amp for dobro

[David Cook]

I have d dobro with a KRIVO pickup.
I think it is a magnetic pickup
Any suggestions for an amp to use on stage?

Thanks

[Howard Parker]

I'm a fan (and user) of the Fishman "Loudbox" family of acoustic amps.

I have no personal experience with your pickup of choice. I am using a Fishman Nashville pickup/Aura based system.

YMMV

Cheers

hp

[Larry Hobson]

Ditto to what Howard wrote.

[Paddy Long]

As Howard says - Fishman Loudbox -- I have the 100W version and it does the job admirably !

[Mark Eaton]

You can’t go wrong with a Fishman.

I have a no longer made Carvin acoustic amp which is very good.

And there are more acoustic amps out there than ever before. Check out the link below, a good review article. Keep scrolling down when you get there, individual reviews of each amp in the article plus demo videos to give one an idea of the features.

The Krivo is indeed a magnetic pickup. Very good quality. But without tweaking it still sounds slightly lap steelish to me on its own when used with a dobro. The good thing is that the typical audience member won’t know the difference.

I know a few guys have sunk additional dough into their Krivo equipped dobro with preamp “sound shaping” units from Audio Sprockets and Grace before going into an amp or to a soundboard.

https://www.guitarlobby.com/best-acoustic-guitar-amps/

[Josh Yenne]

Fishman are pretty much the standard. But if you have the money to get an Aer, it will change your world.

[Marty Broussard]

[Steve Lipsey]

And you can try running the Krivo through an Aura....I do that sometimes with my Tricone/Krivo...pretty much anything run through an Aura sounds like a dobro...
And the point of the Fishman is to emulate the clean sound of a PA and not add "character" to the tone, which is what a guitar amp will do....so any "acoustic" amp should work fine. (I also use a Fishman, I mean, why not?).
A range of power ratings on the Fishman line, and they also differ in how much other stuff they have as you go up in price...effects, EQ, etc., so also look at all the knobs and see how much you need...

[Josh Yenne]

Again, if you want to go “big”. AER.

They are going to run you a good 30% more than a Fishman at least. But it’s a whole different level of quality. And I personally think the Fishman are very good for the price. Absolutely the industry standard. I’ve tried a lot of the other high end amplifiers as well. Shertler . Henriksen, etc.. the Aer, especially the one with the bigger speaker is a completely different level of quality in my opinion

[Steve Lipsey]

Always a decision about how much to spend…I’ve realized that my audience, at least, won’t hear the difference…so I spend a lot for the dobro, that I hear, and go middle-of-the-road for audience sound….YMMV!
Bought my Fishman used, at a great discount…

[Josh Yenne]

Yea usually I agree but the difference between the AER and Fishman is literally noticeable by layman in the audience... my friend and student just got the same one and literally said the first time he took it out to an open mic everyone was coming up and saying "wow" Fishman are super solid though....

and I actually think exactly the opposite I disagree that the actual instrument has nearly anything to do with the amplified sound.... a cheap Chinese Dobro with a good pickup plugged into an AER will sound better than a high end dobro plugged into a crappy amp....

With acoustic sound (and I want it to be inspiring for ME more than even anyone in the audience) it's all about the pickup and the preamp and the amp.... a $500 Taylor and the $4,000 Taylor sound basically exactly the same plugged in.... (I've worked at music stores for over 20 years and have literally played nearly every pickup, guitar, amp combination during that time so it is my opinion but its the opposite of an uninformed one)



But yup.. each to their own... but when amplifying an acoustic instrument by FAR the most important part is the amplifier/pre amplifier.. WAY more than the actual instrument.

[Tim Harr]

I use a powered monitor. Also, I go wireless, in case I need to move to avoid the occasional feedback.

[Josh Yenne]

ps... I've said many times that I think that amplifying the dobro and getting a good inspiring sound is the hardest of ANY instrument....

good luck!

[Andy Zahnd]

I had almost every amp for a Dobro that exist!Schertler was a great thing, Fishman, ZT Acoustic as well, but I think to me, at this moment... I use a Hughes+ Kettner Acoustic Amp, is has a way to much power and it does a wonderful job... better then anything I had befor

I am using a Fishman Nashville pickup/Aura based system. But all is personel and one day... this is great, the other it sucks!

[Tom Wolverton]

Sometimes I need to have a battery powered rig. I have had excellent results running my Fishman/Aura into a Bose S1 Pro.