I used to teach at ITT Technical Institute and always told my students "there are no such things as dumb questions". If you don't know, ask. I now find myself in the precarious position of asking a dumb question. Think back to when you first started playing the res. Initially what did you use for a bar, finger picks, thumb pick and strings? What have you changed and why?
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"I shall pass through this world but once, any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not deter or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again" Stephen Grellet
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I still use the Shubb SP-2 Bar, and Propik Finger picks, and a Golden Gate Thumbpick.
I used to use Didarrio EXP 42 reso strings. However, I found my tone to be much more to my liking now that
I've switched to the "Beard Special 29's".Plus I get longer life out of my "G" string. (no jokes please!)
~Troy~
www.LESSONSWITHTROY.com ONLINE DOBRO LESSONS AND TAB/DIAGRAMS
Mike,
Initially, I had a Steven Bar, didn't like it. Next a Shubb and I didn't care for that, either. Next came a Bradley chrome, I liked it and when I talked to Elmer Bradley to get a capo, he suggested his SS bar and I loved it. I just had to try out the Scheerhorn SS bar and liked it nearly as much as the Bradley and I have a Tipton that I like, but it is a slippery devil. I can't tell much difference between the sound of the chrome and the stainless, I probably could have when I was a younger man. The chrome slides around a little better, but I don't play fast enough for it to make much of a difference. If you have sweaty hands that Bradley SS stays put well.
Without going into quite as much detail, I have a middle finger that I customized, it's trimmed a bit short and comes to a point more than it did when I started out that night many years ago, so my choice of picks is pretty much limited to what feels good and stays on that finger. I tried many different kinds but I really like Perfect touch and lately, the ACRI stainless , I don't care much for the sound of the brass. Same story with thumb picks. I tried Golden Gates, Zookies, ACRI, Perfect Touch, Blue Chip and no doubt some other ones, too. No contest, the Blue Chip works for me.
My string experience has been limited to D'Adario and the Martin SP sets that Eric at AMT makes up. I liked the Martins so much, that I closed the Book on that and bought a dozen sets.
I think you will find out through trial and error what works for you. It is an expensive process if you keep looking for the perfect combination that works for you and your guitar. Others may have the same set up and what works for them, won't for you. I suggest that if you do happen to get lucky and hit what works for you, STOP, don't move a damned inch and stick with it. You and your wallet will be happier for it. Good luck.
Dean
Troy,
My G string froze off last week
It didn't have a heck of a lot of life left in it anyway
Dean
Dean, I will give a little insight in to what I am trying to find out, and mabe it is in vain. I will use tools, which are tantamount to my trade as an example. I did not skimp and am not trying to do that here. But, when I started I would buy a tool, use it , like it and either it was comfortable or I would, through use, become comfortable with it. I would see something new that I thought would be better. easier, more comfortable etc. Many times, more than I can count, I reverted back to what I had started with. I wonder if we as humans, adjust to what we initialy use to the point that we become comfortable with it, and in our quest to find the Holy Grail, we revert to what we more or less have developed a comfort zone for or maybe we just luckily hit upon the right one. I know at the wholesale house when they seen me comming they woud throw all their new tools on the counter because I was always in pursuit of that perfect tool. How many times they sat in the shop never to be used again and there I was back using my old beat up 20+ year old tool that I first started with. This may sound silly but as a young man I worked for a garage builder. I purchased my first hammer and still have that hammer 45+ years later. I can't count how many I have bought since and used once and grabbed old faithful. Was I lucky? The only way someone will get that hammer is if they pry it from my cold dead hands.
I am just curious if this could be the same case here. As a greenhorn how could I even determine what is good for me until I have some experience. Then, how do you determine if it's your playing ability or your "tools" that are to blame for any problems you may encounter. This is why I wonder how many people have changed and if they ended up going back to what they initailly started with. I thought it may be interesting to see. Thank you for your input.
I, like most rezo players, have spent a bunch of money on picks, bars, strings and capos. Most of them sit in a drawer. I keep coming back to the same combination which is acris, blue chip, Tiption RT-1 original, exp42'S and the bradley. This is what just really feels right to me. This afternoon we played at a memorial/wake over on the desert and I accidently left my favorite bar at home. I had put the wrong bar in the "current" spot and man was I bummed. I figured I just had to suck it up and play but I wasn't as fluid or happy. Heck of a party tho. Keep experimentin and spendin money 'til it feels right.
Terry, thank you, I appreciate your input. Was the combination you came back to the original combination you started with? And the survey says.....
When I started playing you could use a Stevens bar...or a Stevens bar. I chose a Stevens bar. For fingerpicks you could use Nationals...or Nationals. Went with the Nationals. Thumbpicks, lots of no-name choices there so I'd just get the thickest one I could find in the box at the music store. For strings I mostly remember Black Diamonds, Martins, Gibson Monels. No sets gauged for dobro back then so you'd get a medium gauge set and swap out some heavy singles for the top. I've tried pretty much all the strings over the years and I vacillate now between EJ42s and John Pearse sets. Golden Gate thumbpick, ProPiks, and a Dunlop 925, the higher quality version of the Stevens.
Really, the only thing I've changed is from the National fingerpicks to the ProPiks and that was because they were so much more comfortable and didn't rip up my cuticles. String choices have increased greatly, so there I've tried them all and arrived at a couple I like. My bar is basically the same as a Stevens but with better chrome plating from Dunlop.
I don't use a capo.
I guess I haven't had a lot of time to really revert to anything, but I'm still in pursuit of my perfect combination. Right now I'm using a Tipton RT-1 (original version that was a total God thing that I even ended up with it, basically brand new), either a Blue Chip or Janet Davis Tortiose thumb pick, Propik Reso's, and Beard Special 29's for strings.
I started with a stevens bar like most people do, went to the Shubb SP-2, then the Shubb GS-1, then the Scheerhorn SS, then the Scheerhorn Chrome, went between the Scheerhorn Chrome and the SP-2 for a couple months, then finally got the Tipton. It sits so well in my hands, but I'm still adjusting to it a little bit.
As far as picks go, I had standard Dunlops to start with, finger and thumb both. I moved to a Zookie, then bought a bunch of random stuff from Janet Davis. I really liked the JDMC Tortoise, and still do, and now I bounce between that and a Blue Chip. If the BC had the little bit of give and a little warmer tone like the tortoise does, but still felt the same on my thumb, that would be perfect. Finger picks went to propik resos, then to Acri brass, back to the propiks, and now I've got some Perfect Touch picks that I just received today. In the short time I played the PT picks, I think they're going to be keepers.
For strings, I've tried the GHS Scheerhorns, DA EJ42's, John Pearse, and the Beard Special 28's and 29's. I'm a huge fan of the Beard 29's, and that's probably what I'll stick with for a while.
So now it looks like Tipton RT-1, Blue Chip/JDMC Tortoise, Perfect Touch, and the Beard 29's.
Peace and Hope
Living in a very non reso part of the world I tried what i could find used what i could and even built some bars. Finally settled on Propicks and RT 1. Work best for me and haven't changed anything except now I use a blue chip thumbpick that has better tone, is quieter and more comfortable. No need to change anymore unless I find some fingerpicks that are less noisy and possibly more comfotable
I still have my first hammer and toolbelt too..Also some old tools from my dad and granddad. Don't use em much except the ball peen but I sure love having them. for the memories.
Play it 100 times you know it 1000 times you own it .... Dobropilot the bad luftpostmeister
I still have my Estwing 16 oz. hammer that I bought in 1960. I do not use it on the reso, although I may have been tempted from time to time
.
Dean
Like everybody else I've bounced around. After 4 years I still have not found a string that just locks me in. But the set Erik put together for me is best so far. I put a set of GHS 1650's on yesterday just cause I have some to use up. The one bar I never could get used to was the Shubb. Just to light and the stainless I don't like. As most everybody knows by now I use nothing else but the Tipton RT1. I have 4 new ones in the package and pray I don't live long enough to use those up. I've used the same one for 2 years now. After 6 different capo's, the Bradley is what I've kept. i've tried all the picks and still use the first one's I started with, Little Roy Lewis nickel banjo picks. The PT, no that's not Preston Thompson picks, are to floppy for me. I never seem to know where the tips are. At the present for the thumb pick I use the 10 degree Zookies. I've gone through all the Dunlap and GG picks, but the Zookies to me sound best and stay put. I wear out the blades but that's it. I have not been able to afford the BC pick yet.
There you have my story.
pt
aka PLTreso