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Barbell: ABC or TPB?

N

noob

Guest
Last piece of equipment for my home gym and I'm finding it hard to pick out a clear winner from the 2 barbells. The ABC power bar or the Buddy Capps TPB?

ABC is considerable cheaper (Roughly $150) but the TPB has a better reputation?

Which one would you pick if cost isn't a factor?
 
I have used both and own an ABC bop220.

Texas power bar is great, ABC is as good in my opinion.

You have the option to get a more agressive knurl on your ABC bar if you want it.
 
someone recently said that their current model ABC bar didn't have knurling in the middle where it sits on your back for squats.
might be something to consider.
 
noob said:
Last piece of equipment for my home gym and I'm finding it hard to pick out a clear winner from the 2 barbells. The ABC power bar or the Buddy Capps TPB?

ABC is considerable cheaper (Roughly $150) but the TPB has a better reputation?

Which one would you pick if cost isn't a factor?
Click to expand...

Do you want a general all purpose bar?

Call markos, he'll have great joy telling you about his bars.
 
TTT said:
someone recently said that their current model ABC bar didn't have knurling in the middle where it sits on your back for squats.
might be something to consider.
Click to expand...

That's either a custom or a fuck up. They will knurled it however you want but normally the centre knurl is a standard oly knurl so it doesn't carve you up
 
Buddy by all accounts makes an excellent bar. ABC makes a wide variety of bars, some of which are good, some of which are crap. For $150, it's probably one of the crap one's. IIRC here a TPB costs around $600 (If you go to Texas, new from Buddy it's $300 USD), that's what you'll be paying ABC for one of their good bars.
 
Dale said:
Buddy by all accounts makes an excellent bar. ABC makes a wide variety of bars, some of which are good, some of which are crap. For $150, it's probably one of the crap one's. IIRC here a TPB costs around $600 (If you go to Texas, new from Buddy it's $300 USD), that's what you'll be paying ABC for one of their good bars.
Click to expand...

He's not talking about a $150 bar, he's saying it's $150 cheaper than a Texas bar
 
Dale said:
Buddy by all accounts makes an excellent bar. ABC makes a wide variety of bars, some of which are good, some of which are crap. For $150, it's probably one of the crap one's. IIRC here a TPB costs around $600 (If you go to Texas, new from Buddy it's $300 USD), that's what you'll be paying ABC for one of their good bars.
Click to expand...

ABC powerbar little over $400 delivered to QLD, having used both I can tell you the quality is as good as capps texas bar. With the added option of a knurl to suit your preference.

Capps bars were around $600-650 + freight, so you are looking at a difference of $200-250.
 
Brick said:
That's either a custom or a fuck up. They will knurled it however you want but normally the centre knurl is a standard oly knurl so it doesn't carve you up
Click to expand...

maybe..

here is the fellas post..

Hey everyone,
I've recently purchased 3 ABC bars and have a concern i'm hoping for your opinions on.
I ordered one with fine aggressive knurling, one with large diamond aggresive knurling and one stock non aggressive knurled bar. They all came with a uselessly smooth centre knurl. I've now got an aggressive large knurled bar with zero knurling where it sits on your back for squats. After waiting almost 4wks for them to arrive when promised 10 days i' was pretty upset, then got told that this is how they've made their bars for the last 2 years. I've used one of there bars bought new at another gym and the knurling was all the way through.

Has anyone else bought one of their bars in the last two years? And did they have knurling all the way through?

There explanation was that people complained about front squatting with them so they made them this way on purpose. I could understand it if it was an oly bar but am suspicious that its just an excuse for poor manufacture for their power bars. Either way its pointless paying for a good bar if we can't squat with it.
Click to expand...

Possible manufacture fault thinking it was OLY bar order but he had ordered POWER bar and they didn't differentiate between the 2 in their response.

Anyway, just make sure you run it past them first before ordering to make sure you're not in the same boat if you go that way.
 
TTT said:
maybe..

here is the fellas post..



Possible manufacture fault thinking it was OLY bar order but he had ordered POWER bar and they didn't differentiate between the 2 in their response.

Anyway, just make sure you run it past them first before ordering to make sure you're not in the same boat if you go that way.
Click to expand...

Nah that sounds like what they do and it is a sweet setup.

The centre is still knurled but with their standard oly bar knurl which gives plenty of grip for squatting but doesn't shred your back. While the outside knurls (where you grip for deadlift) is the agressive knurl.

I specifically requested this and they confirmed its what they do as standard

I think its a plus not a negative. Not sure who would want a super agressive knurl in the squat part of the bar.

You can request a cheese grater knurl on the centre, not sure why you would but they'll do it.

I'm not affiliated with ABC or anything either, just a very happy customer who though the customer service was good.
 
I've got a bop220 with the deep fine knurl (standard?) suits me fine, any more aggressive would cut up my girly hands too much. Cost me about $430 at the factory door still hot from machining if I remember correctly

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought underground elite was the only distributor of texas power bars in Australia
 
mameimo said:
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought underground elite was the only distributor of texas power bars in Australia
Click to expand...

Consider yourself corrected - gym and fitness have stocked them for a while.
 
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