andyboyman - Posted - 03/11/2009:  08:19:05

I have a stevens steel, the basic 10 dollar one, and after a few years I've noticed a bunch of nicks and dents in the surface that I think are adding extra noise while sliding around. Is there a way to somehow polish that back to a mirror finish or is it time for a new bar? Thanks!

jaykellogg - Posted - 03/11/2009:  09:54:14

Time for a new one. If you polish it you will cut through the chrome. My instructor has a Scheerhorn bar and it is worn slap out. Bronze showing through on the sides where you hold it and on the face from wear with the strings.

W. Jay Kellogg

prewar37 - Posted - 03/11/2009:  12:20:40

I started with a Stevens steel 30+ years ago and wore it out in about 5 years. I replaced it with a Dunlop steel. They are shaped very near the same. I've played the Dunlop bar for 20+ years and it's still fine. No signs of wear.
keep on pickin' prewar37

Slideman1939 - Posted - 03/11/2009:  20:45:25

Steel bars (after shaping on a lathe) are brass coated and then final coat of nickel or chrome and all seem to wear and are cheap to replace.Apparently stainless is a lot harder to cut and shape on the lathe (more labor time) so it sells for considerably higher dollars.so a stainless bar is expensive but lifetime because solid stainless has no plating to wear thru..

jaykellogg - Posted - 03/12/2009:  04:14:03

If you are otherwise happy with the Stevens bar, just get another. The Shubb GS is a stainless bar with a wooden handle on it. It is very easy to hang onto and has nice sharp ends for pull offs. They cost around $30-45 depending on where you get them and are probably the lowest cost stainless bar.

W. Jay Kellogg

andyboyman - Posted - 03/12/2009:  09:16:32

Thanks for the advice. I'm still deciding what to go for, whether to try something different or stick with the same. I am also playing around with a heavy glass slide and holding onto it for lap style playing. It doesn't get the same tone or volume but it is very clean and quick, just somewhat awkward to handle. Has anyone heard of other materials for slides like ceramic?

jaykellogg - Posted - 03/12/2009:  09:43:48

There are several materials for bottleneck slide, but for lap the best tone is a brass or bronze . I never liked the tone of the Shubb GS as well as the other bars. I still haven't found a bar I really like. I like the lap dawg, but it is a tad short, I may try the Long Dawg for $25.

W. Jay Kellogg