4nkam Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Awhile back, I started to install LEDs into a few fretboards...Well shortly after I started working on them, I stopped. I found some good info on fiber optic strands and the tools I would need to use them for my fretboards. I'm still in the process of getting the materials and tools, but the sample I have is pretty cool and I'm definitely gonna use Fiber Optic instead of all LEDs. The LEDs are nice and large, but that's the problem there. Even with the mini LEDs, they are still pretty big compared to your average side marker. They light up nice and bright (And by changing the resistor you can change the brightness) but you can see the white center. On the other hand, the Fiber Optics are very small and they have a nice, clean, pure look. They really are a lot nicer to deal with. All I have to do now is figure out the routing since you can only bend them so much Here are a few pics that I took. My crappo camera doesn't even come close to capturing the nice solid colors. The fiber optic is on the 2nd fret and the rest are LEDs (I'm not using this neck on any guitar, it's my testing neck. It has more holes in it than a 15 year old at the Warped Tour). I just checked the pics and they appear very dark on this computer. They were fine on my laptop and camera, so I'll try and fix them later.... MJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebryusguitars Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 dude looking great, maybe you can do a nice tutorial for all of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUCKyou Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 (edited) i want to install some leds of fiber optics under my bridge or under my knobs...where can i buy those and what kind would you suggest Edited February 2, 2005 by PLUCKyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selmac Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 when I get fiber optics for models I just go to wal mart and buy one of those cheap fiber optic lamps that look kinda like an explosion from a black base, not sure if that would work on a guitar though as the fiber optic strands aren't that long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 I like the fiber optics. It was Dave that did the tutorial, right? I think he said he messed around just a bit with fiberoptics, but he couldn't get the bends to work out because the radius the fiberoptics would make weren't tight enough. You have to admit from those pics that the optics look a lot better, too. Let us know how it all goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePlague Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 wow. straight on the LED would look ALMOST as good as the fiber optic if it wasn't so big. from the side there's no contest. that fiber optic marker looks amazing. i'm looking forward to seeing a finished guitar with these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 when I get fiber optics for models I just go to wal mart and buy one of those cheap fiber optic lamps that look kinda like an explosion from a black base, not sure if that would work on a guitar though as the fiber optic strands aren't that long My mom has this 3' tall fiberoptic x-mas tree, Hmmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 I think the main reason why the LEDs don't look as good in those pics is because the LED hasn't been sanded flush to the board and polished. When that is done, they will look very nice. To me, it actually looks like the LED was embedded beneath the edge and you can see a gap around the dome of the LED. Try leaving a bit of the LED exposed beyond the fretboard's edge and then sand it flush. After that, give it a good polish with higher grit (use micro-mesh if you have it). They should end up looking a lot like the fiber after that. I think fiber is a good choice as long as your are happy with the hell involved with routing the fibers under the fretboard and into the body. There are considerable advantages to using fiber - no doubt about that. With bolt-on necks though, the advantages start to become out-weighed by the routing nightmare. By routing I mean finding a path to the control cavity and dealing with all of the bending needed to get by the neck pickup and dealing with getting the neck on and off cleanly. For new builds, there are certainly things that can be done to make this a little easier but for existing bodies, eeeks! Good luck with it, I hope it turns out looking great for you. Lit fretboards are always an eye catcher! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4nkam Posted February 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 (edited) Hey guys...Yeah, the fretboard in this pic is nowhere near finished and it's not going to be. It's the very first one I used to try out LEDs awhile back and I keep it around for testing a few different ideas out...until there's no more wood left, haha. The finished LEDs, once flush and sanded, DO look nice but IMO they aren't as nice as the fiber optics. I am waiting for several spools to arrive and once they do, I plan to start on the fretboards that I have prepped. I've got just about everything worked out in terms of routing, positioning, etc, so hopefully it goes well. I'm buying from http://www.thefiberopticstore.com/ They cost a little bit more than a few other places (but not much), but they take online payments so I went with them. MJ Edited February 5, 2005 by 4nkam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 for bolt ons, could you not just drill a hole from the neck pocket to the pickups, then run ur wiring thru there? then you could leave the LED and the strands in the hole u drilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4nkam Posted February 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 I've been pretty busy lately and this isn't a huge update, but I thought I would put up a few pics. This is still the same cheapo testing neck in all pics, so please ignore the wood filler and misc holes I've got two gauges of fiber and I'm waiting on a shipment since I ran out of one gauge, so I should have everything up and running pretty soon. So far, things have been falling into place very nicely and I think I've got everything figured out, including a few different options like wiring it directly to the EMGs so that they light up when you are plugged in (and you can use a switch in the cavity) or using a push/pull pot to turn it on/off instead of a mini toggle. I personally like blue the best. Red, orange and white also work very well. But the others I have (purple, green, yellow) are not as bright so I'm shopping for some more LEDs. MJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebryusguitars Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 WOW breathtaking...how much would you charge for a ready to glue on (with inlay and frets) fingerboard..blue. This things are crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Could you show us a pic of where the fibers terminate and the light source? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Wiring it to the EMGs is pretty clever. Nice work! You should hook up the fiber to a colour-changing LED array so the user can select their own colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 or even switch between colors between long notes, or you know waht would be killer? probably not possible but *would be* awesome: leds hooked up to the tremelo bar so when you press down and the notes shift down, the color shifts from blue to red etc. OMG that would be deadly. I wonder if some kind of potentiometer based project could work with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRVCustom Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 wow. i just got the greatest idea. would it be possible to inlay optics on the front, instead of pearl or ivory, etc.? i like the side dots, but fronts dots would be killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4nkam Posted February 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 WOW breathtaking...how much would you charge for a ready to glue on (with inlay and frets) fingerboard..blue. This things are crazy. People have been asking how much I would do it for and I'm honestly not sure. I would be up for it, but right now I'm just playing it safe until I've got a few fully completed ones under my belt. The price for just a fretboard would be lower than a full install since there's less work from not having to remove/attach the fretboard to a neck but I only have access to a few new fretboards with limited options (radius, inlays, woods, fret size, etc). I do know a fellow that might be able to make me some replacements with any features someone asked for though. But if I were to just throw out a price based on what I've done so far, with all the materials, wiring/switch, and new fretboard, maybe around $75-100. But once I get that far, I'll see what people think of price ranges... I will say that if I were to do it, I wouldn't charge $450 like the other places...and they only use LEDs in the neck The main reason I chose to do it on my own was the crazy prices I've seen. But once I get further along with everything, I'll give it some thought in terms of prices for materials and time (which it takes a lot of, unfortunately). Could you show us a pic of where the fibers terminate and the light source? I'll have to get back with you on that one. My camera cable has run away, haha. But basically, the strands are held together with heat shrink tubing and then go into a larger piece of HS tubing which is on the LED. The strands line up flush with the LED face and then the HS tubing is warmed up to secure it all in place Wiring it to the EMGs is pretty clever. Nice work! Yeah, the only thing I'm still looking into is the power consumption if it's running on a regular 9volt setup. I've got several guitars with EMGs wired at 9 or 18 volts, so I have a few options for testing it. You should hook up the fiber to a colour-changing LED array so the user can select their own colour I've thought about that and I'm looking into it If it's all small enough and reliable, I'll give it a go. leds hooked up to the tremelo bar so when you press down and the notes shift down, the color shifts from blue to red etc. OMG that would be deadly. I wonder if some kind of potentiometer based project could work with that? That would be sweet! Maybe some kind of weird pully/potentiometer setup... would it be possible to inlay optics on the front, instead of pearl or ivory, etc.? i like the side dots, but fronts dots would be killer. Definitely possible. Either as centers in the existing dots or to light up the entire thing. They shine very nicely within pearl. I've got some really cool inlay ideas that would incorporate fiber optics, but unfortunately I don't have any inlay experience yet. MJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 couldnt you also put multiple leds behind an odd shaped semi trransparent material for a big light that looks like something. like inlay a bird or something but behind it put some leds so it looks like a blue glowing bird or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selmac Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 (edited) I'm just thinking out loud here but for the trem activated lights couldn't you just put a switch in the trem cavity so when you move the trem it hits the switch and engages a circut of changing LED's for the duration the switch is pushed down? or if its a floating trem some kind of magnetic switch? I just had an Idea for the top markers of a neck. what if you used those blinkers? the ones people put in their bellybuttons or ears with a magnet on the back and another magnet so you can stick them on your shirt or anywhere. the ones that have a bunch of colors and are for dances and stuff. if you take the back off then cut the batteryholder and wire them in it would look sweet. I hope that made sense Edited February 27, 2005 by selmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mailman Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 i love the white ones dude. good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 I'm just thinking out loud here but for the trem activated lights couldn't you just put a switch in the trem cavity so when you move the trem it hits the switch and engages a circut of changing LED's for the duration the switch is pushed down? or if its a floating trem some kind of magnetic switch? ← Your on the right track, but I mean one that fades from one color to another. BUt I think I might have come up with something. If you have 2 pots in the trem cavity. One on each side. Then 2 pulleys (one in each bottom rear corner). And a string tied to each side of the tremolo and wrapped around the pulley to the pot. Then the string is wrapped around the shaft of the pot. But heres the catch, one string is wrapped one way, and the oneo n the other pot is wrapped hte other way. So when the trem is making the pitch lower, one pot is turned up, and the other is turned down. And The first lug would be the power supply, the second lug would be the led, and the 3rd lug would be ground. Then the LEDs would both be behind a semi-transparent inlay, thus giving a tie-dye in progress effect when the tremolo is in action. Of course you would attach a spring to the front side of the trem cavity connected to a string that wraps around the pot in the opposite direction as the first string so it will go back to where it was in the first place when the trem is let down. I might draw up a diagram later. Damn! Now all I need is a guitar with a tremolo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 (edited) heres a pic of what i was talking about for those people who are normal and dont understand me when I try to explain things I dont know if the colors would be that saturated though. EDIT BTW, I have no idea about trem anatomy, so I have no clue if it owrks like that or not, all i know is you push the bar down and it pulls the bridge up, loosening the tension, making the pitch lower. And I also know theres some springs in there so it stays down when not pushing. Edited March 3, 2005 by silvertonessuckbutigotone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 heres a pic of what i was talking about for those people who are normal and dont understand me when I try to explain things I dont know if the colors would be that saturated though. EDIT BTW, I have no idea about trem anatomy, so I have no clue if it owrks like that or not, all i know is you push the bar down and it pulls the bridge up, loosening the tension, making the pitch lower. And I also know theres some springs in there so it stays down when not pushing. ← I'm sure you could make it work if you decide to really give it a go - one suggestion, though. String/springs will always be slipping and might get out of whack or break. I'd suggest that if you're going to try it, use a rack and pinion set - put a little gear on the pot shaft, and a straight bar with teeth to match the gear pinned to the trim block (so that it can swing). You'll need a spring to hold the rack (the straight part) against the pinion (the gear) but it wouldn't ever slip and would be much more reliable than string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Does the trem acutally travel far enough to cause enough rotation in the pot. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that if the trem moves 1/4" to 3/8" that would be pretty extreme. I don't know if that little bit of travel can be translated into enough rotary motion for the pot? I could be completely full of it as well. Just thinking out loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 you can get pots that have there full travel in half a turn. With some gearing it would be easy to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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