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Author
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Topic: Using a Regular Acousitic as Dobro
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John Schjolberg
Member From: Golden Valley, Minnesota, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 06:36 AM
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Hi - I'm starting to play Dobro-style guitar and I play in an amplified band w/ drums. I'm trying to figure out what I would gain from using a resonator guitar vs. an acoustic guitar w/ an adapter and pickup. I've heard that most players aren't satisfied with the sound of a pickup on a resonator guitar. I won't be playing strictly acoustically and I don't plan to use a mic (I'll only be playing plugged in) so would the acoustic guitar w/ pickup work okay for my situation?Thanks! |
John Sluszny
Member From: Brussels, Belgium
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posted 06 October 2005 07:01 AM
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I don't think so  ,but give it a try,who knows?[This message was edited by John Sluszny on 06 October 2005 at 07:03 AM.] |
Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 07:25 AM
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John,
I play a resonator with the Fishman pickup that goes onto the center screw in the cone and have had good results.
Erv |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 09:05 AM
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Sure of course it will work but, if you want an electric sound, that's not gonna happen. If you're looking for an acoustic sound, go for it. I have two standard acoustics converted and a 12 string in the works.-Adriel |
Mark Eaton
Member From: Windsor, Sonoma County, CA
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posted 06 October 2005 09:14 AM
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Be careful here. Some regular guitars, if tuned to high bass open G that most dobroists use, as opposed to the low bass open G that regular 6-string players use-have a tendency for the necks to blow up from the string tension. I think this applies mostly to cheaper guitars, but I sure wouldn't want to risk it on an acoustic that has some real value. It's a "your mileage may vary" thing, since AJ seems to have no problem with the conversion. I play a dobro with a Fishman pickup and combine it with a Shure instrument mike. The Fishman with the preamp gives you the volume to hang in with electric instruments, but on it's own I think the tone is too "thin," you don't get that deep rich tone like when you are playing the thing acoustic. Schertler is coming out with a new mike system that some of the guys are raving about for the dobro. There's a thread on www.reso-nation.org But this is for dobros, not converted acoustics-I'm just going off on a slight tangent here. ------------------
Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 06 October 2005 at 09:21 AM.] |
Bryan Bradfield
Member From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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posted 06 October 2005 06:05 PM
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John -
From the description of what you want to do, a plain inexpensive Spanish guitar would be better than a resonator guitar (dobro). The most feed-back resistant pickup I've found for dobro is the Barcus-Berry type that sticks onto the top with double sided carpet tape. It does NOT furnish a dobro-like sound. It DOES sound like a lap steel, with tons of sustain. I understand it is a humbucker pickup inside the case. Therefore, you don't need a good sounding acoustic. Inexpensive acoustics ususally also withstand the increased string tension better than a "good" guitar.
I use the dobro with the Barcus-Berry pickup to compete in loud electric situations. Any acoustic pickup I've used in these situations just goes into feedback hell. In these situations, tone is irrelevant. You just want to be heard. Also, good electric tone is a moving target, isn't it? |
Bill Blacklock
Member From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
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posted 06 October 2005 09:38 PM
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John,
Kelly Joe Philps does some great stuff on a regular flat top playing lap style. A regular flat top with a Sunrise pickup and a "D" tuning is very well suited to playing blues and Cooder/Lindley type stuff, but not the best for blugrass. A Sunrise pickup can make any guitar sound real good. |
Kay Das
Member From: Singapore and Irvine CA
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posted 06 October 2005 10:09 PM
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i use a charvel-jackson acoustic, but tuned to a D or Db major tuning to get a more fluid tone distinct from a tight tone. sometimes, a (tasteful) bit of flanging approximates a dobro sound.------------------
kay |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 10:33 PM
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"I'm trying to figure out what I would gain from using a resonator guitar vs. an acoustic guitar w/ an adapter and pickup."How about the fact that the resonator guitar would sound like a resonator guitar? There's light-years of difference in sound between resonators and standard acoustic guitars. You either want a Dobro sound or you don't. From there, it's picking the instrument and pickup system that fits your budget. On the lower-budget end, IMO Liberty in Florida makes the best stuff. But an acoustic guitar player lap-style will sound like acoustic slide guitar, nothing more. No manner of EQ will get you close to a dobro tone. Believe me - I've spent 25 years on dobro and have tried or heard all sorts of attempts - all lame. If you want a resonator tone - buy a real one. |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 10:43 PM
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Forgot to mention I may glue a carbon fiber truss rod to the neck for added stabiltiy. Since I don't play regular style any more, it works for me._Adriel |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 10:46 PM
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Jim that's not quite true, if you listen to Kelly Joe Phelps and Harry MAnx they don't sound like bottleneck players at all. It's a special sound all its' own. Sort of like a Weissenborne but, not quite._Adriel |
Andy Sandoval
Member From: Bakersfield, California, USA
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posted 06 October 2005 11:05 PM
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When I first started playin dobro I set up my acoustic with the nut adapter for awhile and learned a few dobro licks in open G but only until I got my Regal. I knew I wanted that resonator sound which my acoustic didn't have. |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 07 October 2005 07:06 AM
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"Sort of like a Weissenborne but, not quite."I didn't say a bottleneck guitar, I said a slide guitar, which could cover many sounds...but not those of a resophonic instrument. A weisenborn sounds as much like a Dobro as a Harmonica does to a pedal steel... |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 07 October 2005 09:49 AM
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If you want a resonator sound, you have to use a resonator. If you just want a loud acoustic slide sound, an acoustic electric will work, and have less feedback problems than a reso. However, if you want to be really loud, with minimal feedback problems, use an electric guitar with a raised nut, or a lap steel (Melobar made some you can hang around your neck). The only problem with using the raised nut adaptors is that they have the close string spacing of roundneck guitars, not the wider spacing of squareneck resos and lap steels. |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
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posted 07 October 2005 10:51 AM
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Jim,
Guitar to Dobro as Harmonica to pedal steel? Doesn't sound quite right.The subtleties may be different but the general characteristics of a Weiss and a reso arercloser than your comparison. |
D Schubert
Member From: Columbia, MO, USA
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posted 07 October 2005 12:35 PM
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I have a couple of Oahu student model guitars from the 30's -- the ones with the metal bridge that aren't loud but have a lot of sustain. I have been using those in D and lo-bass G lap tunings with various soundhole pickups. I'm happy with the results -- but they don't sound anything like a Dobro or National resonator guitar, FWIW. A "quiet" guitar may work better than a loud resonant one in this mode, from the standpoint of feedback supression. It's still a musically useful sound, and the soundhole pickups match up well with guitar stompboxes and amps. Best from the pile of pickups I've tried has been a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker. |
Bill Blacklock
Member From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
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posted 07 October 2005 01:16 PM
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Theres no point in comparing apples to oranges, there just not the same thing. Its all a matter of taste and subject to change. I've played a dobro for 35 years, now I can't stand the sound of one. I sold my last dobro month ago to buy another weissenborn, maybe one day I'll change back. Who knows maybe you'll find your own sound. |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
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posted 07 October 2005 01:57 PM
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It's not apples and oranges at all. Different species of apple or different citra but, no am acoustic steel (makes more sense than slide)is not a different instrument than resonator.Comnapring a reso mandolin and a reso guiatr si mroe apples and oranges. Both fruit (reso) but, different. _Adriel |
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