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Topic: dobro pickup |
baxter vaughan
From:
Lubbock, Texas 79424
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Posted 7 Oct 2010 2:46 am |
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i am thinking about putting a pickup in my old fender dobro. don't know where to start. can someone give advise on the process and avenue to take? thanks very much
baxter |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 7 Oct 2010 4:17 am
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I bought a cheap Rogue dobro from MF and put in a dobro pickup [designed specifically for resonator instruments] from Stewart-MacDonald.
Look under PICKUPS.
They are tricky to put in, so I took it to a reputed luthier to have the work done.
Sounds real good, for a cheap dobro.
www.stewmac.com
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Walter Glockler
From:
Northern New Mexico
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Posted 8 Oct 2010 8:30 am
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| Fishman spider-style resophonic pickup. |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Oct 2010 9:05 am
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What is your goal for using a pickup? If you are looking for great sound and/or feedback resistance, the best choice is the Fishman Aura system. If you want to spend less, the next best is the Schertler BASIK.
Below that in price you could go with something like a Lace (magnetic) Dobro Pickup. |
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baxter vaughan
From:
Lubbock, Texas 79424
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Posted 12 Oct 2010 1:42 pm
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| fella's thanks for the advice. lynn, i guess i'm looking for great sound without the feedback. what, exactly, is the aura system? |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Michael Sparks
From:
Houston, Texas
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Posted 12 Oct 2010 3:24 pm
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I had a Fishman installed on my Taylor - I sure didn't want to mess with it myself - and the result was indescribably bad. There were three functional outputs: (a) you couldn't hear anything at all (b) you could faintly hear it if no one else was playing, or (c) ear splitting feedback. My foot just didn't have sufficient vernier sensitivity to straddle between (b) and (c). I took it to a different luthier and he made it a bit better (now it's describably bad and no longer rattles), but still of no use on stage at all. I mic it.
_________________
Regards, Mike "Web" Sparks
Emmons Resound 65 (any minute now...), 2017 Mullen G2, 2010 Emmons Le Grande II, 2003 Emmons Le Grande III, Emmons PP x 2, Telonics VP, Milkman 85W Pedal Steel Amp, Milkman Mini-40 |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 12 Oct 2010 3:58 pm
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Michael, are you referring to the under saddle piezo Fishman pickup? Or the Aura audio box?
Two different things here.
Which is it? 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Michael Sparks
From:
Houston, Texas
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Posted 12 Oct 2010 4:40 pm
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Chip,
This is the active pickup that attaches to the underside of the cone. Has a little preamp in the endpin and requires a 9 volt battery. I am not familiar with the Aura.
_________________
Regards, Mike "Web" Sparks
Emmons Resound 65 (any minute now...), 2017 Mullen G2, 2010 Emmons Le Grande II, 2003 Emmons Le Grande III, Emmons PP x 2, Telonics VP, Milkman 85W Pedal Steel Amp, Milkman Mini-40 |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Oct 2010 5:51 pm
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| The Aura system has two parts: an under saddle pickup and the Aura pedal that contains sound images taken with different microphones. |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 4:50 am
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Yeah,
Fishman does have that active pickup [battery] option for the dobro; but seeing how it was inside the dobro and having to remove the 10 or so screws from the top plate to change the battery - well, I opted out.
The AURA system that Lynn refers to is a great way to enhance the sound of a piezo pickup. Piezos, while great at picking up the sound of an acoustic, can be on the harsh side, as compared to the old-fashion mic in front of the guitar.
I understand that Fishman digitally reproduced the sounds and sonic responses of 16 top microphones that are commonly used in the pro recording studios; plus a couple of tweaker buttons added [I think a 'phase' is one].
It really is a great box, IMHO.
They make a few different models. If you play a drednaught guitar, then you have to use the Aura made for drednaughts. I'm not sure if they make one for resonators. They might, though.
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Michael Sparks
From:
Houston, Texas
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 6:35 am
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Chip,
On the battery change, I was leaning to the passive pick-up for the same reason you mentioned - who wants to disassemble everything to renew a battery? Then I found out that the active came with a small battery box; the luthier installed it at the lower right (looking at back of the dobro). It's a small flush mounted compartment with a hinged lid and the 9V sits inside. You just pop open the lid and swap the battery when needed. Putting that box in was the toughest challenge for the luthier. At least, that's what I thought at the time. Appreciate the comments on the Aura - I'll have to check that out.
_________________
Regards, Mike "Web" Sparks
Emmons Resound 65 (any minute now...), 2017 Mullen G2, 2010 Emmons Le Grande II, 2003 Emmons Le Grande III, Emmons PP x 2, Telonics VP, Milkman 85W Pedal Steel Amp, Milkman Mini-40 |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 7:17 am
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| Chip Fossa wrote: |
Yeah,
Fishman does have that active pickup [battery] option for the dobro; but seeing how it was inside the dobro and having to remove the 10 or so screws from the top plate to change the battery - well, I opted out.
The AURA system that Lynn refers to is a great way to enhance the sound of a piezo pickup. Piezos, while great at picking up the sound of an acoustic, can be on the harsh side, as compared to the old-fashion mic in front of the guitar.
I understand that Fishman digitally reproduced the sounds and sonic responses of 16 top microphones that are commonly used in the pro recording studios; plus a couple of tweaker buttons added [I think a 'phase' is one].
It really is a great box, IMHO.
They make a few different models. If you play a drednaught guitar, then you have to use the Aura made for drednaughts. I'm not sure if they make one for resonators. They might, though. |
The active pickup option is one of the two Fishman calls their "Classic" resonator pickups. With the new technology available I believe these should be avoided at all cost, and I'm surprised they even bother to still sell the things. Available in both a passive and active version, these are what are commonly known as the Fishman "donut" pickup which attaches to the underside of the cone.
I have the passive model, and by using a a good preamp going into an acoustic amp, I have gotten it to sound decent, but decent at best. Relatively speaking, the new Aura unit is the equivalent of a modern fighter jet, and the "donut" unit is more like a WWII fighter plane, or if you don't have a very good signal chain I'd say more like a WWI biplane.
The key to the Aura (or "Nashville" pickup) unit is the Jerry Douglas Signature Series Aura® Imaging Pedal with 16 microphone images, just like the dreadnought pedal.
I'm sure we have had no less than 10 threads on this thing since it came out.
Here is a link below to a video taken at the Beard Guitars facility in Maryland, and Mike Auldridge is getting his first look at the Aura system which is installed in one of his signature series Beard resonator guitars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P89yyeVWZ50
At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco a couple weekends ago, Jerry Douglas did his usual stellar job of kicking "dobrolic" butt, and as he has been doing for at least three years now, he ran the guitar through the Fishman Aura system with no instrument microphone to be found anywhere on stage.
All that said, unless this old Fender dobro has been upgraded with quality parts, like a new high end cone, etc., there is quite an investment in this whole Aura setup which in the case of the Fender, would likely exceed the value of the guitar itself.
_________________
Mark |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 12:44 pm
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Mark,
That's a great video of Mike Auldridge. That Aura sure makes him sound even better.
Here is a link to more on The Fishman Aura line:
www.fishmanaura.com
...Yeah, just like you said about the Fender...I just wanted to get some kind of pickup in the $150 dobro...if I went the full Aura route, it would probably run me 3 times as much as the dobro itself. Just couldn't see it. I only play dobro now and then.
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 9:24 pm
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Because of a physical limitation I've been using a pickup when playing live, and it happens that the BASIK that I have quit working recently. Not one to let an opportunity like that go by, I decided it was time to upgrade to the Aura.
I did some checking with my betters (a rather large population) and decided to have Kent Schoonover install the pickup on his modular spider and ship it to me. Since I have an existing installation, all that is required is to solder a couple of wires to the jack and put everything back together.
I'll report back in a few days. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 13 Oct 2010 9:29 pm
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Yeah, the Schoonover unit is the ticket alright, a fine piece of work.
_________________
Mark |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 14 Oct 2010 6:52 pm
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I'm about to get back to Kent myself, having him install the pickup in his spider and ship it out to me is a far better option than having to ship my reso all the way from NZ and back...!
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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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