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Topic: McKenna , Smokey, Lace Sensor, Shatten: it works |
Dirk B
From:
Harrisburg, MO, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2004 7:53 am |
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I play dobro weekly in an aoustic trio at a restaurant, "mariachi-stye," in which we walk around to tables. Last year I got this great 8-string dobro made by Gregg McKenna of Connecticut (see: http://www.mckennaguitars.com/ ). It is nice looking, LOUD as any 6-string dobro, and has good punchy tone.
Trouble is, it is still a dobro, and the cone points UP, and still wasn't loud enough to be heard over the table noise. I played so hard my arm started to go out (I even had to go into physical therapy, but that's for another thread).
After reading about it on the Forum last week (isn't this forum great?) I bought one of those Lace dobro sensors ( http://www.lacemusic.com/store/product.asp?id=40&catid=3 ) and it works really well! No need to mess with drilling holes, endpins, no placing of pickups on the spider, and no feedback either.
I then attached it to one of those little Smokey amps ( http://www.smokeyamps.com/index.html ) by way of a Schatten volume control (the amp has no volume knob; http://www.schattendesign.com/blackbox.htm ). I placed the whole setup in a cellphone case clipped to my belt.
Now my arm is saved! I played with the setup last weekend and I'm fine. The only problem is that the amp only has an overdrive channel and no tone control, so the sound is great for the blues and raunchy swing we do, but not so good for the mellow love songs. Still, it gives me just a little more power, if only turned up very low.
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2004 8:58 am
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Hi, Dirk:
At low volume how is the sound? Still distorted? Anyway to make it clean?
Craig. |
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Dirk B
From:
Harrisburg, MO, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2004 9:00 am
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| Unfortunately it is still distorted and on the treble side, so it isn't optimal, but like I say it provides a boost. I've written the company about making one with a clean sound; I don't know if that's an impossibility, given the nature of the beast. |
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Carter York
From:
Austin, TX [Windsor Park]
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Posted 20 Apr 2004 12:41 pm
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I've had a Smokey Amp (Parliaments) for about 5 years, and it is one of my favorite musical items. You can get a crazy array of sounds and faux-effects from a Smokey Amp for recording or live playing. Playing a lap steel through a smokey amp, and putting the output of the smokey amp to a 'full' amp, sounds great. As stated above, this is all under the 'overdriven' guitar amp heading. I love mine!
CY |
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