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Topic: A question for Banjo players........ |
Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 12:45 pm |
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I was wondering. Do any of you guys run your banjo through a pre amp, specifically an EQ pedal before your amp? I just installed a Shatten PU in my banjo and I was just curious.....
Robbie 
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Emmons LeGrande III Pedal Steel. '54 Gibson lap steel, Peavey Nashville 1000, Nashville 400, Telecaster,Banjo, Peavey Power slide Lap Steels ,Effects, and other assorted crap..... |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 4:15 pm
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| A preamp is best unless you are running it through an amp designed specifically for use with acoustic instruments, then it becomes redundant...FYI: Blocking the holes in the flange with foam rubber strips will help somewhat, but if you are playing with a loud band you still may not be able to turn the volume up high enough to be heard without causing feedback. I finally gave up trying to compete with the drummer and purchased a solid body electric banjo. |
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John Swain
From:
Winchester, Va
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 5:03 pm
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| I have a Ibanez banjo with a piezo pickup under the bridge with a twelve inch circle of foam rubber two inches thick jammed in it to kill feedback..I run it through a MXR six band-eq, rolling off the bass. I can run it into my pedal steel amp just backing off on the reverb and have a usable volume with a six piece band..JS |
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Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 5:12 pm
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Thanks guys...The foam rubber idea sounds like a good one......I'll give it try with an EQ...
Robbie
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Emmons LeGrande III Pedal Steel. '54 Gibson lap steel, Peavey Nashville 1000, Nashville 400, Telecaster,Banjo, Peavey Power slide Lap Steels ,Effects, and other assorted crap..... |
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Dennis Russell
From:
California, USA
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 5:13 pm
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I have a schatten pu in my recording king banjo and usually have no gain problems interfacing with various PAs and amps. I do throw a Baggs Para DI in the cable box, just in case I'm somewhere in which I need to notch out a feedback frequency.
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ETS S10, Fender Champion 6 string lap steel, Magnatone 6 string lap steel, Johnson Dobro, 1961 Fender Bassman, Fender Blues Jr., Fender Mustang III |
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Dave O'Brien
From:
Florida and New Jersey
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 5:14 pm banjo
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No! I use a magnetic DeArmond pickup.
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Dave O'Brien
Emmons D-10, CMI D-10, Fender Deluxe Reverb, PV 112, Fender Pro Reverb
www.myspace.com/daveobrienband |
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Karl Fehrenbach
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 31 Dec 2013 8:46 am
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| Rob, I play a Deering Crossfire Banjo for plugged in gigs and have no feedback concerns but I still need to EQ that banjo with a Boss GE-7 Equalizer. The EQ rounds out the sound a little. The Crossfire is not 100% banjo sounding like a miked banjo. The convenience factor on the bandstand and larger venues is worth the sacrifice . The GE-7 on the pedal board is very handy when I switch to steel for dobro simulation and just good old boost when you need it. I should probably be running two GE-7 stompboxes, one for the banjo as a pre amp and the other dedicated to the steel guitar. |
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Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 31 Dec 2013 8:51 am
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Thanks for the advice guys. I tried running it through a Danelectro Fish And Chips EQ the other day and there was quite difference in overall boost and tone.....I'll keep using it. See how holds up on a gig,...
Happy New Year to everyone...
Robbie
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Emmons LeGrande III Pedal Steel. '54 Gibson lap steel, Peavey Nashville 1000, Nashville 400, Telecaster,Banjo, Peavey Power slide Lap Steels ,Effects, and other assorted crap..... |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 31 Dec 2013 11:45 am
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In their Fender amp days, Sonny Osborne glued an iron "chip" to the underside of the head, and put a pickup mounted on the rod. It always sounded good to me.
No preamp, just a banjo, a ridiculous curly cable (in fairness, it WAS the early 70s) and a Twin.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 31 Dec 2013 1:01 pm
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| What Lane is describing is the 'Fishman' banjo pickup system. |
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Gary Meixner
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 9:03 am
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Rob,
In the past I found a good compressor to be helpful when using a pickup on a banjo. I would set it to slightly soften the initial string attack which can be overwhelming with a pickup. You might find adding a line buffer like a Freeloader or Black Box would help a lot. The bass player in the band I currently play with added a Black Box to his standup rig and it made a world of difference. It smoothed out the attack, warmed up the tone and balanced the frequency response giving his sound a much more musical quality to overall. Good luck.
Gary Meixner |
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Gary Lee Gimble
From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 9:16 am
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Robbie,
You didn't specify if your banjo is a solid body electric or acoustic built. If its acoustic and of a decent build, keep it as such. Acoustic. When its time for a banjo tune and if your band mates are of professional quality, your banjo will sell the song. I suppose there is new technology out there to amplify an acoustic banjo, but I ain't heard nuffin yet....
_________________
Assorted gear and a set of hands...
https://www.facebook.com/garythelee
https://www.youtube.com/user/ZumEmm |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 9:25 am
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Best idea I've heard for acoustic banjo is to put a piece of magnetic material under the bridge and mount a magnetic pickup underneath it. A tiny piece would do... say, inset into the bottom of the center leg.
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New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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gary pierce
From:
Rossville TN
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 10:23 am
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| We don't allow banjo players in our band, just kidding. The best system I've seen is like Bela Fleck's, which is a mic mounted to the top rod, and has an adjustment to allow it to be 1/4" below the head, and then some foam insulation for feedback. I don't know the brand, but you can probably check the banjo hangout forum. |
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Gary Lee Gimble
From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 2:28 pm
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| Gary Lee Gimble wrote: |
Robbie,
You didn't specify if your banjo is a solid body electric or acoustic built. If its acoustic and of a decent build, keep it as such. Acoustic. When its time for a banjo tune and if your band mates are of professional quality, your banjo will sell the song. I suppose there is new technology out there to amplify an acoustic banjo, but I ain't heard nuffin yet.... |
Gary, what's wrong with old school?
Sonny did what Stephen and I talked about.
I think it sounds banjeriffic!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3lvuSK8KjY
(I tried to find one from the same show with more banjo, Camp Springs, 1971, but I got the wrong search terms: this is all I find)
EDIT: I found Ruby, with Sonny showing off that low string. I miss that 6 string ("EVERYBODY has a banjo that goes 'ping.' MINE goes 'pong.')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhiOaSWuFjU&list=RDJ3lvuSK8KjY
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 2:44 pm
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I use a K&K twin head in both my banjos (5-string and tenor) and for a preamp, my favorite is the Tonebone PZ-Pre (for 2 instruments) or the PZ-Deluxe (for one instrument). The Twin head is a dual magnetic pickup, so no worries about feedback.
This is the setup used by The Punch Brothers. Need I say more? Actually, Thile and the guys also use a condenser mic ( Audio Technica ATM-35)and a Line 6 multi-effect. All 5 guys have the same set-up. I spoke with their tech after a gig and he said they tried everything and ended up with this setup.
Also, you could forego the preamp if you have a really good acoustic guitar amp, such as a Phil Jones Cub or an AER. |
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Gary Lee Gimble
From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 2:48 pm
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Lane, "old school" at best sounded nasty; the 'ole 5 just didn't have that crack, IMO. I don't ever recall seeing Emerson, Arnold, Eldrige, Crowe, Adock, W Hensley, C Johnson, Keith, Munde, Dillard, & Thomson incorporate what you suggest. But hey, if you like banjoeriffic, who am I to argue
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Assorted gear and a set of hands...
https://www.facebook.com/garythelee
https://www.youtube.com/user/ZumEmm |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 1 Jan 2014 3:17 pm
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Hell, nothing but an archtop REALLY has "crack."
(Admittedly, I LITERALLY cut my teeth on 'em, both Ralph and Eddie: Tom STILL has the records I chewed)
But I thought electric Sonny sounded like miked Sonny.
And I meant the old school electrification. I haven't heard a plugged-in that sounds better than Sonny got it 42 years ago. Maybe the secret is a Twin instead of a soundboard?
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 9 Jan 2014 2:11 pm
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Forget all of this stuff about preamps and foam and separate EQ's and get a Gold Tone electric. Cut the highs on your amp and turn up. I had one that looked like a tele.
Contact Janet Davis music.
Larry Behm
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Stereo Steel amp, Telonics 15” speaker.
Phone: 971-219-8533 |
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Chuck Blake
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 9 Jan 2014 3:02 pm
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Buy a Stelling Red Fox banjo, get behind a good condenser mic and pick it son......becareful not to peel the paint off the walls 
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2010 Rains 3x5 SD10, 2006 Rains 3x5 SD10 Powered by Quilter Tone Block 202 and 15' and 12' Custom Speaker cabs |
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Daniele Gilioli
From:
Italy
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Posted 14 Jan 2014 8:50 am
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Rob, I think the situation can be different between banjo types in principle. I started with a Fender Banjo + shadows SH930 bridge PU + DI and the PA. I had problem about the volume and background undesidered noise. SO that I insert in the line also a Volume pedal to adjust signal when required. SHR930 needs anyway DI to conect to our PA. At the moment I'm playing a RK-R80 Recording king amazing banjo. Really bluegrassy banjo with Fishmann rare earth (under the skin)and I've solved all the problem. Even if the band rise their volume I can rise banjo volume too w/o problem and the sound remain really close to the MIC. IMO. I still use volume pedal in the chain . My volume pedal can be set wit 2 volume so I can use low volume (pedal closed) during the back up time and higher volome (i choose it depending on the band volume) for solos.
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Daniele
www.hatsandspurs.it
Bluegrass and country music band
RED Williams PSG, Hilton PV, StroboFlip tuner, Bluegrass Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo, Dobro. |
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Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
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Posted 22 Jan 2014 12:34 pm
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I haven't tried the Schatten (although I've read great things about it), but for my Fishman pickup (pre-Rare Earth, so no built-in preamp), I use a stompbox preamp to get the level up. Actually, I use two -- the second one is to give me more gain for solos. More wires than I'd prefer, but this is a lot less expensive than using a Radial or Baggs preamp-with-boost.
I have a Whirlwind DI box for running straight to the PA board, although I have also run the banjo to my lap steel amp, and with drums, electric guitar and bass all cranked, it still sounds enough like a banjo to work. I wouldn't record with a pickup, but it sounds fine for stage use.
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Peter
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www.splinterville.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splinterville6278/videos |
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