to prove it on my wood finished guitars.

I do pick it up quite a bit for certain things I do down on the open fret so that takes good grip while just rolling the hand and cradling the bar in the palm.
I tilt the bar a lot for some single and unison runs or do single string hammer on stab runs so that takes a different grip. One just has to get used to doing these things.

Provided your bar is in good slick shape with good weight I think how you handle it is much more important than the bar itself.
The great Jim Vest used a 5/8 bar IIRC, I've seen others play with what I would call an unusal designed or sized bar and they all do just fine with whatever they are using. JMO.