Mic setup for a Resonator Guit

[jcrouse]

Hi all,

I thought I'd post this here since I probably should have to begin with. Sorry about the double post in the Microphone forum.

Does anyone have a good mic setup for a resonator guitar? I've got a couple of tunes that I need to do (I'm playing as well). One I'd like to have the trash can sound on and the other is more geared toward a wood body, bluegrass type sound. My guit is actually too tight as far as the resonator goes, so I can probably get both tones. I'm figuring that I'll do either an XY, or a 12th fret and over the shoulder for the warmer type, but do you have any suggestions on where to start for the trashy blues type? i've got condensers (Nova and SP-1) and dynamics (57, Hairy Larry's suggested Realistic Omni) available. Just looking for any tried and true suggestions as a starting point for either tone really.

Thanks in advance,
JC

 

[lpdeluxe]

I record my wood body Dobro with a small condenser (SM81 or AT 4041) aimed at around one of the soundhole screens, or sometimes I use a large condenser (AT 4033) sort of aimed at the reso cover. I get the "trashy" sound more from my playing technique than the mic -- less damping behind the slide, less care dropping the slide onto the strings, etc. Another thing I do is that I play lap style with a bullet nose steel when I want to be clean, and with a bottleneck when I want some trash. Fingers vs fingerpicks vs flatpick comes into play, also.

Dobros are pretty easy to record, in my experience...but a mic won't make up for lack of playing technique.

 

[jcrouse]

Thanks for the help LP,

This gives me a place to start.

I appreciate the help.

JC