Tricone Pickups

Dwight Mark · Post by **Dwight Mark** » 27 Nov 2002 2:43 pm

Is anyone playing a tricone with a band? Just wondering if the Highlander is still the standard. On the biscuit style dobro, I use a pickup-the-world in stereo with one of those old Barcus Berry magnetics.
I've only heard one tricone with a highlander, and I really wasn't impressed.

Dwight

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 27 Nov 2002 3:25 pm

Dwight:
I use the Pickup the World #27 on the Tricone and it sounds great in my opinion. The cool thing is it requires no modification to the vintage axes. I just stick the pickup on the inside of the T-Bar bridge, run the wire under the tailpiece to hide it, and attach the jack to the strap pin with a cable clamp. I use PUTW's little outboard preamp, and then into the PA. I unplug one instrument and plug in another when changing off. I'm still working on a way to have quicker changes without having to buy tons more gear. David at PUTW is considering a switcher box with built in preamps that would allow x number of instruments to stay plugged in, that can be swithced off when not in use--an idea I came up with. While IMHO the Highlander sounds ok, the PUTW is much more natural, is less cumbersome, requires no mod to the axe, and cost a bunch less!
DD

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 27 Nov 2002 4:00 pm

I'll second Dana's PUTW recommend. I've put #27s on 4 tricones now and have only good to say about them. PUTW has also recently re-designed their stuff to have more output, better response and be less microphonic.

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 27 Nov 2002 7:05 pm

I always mike my tri-cone...AKG C1000S...but, I also always bring my own preamp...I have used a Shure SM57 and it was fine...never used a PU on that...but was actually thinking of trying my Dobro Lace sensor...probably would work fine w/ a bit of EQ...
Mike

Dwight Mark · Post by **Dwight Mark** » 28 Nov 2002 9:54 am

Great to hear, because I've had great luck with David there at PUTW. I've talked to David about the preamps and switching as well. However, I a lot of instrument switching going on and many of them stereo. Actually, I'd like to find or modify an A/B switch that can recieve two stereo ins and stereo out to my stereo preamp. Have you compared PUTW preamp with any others to provide your opinion?
I didn't have luck with the PUTW on my mandolin, and on the dobro, I really have to preamp the heck out of it. But for recording or for solo(without a band) - it makes the Weissenborn sound so great. I had a fellow Weissenborn friend over and we plugged it into my studio monitors - Alesis M1s - he was completely knocked out. In his words, "I would never leave the studio - it is the best sounding instrument I've heard".

Thanks for the input.

Dwight