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After consulting his preacher to make sure there was nothing sinful about playing blues records on the radio Mr. Wright decided to give it a try. He did it six days a week almost until his death on what became one of America's longest-running radio programs. From 6 o'clock to 9, he was the 'Soul Man' playing the blues. For the last two hours he was 'Brother Early' playing gospel music - Early Wright, obituary to the DJ, WROX Clarksdale

Author Topic: Resonator amplification  (Read 1819 times)

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Offline slidnslim

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Resonator amplification
« on: January 22, 2012, 05:45:14 AM »
Thought I'd share some news about a new amplification system for us resonator guitar players!!! initially i WAS TIPPED BY John waxwing on another forum but,
Ken Donnell(Mini Flex mIC'S) is presently working on a new 2mic system for reso guitars that will be ready in 1-3 months,I'm going to be buying one of these
I'm tired of using pickups, I can't always use a mic for all the venues I play!! if anybody else hears anting please let me know,

Kenny,

Offline Rivers

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2012, 09:29:59 AM »
I'm interested in the Mike Dowling / National Hot Plate system. Pricey but high quality.
Here's a link, and an MD demo:

http://www.mikedowling.com/natRes.html


Offline blueshome

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2012, 10:33:44 AM »
I believe Messrs Fender and Gibson and others make excellent electric guitars if that is your inclination.

A guitar with a pick-up is no longer an acoustic guitar, the sound is never right, and more importantly the response to one's picking is different - like an electric surprisingly enough.

The Mini flex mic sounds interesting though.

Offline Richard

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2012, 11:57:43 AM »
Quote
I believe Messrs Fender and Gibson and others make excellent electric guitars if that is your inclination.

A guitar with a pick-up is no longer an acoustic guitar, the sound is never right, and more importantly the response to one's picking is different - like an electric surprisingly enough.

Blueshome, I'm delighted you said it or should I say lit the fuse. Conversely if this thing works it might leave us without an argument, although I note like many a good reso it has tone control..

MD has aged a bit since I last saw him and what an enormous state of the ark lathe there is!
(That's enough of that. Ed)

Offline Rivers

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2012, 01:18:28 PM »
Respectfully disagree. A microphone is a transducer also, and I'm sure you have played into one of those. So are you playing an electric guitar when you play into a mic? If not, what is the difference? Both convert vibrations, either of air, or the saddle, or the metallic strings, to electric current, whether it's a mic or pickup. Are air vibrations, or more accurately, pressure waves, superior in some way? The answer is 'it all depends on the quality and placement of the mic'.

The goal is live sound reinforcement when required, whatever works best under the widest range of conditions is the way to go. I won't go into problems with low gain before feedback inherent with mics.

If you watch the video Mr D recommends using it in conjunction with a mic to fill in as necessary.

Not that I need it right now but if I did, I want the option to control a large percentage of everything myself.

You may have noticed Steve James' single res National, not sure which model, it's cutaway with mahogany top, has a hot plate. It sounds great. I completely forgot about it after it was dialled-in and the show underway.

BTW, I experimented with a Crown mini mic in detail a few years ago. If you get one be sure to do this before buying. Plug direct into a recording device (with the suitable signal level) and play. See if you like what you hear on playback, mess with the EQ and repeat. Mine was simply laughable and I haven't used it since. The problems were legion; high noise floor, low response, nasty frequency spikes, and their corollary, nothing doing in some bands. It was generally a sound unsalvageable with EQ or other processing.

I expect they've improved since then, but just because it's a mic transducer rather than a saddle or magnetic transducer does in no way guarantee you'll get a better sound.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 02:01:06 PM by Rivers »

Offline Rivers

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2012, 06:24:54 PM »
OK I spoke too soon on the 2 mic system, after getting more info on it. It does sound interesting, and a cut above my experiences with mini mics which in the early Nineties, I'm sorry, totally sucked.

Things have obviously come a long way since my dabbling. I'd still want to make a test recording of the pure signals and listen to the playback though. I don't trust my ears unless I can really hear what a particular source is producing in detail, with everything flat and optimum, and me not playing at the same time. Call me paranoid, but I just couldn't tell how bad the mini mic really was until I did that; and I was really trying to make it work.

I'm now motivated to get a hold of one of these things and subject it to some merciless testing...  >:D
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 07:02:32 PM by Rivers »

Offline blueshome

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2012, 02:27:47 AM »
Last few times I've seen Steve James he's played through  a single Rode NT2 mic standing about 4 feet away, sounds great! Of course a mic/pa alters the sound, but it certainly can get nearer the natural sound than any pick-up. As I said, a pick up also affects the way the guitar feels to play and alters the dynamic response as well as the sound.

Pick ups are a necessary evil in certain situations (open mics/jams) but in most of the situations where one plays pre-war blues are totally un-necessary.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2012, 05:56:12 AM by blueshome »

Offline Rivers

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2012, 05:42:45 PM »
Re Steve's current guitar, check out these shots from Carlos's site in Guatemala, I believe SJ is down there at the moment and these look recent:

http://www.atitlanblueblog.blindlemons.com/index.php/guitar-workshops-at-blind-lemons-in-guatelmala/

It goes without saying that just because Steve has a hot plate installed it doesn't necessarily mean he uses it in every live sound situation. It's probably just a "Swiss Army knife" kind of thing, which is also how I view pickups generally, maximum flexibility under pressure. Use a condenser mic if the sound person knows their stuff and has it all under control, obviously. I wish I had a dollar for all the situations where that was not the case though. I'd have at least $5 by now, given my hatred of playing gigs.

Whoa, looks like Mr Carlos Funk has an El Trovador with a hot plate in one shot. Carlos, if you read this, please give us a review when you get a moment.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2012, 05:58:13 PM by Rivers »

Offline Parlor Picker

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2012, 05:17:25 AM »
Whilst I agree that a microphone is also a kind of transducer, stick one in front of an acoustic guitar and what comes out of the speakers is very close to the actual acoustic sound of the instrument. Weld on a pick-up and what comes out of the speakers is somewhat further away from the sound of the instrument. Of course, pick-ups vary with those harsh brittle piezo-electric things sounding worst of all.
"I ain't good looking, teeth don't shine like pearls,
So glad good looks don't take you through this world."
Barbecue Bob

Offline Coyote Slim

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Re: Resonator amplification
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2012, 05:15:48 PM »
But. . . a resonator is already amplified. . .
Puttin' on my Carrhartts, I gotta work out in the field.

Coyote Slim's Youtube Channel

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