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Post by lavinci on Dec 3, 2014 11:42:54 GMT
Pat, I wonder if the fact of going through a pre-amp and working on the eq or through an acoustic amp rather than straight into the PA makes a big difference, it does for me with the Highlander. This one's not bad, sounds warmish and not too piezo brittle. I think I could live with that sound when mic-ing the guitar isn't possible : Thanks ! Gordon Gordon, I think this is a good point... While I have yet to buy a pickup for my Duolian, I have some experience with piezo pickups.... The trick or tip I learned was using a tube preamp with my trussart steelphonic....the tube preamp takes all the brittleness out and adds just the right amount of warmth to the Steelphonic, which I run through a Big Trees pedal from Audio Kitchen. ...
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Post by bloozeman on Jul 13, 2021 19:19:10 GMT
Anybody ever try the myers "grip" attachable pickup for their resonators?
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 13, 2021 19:44:20 GMT
The Myers works fine and it does allow you to move around, but for me not as good as a Shure SM57 on a stand. Rob Ickes, Dobro player, used to use a condenser mic on a gooseneck attached to his Dobro. I am not sure what it was, but it was successful. That was around 25 years ago.
Shine On Michael
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Post by johnhuff on Jun 18, 2022 12:16:45 GMT
The Myers works fine and it does allow you to move around, but for me not as good as a Shure SM57 on a stand. Rob Ickes, Dobro player, used to use a condenser mic on a gooseneck attached to his Dobro. I am not sure what it was, but it was successful. That was around 25 years ago. Shine On Michael
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Post by bpmajors on Jul 21, 2022 23:17:28 GMT
Hi everyone, There have been many discussions on this forum about amplifying resonator guitars and most regular visitors know my views on this subject. Just to clarify that; I use a Shure SM57 to amplify all my resonator guitars, both National-style and Dobro-style. I also occasionally plug my resonator guitars into the PA system, and when I do that I use Highlander pickups in my National-style guitars (single cone and Tricone) and an original first generation McIntire in my Dobro-style guitars. I am currently in discussion with Dave Burrluck, the reviews editor of Guitarist magazine, about this subject and I would be very interested to know what people use to amplify their resonator guitars and how successful they think the system is? Over the years I have tried numerous systems of homemade and custom built pickups and apart from the mics and pickups I have mentioned above, I have found the only other successful route is to use a magnetic pickup of some kind. Dave Burrluck is currently testing the Flatbucker, which is handmade by my good friend Hermann Attenberger in Germany. I would be very interested to hear peoples' thoughts and experiences on this subject. Thank you, Shine On, Michael.
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Post by bpmajors on Jul 21, 2022 23:18:48 GMT
Hi everyone, There have been many discussions on this forum about amplifying resonator guitars and most regular visitors know my views on this subject. Just to clarify that; I use a Shure SM57 to amplify all my resonator guitars, both National-style and Dobro-style. I also occasionally plug my resonator guitars into the PA system, and when I do that I use Highlander pickups in my National-style guitars (single cone and Tricone) and an original first generation McIntire in my Dobro-style guitars. I am currently in discussion with Dave Burrluck, the reviews editor of Guitarist magazine, about this subject and I would be very interested to know what people use to amplify their resonator guitars and how successful they think the system is? Over the years I have tried numerous systems of homemade and custom built pickups and apart from the mics and pickups I have mentioned above, I have found the only other successful route is to use a magnetic pickup of some kind. Dave Burrluck is currently testing the Flatbucker, which is handmade by my good friend Hermann Attenberger in Germany. I would be very interested to hear peoples' thoughts and experiences on this subject. Thank you, Shine On, Michael.
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Post by bpmajors on Jul 21, 2022 23:23:03 GMT
Thanks Michael. (Beautifully explained, by the way - clear and succinct, yet chock-full of riches!)
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Post by snakehips on Jul 22, 2022 6:50:04 GMT
Hi there !
I just fitted my new replacement (for a Highlander pickup) pre-amp'd pickup system last night, in one of my Nationals. It was getting too late to fire it up and really test it.
More tests in the next month or so (I have gigs this weekend & next, then on holiday for 2 weeks - so testing & audio samples may have to wait until after then.
Initial results are sounding good, maybe really good. Will keep y'all posted
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Post by bonzo on Jul 22, 2022 8:36:32 GMT
At least tell us wot it is Snakey!
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jul 22, 2022 8:54:50 GMT
At least tell us wot it is Snakey! It's a Lowlander
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Post by Michael Messer on Jul 22, 2022 9:27:27 GMT
It may not surprise anyone, but the inventor and owner of Highlander pickups is of Scottish descent.
Shine On Michael
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Post by snakehips on Jul 22, 2022 11:38:18 GMT
Ha ha !
It's a customised version of the Headway National Biscuit pickup system. With their own pickup and their own internal preamp, the basic principle of their (installation design), is the same as Highlander. Their internal preamp has up-to-date electronics though, compared to the at-least 20yr old Highlander preamp technology.
On a practical level, the Headway pickup is for regular (non-reso) guitars - and my guess is they thought it would be a simple case of installing that into a reso guitar - but I have sussed they knew v little about resonator guitars !! It's taken me over 6months to battle with them to make a version that is workable in a reso guitar - an uphill battle it was.
I had to convince them (believe me, it took a LOT of convincing !) to re-package their preamp to attach to the National's neck stick, rather than their pre-amp be part of a barrel-type preamp with combined jack-socket & strap button.
They did not realise (and could not understand when I was telling them AND showing photographs of the inside of my Nationals) that their preamp / jack socket / strap button will not easily retro-fit into the endpin of a National. You would need to drill a larger hole in the tailpiece than the strap-pin screw hole is there already. You would also need to drill a long & large hole into the end of the neck-stick (tailpiece end), to make space for the pre-amp barrel - which could seriously weaken the neck stick !
Then they asked why I couldn't drill a hole in the side of the guitar and place the preamp / jack socket / strap button down the side (the normal electric guitar jack socket area) - and I told them that virtually no lover of vintage Nationals will want holes drilled into their vintage National. I told them I'd like the jack socket in the treble-side F-hole - but needed to know how long the preamp barrel was - as National guitars (especially vintage 12-fret models) are not very deep front to back. They told me the preamp barrel was 8cm long. That's no good - a 12-fret vintage National guitar is about 7.3mm deep front to back, in the F-hole region. The Headway guy said he could shorten the preamnp to about 7.5cm - would that do ? No !!!!!!! It's STILL too long, I said ! (Duh !!)
I've gradually taken them more towards the design of Highlander pickup system - with the pickup cable plugging into the preamp with a RCA phono plug (rather than their hard-wired together design) - so that the cone/biscuit/pickup can be installed/removed seperately to the preamp. New biscuits were needed as the actual pickup is thicker than Highlander pickups. I had 4 old/vintage National biscuits and used NRP biscuits - and had a luthier remove the original saddles & install new (aged) boxwood saddles in them all AND route out the wider slot required into the underside, for these Headway pickups.
Really, I need time to do some comparison audio clips (as it might otherwise be obvious from a video, which guitar has which pickup !). In due course !
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