--
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
-
- Posts: 47
- Joined: 11 Jan 2005 1:01 am
- Location: Minnesota, USA
-
- Posts: 2237
- Joined: 9 Apr 2001 12:01 am
- Location: Brussels, Belgium
- Erv Niehaus
- Posts: 26797
- Joined: 10 Aug 2001 12:01 am
- Location: Litchfield, MN, USA
- Mark Eaton
- Posts: 6047
- Joined: 15 Apr 2005 12:01 am
- Location: Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Be careful here. Some regular guitars, if tuned to high bass open G that most dobroists use, as opposed to the low bass open G that regular 6-string players use-have a tendency for the necks to blow up from the string tension. I think this applies mostly to cheaper guitars, but I sure wouldn't want to risk it on an acoustic that has some real value.
It's a "your mileage may vary" thing, since AJ seems to have no problem with the conversion.
I play a dobro with a Fishman pickup and combine it with a Shure instrument mike. The Fishman with the preamp gives you the volume to hang in with electric instruments, but on it's own I think the tone is too "thin," you don't get that deep rich tone like when you are playing the thing acoustic.
Schertler is coming out with a new mike system that some of the guys are raving about for the dobro. There's a thread on www.reso-nation.org
But this is for dobros, not converted acoustics-I'm just going off on a slight tangent here.
------------------
Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 06 October 2005 at 09:21 AM.]</p></FONT>
It's a "your mileage may vary" thing, since AJ seems to have no problem with the conversion.
I play a dobro with a Fishman pickup and combine it with a Shure instrument mike. The Fishman with the preamp gives you the volume to hang in with electric instruments, but on it's own I think the tone is too "thin," you don't get that deep rich tone like when you are playing the thing acoustic.
Schertler is coming out with a new mike system that some of the guys are raving about for the dobro. There's a thread on www.reso-nation.org
But this is for dobros, not converted acoustics-I'm just going off on a slight tangent here.
------------------
Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 06 October 2005 at 09:21 AM.]</p></FONT>
- Bryan Bradfield
- Posts: 728
- Joined: 29 Apr 2003 12:01 am
- Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
- Contact:
John -
From the description of what you want to do, a plain inexpensive Spanish guitar would be better than a resonator guitar (dobro). The most feed-back resistant pickup I've found for dobro is the Barcus-Berry type that sticks onto the top with double sided carpet tape. It does NOT furnish a dobro-like sound. It DOES sound like a lap steel, with tons of sustain. I understand it is a humbucker pickup inside the case. Therefore, you don't need a good sounding acoustic. Inexpensive acoustics ususally also withstand the increased string tension better than a "good" guitar.
I use the dobro with the Barcus-Berry pickup to compete in loud electric situations. Any acoustic pickup I've used in these situations just goes into feedback hell. In these situations, tone is irrelevant. You just want to be heard. Also, good electric tone is a moving target, isn't it?
From the description of what you want to do, a plain inexpensive Spanish guitar would be better than a resonator guitar (dobro). The most feed-back resistant pickup I've found for dobro is the Barcus-Berry type that sticks onto the top with double sided carpet tape. It does NOT furnish a dobro-like sound. It DOES sound like a lap steel, with tons of sustain. I understand it is a humbucker pickup inside the case. Therefore, you don't need a good sounding acoustic. Inexpensive acoustics ususally also withstand the increased string tension better than a "good" guitar.
I use the dobro with the Barcus-Berry pickup to compete in loud electric situations. Any acoustic pickup I've used in these situations just goes into feedback hell. In these situations, tone is irrelevant. You just want to be heard. Also, good electric tone is a moving target, isn't it?
-
- Posts: 189
- Joined: 20 Jan 2004 1:01 am
- Location: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
"I'm trying to figure out what I would gain from using a resonator guitar vs. an acoustic guitar w/ an adapter and pickup."
How about the fact that the resonator guitar would sound like a resonator guitar?
There's light-years of difference in sound between resonators and standard acoustic guitars. You either want a Dobro sound or you don't.
From there, it's picking the instrument and pickup system that fits your budget. On the lower-budget end, IMO Liberty in Florida makes the best stuff.
But an acoustic guitar player lap-style will sound like acoustic slide guitar, nothing more. No manner of EQ will get you close to a dobro tone. Believe me - I've spent 25 years on dobro and have tried or heard all sorts of attempts - all lame. If you want a resonator tone - buy a real one.
How about the fact that the resonator guitar would sound like a resonator guitar?
There's light-years of difference in sound between resonators and standard acoustic guitars. You either want a Dobro sound or you don't.
From there, it's picking the instrument and pickup system that fits your budget. On the lower-budget end, IMO Liberty in Florida makes the best stuff.
But an acoustic guitar player lap-style will sound like acoustic slide guitar, nothing more. No manner of EQ will get you close to a dobro tone. Believe me - I've spent 25 years on dobro and have tried or heard all sorts of attempts - all lame. If you want a resonator tone - buy a real one.
- Andy Sandoval
- Posts: 5176
- Joined: 22 Jul 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Bakersfield, California, USA
- Contact:
- David Doggett
- Posts: 8088
- Joined: 20 Aug 2002 12:01 am
- Location: Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
If you want a resonator sound, you have to use a resonator. If you just want a loud acoustic slide sound, an acoustic electric will work, and have less feedback problems than a reso. However, if you want to be really loud, with minimal feedback problems, use an electric guitar with a raised nut, or a lap steel (Melobar made some you can hang around your neck). The only problem with using the raised nut adaptors is that they have the close string spacing of roundneck guitars, not the wider spacing of squareneck resos and lap steels.
-
- Posts: 1053
- Joined: 27 Jul 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Columbia, MO, USA
I have a couple of Oahu student model guitars from the 30's -- the ones with the metal bridge that aren't loud but have a lot of sustain. I have been using those in D and lo-bass G lap tunings with various soundhole pickups. I'm happy with the results -- but they don't sound anything like a Dobro or National resonator guitar, FWIW. A "quiet" guitar may work better than a loud resonant one in this mode, from the standpoint of feedback supression. It's still a musically useful sound, and the soundhole pickups match up well with guitar stompboxes and amps. Best from the pile of pickups I've tried has been a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker.
-
- Posts: 189
- Joined: 20 Jan 2004 1:01 am
- Location: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
Theres no point in comparing apples to oranges, there just not the same thing. Its all a matter of taste and subject to change. I've played a dobro for 35 years, now I can't stand the sound of one. I sold my last dobro month ago to buy another weissenborn, maybe one day I'll change back. Who knows maybe you'll find your own sound.