Knocked up a tone bar/slide!

[Nickel]

Been playing the 'panjo' lap style and was over trying to use my bottleneck slide so I decided to have a go at making a tone bar instead. Worked out ok and does the job nicely. Solid piece of brass with a copper handle.

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After  using it for awhile , I began to think what do I need in a slide?

Some way of holding on to it.
Bullet nose for single notes.
Sustain.
Comfort.

So I came up with this odd looking piece!

[Nickel]

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As funny as it looks, it's a custom fit and is very comfortable and works a treat. Played with it for at least an hour tonight and it's just so easy. Slips on easily but won't slip off. Heavy enough being made of solid brass to hold a note, and the bullet nose works a treat.

Not sure what to call it yet. Maybe a 'ring bar'.

Im not sure if this has been done before so let me know what you think.

Cheers.

[Brad Bechtel]

It's been done before, but I've never seen such a bar with two rings attached.

In general, unless you have a specific problem holding on to a bar, I would suggest just learning to control a standard size steel bar.

I'm glad this worked out for you and you have the ability to create something like this for yourself. I'd probably lose a finger or two if I tried to do this.

[Ian McWee]

Nice piece of work!! Yeah, we supply both single & two velcro-secured glass bullet bars, but as Brad has mentioned they're aimed directly at lap-sliders with issues holding a bar - you can't 'slant' them and they are quite restrictive in regards to playing subtle lines

Slide On!

Ian.

[Deleted]

That long thing in Ians right hand is a glass rod I found in my garage. No idea what it was for, but I thought it might come in handy,so I just dropped it into DS.
Apparently it is a 'soda rod', and Ian reckons it will become several very nice tone bars.

The blue thing is my new slide
TT

[Deleted]

or you could try this...

[pete1951]

Might give it shot.
PT

[Michael Messer]

Hi Nickel,

It's a great idea and you have made it very well, but I agree with Brad that ultimately you would be better off learning the technique of using a regular Hawaiian bullet steel. The whole point of using a bullet steel is that
it is free to move in any direction to make backward and forward slant chords. You do not 'hold' a bullet steel, you guide it. It is a very loose and relaxed thing, it takes a lot of practice but it's worth it. Your rings, for example the one that holds your first finger in place, is really limiting the movement of that finger. My first finger is changing its position all the time. I could not play properly if it was fixed into a ring. The ring that holds the steel to your second finger is also limiting your playing because the steel should be free to move around. Even if you play with no slant chords at all, the steel still needs to move around. I always say to students that I don't hold the steel, I guide and control it.

I am all for the idea of making your own tools and not following convention, but there are certain logical guidelines that are best adhered to....IMHO.

The Hawaiian bullet steel is the most versatile tool of any for playing lap steel guitar, I am not sure that by fixing it to your fingers you are optimising its capabilities.

Shine On
Michael

[Nickel]

Thanks for your thoughts Michael. I'm not too serious about my lap style yet but I'll certainly keep your thoughts in mind. At some point I may invest in a bullet steel.
I really enjoyed messing about making these things with a few bits hiding under my workbench. Always got ideas for my hobbies floating about in the spare spaces 'upstairs' , don't always have the time to mess about though, and when I do, picking up the guitar is normally the one that wins out.

[Michael Messer]

Deuce's bottle cannon could put Ian out of business

Shine On
Michael

[pascal]

Feb 5, 2015 18:35:00 GMT Nickel said:

Thanks for your thoughts Michael. I'm not too serious about my lap style yet but I'll certainly keep your thoughts in mind. At some point I may invest in a bullet steel.
I really enjoyed messing about making these things with a few bits hiding under my workbench. Always got ideas for my hobbies floating about in the spare spaces 'upstairs' , don't always have the time to mess about though, and when I do, picking up the guitar is normally the one that wins out.

Lap steel program has to be very serious taken, i never work so hard with a bottleneck, never!