pickup placement/piezo

[buddyro57]

Hi Lee,
I imagine that you experimented with all kinds of pickups and placements, but I wondered how a Darkstar might sound at the very end on the fingerboard ( like on a Gibson EB0). I acknowledge that you would lose some definition and punch most likely, but I would like to hear how that combination would sound on a fretless Barker, maybe with some tapewraps.

I have always liked the design of your instrument, and I like the sound of the audio clips that I have heard, but I was curious to know if you had tried anything like that.

Many thanks
Jon Schwabe

[Lee Barker]

Hi Jon--

Thanks for your kind and thought-provoking post.

Short answer: I have not tried anything like that.

There are numerous creative electronic possibilities for the Barker, and the Darkstar is certainly a very intriguing one. I'd like to try it one day.

That said, there is, in an endeavor like ours, a fork in the road at some point in the development of the instrument. The signs say, "work at perfecting what you have" and "try more options."
We followed the first sign with the B1, honing the aesthetics and tweaking the physics. So far, so good.

Then along came Joel Barker and his clipboard with the challenge to "build a Barker for under $2k" and we did that with the Brio (no price increase...yet). I was reluctant to launch that effort, fearing that we'd erode the Barker reputation for tone and quality. We didn't. We created something not only more accessible, but also with a different voice and feel.

2 lessons here: 1. Pay attention to suggestions, and 2. You won't really know until you try.

I try to listen closely to folks like you, and I do keep a file of ideas, and the Darkstar is now in it!

Thanks for the post!

[fretster]

Ahah! The Barkstar!