Tom Bradshaw resonator pedal

Rick Anderson · Post by **Rick Anderson** » 16 Oct 2013 8:50 pm

One word.... awesome!! Works better then any I used. And priced right! Nice job Tom!,

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 18 Nov 2013 4:40 am

I have one on test at the moment, I'd like to hear other opinions regarding settings other than those already in the literature please..

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 18 Nov 2013 5:39 am

I am getting very good tone from mine.

I have tried it using my Carter U12 with a Truetone in it and Zum U12 with a George L 12-1.

The setting needs to be adjusted slightly different for each one.

Here is my setting for the Truetone.

Vol = 5 o'clock
Blend = 3 o'clock
Timbre = 1 o'clock
Tone = 10 o'clock

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 18 Nov 2013 8:17 am

i just love mine. I keep changing settings and finding new useful tones, love it with overdrive!

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 18 Nov 2013 10:20 am

I know that in the studio it can be impressive, what about live and changing from steel to reso sounds within a song ?

Michael Hummel · Post by **Michael Hummel** » 18 Nov 2013 11:33 am

I've never tried a "resonator" pedal. Our band plays a bunch of songs with Dobro in them, so it would a useful trick to have up the sleeve.

Honest opinions now: what percentage of people would be fooled into thinking they were hearing a Dobro? With proper "Dobroness" instilled in the playing technique, of course. How do these pedals work anyway? Is it a static delay line with frequency peaks and valleys, and some feedback/resonance to simulate the "Resophonic Cone"?

I think of this the same way I think when I fire up my Hammond and Leslie simulator on my keyboard setup. I can fool 90%+ of people that it is the real thing! (unscientific survey, of course)

Thanks,
Mike

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 18 Nov 2013 12:09 pm

I'm sure Mark can chime in here but...

It's not so much the sound being produced as the technique.

You're never going to get a Resonator Simulator that sounds like a mic'd Resonator. It just isn't going to happen. This pedal sounds close enough to me as an amplified Resonator using a transducer or something similar. And a lot easier to control the EQ and feedback.

I have a wooden Resonator and I don't play much bluegrass or folk that requires it anymore. It's just not worth it to me to haul another guitar to the gig that I use on only 2 MAYBE 3 songs.

And yes you can fool 90%+ with this pedal. The rare 10% that recognize it for what it is will probably appreciate what your doing with it if you do it well.

Oh Yea and I sometimes use my Knee that drops string 6 a full tone. Then using 7,6,5 I can get the "Dobro" droning with 7 and 6 in unison. With a little creative sliding on string 7 it's real close. Not to mention I can do this all up and down the neck. Not something you can do on a Resonator.

Chuck Thompson · Post by **Chuck Thompson** » 18 Nov 2013 1:09 pm

Im sure loving mine. I haven't got a chance to gig with it yet but Im impressed with the versatility and quality.

I have another stomp box bro pedal and imho Tom's pedal really out classes it and at a great price.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 18 Nov 2013 5:15 pm

There's already a thread about settings:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... =resonator

I think the Bradshaw Resonator compares very favorably to Paul Franklin's PedaBro sound. The 4 knobs give a really wide range of tones. Real Dobro? Not quite, but acceptably close so I don't have to lug a real Dobro to gigs, yay!

My current early settings:
volume 1 o'clock
blend 3 o'clock
timbre 11 o'clock
tone 2:30 o'clock

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 19 Nov 2013 6:27 pm

Great pedal! Tom had his ear to the ground on this item. I even play my Weissenborn through it.

Lenny

Billy Knowles · Post by **Billy Knowles** » 19 Nov 2013 6:59 pm

when in the bypass mode, is it completely out of the chain? I guess what I am asking is: does it effect the tone of the steel when in the bypass mode. If not I want one.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 19 Nov 2013 7:17 pm

One of the things about playing a "real" resonator in your lap is the acoustic sound beaming up at you- and the tactile feedback of the acoustic instrument, neither of which you're going to get from a simulator. Other than that, the ability to imitate an acoustic reso sound at any volume is really valuable, and I think this one gets convincingly close to the complex sounds of a miced reso.
The more you phrase like a resoist, the closer it sounds, of course.
I like the unison drop idea, Ollin. Gotta experiment with that more...
It's an instant switch from non-effected steel tone to reso and back, and it's true bypass with no effect on the bypassed tone that I can hear.
The variety of other sounds you can get besides just acoustic reso simulation makes this a great, fun pedal.

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 20 Nov 2013 3:05 am

Billy...

It's been awhile since I've been to see you. I'll try to find some time to drop in on you and bring the pedal for you to try.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 20 Nov 2013 7:01 am

Per Tom Bradshaw, it IS true bypass.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 20 Nov 2013 8:56 am

Even in TRUE BYPASS mode, the pedal will add measurable capacitance from input to output. There is always some capacitance between the ground and signal wires as there are routed from the input connectors, through the wire or PC board to and through the switch and then out to the output connector. This is easily measurable and perhaps should be included in the pedal's specs. Often this is on the order of 4- 10 pFs but sometimes it is more. Plus you will still have the added capacitance from the extra cord added to put the pedal in line. So there's never zero loss, only perhaps a better sound because the signal is not being actively buffered in the pedal.

Greg

David Pinkston · Post by **David Pinkston** » 29 Nov 2013 9:29 am

Love mine....

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 1 Dec 2013 1:51 pm

Does this pedal run on 9v power and sound OK and not get damaged? I know it's specced at 18v, and its power supply is that. But it is the only pedal on my board needing its own adaptor, just makes setting up a little more fiddly.

Thanks.

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 1 Dec 2013 6:59 pm

John: It will function using a 9-volt battery (and has a 9-volt battery clip inside the box), but you will not have the headroom with 9 volts. All are welcome to try it, but the unit's circuitry needed 14 volts to function at peak performance, thus an 18-volt power supply was provided. ...Tom

Brad Howerton · Post by **Brad Howerton** » 1 Dec 2013 7:14 pm

curious, this may be considered "blasphemous" haha... has anyone considered using some type of capo device for using for possibly even more "dobro-type" sound when playing out of G? I'm just thinking of all the hammer ons and pull-offs I use in a more traditional bluegrass setting.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 1 Dec 2013 7:20 pm

Jeff Newman used to use a pedal steel capo, as I recall just a round metal bar that fits snugs between fretboard and strings. Getting it accurate must be a trying task, though.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 2 Dec 2013 9:20 pm

it's really not about fooling anybody. shouldn't it just be that it sounds good and enhances the song the way you want it to?

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 3 Dec 2013 9:11 am

Tom, thanks for the power info. It's a great pedal!

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 3 Dec 2013 11:46 am

I have one of Tom's Resonators and it works great. The settings should be judged by your own ears, steel, items your signal is going through and the settings you are using on your amp. Every pickup is different as well as the amps themselves. So IMHO you have to trust your ears.

Scott Appleton · Post by **Scott Appleton** » 3 Dec 2013 11:53 am

I have one and it fools most people in the clubs into looking for the Dobro player. Ha .. I use it with all my steel's and it needs just a small adjustment depending on the instrument to achieve as close a dobro sound as can be simulated. This is a great addition to any steelers arsenal.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 3 Dec 2013 5:18 pm

Years ago I bought one of Bobbe Seymour's resonator effects units, but, try as I may, I never managed to make any of my steel guitars, pedal or non-pedal, sound like a resonator guitar, no matter what the settings, despite the fact that, on Bobbe's promotional video, it seems to work.

Maybe I should get one of Tom's units ....or just use my Dobro, which always sounds like a resonator guitar.

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