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Author Topic:  Surface mounted pickup for resonator?
Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2008 9:43 pm    
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I have a metal bodied resonator. sounds great acousticaly. But I would occasionaly like to amplify it, in a band situation. I am looking for a thin pickup that I could surface mount between the end of the neck and resonator. It would have to be shallow less than 5/8". I dont want to drill or cut into the body.

Any Ideas?
Thanks
Dom Franco
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Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2008 10:03 pm    
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Doe's any have experience with these?
http://www.adirondackguitar.com/pickups/lace/ultra_thin.htm

Dom Razz
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D Schubert

 

From:
Columbia, MO, USA
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2008 5:46 am    
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I have one of those (Lace Ultra-Slim) on my Johnson squareneck tricone. It attaches with a big soft adhesive pad, and removes easily from a metal body with minimal cleanup. It captures some of the acoustic-reso sound, and can be plugged straight into a guitar amp with good results. You can crank it up to a decent volume level before it begins to feed back.

I ran the wire on mine down thru the screenholes to a 1/4" jack on the body, so it's semi-permanent. For lap-style it has one disadvantage: if you play high notes "above" the pickup, there is no sound. Maybe no problem if you play bottleneck style.

So, I also installed a Schatten tricone transducer that mounts on the t-bar bridge. Gets a little more of the cone tone, and is located so you it picks up notes way above the 24th fret if you go there. Can be installed externally, but mine is routed to another 1/4" jack.

The Lace pickup is about 3dB louder than the transducer. I tried to wire them together with a blend control, but one is magnetic and one is piezo, so that did not work. But, I can use either or both as needed. For both, need a 2-channel amp. If you use both pickups and a mic, it really sounds big.
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Eddie Cunningham

 

From:
Massachusetts, USA
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2008 4:04 pm     Barcus-Berry
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A while ago I used a Barcus-Berry magnetic pickup on a Dobro ,(since sold). Only about 1/4 in. thick and I used double edge spongy sticky tape to place it up on the metal resonator cover and it worked fine !! Was able to get the high notes, no problem . I don't know if they are still available ?? Eddie "C" ( the old non-pedal geezer )
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James Harrison

 

From:
New Brockton, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2008 9:07 pm    
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I use the Artec Vintage Artist Pickups on my Mandolins and Resonators. Don't let the low price fool you. These pickups sound good and I never have feedback. I have Fishman bridge pickups but I cannot use them as they have feedback at loud volume. Go to the link below and click on Pickups, then click #29. James
http://www.artecsound.com
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Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 10 Apr 2008 5:03 am    
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Thank you James, I ordered one of the Vintage Artist's (only $19.95 plus shipping) I figured why not. Laughing

I will let you all know how it works out.

Thanks
Dom
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Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 7:41 am    
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I purchased the pickup and it arrived very quickly in the mail. But it took me a week to get around to installing it.
All I can say is WOW! It's a bargain, worth twice the price. I may put them on several other instruments, if I can figure a way to mount them in a sound hole...

I am very pleased with the sound, strong signal, nice balanced frequency output.

Dom Very Happy
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Laurent Arams

 

From:
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 6:30 pm     Which model did you order?
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Which model did you order? I noticed that there is the slim humbucker which mounts to the neck with the supplied bracket or there is the first one. I'm asking because I use resonators and would like to amplify them as well.
Thanks for the info,
Laurent
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AJ Azure

 

From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 7:35 pm    
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did you wire it to a cable, a on board preamp. a 1/4 inch jack or plug? could I just wire it to a jack and run a line to a volume pedal? what'd you do? Smile
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James Harrison

 

From:
New Brockton, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 8:02 pm    
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Dom, I thought you would be pleased with it. I use the neck mounted Pickups on Resonators and Mandolins. I just bend the brackets to fit the Mandolin necks.
AJ, On the Resonators I wired mine with the wire thru the instrument top, under the Pickup and used a 500K volume pot and installed a 1/4 inch jack. I did the Mandolins the same except I installed a SPDT switch to use with the already installed 1/4 inch jack on the Mandolins.
My MK FSE Mandolin has a Fishman System 1 Pickup and preamp in it but it has too much feedback at loud volume. The Artec has no feedback at full volume with Bass and Drums close to it.
James


Last edited by James Harrison on 28 Apr 2008 8:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Laurent Arams

 

From:
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 8:10 pm     Thank you for the quick reply
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Thanks again for the info.
I'm going to try them as well,
Laurent
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Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 8:36 pm    
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I ended up drilling a small hole under the pickup and running the wire to a 1/4" female jack. The chrome finish perfectly matches the resonator body, and the pickup itself covers the hole and the wire. It looks perfectly natural, not like an "add on"

I didn't use a preamp, or volume control. it's plenty loud enough by itself. I can get feedback if I play loud and sit close to the guitar amp, but through a PA system, it will be no problem at all.

Dom Franco
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AJ Azure

 

From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2008 8:49 pm    
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where'd you get the endpin jack?


Like this?
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Jacks/Switchjack_Endpin_Jack.html
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Laurent Arams

 

From:
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 15 May 2008 9:33 am     pickups?
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Hi guys I also got a couple of those pickups that you were talking about and I finally received my package yesterday. I opened it up and those pickups sure are slim, but when I tried to place them under the strings at the end of the fretboard, they wouldn't fit. The strings hit the tops. My 3 single cones are Johnsons and my tricone is a Regal. The pickups wouldn't fit under any of them. Am I missing something simple here or are my resonators not setup properly. 2 single cones are in standard tuning, the other is in open G and the Regal tricone is in open D, if that helps.
Any info on what I can do would be great,
Thanks for your time,
Laurent
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AJ Azure

 

From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 15 May 2008 11:07 am    
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are we talking round neck or square neck? This could be adjusted by raising your action on square neck. Johnsons and Regals always benefit from a good set up
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Laurent Arams

 

From:
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 15 May 2008 1:37 pm     pickups
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Sorry I didn't include that tidbit of information, they are all round necks. I play them all in the Spanish manner and not lap style.
Thanks again,
Laurent
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James Harrison

 

From:
New Brockton, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2008 8:42 pm    
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Laurent, without a raised nut they may not work because of the low string heigth. You may can use 2 sided tape and mount them near the bridge. They work fine in my mandolins, and my resonators are square necks.
James
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Laurent Arams

 

From:
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 16 May 2008 9:55 am     resonator pickups
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Hey James, that's what I kind of figured. I'm going to try them near the bridge or close to it. In your experience, will the sound be super trebly?
Just curious. Maybe I should just splurge on those hotrod plates with a pickup built in eh?
Thanks again,
Laurent
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Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 18 Oct 2008 8:47 am    
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Here are some photos of the installed pickup. The chrome finish matches the guitar so well it blends in and can hardly be seen!

Dom


[img]
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Andy Henriksen

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2019 11:01 am    
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James Harrison wrote:
I use the Artec Vintage Artist Pickups on my Mandolins and Resonators. Don't let the low price fool you. These pickups sound good and I never have feedback. I have Fishman bridge pickups but I cannot use them as they have feedback at loud volume. Go to the link below and click on Pickups, then click #29. James
http://www.artecsound.com


I have a cheap Regal squareneck that mostly just collects dust. I would like to be able to (cheaply) amplify for gigs - probably just a couple songs per night (I primarily play electric lap steel, and some PSG). This thread is over 10 years old, but it seems to be heading in a useful direction for me....except that now, 10 years later, I can't seem to find my way to the page mentioned above to actually see more info about and purchase the "Vintage Artist." That website is a bit of a labrynth....

So, anyone have a direct link to the pickup being discussed here (artec vintage artist), or have a current suggestion of something similar? Is it the same as this (which has "Jazz" in the name)? https://www.ebay.com/p/Artec-Jazz-Vintage-Artist-Side-Mounted-Mini-Humbucker-Pickup-Chrome/12021414560
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Steve Lipsey


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2019 11:33 am    
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there's a somewhat new kid on the block - an unpotted magnetic pickup created specifically for resos..unpotted so it picks up body vibrations...they work great for me...I put them on wood-and-metal-body tricones...mostly have to shim them because they are TOO thin! One example shown here...on the Style 1, it was just the right height ...strings are low on those old ones..
https://www.krivopickups.com/store/p2/Krivo_Humbucking_Pickup_for_Resophonic_Guitars..html


_________________
www.facebook.com/swingaliband & a few more....
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor
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Andy Henriksen

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2019 6:11 am    
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While that looks pretty awesome, I was really hoping for something similar to the one referenced above in terms of both function and price point.
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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2019 7:21 am    
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Yes, it is the same pickup that you have made reference to in your eBay link.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100
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Mark Eaton


From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2019 9:39 am    
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Andy, I'd be willing to be that the budget humbucker would make your cheap Regal sound pretty much like a lap steel.
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Mark
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Keith Glendinning


From:
United Kingdom
Post  Posted 9 Apr 2019 10:18 am    
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I don't have a Reso, but I have used a Krivo pickup on a Macafferri style guitar and they are great. Crystal clear and great separation.
I love the design of the unpotted version for the Reso.
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