The Steel Guitar Forum

Dudes, it works and works really well. After reading my friend Marty Muse's review of his Fishman Aura setup, and looking ahead to the upcoming Michael Martin Murphey Christmas tour where I'll be playing reso primarily, I contacted Howard Parker and sent my maple Gold Tone to Beard for the install.

It arrived back here in TX on Friday and I immediately tried it out here in the music room, both with the Aura pedal and without, into a Fender Princeton Reverb. It sounds like a dobro both with and without the pedal, but the pedal adds a level of acoustic imaging that is quite definite and very noticeable; included in the pedal are 16 samples of reso guitar recorded with various high quality microphones from varying distances from the coverplate. No longer will a reso player need to find an old Goodrich MatchBro to add "dobrocity" to their amplified sound.

Howard allows as how the sound would be even better if the amplifier used is one voiced for acoustic instruments.

The pedal itself is simple to operate and features a volume control, a blend control to mix acoustic and sampled sounds, the different mic simulations, a phase control to limit any potential feedback (I didn't find a need for that yet) and a trim control to optimize pickup input level.

And the pickup is VERY feedback resistant, since it's part of the saddle assembly and not a stand alone transducer attached to the spider or the cone like the older Fishman pickups. I actually tried to make it feedback and only could once, by putting the coverplate directly against the amp! Of course, positioning like that would almost never occur in a live music situation.

I'm sending my mahogany Gold Tone to Beard this week for pickup installation as well.

This may be the best answer to the current problems of amplifying a reso guitar without feedback, loss of dobro tone, or the problematic placement and use of expensive microphones. I'm still experimenting with it, but only to find optimal sounds. I'm totally sold on the concept and execution of the system.

I understand that Jim Heffernan is raving about the system as well. This I can now understand.

Bro. Herb, how do you think that rig would sound with a"cheap" reso, like a Regal? I'm not REAL sure I want to alter my Guernsey, but it would be nice to be heard!
Thanks in advance!

Bro. Steve
Well, the pickup, installation, and pedal costs $500, which is more than what your Regal costs. And I don't hear any deleterious effect the new bridge inserts have done to the Gold Tone's acoustic characteristics. So I'd say, if you're planning on playing amplified in any situations, do it to the Guernsey.

However, the mod does require an 1/4" output jack of some sort, which my Gold Tones already have since they were equipped with Fishman transducers years ago.

My suggestion is call Howard Parker at Beard and discuss the matter with him. It could be that the improvement in the Regal would be enough to warrant doing a job on that guitar and leaving your high-$$ reso intact.

I got the New Fishman put in my Beard E model. I had a Luthier friend help me and it worked out ok . I had to purchase and adjustable spider from beard and it took some time to adjust and setup right.

When I called Beard for some ques they told me to be very careful and shared some Horror stories and Installs they had to redo and repair. Mine worked out in the end and Now there is a Luthier in NY who can do it if someone needs.

I am waiting on the Aura pedal .

The Tusq inserts do give a different tone acoustically . The have different overtones and clarity.They don't have as woody and mellow a tone as the Ebony top inserts .
I have heard some player complain the change in tone.

Plugged in the Piezo had a plasticy kind of tone . I use a Tonebone Tze Pre and was able to EQ out some that and get a much better sound .

I have used on a couple of gigs with success and can't wait to check out the aura pedal.

-Dave

I bought an Aura from Beard a couple months ago and have used it a few different ways-

1] in 'Transducer'effects loop of Fishman Pocket Blender which handles an old Lawrence acoustic pickup.I have a Beard/Fishman under-cone pickup going thru the 'mic' channel. It makes the Lawrence sound more dobro-ish and can be cranked through the PA to acceptable levels.Guitar used is a Wechter-Scheerhorn budget model with stereo output jack.Blending these 2 outputs has a very realistic dobro sound.

2] The same pickup setup going into a Baggs MixPro,the output of which goes into the Aura,into a couple effects and Boss tuner/mute then to a DI to the PA.

3] Right from the Lawrence pickup into the Aura to the PA

In each case I get a very good result from the Aura both in loud barroom country-rock bands and concert-hall folkie venues. I have not yet installed the Fishman bridge pickup for which it was designed. In all cases I do not use an 'acoustic' amp but put it into the monitor.
I would think any microphonic funky Teisco electric pickup run through the Aura would give a good dobro-like sound as well. Am going to put a second pickup like that on my Carter pedal steel to fake the Peda-bro licks.