What's the best dobro pickup?

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 26 Feb 2000 6:08 pm

I just picked up a Korean made Electric Dobra, but neither of the 2 pickups (A magneting pickup, and a Peizo transcucer under the saddle) pick up the sound of the cone. It just sounds like a regular electric or electrec acoustic guitar when you plug it in.

What's the best pickup for a dobro?

Mike Dennis · Post by **Mike Dennis** » 27 Feb 2000 6:50 am

For me it's the McIntyre acoustic Dobro pickup used with a Stewart preamp that has a feed back control filter..

Resophonic Outfitters
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Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 27 Feb 2000 10:35 am

I'll second Mike on the McIntyre pu; I'm also interested in checking out a Dobro pickup that Bill Lawrence is making.

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
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Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 27 Feb 2000 4:05 pm

This works well: I use 2 Fishman transducers--each about the size of a nickel--one super-glued to the spider behind the bridge, the other glued to the underside of the cone. The leads connect at the jack (in parallel). I often use the now-defunct Passac Soundhole Equalizer (or some such name) which seems to me to be essentialy a simple one-knob parametric equalizer with a volume control. It puts an appropriately woofy signal into the crunchy piezeo signal, making it more like you're hearing the resonant frequency of the body as part of the overall sound.

This rig sounds great through a Mesa Boogie.

Pete Grant www.petegrant.com

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 27 Feb 2000 4:48 pm

Mike asks.....

What's the best pickup for a dobro?

My vote goes to the McIntyre. Wonderfully acoustic. Attached to a spider leg. I run mine through a Fishman Blender. They sound terrific through a Rane AP-13, if you can find one.

Cheers,

Howard

Ted Smith · Post by **Ted Smith** » 28 Feb 2000 11:17 am

Also keep in mind that a PA type amplification helps cover the higher range of frequencies a resonator produces, especially with the McIntyre. Carl recommends an acoustic amp like a Centaur which has a filter cut that really helps with feedback and overall tone.

Ted

David Stehman · Post by **David Stehman** » 23 Jul 2000 1:13 pm

I've used the McIntyre about 8 years on a Reed with good results through an RLBaggs paracoustic DI preamp w/5 bands of EQ, all of which serve to boost or notch/filter their respective frequency band. I played through a Peavey KB100 keyboard amp, bypassing its onboard front end. I've had even lots more acoustic sound after switching to the California Blonde acoustic amp by SWR. It has an onboard Aural Enhancer circuit which shifts the center point of the EQ frequencies to try to reduce the harsher harmonics resulting from the characteristic sound of a piezo pickup, leaving the more natural even order harmonics. I haven't tried the Centaur yet, but saw one at Dusty Strings in Seattle, which usually selects good stuff. They've had good user feedback about it. The SWR is the first amp which made(to my ear) the McIntyre sound very acoustic without pre-EQ'g. I blend some mike too. Dave Stehman

Lew Collins · Post by **Lew Collins** » 24 Jul 2000 7:00 am

If you can believe the Stewart/McDonald description, the McIntyre is what Jerry Douglas uses. Can't get a better Dobro tone than Jerry gets!