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Topic: Pickup for squareneck resonator |
Nick Waugh
From:
United Kingdom
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Nick Waugh
From:
United Kingdom
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 2 Sep 2016 9:41 am |
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The current state of the art is the Fishman Nashville pickup used in conjunction with the Aura Jerry Douglas pedal with 16 mic "images." The problem is that it's expensive, the whole setup will cost more than you paid for your guitar.
The Schertler Basik system is the 2nd choice, but still expensive.
The Lace will work - it will amplify the guitar - but it will make it sound more like a lap steel and less like a dobro.
The on board mics work pretty well, but depending on who you are playing with say in a mixed acoustic/electric situation, there will be potential for feedback etc. Some folks like the Gold Tone ABS, others not so much.
The Myers system is an alternative to the Gold Tone to check out:
http://myerspickups.com/
There are plenty of threads about amplifying dobros here if you choose different ways to search, but you might also check out www.Resohangout.com, even more topics on the subject there. It's free to join.
Unless you are "married" to that Regal, and you need to stay on a tight budget, if it were me I would purchase a Gretsch with the Fishman Nashville pickup already installed which can be had - remarkably - for about $500 - only about $140 U.S. more than the same Gretsch guitar that is acoustic only. The remarkable part being that to purchase the Nashville pickup on its own, and it's yet to be installed - they go for about $210. The optimum sound is achieved with the Jerry Douglas Aura pedal which is over $300.
You could always sell the Regal and recover some of the costs.
Just trying to shed light on different ways to go about this. Here is a link to the Gretsch (unplugged acoustic version):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoJnPgsYq9c
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Mark |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2016 10:53 am
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I mic my resos. I put the mike at 1 o'clock, looking from my position. When I solo, I just lift up my knee, which brings the instrument closer to the mike.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Nick Waugh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 5 Sep 2016 9:13 am
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Hi Mark
I appreciate you taking the time to give such a detailed response. On the strenght of your advice, I have sold the Regal, and I have purchased a Gretsch Bobtail with built in Fishman Nashville. It arrives tomorrow. I will buy the Abs pedal later when I have saved some more cash. Things are much more expensive in the uk, e.g, the Gretsch has cost me 715 dollars! |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 Sep 2016 11:46 am
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Happy to be of help Nick. Yeah, I realize all this stuff is more expensive in the UK. But as I wrote above, it's a pretty amazing deal on this model Gretsch with the Nashville pickup included, even at UK prices.
About three and a half years ago Jerry Douglas posted on his forum that he walked into the the Fender Nashville office and there hanging on the wall was the same model Gretsch. From what I understand Fender does not own Gretsch, but they handle a lot of the sales and manufacturing for the company.
Jerry was curious about how "his" pickup would perform in this Gretsch guitar. He was after all the prime mover and shaker among pro players to get the whole project going between Fishman and Paul Beard for a modern dobro pickup that actually sounds good. James Pennebaker at Fender loaned him the guitar to take out on tour, and he used it on a couple songs per set. Still had the hang tag on it, perhaps he didn't want anyone to be confused since he normally plays expensive Beard guitars bearing his signature.
You might enjoy this. He plays it in the video below in the first two songs, there is some reverb and delay mixed in there. it's tuned to D. On the first song, Lead Belly's On a Monday, he is capo'd at 2 so he is essentially playing out of Open E.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEqPqbpL8t8
| Quote: |
| I mic my resos. I put the mike at 1 o'clock, looking from my position. When I solo, I just lift up my knee, which brings the instrument closer to the mike. |
Of course. And using a mic is surely how the majority of players still do it. The reasons for a dobro pickup are pretty much the same reasons why flattop acoustic players often use pickups. The mic just doesn't work for all situations. Douglas commented when the Nashville pickup came out that he likes having a big sound, particularly for large venues, and he enjoys being able to move around on stage and not be invisibly "tethered" to a microphone. I have the Nashville in my Clinesmith resonator along with the JD Aura pedal - it sounds really good.
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Mark |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2016 12:25 pm
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I think that Mark pretty much gave you the full story there. I just wanted to add that I have the ABS Mic system and I like it a lot, especially through a PA rather than an instrument amp. It is great for home recording. One thing, at least with the ways that I have tried it, is that it is NOT going to be LOUD.
About Gretsch: As I understand it, the Gretsch family owns the business. Fred the Fourth arranged for the family to buy the company back from the corporations in the 1990s. FMIC is the sole promoter and distributor for the Gretsch instruments. This arrangement was made ten or fifteen years ago. They offer fine quality instruments.
Enjoy your new guitar and musical discoveries!
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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