Pick ups for Dobros

Robert Todd · Post by **Robert Todd** » 29 Jul 2001 6:26 am

I have two Dobors that I want to use during live performances. One is an all steel Hawiian low nut frettable round neck and the other is a classic square neck high nut wooden model.

What pick up/mic combos work well for each Dobro in a live performance and a as a second question recording situation.

Thanks in advance,

Robert P. Todd

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 29 Jul 2001 11:23 pm

McIntyre makes suitable piezo-disc transducers for both models.They are good but amplifying a resophonic is always a little more problematic (IMHO) than amplifying a flat top,for example.Go to No Peddlers and do a search;you`ll find lots of stuff on this "dilemma".

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 3 Aug 2001 12:44 pm

What is the difference between the old and new McIntyre transducers,sound-wise?
Also,is there a difference between the McIntyre transducer for a spider and the one for National-type cones?They have different output jacks,but other than that?
Thanks!

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland

Clay Maxam · Post by **Clay Maxam** » 3 Aug 2001 2:18 pm

Hi Robert,
Thought I'd add my 2 cents 'cuz I had the same kind of problem. i.e. I've got a Regal 45 Dobro that doesn't have any provision for a pickup. But......I got a suggestion from one of the folks here on the forum to get an Audio Techna Sax microphone. I did and it works just super. I just clip it on one of the holes in the resonator, plug it into my amp, adjust with a little reverb and it sounds terrific. Well, it'd sound a lot better if Rob Ickes was playin' it but for an old guy just learning I was impressed. There might be an additional advantage in this approach in as much as you could use it on both instruments. The drawback is that the little bugger isn't inexpensive. I think it was something like $250.00 but you might be able to find one much less expensive.
Good luck and best wishes.
Clay

Carl Dvorcek · Post by **Carl Dvorcek** » 8 Aug 2001 2:29 am

Check out Stewart-Macdonald Guitar Shop Supply (stewmac.com). They have McIntyre's for both spider bridge and biscuit bridge at $79.95. They also have a Highlander for biscuit bridge at $243.95.

Carl

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Aug 2001 7:15 am

I finally realized that life is too short to continue looking for a pick-up for my Regal that works.....so I just bought a Super-Bro. I hope it works or I'm out more than my dobro cost!

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 8 Aug 2001 7:33 pm

Olli,

I have a new McIntyre transducer pickup on my dobro and it sounds great and full. Mine is a spider mount. I did a very careful job installing it and it sounds noticeably better than the one in the demo instrument at Elderly Instruments here in Michigan. I would assume that McIntyre has recently improved these pickups. As to the new cone-mount McIntyre transducers, they are designed to be used with bisquit-bridge resos but I'm sure they would work fine on any type of reso. These are not contact-mic toys, they are powerful wide-response transducers.

A major tip here: if you play standing up (and I'm sure that you do) what you want to do is to keep your present endpin location and install some kind of straplock button there for safety's sake. So carefully "flush-mount" your end-pin jack in the endblock about 1 1/2" directly below your existing strap button. After you have carefully and prayerfully drilled a very clean 15/32" hole for the jack, you may need to use a countersink to inlet for flush-mounting the jack, depending on the model of end-pin jack furnished with the pickup (they are NOT all quite the same). This method makes for a very durable, sanitary, out-of-the-way, and practically invisible output jack installation. That's how Tim Scheerhorn does it.

Tim R.

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 10 Aug 2001 8:08 pm

No piezo ever worked for me, no matter what the make. Small club stuff seems to work best with a Lawrence resonator pickup in conjunction with a quality mini mic...I use a Crown GLM. You can use a bunch of pickup and just a touch of mic(great gain before feedback), and it'll sound accoustic.
Using a larger system, I use 2 mics...the Crown and an AudioTechnica...with good soundmen....you are there.
Piezo's will amplify every burp and fart that gets close to your guitar. If your technique isn't perfect(who's is?), if you even touch your cover plate.....it's out there for everyone to hear....not good.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Peterson on 10 August 2001 at 09:10 PM.]</p></FONT>

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 12 Aug 2001 9:07 am

I took my National Tricone, and my Sears Rip saw, and made room for a super distortion humbucker, boy will that thing rip the lid off it!

Aaron Balano · Post by **Aaron Balano** » 13 Aug 2001 8:50 am

My experience with amplifying a dobro is pretty good. I use a mcintyre p/u w/ an AT mic, but the key to all this stuff working is a good preamp. I use a Rane Ap-13. This unit has a 5 slider eq for both the p/u and the mic as well as seperate volume controlls. I can easily eliminate most feedback frequencies with the eq and by playing with the volumes, a good mix of mic and p/u can give you a nice sound. Throw in an inexpensive reverb unit and the sound is pretty good for an amplified acoustic instrument.
Aaron