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BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/12/2022: 07:10:01
Hi, new to the forum. I am relatively new to dobro playing although I have had my Beard Goldtone squareneck for about 6 years. I play bluegrass flatpick guitar and have for 15 years or more and that helped me to learn some things on the dobro. Lately I have been playing the dobro more.
My problem (and it may be normal) is that the Low G string on my dobro sounds "muddy" to me when I play solo notes on it. There is a slight buzz noticeable as well but it just may be normal harmonics. The rest of the strings are loud, crisp and clear. I had Paul Beard strings on it but changed to GHS and they both seem the same.
I thought perhaps it is my attack angle of the thumb pick, I don't know I tried a Dunlop L in plastic and celluloid, same result.
I've listened to many dobro videos on Youtube and their 6th string (Low G) sounds clean when they play it up the neck.
Any advice to getting a nice clean Low G string response?
badger - Posted - 11/12/2022: 12:12:43
Check that the string fits well in bridge and neck slots, and make sure you're hitting the string squarely with your thumbpick. Does it sound equally muddy when you try a fingerpick instead?
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/12/2022: 15:11:02
badger, thanks for the help. It does seem to be the Thumb-pick. The finger pick or just the fleshy thumb does not make the buzz noise. I am using Dunlops, tried these 2. Do you think a Zookie L10 or L20 would be better?
sovio - Posted - 11/13/2022: 05:11:09
I recall a bit from a Mike Witcher instructional vid where he recommends pulling your elbow in, closer to your ribs when playing on the 6th string. It changes the angle your pick strikes the string.
I also found that my lighter bar has less clarity on the low string.
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/13/2022: 06:11:25
Thank you Sovio, I will give that a try. 
Edited by - BDavisMartin on 11/13/2022 06:11:43
badger - Posted - 11/13/2022: 09:03:02
Suggest you make the jump to a Blue Chip thumbpick and practice striking the string cleanly rather than trying to adjust the angle of the pick itself. Yeah, it's $40 or so, but money very well spent. The sooner you select from the choices of strings, instruments, capos, bars, and picks and settle into improving your technique the better you'll sound.
I have no direct knowledge of this - heard it from a friend. I'm still in search of the magic whatever that'll make me sound like Jerry, Rob, or my hero du jour. No luck so far...
“Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the mother**cker who plays it is 80 percent.”
- Miles Davis
Edited by - badger on 11/13/2022 09:03:27
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/13/2022: 09:53:19
Blue Chip is on order badger. Can't wait to get it. 
badger - Posted - 11/13/2022: 16:59:12
Absolute game changer! Hope you like it - please report back!
psikes - Posted - 11/13/2022: 17:49:37
Love my Blue Chip and Sammy Shelor finger picks. Just not the same with anything else.
badger - Posted - 11/14/2022: 06:53:58
Blue Chip and Acri stainless work for me. It's been at least ten years, and I wouldn't use anything else. I just think of them as my prosthetic claws...
BrianMac - Posted - 11/14/2022: 07:44:34
Depending on the order of the run of notes, I often lean my bar the other direction and push against the low G rather than pull toward me to fret it. The tone is better. Also, the Blue Chip thumb pick works well for me.
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/14/2022: 07:49:01
quote:
Originally posted by BrianMac
Depending on the order of the run of notes, I often lean my bar the other direction and push against the low G rather than pull toward me to fret it. The tone is better. Also, the Blue Chip thumb pick works well for me.
I found the same to be true regarding push against, also what Sovio said about pulling your elbows in seems to help as well. I am still really new to playing this dobro though.
Thanks to all for your inputs!
Oboe Cadobro - Posted - 11/14/2022: 10:26:17
If you find that the muddy low string is partly in the guitar, then picking closer to the bridge on that string can get a more focused sound.
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/16/2022: 20:25:21
Got the BlueChip L Reso in the mail today. Works great! It is a little longer in depth than I am used to but it strikes the Low G string very clean. It is also very comfortable on my thumb. The old Dunlop L cut off the circulation after a while. Thanks for great tip!
A few pics:
hlpdobro - Posted - 11/17/2022: 06:37:35
You'll eventually need to partially wrap the blade of your middle finger pick around the finger tip in order to get a proper attack.
h
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/17/2022: 06:40:45
quote:
Originally posted by hlpdobro
You'll eventually need to partially wrap the blade of your middle finger pick around the finger tip in order to get a proper attack.
h
Thanks! Will do.
mmannaxx - Posted - 11/06/2023: 16:51:53
BDavis-
Did you find the pick cured the muddy sound of the low G? I have a GoldTone PBS as well that seems muddy on the low G and B (to a lesser extent). I have never had a luthier take a look at it and not sure I can find anyone locally that has that expertise but I think I will try.
BDavisMartin - Posted - 11/06/2023: 20:22:46
@mmannaxx, The blue chip thumb pick greatly helped. Still the Low G string is not as crisp in tone as the others. I played with different angles of attack with the pick, similar to guitar flatpicking and that helped some as well. Some day, I hope to get a chance to play a high dollar Beard and see what that sounds like for comparison. I still need a lot of practice on intonation using slant chords.
mmannaxx - Posted - 11/06/2023: 21:04:52
For what it is worth, I recently acquired an older (2014) Appalachian reso made by Tom Warner and the low G on it is significantly clearer or crisper(?) than on the Gold Tone reso. But using the same picks varying between the two resos there is a defiinite difference on the low G that is clearly noticable. But clearly different picks also do make a difference. So there may be some setup issue involved as well. Hopefully I can get it cleared up. I will keep you posted if I discover anything of significance. tempted to order a Blue Chip thumbpick but haven't decided to pull the trigger yet.
'Bourbon Street Triolian' 7 days
'WTB Beard 2010 bar' 14 days
