First resonator recording

[mick hearn]

Here's a little job that I did today.
I was listening to the radio last week on the way home from work and heard Adele do her composition of this one and thought it might sound good on steel. I was going to use the acoustic plank on the intro but having heard it I decided to keep it all the way through. This is my first recording on the resonator and bearing in mind earlier chats about which mike to use, it was recorded in my shed with a Behringer cheap mike. The resonator was also a no name cheap Chinese built model (pennies a bit short when I bought this). Looked good on the outside but when I went to set it up, inside looked as though it was built by a shuttering carpenter. Boy it was bad. Next time I will do my research.



mick

[henry]

sounds great to me Mick, where did you put the mic ?
Henry

p.s nice credits!

[mick hearn]

Hi

I've got the mike on a stand which came from a radio station and screwed to my work bench so can move it wherever I like. I had it pointing down over the guitar so that it was over the resonator rim on the neck side and about 8 inches away. Got it right first time.

I read somewhere years ago in a guitar magazine talking about acoustic recording. What was recommended was two plate microphones (cheap and the sort they have in police interview rooms) screwed to a heavy coffee table then just sit close by and play. Then if it was required - a third microphone to point close to the guitar and move about to highlight various overtones. Have never tried it but after many years of having to listen to such recordings I can tell you the reproduction was pretty authentic.

[B.J.Weston]

I agree with Henry, Mick that sounded good to my ears. Might have been made with a knife and fork but, but the sound was in there somewhere and you found it. I believe that the test for me is in how long I can listen to a song without being critical. I listened all thru a couple of times and I liked it very much as an instrumental. Nice tone, nice touch. A friend recently gave me resonator (chinese made)but hey! try making one for this price,he paid £38.00 brand new, headstock says 'Martin Smith', who he? Any hoo,listening to your vid makes me want to try and play it with a bar.Also driving myself nuts trying to play 'Forever and Ever' on pedal steel since I heard you play it the other day.I love that song and your version again works really well. More please , ==== Baz.

[nevada150]

Hi Mick,
I don't know much about resonator guitars, but that was a tasteful rendition of Adele's song. The backing track was just at the right level and you obviously got the mic's in the right position for the Reso. What tuning did you use. It may have been a cheapo guitar but you got a super sound from it.
Regards,
Keith.

[mick hearn]

Thank you all for your comments - really appreciated.

I never know how I manage it - it's something you have a go at and sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. I was using open G tuning on this song and i must say I was pleased with the result. As a matter of interest I knew nothing about setting up a resonator guitar so I searched around on YouTube and found a series where a luthier was making one up from a kit. He was explaining quite a bit so I followed his example. Glad it worked - and thanks again.

The backing track was courtesy of Band in a Box.

Mick