Student Level Dobro with Pickup

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 15 Jul 2017 9:14 am

Hey Folks,
I'm looking to get into playing some Dobro. Anyone have suggestions on a student level instrument that comes with a pickup? My budget is around $500.00 tops.
Thanks,
mj

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 15 Jul 2017 11:20 am

Gretsch Bobtail. Best deal around, Fishman Nashville.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 17 Jul 2017 12:25 am

Yes, the Bobtail works great. Milo Deering played on on last year's Don Henley tour....

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 17 Jul 2017 7:47 am

No other dobro comes close in value to this Gretsch, as far as one which includes a pickup. The Fishman Nashville is the state-of-the-art p'up in the dobro world, particularly when combined with the Fishman Aura Jerry Douglas pedal with its 16 microphone "images."

The Bobtail goes for typically $499 new. The version sans pickup is the Boxcar, which is usually priced at $359.

If one were to purchase the Nashville p'up on its own the going rate is around $210. And there is the hassle of installation - unless one does this sort of work on a fairly regular basis, it is best left to an experienced luthier to install it in one's guitar - more money out of pocket.

With the Gretsch Bobtail, you are essentially paying $140 for the pickup installed in the instrument, since the non-pickup version Boxcar goes for $359. That's $70 less than buying the pickup on its own as an aftermarket item!

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 17 Jul 2017 8:03 am

Thanks Everyone! I'm going to order one.

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 19 Jul 2017 6:37 pm

I'm having some confusion about string gauges as it pertains to a square neck dobro.
The gretch has a 25" scale and it come stock with D'AddarioÂ® EJ42 Phosphor Bronze, (.016-.056 Gauges). As we all know the standard tuning is GBDGBD.
When looking at my string gauge chart the low G string should be close to .045, but the stock set is .056 which is a huge difference.
The high D string is dead on to my chart at .016
I'm going to try out a bunch of different tunings as I can make custom sets easy enough since I work in a music store.

Anyone have some insight to this observation that will help me to understand the dobro string gauge formula?

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 19 Jul 2017 7:08 pm

Those are close to an "industry standard" string for squareneck resos tuned to "High G." You want to move a lot of air, and you need a lot of string! Breakage doesn't seem to be much of an issue.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 20 Jul 2017 5:58 am

Michael, your string gauge chart might be referring to a 6th string tuned to G on a typical "roundneck" flattop guitar. In that case, it could be dangerous to the "health" of the neck by keeping a .056w string tuned to G on a mostly permanent basis since the highest note a roundneck guitar with a heavy 6th string is usually E.

As Ken wrote, it is pretty much an industry standard for the 6th string on a dobro in Open G to be a .056w and there are some sets for G with a .059w 6th string.

There is no danger to the thick square neck with a 56, and it gives you the beef you need to "load" the cone and get the best tone and volume.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 20 Jul 2017 6:24 am

The downside to the Gretsch bobtail seems to be the thin double tailpiece rods. I'm aware of a few that have broken in two. I had one for a couple years and had no problems with it.

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 10 Dec 2017 7:44 am

Thanks everyone for the great suggestion to purchase the Gretsch Bobtail dobro! It's a great starter instrument. I ended up buying the Zoom AC-2 pre-amp direct box to go with it.
Here's a little video I made. The signal chain is: Dobro to Zoom AC-2 to Computer interface. No editing mixing or added effects other than what comes on the Zoom AC-2 which is Guitar Body Select, EQ and reverb. This is how it sounds direct to the board out of the ZOOM AC-2. I don't think it's all that bad for an economy set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iOqYe3ubu8

mj