mdw3332 Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Here's the story. I found a Telecoustic body really cheap and when I got it the top was in pretty bad shape. I finally decided to cover the top with a flame maple cap I had but it split in a couple of places so I routed out the top to take a Pearloid Strat pickguard. I put it all together tonight and it looks pretty good, but I get am getting a lot of hum. Could that be from the hollow body or just bad electronics / or soldering? It is not feedback which is what I thought I might get. Any ideas? BTW, it has a Tele shaped neck and the finish is Drak' stain it black, sand it back. It actually looks better than the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defiled Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I love it! No f-hole??? Oh well, still looks great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Looks quite nice and different. Why didnt you leave the acoustic bridge in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted April 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Thanks guys. I thought it might look a bit busy with an F hole and the big ol' pickguard although now that it is together I think a smallish one down in the lower right might have been cool. Oh well. LCG - I didn't get the accoustic bridge with the body and as the idea for adding the top and pickguard evolved, it seemed to make sense to use the StewMac top load hard tail and it actually sets up very nicely. The little I have played it ( without intonating), it appears that it will have a pretty varied sound with a really nice accoustic toneand it's going to come in at somewhere under $100 for the whole thing. I just realized something about the hum - I didn't ground anything to the body. Since the back is plastic-graphite (?) should I just run a ground to a part of the top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 You'll find out as soon as you plug in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I'd say ground it to the bridge and get some piezo saddles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 I just realized something about the hum - I didn't ground anything to the body. Since the back is plastic-graphite (?) should I just run a ground to a part of the top? The body is fiberglass, IIRC. You should probably put shielding around the electronics (pick-ups, pots, etc.) if you haven't already. Hmm... I don't know if you'd want to put copper foil all over the inside of the body or paint it with Conductive Shielding Paint (I don't know if it'd affect the acoustic sound of it or if the paint'd melt the fiberglass' resin ). Maybe build a thin box just under the maple cap that'd surround all the electronics and shield that? All that might be overkill, huh? Those hollow bodied jazz guitars don't have that much shielding, do they? Ooh, and yeah... add some piezos like Litchfield said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 If you use the copper tape, you might be able to form a 'fake' box around the electronics. That tape is sticky as hell, and wide enough to form some fake 'sidewalls' around the electronics. So, explain what you did do to shield/ground, that will help troubleshoot your hum. It looks great, but I'm still waiting on the Walnut! PS, I hate hum, and I'll go to great lengths to completely eliminate it, DIE bastard hum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted April 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 OK, a ground from the back of the pot to the bridge was all it needed. No hum. I'm not quite sure what I think of the sound - maybe a little thin, but you can hear the hollow body effect. The pups are cheap ones from an old Squier but I don't think I will bother changing them. I have several other projets that promise to be nicer, but this was a good learning experience - I covered the top, finished it, replaced the binding and covered the hole in the body where the controls were. As always, I am happily surprised that it looks sorta like a guitar and makes guitar like sounds when it is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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