Dobro amplification ?

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

I tried out a Sennheizer lapel mike clipped to the Reso cover and a wireless pack on the weekend which seemed to be a better solution than a mike on a stand - at least I didn't have to keep checking for mike placement while I was playing.
I still experienced issues with feedback when trying to play a little louder.
So the question is, while this was a reasonable solution, is the Fishman pickup/Jerry Douglas Aura preamp the way to go ??? I'm sure I'm probably answering my own question but would like to hear the views of anyone using the Fishman setup.
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Guy Cundell · From: More idle ramblings from South Australia

I have the Aura and the Fishman bridge pickup. The pickup is great, a major step up from earlier types. The pedal I can take or leave. Mostly I run the pickup straight into a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ. I'm really happy with that.

Robbie Daniels · From: Casper, Wyoming, USA

I use a dobro style reso with built in amplification ala Piezo style or however it is spelled. I can go direct into PA or use my acoustic amp with xlr output to pa. No feedbacks, etc.
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Val Drummond · From: Maryland

I recently purchased a Lace, Dobro Sensor pickup for my Clinesmith. I like it. Its simple and has a good sound. I placed mine on the end of the fret board. Comes with double sided tape to attach, and has a loop, near the ¼ plug, that is placed around the strap button.

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Thanks Guy - I appreciate your observations, and to everyone else thanks --- anyone else had a chance to evaluate the Fishman/Aura system ???

Guy - I assume you used the #14 Spider from Beard ??
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Mark Eaton · Posted 3 Aug 2010 4:43 pm

The Fishman pickup is a big improvement over most anything out there, pretty much all of the older pickups were flat mediocre in the past, but I don't know about "taking or leaving" the JD Aura pedal - I think there is a major difference between using the new pickup on its own and utilizing it with the pedal - it's designed to work as a system. Here is Jimmy Heffernan trying out his Beard MAS after Paul installed the Aura setup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O15iC4-_yGs

And here is the great Mike Auldridge going through the same process with his namesake guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P89yyeVWZ50&feature=related

As you can hear in the videos you still get some of that piezo "quack" if you don't use the pedal.

The Schertler Basik is a good pickup as well, but the majority of players who pay for the roof over their head these days by playing a dobro, and have chosen to "plug in" instead of strictly playing into a microphone seem to be going with the Fishman Aura system.
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Guy Cundell · From: More idle ramblings from South Australia

Great videos, Mark. Great seeing Mike Auldridge playing anytime! Awesome! Jimmy is no slouch either.

Paddy, the bridge I referred to is the Fishman Spider bridge (no model number), part of the Aura system. Around $160US from Elderly.

A couple of observations. On the videos the piezto ping was fairly pronounced with the pickup alone. I don't experience that with the Fishman pickup going into a preamp then to the PA. Mind you, the cost of the preamp is probably a bit more than the cost of the Aura pedal. I did have some feedback problems with the Aura in a loud band in a small room.

Another thing is that 16 settings would seem a great thing but finding the right one in a hurry can be problem. In the end I found it easier to settle for a regular sound that I could tweak.

No question that the pedal sounds glorious and I'll probably start using it in a quieter group I'm working with.

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

There's no question that the Fishman Nashville Series pickup/Aura system is the best plug-in option available right now. I speak from experience: I've got one installed in a dedicated plug-in guitar and it sounds wonderful, especially through a good P.A. system

Since no one has mentioned it, one other option worth considering is a mini-mic with a gooseneck. I recently spent an afternoon playing around with a mini-mic from Danish Pro Audio (4099G) at a friends house and I was blown away both by the sound quality and resistance to feedback. These mics are expensive - around $600 - but the sound is truly amazing. If money were no object outfitting a guitar with the Fishman Aura rig and the 4099G would be the rocking system - IMO

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/products.aspx?c=item&category=118&item=24343

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Recently, I had a gig in a room I figured would be pretty noisy. Wanted to mic my dobro since that always gives a better sound than the pickup. I put a 1/4" adaptor on the mic cable, plugged into a ParaAcoustic DI and notched out the freq that was trying to feedback. Worked beautifully and kept a pretty natural mic'd sound.
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Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Thanks for great advise, and great clips there Mark - thats what I'm after.

Next question, I have a Goldtone Beard PBS -- I presume I will need to get the #14 Spider as well as the pickup ?? or does this PU slot into the existing Spider ??
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Michael Maddex · From: Northern New Mexico, USA

Paddy, I posted this about a year and a half ago. In case you missed it then, and in light of your Sennheizer lapel mike experiment, here it is again. I hope that you might find it interesting or useful.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=150983&highlight=

Enjoy.
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Mark Eaton · Posted 4 Aug 2010 2:52 pm

Paddy, right now on the Forum Rob Anderlik, whom posted earlier on this thread, has a Wechter/Scheerhorn Rob Ickes model set up for the Aura by luthier Kent Schoonover of Oklahoma. If I weren't already saving for a new acoustic/electric six string guitar, I would have bought it by now!

One of the top pro players, Michael Witcher, has this setup in his koa Clinesmith, and he is very happy with it. At some point I will probably get my Clinesmith set up with it. I know of several pickers that have Kent's spider/Aura setup in their guitars, and they are all very pleased with the results. It is really slick, a fine piece of workmanship. You don't have to send your guitar to him which is nice for you, being half way across the world. Check it out here:

http://www.schoonoverresophonicguitars.com/schoonover_modular_spider.htm
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Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Michael - thanks for that, very clever ...actually with the Sennheizer I just clipped it to the Reso cover and it seemed to work pretty good.

Mark, thanks for that link, I might have to have a chat to them and see if they have one that will fit my PBS - I do want to avoid sending the guitar anywhere if at all possible.

Thanks guys for your help and input, much appreciated
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Pit Lenz · From: Cologne, Germany

Paddy,
here's another clear vote for the Fishman/Aura combination.
I ordered the #14 spider with it, it has screw adjustment to install the pickup in it.
Proper installation is crucial with the pickup, as it has to sit really tight in the groove in order to produce a well balanced output.
Had a Reso experienced luthier do the install and it was well worth the little extra expense.
Aura's blend is always full on, as the pickup's dry signal does sound quaky to me.
I run the Aura through a tuner to a LR Baggs para DI so I can easily notch out feedback frequencies or fight boominess real quick before the monitor mixer found the time to locate the problem. Works great for me!
You can hear this combination on our myspace site in "Three Bottles Left" (last verse and chorus)...see link below

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Thanks Pit much appreciated.
I have been in touch with Kent Schoonover and I think his solution might do the job, he can install the pickup into his spider for me which will be awesome!
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Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

Paddy, did you get your Fishman saddlemount p/u's in? Curious to know how it works for you.

I'm poking around trying to decide how to best amplify my resonator. It sounds as though the Fishman/Aura pedal combo is one of the best things out there, although some have complained of levels of feedback no better than other pickups.

That DPA mic looks like a good solution, and doesn't require permanently attaching, drilling or fastening anything to your guitar.

Does anyone know if the #14 spider with the set screws is required or can the Fishman NV saddle mount pickups go into the existing Beard spider where the bridge is now? My reso is a PBS too.

Mark Eaton · Posted 1 Sep 2010 9:16 pm

Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

Thanks Mark. I missed your link when I first read this thread. Embarassed

I went and talked to the technician (luthier?) at our local acoustic instrument shop here in Seattle and he didn't really seem to know anything about this newer style bridge P/U. If I can order a new spider with P/U mounted I can certainly change out the spider and drill a hole in the bout to facilitate mounting the jack, I think.

Fishman certainly doesn't make it clear in their literature about the p/u that a special spider is required to mount it in.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

It's not "required". Just "highly recommended" by those that have been down this road before. I don't think Fishman provides any installation instructions at all.
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Steve Branscom · From: Pacific NW

Brian,
I don't know anyone in Seattle that does set up work on dobros. If there is, they're not real well known. I would highly encourage you to talk to Todd Clinesmith in Glide OR. He has installed these things and you really don't want someone doing this that hasn't done it before. As Mark said it can get expensive very quickly if you have to start replacing parts that were damaged in the install. There's an email address on his website. http://www.clinesmithinstruments.com/
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Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I tried to install the JD Fishman bridge PU in my old spider bridge and messed up the PU. It is hard in the regular spider, due to the taper of the slots. I had to get a new PU and then went with the new spider bridge - much better! That was an expensive lesson. I sent it to Bobby Wright to have it done correctly the 2nd time.

You could probably have either Bobby, Beard or Mr. Clinesmith install the PU into the spider and then mail that assembly to you and you can finish the install into your guitar. Saves on shipping and labor cost. But only if you are handy with the connections and you know your way around a reso and can install the spider and adjust the tension screw, etc etc. Good luck.
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Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

Hey gang,

This is certainly a timely topic as I had my first gig with my new band this past Saturday. I played my Beard Vintage R with a K & K Western pick up - the knuckleheads at SF Guitarworks installed it after they broke my Schertler - through a Fender Champ. I had plenty of volume for the show, though our bass player was all but inaudible and we have no drummer. I did teeter on the verge of feedback a few times and am now considering the purchase of an "acoustic" amplifier. I'm leaning toward the Fishman Loudbox 100 but would love to hear some "feedback" on other amps.

Thanks,

Ian

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Ian, rather than hijacking this topic, please start a new topic on acoustic amplifiers for resonator guitars. The Electronics section of the forum has many discussions on this same topic; a bit of searching might save you some effort.

What's your new band called? I'm always interested in steel guitar around San Francisco.
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Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

Very good info all. I'm king of the DIYers and you've all just saved me money, time and grief as I would have done just like Tom.

Steve, I figured someone at Dusty Strings knew about these things but I'm learning not so much.

Wondering how Paddy's Schoonover spider/pu assembly is working?

Steve Branscom · From: Pacific NW

Brian,
I love Dusty Strings. I've bought a couple of guitars there and taken lessons there. The folks are great but I would NOT take my dobro there for either set up work or Fishman Aura installation. Orville Johnson sent his dobro to Beard in MD and they did the install for him. That spoke volumes to me. Beard used to have a buy and install program but I don't know if they are offering it still. Todd will also do a good job if he's not up to his eyeballs in lap steels.
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