Tone bars
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Mike Preuss
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Tone bars
What type of steel are tone bars typically made out of?
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Brett Day
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Re: Tone bars
Some bars are made of stainless steel, some are made of chrome, and there are also polymer bars, which have a polymer coating to make the bar easier for players to hold and grip. Steel guitarist Paul Franklin uses a BJS 7/8 diameter twelve string chrome bar
Last edited by Brett Day on 29 Dec 2025 11:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Brett Day-Jackson Blackjack Custom SD-10, Gretsch G9210 Boxcar Dobro, GoldTone Paul Beard Signature Series Deluxe Dobro
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Jerry Overstreet
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Re: Tone bars
John Pearse describes their all SS steel bars as being made from 440 stainless steel. I'm not sure if I've ever seen any other builder's specs.
Some metal bars are crafted of brass then hard chrome plated.
I do not know if there are chrome plated tone bars built with steel before plating.
I believe BJS bars are chrome plated but I do not know what the base metal is. I remember reading somewhere that it is hardened tool steel but I can't verify that.
Other branded bars from way back and 70s, 80s, 90s, including the George L's bars were some grade of stainless steel.
I don't know who manufactured them, but Emmons, Sho-Bud and several other bars with steel brands were all crafted of stainless steel.
Some metal bars are crafted of brass then hard chrome plated.
I do not know if there are chrome plated tone bars built with steel before plating.
I believe BJS bars are chrome plated but I do not know what the base metal is. I remember reading somewhere that it is hardened tool steel but I can't verify that.
Other branded bars from way back and 70s, 80s, 90s, including the George L's bars were some grade of stainless steel.
I don't know who manufactured them, but Emmons, Sho-Bud and several other bars with steel brands were all crafted of stainless steel.
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Mike Preuss
- Posts: 157
- Joined: 3 Apr 2021 11:22 am
- Location: Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
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Jerry Overstreet
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Re: Tone bars
I just dug out my old Ernie Ball bar a few weeks ago that I bought years ago. I also picked up another one recently. I had ignored it since I bought other bars back in the 80s with more hype such as the out of production Geo. L's, BJS and others as recommended by other steel players.
I used one of these Ernie's over the weekend and it worked so well I never used or even missed the higher end bars.
These Ernie Ball's are slick chrome plated, feel and sound just as good as any of the higher end bars. They produce a medium and a heavy bar in std. 7/8 x 3 1/4 size for under $20. I also have a couple of new build imported SS bars that I bought recently for about $15.
You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good bar with good smooth playability, weight and sound that are readily available many places at very reasonable prices just because that's what the majority uses.
I used one of these Ernie's over the weekend and it worked so well I never used or even missed the higher end bars.
These Ernie Ball's are slick chrome plated, feel and sound just as good as any of the higher end bars. They produce a medium and a heavy bar in std. 7/8 x 3 1/4 size for under $20. I also have a couple of new build imported SS bars that I bought recently for about $15.
You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good bar with good smooth playability, weight and sound that are readily available many places at very reasonable prices just because that's what the majority uses.
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Bobby D. Jones
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Re: Tone bars
I ran into a local steeler at show Saturday night. He had just got one of John Pearse "Cryo" bars and was giving it a good rating. Being very slick on the strings.
"Cryo" The process is the bar being placed into liquid nitrogen, Which shrinks grains of metal closer together for a harder slicker bar, At -390F degrees of cold.
"Cryo" The process is the bar being placed into liquid nitrogen, Which shrinks grains of metal closer together for a harder slicker bar, At -390F degrees of cold.