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Author Topic:  Gibson br9 without twang
Lawrence Baygents

 

From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2020 5:31 pm    
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Dobro player here.

On a whim I purchased a Gibson br9.

When hooked to my inherited Vox tube amp from the 60’s it sounds ok, however lacks that twang!

Has nickel wound resonator strings .16 to .58 as I remember, in dobro G.

Plugged it into a fender Princeton and the sound improved last week. Went back today and I could not make it sound right.

Any thoughts.

Seems to have original pickup.
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2020 6:16 pm    
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The BR9 is not a twangmaster. The early versions had the Gibson single-coil that wasn't wound so hot and maybe you'll get some twang out of it. Later versions were a standard P90, nothing twangy about that at all. Muscular, midrangey, likely to distort the amp if pushed.

Quote:
When hooked to my inherited Vox tube amp from the 60’s it sounds ok, however lacks that twang!

Not a shock. Nothing twangy about a 60s Vox tube amp. Which one? They are not the same.

Princeton should give a lot more twang, depending on the version. Tweed, brown, and early blackface with white knobs, not really twangy. Later blackface, silverface with black skirted knobs, much more twangy. Especially the non-reverb versions, but the reverb versions will twang if not pushed too hard.

Also - GBDGBD is a pretty low tuning.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2020 7:14 pm    
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Dave Mudgett wrote:
GBDGBD is a pretty low tuning.

Dave brings up a good point. I have a BR-9 tuned to E6 with a high G# ala Don Helms, and it's certainly not lacking in the twang department. Especially with the tone pot dimed. Experimenting with different values on the tone pot and tone cap could possibly make a marginal difference.
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Lawrence Baygents

 

From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2020 6:24 am    
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The amp is a vox Pacemaker. 100% original.

What I have heard on the internet is much more, twangy.
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Lawrence Baygents

 

From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2020 6:28 am    
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tone pot and tone cap. Not sure I understand.

However. the amp is original. two wire ac!

We have had minor 110 stray currents. minor shocks.

I have a three wire plug to install if you think that may make a difference.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2020 6:50 am    
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Lawrence Baygents wrote:
tone pot and tone cap. Not sure I understand.

https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Guitar_Pickups_and_Electronics_and_Wiring/How_a_tone_control_works.html
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2020 7:06 am    
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Aren't most resonator string sets for a 25" scale? Your Gibson is more than likely 22.5" so those strings are liable to be a bit flubby on that guitar. Caint get no twangs from flubby strangs.

Check out this string gauge chart:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=181987
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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2020 7:54 am    
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Are the resonator strings designed for an electric instrument? Some acoustic strings aren't very magnetic and don't sound great through a pickup.

Maybe try regular electric strings in the appropriate gauges. I love the sound of my BR-9.

To work out what gauges you need, this page is great (choose the heaviest of the 3 choices in each case for your Gibson as it's short scale - 22.5"

https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php
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Clyde Mattocks

 

From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2020 8:39 pm    
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I have one of that model. Always played it thru Fender amps. Could get a full range of the lap steels of the day with the tone knob on the guitar
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Harlow Dobro
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 22 Mar 2020 6:48 am    
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1 meg tone pot and nickel plated steel strings should get you more twang.
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