Hi there guys :)  I'm new here.  I love, LOVE the sound of resonator guitars, bluegrass or blues music.  So, I've decided I'm going to pick up playing the square neck.

For the past two weeks I've been researching what all I need to start.  I think I've settled on the Goldtone pbs as a guitar based on price and positive reviews I've read.  I've found lots of good info on the picks as well.   What I'm having a hard time finding info on is the slide (steel?).  I went to all the local guitar shops and the people working there either don't carry the equipment or just have no clue about reso guitars (this is frustrating)!   I could use some guidance.

What's your recommendations on brands/materials and how does the sizing work?

I'll be picking up a case and instruction material as well for my new investment.  Is there anything else you guys can think of / recommend that I will need? 

Thanks!

Hi Emaria and welcome. Sounds like you are off to a good start. This is a good place to get varied opinions about the instruments we love!

Steel preferences tend to be personal. We all seem to go through a few before we settle on one or two. Most modern players use some variation of a modified Stevens similar to many shown here at Resophonic Outfitters, although others like the original Stevens or a round bullet bar.

https://www.beardguitars.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RO&Category_Code=S1

Materials are generally chrome plated brass or steel or just stainless steel. Some have a wood grip over stainless steel. I use a stainless with angled, sharp ends that give crisp pull offs similar to a Tipton, Scheerhorn, or Beard steel. You also will go through a few before you get one you like. Good luck!

PS  Your local music store, as you have found out, will be clueless.

Dave

Edited by - DaveInAL on 08/04/2012 18:24:56

Hey there DaveInAL, thanks for the response! That was actually the website I was looking at for buying my stuff (possibly). Would you say there is a difference between the sound with the plated versions or the stainless? I would imagine stainless would be more durable (if this is a factor). Also, some seem to be a good bit longer than the others from what I've seen and some come in short versions. What benefit is there to having a longer one?

I'm an AL native too. I've loved the music for a long time but I actually got inspired to try to play when I went to the festival in Rogersville (so much fun) :) I thought for sure I could find a knowledgeable person at one of the Huntsville stores but I was disappointed. The guys at the fret shop had a baseline knowledge at least but not much in stock.

If you're ever up toward Franklin Tennessee (right up I-65), check out Artisan Guitars.  They are very knowledgable.  If you go on their website you can take a virtual tour of the store, room by room.  Their inventory is awesome.

You will get the best information possible right here. Your local music store is a waste of time. There are all kinds of bars from $15 to $120. Everything you buy is a personal choice. From your instrument to strings, bars, finger picks, thumb picks, straps, capo's and the beat goes on. No no one can decide these things for you. Trial and error and SWAG rule. Besides we all have/had a drawer full of everything why should you be any different? We can, and will point you in a direction. So that being said open up your wallet and start buyin'

When I first started playing, I didn't want to spend $50 - $80 on a Tipton, Beard or Scheerhorn bar since I wasn't sure if the square neck was going to take for me. I play pedal steel and use a Dunlop bar. So I saw on Elderly Music website that they carried a Dunlop Lap Dawg bar for about $25, that seemed more reasonable to me. It's a good bar and I would recommend it. I have large hands and eventually bought their Long Dawg bar which was a better fit for me for about the same price. I have since picked up a Tipton that I really like ($45) and keep the Long Dawg as a back up. Two very different bars with a different balance and feel to them but I still use both. The Dawg bars are keepers and you really can't wrong with them. I've even seen Jimmy Heffernan use one in a video.Down the road a bit, if you decide to keep with the square neck, upgrade to one of the more expensive bars. That's when the personal preference will really kick in. Different bars with different balance, feel and tone. You have to try them to evaluate them. And you will probably have to take a chance on mail order since you will have a hard time finding them in a music store if it is not square neck oriented. Very few are.

Dan

Thanks guys :) one of my big hesitations has been buying stuff I can't see and touch before I buy it. Looks like it's time to just pick one and go with it cause I don't think I'll be finding a store that is square neck oriented in a decent driving distance.

As for materials, stainless wears well but many are of the opinion it doesn't give as clean a sound as the hard smooth chrome surface. For a beginner, this may not be an issue. Sizes and weights are different because everyone's hands are different. It's best to get one that fits your hand. Stringnut mentioned the Dunlop Lap Dawg. This is not a bad bar to start with, it is inexpensive and works well and you will get a little experience to know what you want in your next one!

Were you at Rogersville this year? I was there Saturday.

Dave

I'm having a look the Dunlops right now.

I was at Rogersville on Saturday from around 1 til 9:30 or so. :) This is the first time I've ever gone to it (because I didn't know about it). What a great bunch of bands! I would have loved to have gone to watch on competition night but it's too far for me to drive right after work. I got the brochure for the Paint Rock festival when I was there, looks like it could be fun. I might check that one out too.

No matter which bar you start with you'll try them all before it's over. The Dunlop Lap Dog and Ergo are fine bars for the money and will serve you well.

h

I had an old Steven’s bar that I picked up back in the 60’s. Although I never had a square neck reso to use it on, I did fool around with it on several of my acoustic guitars. When I finally picked up my first reso in 2009 I used this Steven’s bar simply because I had it available. Unfortunately, there were some very deep groves worn in it and even after an attempt to buff them out the grooves would tend to snag on the strings. I tried to find another Steven’s bar, but was informed they were no longer available. The closest substitute was the Dunlop Ergo and that’s what I’ve been using since this Reso adventure started. For me, at least, the Ergo steel has served me well and instead of trying other steels, I have purchased a total of 4, one for each Reso in my stable.
Just out of curiosity, how many use the same type of steel for the various number of Reso’s you have?

Cheers,
Bob G (Slide-Hound)

quote:

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Originally posted by Slide-hound

how many use the same type of steel for the various number of Reso’s you have?

Cheers,
Bob G (Slide-Hound)

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I use the E.G. Smith for everything but my Electric Lap Steels. For those I use the John Pearse Thermo-Cryonic or the Red Rajah bullet nose bars.

welcome!!
I have a pbsd GOLDTONE, its a great reso. I HATED national {http://elderly.com/accessories/items/CBNP2.htm} type picks and my first post here was do I have to wear picks......they hurt my fingers.......well yes was most all answers ,,,,that is if I want to be heard. I went though to perfect touch brass and, steel I don't use the brass but as back up for personal taste ,the "chrome" looks great at lighting fast speed picking.....HAHA!!......no really they feel great, really....... I bought a shubb sp2 bar And I do not like it because of my large hands and but the shubb GS-2 fits like a worn glove. I do not have a store near anywhere to try out a variety, so ordering poke and hope style is all i have. I did buy a perfect touch thumb pick and did not like it, then i bought a "BLUE CHIP" and was amazed how it felt.....I went to eat with some one once ....got there and realized it was still on LMAO...then there is a "white" national thumb pick{ http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK1-L.htm} that feels different from there others that feels almost as good to me as the blue chip {.http://bluechippicks.net/}.... its like when you find a barber ,,,,,,,,,,,,,you try a few before you get "comfortable"

Edited by - doug662 on 08/05/2012 09:43:37

ha Doug662, funny you should use a the analogy to the barber. I always have a tough time finding a hair stylist I like :)

Edited by - Emaria on 08/05/2012 10:00:27

AIN"T it the truth!!!!!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Slide-hound

I had an old Steven’s bar that I picked up back in the 60’s. Although I never had a square neck reso to use it on, I did fool around with it on several of my acoustic guitars. When I finally picked up my first reso in 2009 I used this Steven’s bar simply because I had it available. Unfortunately, there were some very deep groves worn in it and even after an attempt to buff them out the grooves would tend to snag on the strings. I tried to find another Steven’s bar, but was informed they were no longer available. The closest substitute was the Dunlop Ergo and that’s what I’ve been using since this Reso adventure started. For me, at least, the Ergo steel has served me well and instead of trying other steels, I have purchased a total of 4, one for each Reso in my stable.
Just out of curiosity, how many use the same type of steel for the various number of Reso’s you have?

Cheers,
Bob G (Slide-Hound)

---

well I have not been playing long , but I use the same bar for all. Like with acoustic or my strat.its always the pink dunlop pick.lol.

now capo's are different for me for each guitar

The Acri finger picks are very comfy and won't tear up your cuticles like some of the others. Also, the Golden Gate Ivoroid thumbpick is a good starter. I also agree the Lap Dog Bar would be a good bar for you. All of these are reasonably priced and excellent products. Good luck and enjoy!

Picks can be (home) modified to suit your preferences so you are not confined to using them just as they came from the music store. I like and use the Golden GateI Ivoiroid mentioned above because of the ergonomic design on where it grips your thumb. It has a tight grip and just doesn't slip or turn the way other picks seem to. HOWEVER I find the tip to be too wide and too thick and doesn't flex enough.So I thin it down to get some "whip on the tip" like the thinner, lighter Dunlop thumb pick.This is easaily done with a power sander but with more patience a nail file would do the same job on the soft plastic. So my (Golden Gate) grips firmly but my modifications have made the tip less broad and clunky.  This type of hardware is inexpensive and you can creatively modify it to suit yourself. I tried many bar types including Stevens, Lap dog, Long Dog, etc.etc and my current favorite is the (Paul Beard) design from Resophonic Outfitters.

I started out with a Stevens bar because a friend gave it to me and I have limited funds for instruments.  Since I have small hands, the Stevens bar always seemed large and cumbersome for me.  I recently bought a lapdawg and I like it much better.  It's smaller, easier to control and hold onto.  I will probably try others as my budget permits but for now, I'm pretty content with the lapdawg.  I'm still experimenting with finger picks, but I really like the Pearse thumbpick. 

Limited budgets are the pits !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Start busking  and save the money for the musical things you want.

I've been playing about two years.  I bought a Sevens bar because that was all the local music stores had (besides the bullet slides which I couldn't hang on to).  If you buy from a local store a Stevens is probably what you'll find unless it's a really big music store in a big city.  You can order anything off the web, though.  Having said that, I love my Stevens.  It does everything I'm capable of doing at this point.  I'm sure I'll experiment more in the future.  Just like with guitar,though, I kinda think tone and technique is more in the hands than the equipment.  For example, how would I stack up against Mike Auldridge if I had the best bar in the world and he had only a Stevens?..........Don't answer that......

Hi Emaria,
I used an old flsat ended stevens for masny years - didn't know of analternative. The Jim Dunop lap dawgs are the first one to try - I use an old Tipton andva Scheerhorn which I feel,are very similr to the LapDawg. You will want to buy the othersat a later datsbut get some poicking,,andstopoingexoeene zn see wwhat wirkes fir you.

Also "pro-pik" figer picks (reso) are the finest forme and a goof tight think thumb pick! choose the brass and a REALLY comfortable thumb ick - you'll get teough bResompicks do th job .
Let us know how you get on.

Best , Ol; Andy -
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Hey Andy, where the hell you been? Good to see you back.  Hope you are here to stay. 

Yay! It's here! My reso just arrived. Got some picks and a lapdawg bar. Ready top commence learning. Hooray for the weekend. I uploaded a pic of my new guitar with a couple of lap dawgs of a different sort. So far, they don't care for it lol :)