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

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

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)

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)

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.

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.

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

Posted - 10/19/2009 :  20:01:54        

You can get the new version of the Jones pickup at www.hatfieldmusic.com . I have one of the original Jones pickups and it works very well. A new Jones and a moderate preamp should be within your price range.

Here's the link - pickups are towards the bottom of the page.

http://www.hatfieldmusic.com/page7.html



Sam Farris
www.tranjo.com -- Tranjo travel Banjo
www.electricbanjo.com - TranjoCaster electric banjo
www.silentbanjo.com - Silent Practice system for any banjo

Edited by - sdfarris on 10/20/2009 07:29:19

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)

---

Posted - 10/20/2009 :  04:24:37    

Schatten works fine for me.



Proud Union Man

Regards from London.

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.

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.

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.

---

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.

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

Posted - 10/21/2009 :  15:02:20      

Hi Rob,
I just recently posted some info about a company that makes GREAT pressure sensitive pickups
http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/160353

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

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.