Pickup for resonator

[jimjimmy]

I was wondering if anyone had any idea how to amplify a resonator mandolin... I know Sam Bush uses his Dobro plugged in. I have one of the new National models, I tried emailing them with no reply.

[EdSherry]

Fishman makes a Dobro pickup that sits on the spider and should work for a Dobro mandolin. #But if I recall correctly, the National uses a "biscuit" cone (rather than the Dobro "spider" setup). #

Highlander makes a fine pickup for National single-cone guitars (built into a biscuit), and I'm sure they'd custom-make you one for a National mandolin, if they don't already make one "stock."

A lot of Dobro/National steel guitar players use the McIntyre "feather" pickups. #One of those should work as well.

I would agree that many of the "stock" pickups are meant for guitar, but I don't see why that would be particularly problematic tonally for mando. #I'd be more concerned with the choice of amp.

[glauber]

Here's (http://www.schattendesign.com/resonator.htm) another suggestion (Schatten). I just remembered seeing this on the Internet, haven't tried it or seen one in person.

[mandroid]

I see a few more resophonic pickup options in the Elderly's catalog, #in my mail this week.
Schertler 'Basik', a contact electrostatic microphone system, ... #Conetone, #Fishman, McIntyre [piezos],
all offer a specialty resophonic category product.

[mrmando]

I had Elderly make me a Cone Tone for my National tenor guitar. The standard Cone Tone is a 6-string biscuit, which is too big for the mandolin. But National stocks replacement biscuits for their ukuleles, which are the same size as the tenor biscuits (this was 2 years ago, before the new mandolins came out). So I ordered the uke biscuit from National and sent it to Elderly; their tech installed the piezo in it and sent it back, and I had a local shop do the installation. Sounds great. Same deal would probably work for the mando.

[Michael Lewis]

It would be remiss to omit K&K Sound. They have some of the best transducer pick ups on the market. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Michael Wolf]

I think you can get a good sound with one of all these PUs, but my impression is that you only get the sound from the strings and not that from the resonator. Good sound but no resosound. Plus the possibilities to install PUs in a reso are limited compared to wooden instruments. I tried several things with my reso tenor and came to the conclusion that only a mic can capture the real sound. A mic in front of the instrument or a omnidirectional mini mic on the instrument. But the practicability of this solution depends, like always, on the environment you're playing in.
I use the DPA 4061 and it sounds fantastic, but you can't play in a rock band with that. I also can put it easy on every instrument I want in seconds, so I need only one. I also own a Schertler btw., but it sound like a telephone compared to the mic and it's not that easy to put on.

Cheers
Michael

[johnsmusic]

Carl McIntyre did a McIntyre "feather" on my National. He mounted the jack with velcro on the metal top plate of the instrument. The Body is a solid block so he really didn't want to drill through it. It sounds great and works fine with a EQ (Fishman Pro Platinum). You would have to send it to him but turn around time is quick. John

[Paul Hostetter]

I think resophonic instruments sound far better thru an external mic. They are extremely directional and emit different kinds of sounds out of different orifices, and you can work with that simply by how you aim the instrument at the microphone.

[Geiss]

Has anyone had any experience with the Schertler Basik on a reso?.....I am tempted in that my Regal squareneck (nicely set up with new nut, saddle and spider) needs something and I have a compatible Schertler Pre.

Best,
David