Any pickup options yet for 8 string Dobro/resonator guitars?

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 21 Oct 2018 1:50 pm

Seems like we're stuck with the old donut pickup as the only choice for 8 stringers.

I'm looking for some kind of piezo pickup option and hoping to use it with this:

https://audiosprockets.com/

To create my own "Aura" image of sorts and get decent plugged in amplified tone.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 21 Oct 2018 2:27 pm

The short answer is unfortunately "no". Nothing along the lines of the Fishman "Nashville" is available for the 8.

h

Peter Harris · Post by **Peter Harris** » 23 Oct 2018 2:37 am

Hi Greg,

You might want to have a look at this post on the Vguitarforums...

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index ... ic=21621.0

Cycfi have also been marketing individual pickups (per string) and more about their ranges of products can be gleaned from the appropriate sub-forum.

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=246.0

Cheers,
Peter

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 23 Oct 2018 9:12 am

Thanks Peter, I checked that out but I didn't see any dimensions for the height of the pickup. It would need to be pretty short to be used with a resonator guitar between the body and the strings up by the neck.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 23 Oct 2018 9:59 am

Thatâ€™s really not the kind of pickup we are talking, l think. Modula is an electric pickup. I use an old Melobar pickup (because it is microphonic) blended with an old school Fishman â€œmini-bagelâ€ under the cone. It is pretty good but not as good as the Nashville. The market isnâ€™t big enough for them to make 8 string bridge pickups,unfortunately. Iâ€™ve heard that right from the horseâ€™s mouth, no disrespect intended to Beard or Fishman. Theyâ€™ve done wonderful work.

Ron Simpson · Post by **Ron Simpson** » 23 Oct 2018 10:44 am

I installed a small piezo pickup inside an ukulele under the bridge with the output jack mounted in the back out of the way. All volume and tone adjustments are handled by the amplifier. My only concern with metal guitar strings might be feedback from the metal strings.

Good luck.

Ron

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 23 Oct 2018 10:58 am

The thing about dobro resonators is if you put the pick up directly on the bridge is very very hard not to pick up the sounds of the bar on the strings. A lot of scraping and squeaking sounds. I donâ€™t know how Fishman and Beard figured out how to keep that from happening but thatâ€™s the main feature of their Nashville pick up, especially when you run it through the Aura system for imaging. Itâ€™s really really close to a microphone sound and yet can be cranked up quite a bit before feedback. Just donâ€™t stand next to the bass player. Ha ha.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 23 Oct 2018 11:32 am

Paul Beard installed an 8 string nashville pick up in my 8 string MA. He basically put two 6 string pickups together.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 23 Oct 2018 12:30 pm

Bill McCloskey wrote:Paul Beard installed an 8 string nashville pick up in my 8 string MA. He basically put two 6 string pickups together.

Yep..A slice & dice job. Paul's told me he doesn't want to do another like that. Way too painful and costly. Required butchering 2 pickups very...very carefully.

h

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 23 Oct 2018 2:31 pm

If I could see how it was done it might be worth the price of 2 pickups since the alternative is to not use an 8 string! (if you play on a loud stage with a band that is.)

Nothing can touch my Nashville + Aura combo for ease of use and sound quality... just really looking for viable 8 string options though. A magnetic pickup might be the only current option - but at that point I might as well just put a strap on one of the lap steels and embrace the electric tone instead.

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 23 Oct 2018 2:33 pm

I've still got a McIntyre pickup on one of my dobros (mounted on the cone) and it is a respectable tone coming out of the Aura box.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 23 Oct 2018 3:13 pm

I have the prototype install. I'll try to upload a pic tomorrow.

h

edit - I found it. Note that Paul had to use this config because a single element was not sturdy enough to support a single string so that meant that the pickup elements were "sliced" to accommodate pairs. Two pairs on either side of the tension screw.

Hope this helps.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 23 Oct 2018 3:25 pm

The system I used which is an electric pick up plus a transducer somewhere on the spider bridge or underneath the cone was something that I used for many years on six string. I got the idea from Jerry Douglas who used a Lawrence sound hole pick up and small microphone. I got a really natural sound out of it by blending and EQ on each channel. The old Fishman blenders work really great for that, in fact I still have two of them. Mike Auldridge and Chet Atkins both told me they really liked the sound. Iâ€™m not name dropping. Really, ha ha. Iâ€™m just saying that those guys had really good ears and they liked the sound.

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 25 Oct 2018 4:02 am

Howard, thanks for posting that. Good to finally see how that was done even if it is not a recommended or available standard procedure. Where thereâ€™s a will thereâ€™s a way!

One question I still have though is the string spacing. Those Nashville pick ups are pre-slotted. Was the normal 6 string spacing maintained on that install or was that narrowed up?

Iâ€™m thinking that short of copying this type of install I may opt to get an 8 string square neck acoustic (Adams) or a Weissenborn style guitar. (Lazy river) Both of those will have a standard acoustic guitar bridge where a normal (albiet a bit longer) piezo can be installed.

Veit Doehler · Post by **Veit Doehler** » 25 Oct 2018 5:14 am

Coincidentally I have the same, an Adams 8-string and a Lazy River Weissenborn.
In the Adams a have a Schertler Basik Reso pickup, which is a contact Microphone. I'm pretty satisfied with that.
The Lazy River has a fret instead of the bridge inlay. Don't know why he did that. So I could not use an under bridge piezo and therefore installed a magnetic soundhole pickup. Sounds ok on the Weissenborn.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 25 Oct 2018 5:36 am

Greg Gefell wrote: One question I still have though is the string spacing. Those Nashville pick ups are pre-slotted. Was the normal 6 string spacing maintained on that install or was that narrowed up?

The pickups do not come preslotted, as far as I know.The Beard site specifically says "unslotted".

h

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 25 Oct 2018 5:39 am

Interesting on the Lazy River using fret wire. I'll have to ask Rance about that as we've been emailing back and forth about a build. He mentioned installing a piezo so it must not be an issue.

Do you have an Adams 8 string Reso or one of his square neck acoustics as shown below? I believe the square neck is just a standard acoustic guitar saddle so any long under saddle element should work there no problem.

Edit: oops - just reread your post and you mentioned reso pickup.

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 25 Oct 2018 5:45 am

Just saw your reply Howard. I don't remember slotting mine when I installed it but I'm glad they are not. If I go down that road I'll have to tighten up the string spacing to fit within the palm rest or buy a new cover plate with a removable palm rest.