pick up for a dobro

[jjlinus]

hi,i own a sx dobro.actually i and the other guitarist of my band decided to form an acoustic duo for gigs in little bars etc.i already own a electroacoustic martin
but i think that playing an open g dobro in some blues songs can be a good thing.how can i amplify it?thanks

[JohnnyCrash]

I also play mine in Open G.

I installed a Fishman Resophonic pickup in the cone. I used the passive version and run it into a L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic DI/Preamp.

Easy install, but be carefull, too tight and it'll get very harsh. Piezo type pickups are naturally quacky and harsh anyway, so a good preamp is a must. The L.R. Baggs is my top choice for ANY piezo equipped acoustic instrument I use (including "normal" acoustic Guitars, standup DoubleBasses, Banjos, and Mandolins).

[jjlinus]

thanks, johnny.

[eddiewagner]

i tried a lot of stuff. if you want a natural sound a schatten-pickup is a good thing. i also have a tele-pickup routed in one dobro of mine, that is okay, but not a wonder. the schatten is a bit weak, but sounds good. needs a stompbox or some kind of pre-amp.

[jjlinus]

hi,eddie,i also thought to put a japan tele neck pup thai i own,but i don't know how.did you put your near to the neck,or how?let me know please. a photo is very liked.thanks

[jjlinus]

hi,eddie,i also thought to put a japan tele neck pup that i own,but i don't know how.did you put your near to the neck,or how?let me know please. a photo is very liked.thanks

[Hucklebilly]

I'm in the process of installing a single coil Kent Armstrong pickup on my dobro. My first dobro lesson was with a guy named Rob Ickes who moved to Nashville and now is an up-and-coming session guy. I saw him play a few times in the Bay Area where he used to live, and he used a magnetic pickup to great effect. If you're playing small rooms you can use a mic and then blend a little of the pickup in to the mix to bring the volume up.

[JohnnyCrash]

Originally Posted by jjlinus

hi,eddie,i also thought to put a japan tele neck pup that i own,but i don't know how.did you put your near to the neck,or how?let me know please. a photo is very liked.thanks

ITS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!! A wrong move will mean a messed up guitar.

You would have to remove the cone and plate, then drill a hole at the pickup's intended location to get a router started, then use a hand plunge router to cut the pickup hole. Then drill screw mount holes in the proper location.

After the pickup is installed you can wire the electric pickup to a variety of options:
1. A seperate jack than your piezo/acoustic pickup's.
2. Wire the electric and piezo to a stereo jack.
3. Wire each pickup to a 3-way switch or blend pot, then to a standard jack.
4. Etc.

I may be doing this very thing to my dobro soon.

[AA4GA]

Originally Posted by Hucklebilly

I'm in the process of installing a single coil Kent Armstrong pickup on my dobro. My first dobro lesson was with a guy named Rob Ickes who moved to Nashville and now is an up-and-coming session guy. I saw him play a few times in the Bay Area where he used to live, and he used a magnetic pickup to great effect.

Rob's a pretty good guy to get a first lesson from! I'd say he's past "up and coming" and is solidly in "arrived". He and Randy Kohrs are getting a lot of the sessions now that Jerry Douglas has cut way back on sessions and Gene Wooten died.

I've never seen Rob use a magnetic pickup, but don't doubt it at all...he used to use a little gooseneck mic like you'd see on a sax, and that worked great. With the single coil you'll get more of a lap steel effect. For a more natural acoustic sound, I think the Schertler is probably the best. I've heard lots of good stuff about the Fishman, but I do think it's a bit more difficult to install. Fishman is still working out the kinks in it's Aura system for the dobro last I heard. Once it's ready, that will probably be the best thing going.

I've got a McIntyre "feather" on one of my Scheerhorns that I use with a Baggs, but I've never been super happy with it, and really don't have much call for it - I'm able to mic pretty much everything I do. If the music is so loud I can't get by with miking it, I'm probably not playing with my bluegrass band, and probably pretty safe to move into lap steel territory.

I help administer a board at reso-nation.org for dobro info. You might want to check there for advice. Also, you could call Howard at Resophonic Outfitters and he can give you some solid info.

HTH,

Lee

[JohnnyCrash]

Originally Posted by AA4GA

I've got a McIntyre "feather" on one of my Scheerhorns that I use with a Baggs, but I've never been super happy with it, and really don't have much call for it - I'm able to mic pretty much everything I do. If the music is so loud I can't get by with miking it, I'm probably not playing with my bluegrass band, and probably pretty safe to move into lap steel territory.

Not to hijack the thread... I've heard good things about the McTinyre Feather. I'm curious to know what your thoughts on the pickup are.

Still, I'm with you... generally piezo pickups still never sound very "real," "acoustic," or "authentic" enough. They do sound more realistic than magnetic pickups for sure, but if you can mic it, that's always best.

[AA4GA]

I think that's my basic problem with it...it sounds like a piezo...really pinched, inarticulate (is that a word?). I had it installed when I had the guitar it's in built. At the time, it was the best thing going...I think there are better out there today. But basically, it's a problem with all pickups... I've got a couple of really nice dobros and when using the Feather, I might as well be using a $150 import.

I've seen JerryD play large venues with a mic and know it can be done (although he sometimes mixes a bit of pickup in), but I've also heard him in big venues where he had mic problems and had to rely totally on the pickup...not pretty at all - good thing the boy knows how to play!

FWIW, JerryD has been working with Paul Beard (Beard Guitars & Resophonic Outfitters) both on pickups and with Fishman on Aura models...which is why I recommend talking to Howard (or Paul) at Resophonic Outfitters if you really want to get the latest state of the art.

[Eivindpicker]

I got an active Fishman installed in mine. It sounds OK if you turn the knobs right, but you don't get it more then OK. External mic's are always by far the best, but if it gets to loud on stage it's good to have it as a backup. On a DVD production I did with a band using drums they gave me the Fishman signal for monitoring and recorded the signal from the external mic. That solved the feedback problem, and the reso sounded great on the DVD.

[kludge]

K&K makes a resonator pickup. Considering how good their pickups sound in every other acoustic instrument I've tried, I think that'd be a safe bet. You really want to use a preamp or a good direct box with the K&K pickups, though... very high impedance output.

[stringbender]

It depends on the venue as well..if your in a noisy crowded bar its gonna be hard to hear yourself. I've found the Barcus Berry magnetic humbucker a good Dobro pickup for all around useage. But I think there hard to find now. Used a McIntrye w/preamp for years in a old time string band ..it was OK but again hard to hear in certain venues plus competing with other instruments and such..If your gonna play Blues Stuff use a magnetic and Mic the Cone.. that way you'll hear yourself with both signals and the crowd will to. It works for me.

[eddiewagner]

have you ever tried a "schatten design" pickup? that works great in my regal.