Absolutely true - I've sen "test data" blown out of the water by live band use. The mix with a band is totally different than the sound practicing.

Fooling with the bars down at Jims was interesting, bcase I WAS only using them on Fenders - although mine seem quite odd (and different from my first 400), having quite a bit more sustain than anticipated. My 400 with the twin pickups and modified electronics could be one reason - and the 1000 is as loud without an amp as a cheap acoustic guitar - so they both may be anomalies and I ust got lucky. We got petty much identical results on more "normal" guitars at Jim's, but agin, my Fenders may be "different".

Dean Parks has one of the acrylics out of the group now, and his initial take was it was almost the same as steel on a Fender, and close on his Fessy until you get up to the high strings, where the sustain starts to drop a bit. But as I recall he said he was running low volume and not a normal amp setup, so he's going to do more analysis.

As Donny notes, in many situations the differences in sound would be minimal - wherein to me lies the big advantages : 1) size - the larger bars are much more comfortable and easier to control (for me), and 2) weight, as the big synthetics are very light and can be moved very quickly and precisely from fret to fret.

No, they're not traditional. So what? They sound good, are fun to play with, fast, comfy and give a nice change of pace. I was saving some money to have a large BJS made, but I'm sort of reluctant to spend the money now that I have these - never having played a BJS, and with my current steel bar experience, I'm afraid there would be far too much top end. Soemthing I need to think about, so I'm glad I didn't place an order yet.

David told me the Delrin would grow on me, and now I think it may be the best overall - sustain is there, it's light, and it's huge. I still like the acrylic for general playing, and the nylon/moly when I want the sound a tad warmer.

Interestingly, after playing with these for a while the steel bars (a couple Dunlops and a "Twister") sound "tinny" and have unwanted high-end overtones. I'm going to rest them for a while, come back in a month or so and see if that's still my perception.

In all the talk about the zirc bars, I'm still unclear as to what they are supposed to do differently from a steel bar. Can someone clarify?

quote:

---

In all the talk about the zirc bars, I'm still unclear as to what they are supposed to do differently from a steel bar. Can someone clarify?

---

1st, they're white and look really cool.

2nd, they glide over the strings with no friction. You don't realize how much friction a steel bar has until you try one of these bars and experience the difference.

3rd, they're white and look really cool.

4th, they change the envelope of the note, accenting the attack in such a way that the notes are cleaner sounding. My wife, who is not a musician, is able to hear the difference between the sound of my zirc bar and a steel one.

5th, they're white and look really cool.

I collect bars and have about 50 of them, including some other very good ones (BJS, Pearse cryothermic, George L, Dunlop etc) but the zirc bar is the one I actually use. In addition to the things I mentioned, it has some indefinable quality that the others lack.

plus, they're white and look really cool.

------------------
Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
-----------
My web site

($)-> If you are really willing to spend $250 for a zircon bar just because it "looks cool", please note that I could make you a mystic-emerald bar, or a royal-purple bar, or a spooky-blue one, for a whole lot less than that. How about a pink one, to show the girls you're sensitive? Red to match your Corvette, green to match your Irish eyes. Orange, to match your teeth.... Maybe the black ones sound better? Hell, send me $250 and I'll surprise you....

P.S. (It would surprise me, too )

[This message was edited by David Mason on 14 August 2006 at 11:17 PM.]

So b0b, are you going to change the name to The Steel or Delrin or Zirc or Acrylic or Hard-Boiled Egg Guitar Forum?

[This message was edited by Brint Hannay on 14 August 2006 at 10:04 AM.]

------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/