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RedZinger - Posted - 10/19/2009: 16:07:56
Hi,
I'm looking for recommendations for a banjo pickup. I don't want to spend a wad, but I want reasonable sound out of the thing -- maybe that's unrealistic. I could spend up to about $150. I guess the best sound would be from an internal mic, but seems like feedback would be unmanagable. Any and all comments welcomed.
Best wishes,
Rob
1four5 - Posted - 10/19/2009: 16:25:30
I use a Gold Tone SMP (sliding mag pick up). It's hassle free, very hot, no feedback issues, no need for pre-amps or eq's, very balanced totally plug and play, and doesn't interfear with your banjo's acoustic sound.
However, it's a magnetic pick-up and the down side is it's electric sound. it's definately and unmistakenly banjo, but I would say it's clean sound is closer to choosing "banjo" on a Casio keyboard, than a mic'ed acoustic banjo. Through an acoustic guitar amp, it's really does pretty good... but if you want it for bluegrass, you'll probably be dissapointed.
I use it straight into our powered mixer with total satisfaction for rock and country and church and Christmas and weekend non-bluegrass jams.
For bluegrass and gospel and smaller gigs, it's my SM57 mic all the way.
Dean
PBGuardsman - Posted - 10/19/2009: 16:25:51
Hey Rob,
I asked a similar question and got some really good feedback. Here's the link
http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=156763
Paul
"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this'?" Romans 9:20 (NRSV)
PBGuardsman - Posted - 10/19/2009: 16:27:33
Haha looks like you beat me Dean.
"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this'?" Romans 9:20 (NRSV)
Michael Keith - Posted - 10/19/2009: 17:54:42
I asked the same question and here is the answer I received from Janet Davis Music. I was looking at one they sell and was told the best one for a good banjo would be the Fishman Rare Earth because it will give you the natural banjo tone and not put any damping pressure on the head. I was told that Jim Miles and Bela both use it.
steve davis - Posted - 10/19/2009: 18:48:15
I get fine results from the Jones.Maybe you can find a used one or old stock.
I use an ancient cheap barcus berry pre amp and it still sounds good.
RedZinger - Posted - 10/19/2009: 19:32:59
Hi,
Wow, thanks for the speedy replies. I did see the earlier thread about the gold tone. It's going in an open back Wildwood which only has a single coordinator rod, and I'd rather not install another rod.
Steve, what's the Jones? Is that all there is to the name?
Anyone try an internal mic?
I wouldn't mind just using a SM57 (or similar mic) for just amplification, but I'd like to run it through a looper and maybe some effects. (I've got some weird ideas I'd like to play with.)
Thanks again.
Rob
jpiperson2002 - Posted - 10/19/2009: 20:40:57
quote:
Originally posted by PBGuardsman
Haha looks like you beat me Dean.
"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this'?" Romans 9:20 (NRSV)
I have a Schatten piezoelectric pickup, bright and metallic sound, it allows for high amplification but doesn't sound completely natural. People looking for an accurately amplified banjo sound that sounds like a loud banjo instead of an amplified electric banjo sometimes use a combination of piezo and microphone pickups and mix the signals. Lots of opinions on this topic and quite a few discussion threads to look at for ideas. "Let's leave talk of religion to the televangelists, after all they're the experts." Cheviot from Max Headroom John Piper
country frank - Posted - 10/20/2009: 04:24:37
Schatten works fine for me.
Proud Union Man
Regards from London.
Cornflake - Posted - 10/20/2009: 08:29:37
I have a Schatten. The sound is clear and good, but not quite natural. Naturalness would come with using a mic, I guess. My problem with this pickup is that the tiny mic has to be epoxied onto the under-surface of the head. If you don't use enough epoxy it falls off. It robs the banjo of a bit of its twanginess--which I don't like.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I love my excellent sense of humor. Unfortunately it gets me into trouble, and un-funny people think I'm an idiot.
steve davis - Posted - 10/20/2009: 10:49:21
The tunes on my homepage were recorded by plugging my Jones pickup directly into the computer.
I think the banjo tone is very good on these recordings.
RedZinger - Posted - 10/20/2009: 19:22:36
quote:
Originally posted by steve davis
The tunes on my homepage were recorded by plugging my Jones pickup directly into the computer.
I think the banjo tone is very good on these recordings.
Sounds fine, a bit of that piezo sound, but totally reasonable. Excellent playing too. Thanks much for the recommendation and example. Rob
leftoverjason - Posted - 10/20/2009: 23:04:18
So, if I bought an acoustic banjo, could I install a pickup into it and make it an acoustic electric?? if so...that's very cool.
goldtopia - Posted - 10/21/2009: 09:02:22
You don't need to spend that much. I use a Schatten pickup but like all others its not the same as the banjo sound. A good tip about a month or two ago on BHO is a lapel pickup which picks up natural sound. I have not tried it but I can see the logic in it.
Bill.O
www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk
Old Hickory - Posted - 10/30/2009: 08:50:05
I just got a piezo-electric pickup from Pick-up the World. Arrived yesterday. Hope to install and test it this weekend. Besides some good comments I found about it online and the quality of the guitar samples (no banjo) posted on their web site, I chose it for the mounting system that securely clamps a full 1/4-inch jack to the tension hooks on a resonator banjo. If you contact them directly before ordering, you can get a lower price than the $125 they have posted on their site.
This pickup requires a pre-amp. I already have an L.R. Baggs, which PUTW says will do fine. They also say that you can run their pickup into vintage Fender tube guitar ampliers with no pre-amp -- apparently they had their own really good pre-amps built in.
http://www.pick-uptheworld.com/pickups.htm
Old Hickory - Posted - 11/02/2009: 10:23:07
Installed the Pick-up the World pickup yesterday evening and the short report is I think it's great. Loud, clear and genuine sounding. I really think it sounds like a well-miked banjo.
I'm running it through an LR Baggs preamp. The PA is an old Peavey 6-channel, 300-watt powered mixer head and Peavey 12-inch speakers. I only had a few minutes to play around with the set up, but between the high, mid and low EQ controls on the PA and Baggs preamp, I'm able to dial in a very good sound. The Baggs also has a presence control and some "notch" and mid controls that I don't really know how to use.
This pickup replaced a 1970s Barcus Berry that has always been just OK. Never very loud, even with a preamp.
Installation of the Pick-up the World pickup was mostly easy. It's a thin strip that mounts with self-adhesive under the head directly under the bridge. It's about as wide and long as the footprint of typical bridge. I did have a little trouble in that when I peeled the waxpaper coating off the self-adhesive (which is already on the pickup), the double-side tape came with it, instead of staying on the pickup. I was able to save it. Mfr includes extra self-adhesive in case you need it.
Installing the output jack was a little trickier than I had expected. I don't want to go into too much detail other than to say that their instructions weren't entirely clear and that it required a few minutes of trial and error and figuring out for myself. Pictures would help. But in the end, I got the output jack firmly mounted to two tension hooks between the armrest support and tailpiece. I was going to install it on the D-string side of the banjo, but then I decided I wanted to be able to see it while I'm playing.
If I can figure out how to post photos and sound sample someplace, I'll do that.
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