Pick up choices?

[mcmars]

Hello all, I have been lurking here for a while and am hoping you can steer me towards some good choices for 2 of my reso guitars.  I play mostly fingerstyle with lower "snappy" action and want to get a natural sound and be able to keep standard acoustic strings, normally either lights(12-54) or custom lights (11-52).  I play mostly standard, drop d and D/Dminor tunings, touch of G. 

I have a beautiful mid 30's regal model 19 (25?) that is like new and has an unearthly resonant tone with straight neck and great low action.  The original maple biscuit bridge recently split near the G string (buzzing issue), so I am needing a new biscuit and considering paying big bucks for a fishman spider series PU, but maybe I just learn or hire a luthier to replace the bridge and figure out another option for a pick up (?).  The cheap student model Regal has such a super sweet tone and vibe,  I really want to get it going again.  It also needs a good fret crown and polish as the original thin brass frets are like new and have a tall square profile that is kinda clunky and makes my fingers catch and stumble.

I am pretty handy and have tools for leveling frets and do most my own acoustic set-ups, but am lacking experience and the nut files probably needed to install and intonate a biscuit bridge.  I am betting there is a bit of "art" and I might need more experience to be able to take the tops off and mess with the cones and get the set up just right and not damage the cone or create some problems.  I am in western Colorado/eastern Utah area and not much experienced help nearby for reso work, maybe someone here knows a good referral?

2nd guitar, I just paid for in last hour and awaiting delivery, a blue 2011 National Collegian.  I was shopping for a wooden body resonator, but the price was too good to pass up on the Collegian.  Hope I can handle the harsher steel tone and do OK with the weight, so might hold off a bit before messing with pickup for it.  I am used to using a  beta 57 mic in addition to onboard pickups when I play and maybe the louder Collegian will be fine with just a mike.  I am just a local hometown gal who loves vintage blues, but I am OCD picky about having a clean sound.  I use a QSC sound system for live sound.

I have a stick-on Myers mike, but that always scares me that it will fall off in middle of a performance or create a feedback loop issue.  But maybe you have a suggestion better than gaffers tape (velcro??) for the Myers and I just go that route.

Thanks for any help to point my towards some links and or options.  Love this site!

Attachment Deleted

[jono1uk]

www.michaelmesser.co.uk/mm-pickups

[mcmars]

Any sound clips of the michael messer PU's? I noticed the Krivo PU, bit pricey, but 6 adjustable poles and easy swappable install.

[creolian]

As a stage performer I think you're on the right track using both a pick up and mic. ( did i understand that correctly?)

I have found reso guitars give a distinctly different sound from the cone vs the sound holes. They have some complex sounds going on that i find using just a pick up limits. The flexibility of being able "play the mic" and the way it changes both volume and tone is a subtle but really tasty thing I've seen some acoustic players doing. Any Shure 57,58 series mic has an interesting sweet spot due to its proximity effect and even slight position changes can have a big effect. The standard sm57 might be preferred in that it can be used as a hammer without degrading it's performance. I like the beta series but some say tomato and some say tomato...


I like fishman pick ups but I'm a bit wary of their sound modeling pre amps. Highlander gets good press. I have an ancient bill Lawrence that I use double stick tape with. It's not what I would call super hi fi but it gets loud before feedback. The only ones i Dont want to even try are the cheapie pizeos... Maybe it's me but I think they make my ears get a bad attitude. A cheap pickup or mic limits sound quality to its level regardless of what's in front or behind it. QSC is good stuff.

.It's all subjective, and what works well in one place might not in another. In some rooms the acoustics are so bad good sound requires a three drink minimum. I cringe when i see a performer having tech issues on stage, from an engineering standpoint I just try to avoid things like inaccessible batteries and other temptations in regards to Murphy's law.

Anyhowze, have fun, and have fun here at the Messer round. Lots of sonic opinion on how to Dobro. I suggest a search of the archives here for terms, krivo, highlander, fishman etc... I have read every last post here and stephan grossmans site and I'm still figuring it out.

Jeff

PS almost forgot. The guitar pictured as my avatar is my Beard Odyessy. It's got a fishman spider saddle pick up. It's response is heavy on the bass side but it sounds clear and gets fairly loud. It sounds good but really does not sound much like the instrument unamplified. it gives the guitar the ability to be heard without howling but is undeniably a trade off.

[Deleted]

Yes--I can't give any advice on pups but you're options must include an SM57. It's a time proven classic.

[leeophonic]

Natural sounding is a microphone,

attached pickups include, Krivo, NRP, Benedetti & Michaels Sixtus…

All are good, budget, taste & tone are the deciders.

Lee

PS I just re-read your original post and saw you are in the US, Krivo should be top of your list,

Lee

[mcmars]

Thanks everyone! I made my choice, I was planning to do a bit more research, but I made a great deal on a Krivo from their Facebook page. They sold me a new model prototype, the Neuvo Chrome, for a good price. It is a single coil PU and is pre balanced by Krivo and lacks the adjustment for the poles option. Figure I would give it a go for the price and I can swap it over to several reso guitars and my vintage archtop easily. If I change my mind later and want the humbucker PU, I bet it will sound great on my old archtop. I appreciate the great help and agree on using both a mike and a PU to get a richer tone that really reflects true sound and gives option of boosting volume and tone by varying distance from the mike. Sometimes gets tricky with feedback loops (I like monitors), so the mike is first thing to turn down or off. I have both 57 and beta 57, might do some A/B testing to see which I like better. Never know when you might need to hammer something during stage set up, haha.

[snakehips]

Hi there !

I suppose you are now sorted for a pickup but some new info I have may interest others here.

I emailed Jason Workman at NRP recently to advise me if Highlander were still operational (as their company is next door to NRP). Apparently they are still on the go but down to one or two people.

Whilst the whole Highlander pickup system may seem awfully expensive to many, there is a cheaper option.

You can supposedly buy from Highlander direct (although communication with them has been v poor in my own personal experience) or from NRP (excellent communications !) a reso biscuit with the Highlander pickup installed underneath (but without the preamp & battery box), for $60 plus shipping.
If you already have an external acoustic guitar preamp AND have the skills to cut the six saddle slots, then you can equip a reso guitar with a high quality pickup, cheaper than you would expect.
Perhaps useful to someone !

[Michael Messer]

Hello mcmars,

Welcome to our forum and thanks for your kind words.

I am pleased you have found a pickup that suits your needs. Krivo pickups have a great reputation and I am sure you will be happy with it.

Regarding you comments about microphones; I have used SM57s on stage for around 30 years. I have tried the 57 Beta, but I prefer the response of the plain old 57. It just works so well on resonator guitars. The Beta is better, but for the purpose of amplifying a resonator guitar I find 'better' is actually worse!

The whole thing about using a mic on stage with a resonator, or any type of guitar, is the correct EQ and input settings on the PA, and the positioning of the mic on the guitar. Most PAs are generally setup for gigs with the gain up too high and the graphic EQ with too much of everything. Keep the gain down, the reverb off or almost off, and set the EQ so instead of it looking like a big happy smile , it looks like a sad frown - in other words....roll the top and bottom off so they are below zero and do not have anything, even in the mid range, above zero. Keep the monitors at a level where they are working for you, but not too loud. Any type of speaker facing a mic at such close range will cause feedback. I set monitors so I can hear them, but never loud. Learn to control the position of the mic to adjust your tone and volume; on a resonator guitar there are three main 'tone' positions - over the F hole for more bass/warmth, over the resonator for more bite and power, and between the two for a nice warm rhythm sound. Tonewise, the closer you go to the F hole the more bass you will get and the closer you go to the resonator, the more treble you will get. I have used this technique for so long that I have complete control over my sound as if I were using a guitar with three pickups and tone controls. Sometimes when I am playing with a drum kit I use the Highlander and the mic, but I don't like it because both me and the sound engineers get confused about which one is doing what. If I do that I am very careful about volume - I have 30% pickup and 70% mic, any other mix of the two and I am lost.

I hope that is helpful information.

Shine On
Michael

[mcmars]

That is some advice worth it's weight in gold Michael. Just last week I had to plug up my ears at a concert as the sound man kept bumping the gain into high frequency clipping range creating a migraine inducing feedback loop, finally the performer had to tell him to turn things down. The really good sound guys amplify acoustic performances so that it does not sound "amplified", just sounds like acoustic, but just a bit louder so it fills the venue, but not biting loud. I have a yamaha mg12xu board that has the "pfl" button that allows me to preset the gain levels individually for peak levels just under clipping and has a low end roll button to roll off the bass. I am guessing you set the EQ to a frown to help reduce the high and low feedback that ruins the sound. I am guilty of running my monitor too high, I find I overplay if I cannot hear my guitar well and if I run the monitor higher then I can hear and play with dynamics more. I will go back to the old 57.

Thanks so much. I will have some questions on my new National Collegian and need to make a new saddle for my 30's regal, so will be around.