Pedabro Sounds and Dobro Simulators

Tom Keller · Post by **Tom Keller** » 9 Sep 2009 1:44 pm

Any one have experience trying to get pedabro sounds using a dobro simulator or similar electronic device. If I buy a Bobro will I be able to aound anything like a pedabro?

Thanks

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Sep 2009 7:26 am

You'll have to learn to play like Paul Franklin.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 10 Sep 2009 8:56 am

I've had The Goodrich Matchbro, Bo-Bro, Kickin' Steel Dobro simulator, in my opinion they all sound closer to a Ped-A-Bro than an acoustic Reso.
And it's all in the note choice and phrasing.

Jonathan Cullifer · Post by **Jonathan Cullifer** » 10 Sep 2009 9:41 am

There's something inherent in the timbre of any acoustic instrument that makes it hard to duplicate electronically. That said, most audience members aren't that discerning in a live environment, and nuances don't carry through as well. A dobro simulator works well in those environments, but obviously not as well in the studio. You'll be able to get close enough though, depending on your guitar and pickup setup.

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 11 Sep 2009 7:12 pm

My Bobro I got from Bobbe playing it with my williams thru my steel king, it soundsd just like Bobb's on Steel Guitar Favourites, very good sound.

ernie

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 12 Sep 2009 7:55 am

Careful with the words like inherent or tone , this could turn into another 15 page monster...

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 Sep 2009 9:35 am

I watched Bobbe's video and bought a BoBro about three years ago. I've never managed to make my PSG sound like a Dobro with it or without it, but then, I've never managed to make my PSG sound like Bobbe Seymour with or without the BoBro.

To get a Dobro sound I use a Dobro. Maybe the best way to get PSG sounds out of it would be to fit palm levers. I have one of those cheapo SX lap steels fitted up with a Duesenberg Multibender, and you CAN get PSG sounds out of it, though to a very limited extend, in that more than two palm levers are unmanageable, and you can't pull or push two strings with one lever.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 12 Sep 2009 9:49 am

Because a Pedabro actually is a pedal steel in acoustic form, I would think because the playing techniques are basically the same as an amplified pedal steel, that one has a better chance of imitating a Pedabro with one of those godforsaken dobro simulators than getting your pedal steel to sound like a real six string dobro.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 12 Sep 2009 9:59 am

Right Mark.
And, of course, to imitate a 6-string dobro it`s best to use a 6-string lap steel in G-tuning. Because the technique is similar you can get fairly close in a live setting, especially loud live setting where a real reso always loses, no matter how it`s amplified. JMO.
Check also:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=166275

David Pinkston · Post by **David Pinkston** » 12 Sep 2009 10:08 am

I owned a Pedabro for about a year. I sold it back to Mr. Franklin (which I regret) because he needed one for something to do with the patent about the time I needed the money. The Pedabro was wonderful in the studio when you miked it right. It was not a loud instrument as compared to a Dobro. I was never able to get a great sound live with it, although I know Paul did so with Dire Straits but he had more crew and money to do so with.

That being said, IMHO I think any of the simulators live probably sound better for the average guy than a Pedabro plugged into an amp would live. Again IMO you'll never get a simulator to sound like a Pedabro in the studio to the discerning listener.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 12 Sep 2009 10:41 am

I don't think anybody has mentioned the "cat can" dobro simulator that Duane Marrs made.
I have one of the original models but now there is a dual purpose model with the ability to get a lap steel sound.
I also have a special pickup with optional pre-amp that was made years ago by Bruce Zumsteg that attached to the neck of a pedal steel with double backed tape and that unit would give you a dobro sound.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 12 Sep 2009 11:04 am

I used the old marrs (no tone or volume) cat can and it was good. I now use a bobro + carbon bar and get a similar sound. I can do dobro style licks on the c6th skipping string 4, getting reasonable dobro sound if I remember to turn the reverb off. To me when I use it on e9 the pedals ruin the dobro effect, however that may be what your looking for with the pedabro sound.

I like my bobro and get good results with it.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 12 Sep 2009 12:00 pm

Olli Haavisto wrote:Right Mark.
And, of course, to imitate a 6-string dobro it`s best to use a 6-string lap steel in G-tuning. Because the technique is similar you can get fairly close in a live setting, especially loud live setting where a real reso always loses, no matter how it`s amplified. JMO.
Check also:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=166275

Olli, not to get too far off topic, but the new Fishman Aura system has pretty much solved the difficulty of playing a dobro in a loud situation. A short snippet in the link below of the Jerry Douglas Band from Merlefest 2007, using the system before it was finalized and released to the public last year. Poor sound quality on this video, and there are better quality videos out there of the JD Band from the past couple years, but I chose this one because it is typical of what dobroists had been fighting for a long time trying to play in a loud situation: full drum kit, electric guitar, floor wedge monitors, banks of amps on the backline. I've seen Jerry with this band and using the system about four times now and they get pretty loud, along with seeing a couple other dobro players live that have been using the setup. And a number of steel players that double on dobro that are Forum members have posted about being pleased with the results in a live setting. Just off the top of my head, two that come to mind are Herb Steiner and Bruce Bouton.

http://tinyurl.com/ppvtds

Okay, back to the Pedabro simulator effect discussion.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Sep 2009 9:32 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:I don't think anybody has mentioned the "cat can" dobro simulator that Duane Marrs made.
I have one of the original models but now there is a dual purpose model with the ability to get a lap steel sound.
I also have a special pickup with optional pre-amp that was made years ago by Bruce Zumsteg that attached to the neck of a pedal steel with double backed tape and that unit would give you a dobro sound.

I bought one of Duane Marss's Cat Can lap steels a few months ago to experiment with, with a view to building one of our stainless steel guitars with a small resonator. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... real+steel
My observation is that it has quite a volume when played acoustically, but not enough to rival a resonator guitar, and when you plug it into an amplifier it sounds very little different from a regular lap steel.

Erv's idea of amplifying the Marrs cat can lap steel acoustically with a microphone or a piazzo pick-up on the bridge sounds like probably the most promising way to go. You could combine that with a BoBro effects unit and the fibre tone bar that goes along with it.

I've used the fibre tone-bar that Bobbe sells with a non-pedal lap steel, and it works fairly well. The Guyatone or Stringmaster or suchlike have string spacings similar to a resonator guitar, so are much better for playing the sort of thing you would play on a Dobro. I find the strings on the C6 neck of a pedal steel to be too close together for that sort of style of playing.

Mike Fried · Post by **Mike Fried** » 17 Sep 2009 10:14 am

I recently got a Peavey Power Slide (tuned to G) and a BoBro, and it sounds absolutely great with the guitar's tone control "backed off" to the single-coil (brightest) sound. It sounds much more like a dobro than the psg does through a MatchBro (my other go-to rig). And the double-takes I get from people hearing Brother Oswald and Josh Graves licks coming from an '80s hair band-looking instrument are priceless...

BTW, slightly off-topic, but if you get a Power Slide, the nut needs to be moved toward the bridge about 1/4" for correct intonation. Other than that it's a very cool instrument, especially for the money!

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 21 Sep 2009 11:47 pm

I just happened to recently notice that fretboard being off on a Power Slide at Palenscar's shop in Oceanside: 12th fret harmonics were in front of the fret marker about 1/8 inch, I believe it was. Mike, if you move the nut forward, are the fret markings accurate up and down the neck? Disappointing flaw in a great little lap steel, how'd Peavey miss that one?! It really looks bitchin' in red.

Mike Fried · Post by **Mike Fried** » 22 Sep 2009 10:28 am

Hi John, yes the fretboard and bridge placement is very accurate for a 24-3/4" scale length. Your 1/8" error at the 12th fret is exactly right - the scale length is 25", with the nut being 1/4" too far from the first fret. I am amazed that that hasn't been addressed by anyone else on the forum, let alone by Peavey. I mentioned this problem in another thread here and the only remarks were that intonation problems weren't noticed (!)...