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Author
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Topic: Scratches in steel bar
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Joe Henry
Member From: Ebersberg, Germany
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posted 26 February 2003 11:06 AM
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I recently discovered a few minor scratches, parallel to the strings, on my (stainless) steel bar. I bought the bar new last year, never dropped it, always take good care of it and frequently wipe it off. The only reason I can think of is this: I do have an average rate of string breakage and use fairly heavy gauges. Could it be that, when a string snaps, the end of it may sometimes put a scratch into the bar when it passes under it. After all, this is a matter of milliseconds and itīs just impossible to lift it in time. Any thoughts about this?Regards, Joe H. |
Chas Friedman
Member From: Wimberley, Texas, USA
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posted 26 February 2003 12:05 PM
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I have a George L stainless bar and a BJS
chrome plated bar, and neither seem to get
any appreciable scratches. I also have several
smaller Dunlop stainless bars that I use for
dobro, and they get quite scratched. I've
used the George L and BJS on my dobro
occasionally and haven't seen scratches. My
conclusion is that it's the hardness of the
bar that matters. I can't imagine that
breaking strings could have an appreciable
effect. If the bar is harder than the string
material, it shouldn't scratch, IMO.
chas |
Kenny Foy
Member From: Lynnville, KY, USA
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posted 26 February 2003 04:15 PM
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Joe, Get you a BJS bar and you MITE dent it with a hammer BUT I doubt it. |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 26 February 2003 04:57 PM
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Can you feel the scratches, or just see them? As long as you can't feel them with your fingernail, they won't bother your playing.
Since your bar is stainless, they can be easily polished out. Breaking strings are usually intercepted (ouch!) by your right hand, so I don't think they're the cause of the scratches. Stainless steel strings are said to be harder on the bar than nickel ones, so you might want to avoid them with your stainless bar. Also, old strings may cause damage to the bar more easily than new ones, especially during rapid slides. Change your strings when they appear "dull" to minimize this. Lastly, you can protect your bar from scratches and other damage when traveling by making a little "bar cover" by simply cutting a finger off of a large glove, and slipping your bar into it. This also helps protect picks and other items which may be stored with the bar. |
Jim Smith
Member From: Plano, TX, USA
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posted 26 February 2003 05:05 PM
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Per Bobbe Seymour, don't use the same metal for both strings and bar. Use a stainless bar on nickel strings and a chrome plated bar on stainless strings.  |
Joe Henry
Member From: Ebersberg, Germany
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posted 27 February 2003 09:37 AM
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I use "nickel" strings, but this brings up some confusion. Doesnīt the term "nickel" or "steel" only apply to the material used on the wound strings? I thought the unwound ones (which are the ones that break most frequently) are always made of steel? |
Jim Bob Sedgwick
Member From: Clinton, Missouri USA
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posted 27 February 2003 06:22 PM
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Joe, If the scratches are minor, get some Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish in the auto dept. at Wal-Mart. You can polish with just a rag (watching TV) until that bar is so slick it makes a BJS feel sticky. Believe me, it works, and will take all the scratches off. Hope this helps |
R. L. Jones
Member From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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posted 27 February 2003 07:59 PM
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I feel sure that you keep yourstrings wiped clean. The small unwound strings are usually steel, they will gather moisture,then grit, It could get abraisive.just a thought??
R. L.
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Joe Henry
Member From: Ebersberg, Germany
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posted 28 February 2003 11:06 AM
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Well of course I wipe them strings off each time after playing and once they begin to look dirty, I change them anyway. Motherīs mag might be hard to find over here, but I might try the "secret stuff" (=polishing paste) that I used on the finish between the necks and it really put a mirror-like gloss on there so that all those bar dings are no longer noticeable... and that area was chipped up badly. Guess it should work on metal as well.Thanks to all who responded so far, Joe H. |
Jim Bob Sedgwick
Member From: Clinton, Missouri USA
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posted 28 February 2003 04:13 PM
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Joe, Sorry, I didn't look at your profile. You could have a friend in the USA mail you a jar of Mother's. Just an idea PS It's the best over all metal polish I have ever found. |
Bob Snelgrove
Member From: san jose, ca
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posted 02 March 2003 06:40 PM
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BJS and you are set for life; really bob |
Patrick Ickes
Member From: Upper Lake, CA USA
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posted 02 March 2003 09:12 PM
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Hi Joe,
I use Simichrome Polish to smooth out my bars....and guess what? It's made in Germany!  Made by a company called Happich, product #390050. All the Harley guys I know use it also.Pat |
Ed Kuhns
Member From: Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY, USA
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posted 04 March 2003 09:53 AM
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Some bars are just softer metal and are prone to scratching. I used to use a Sho-Bud bar and after a couple years it developed deep grooves parallel to the strings. I tried removing them with rubbing compound, which worked, but new ones formed after a while. Now I have been using an Emmons bar for many years and it is still perfectly smooth. Ed
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