psw Posted June 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 (edited) Yes...well I don't think we will be wanting to go down the road of sustainiac (hoover) and co though looking at the guts of these things are addictive. The circuitry typically features AGC (automatic gain control - a feature of col's preamp) and phase correction circuitry...the driver in this case is a bi-lateral design (a coil for the lower strings and another for the higher strings of reverse polarity). Other patents will suggest drivers with the coils tipped on their sides and all manner of ideas... But for DIY and to fit into my abilities, not to mention to make it cheap and adaptable for the average person...these strategies are not really going to be practical...far cheaper to buy the real thing! What I have attempted to do, and continue to hope for, is a simple adaptable system that takes the essence of the device (an amplified coil) and design it is such a way as to limit the need for such complicated circuitry and to perhaps forward the concept a little more, taking the device to another level...I'm an idealist!!! Still...we have made a lot of progress... The mid-driver does hold quite a bit of promise in this area but I am starting to feel it's drawbacks...particularly the driver so close to the strings right where the picking hand is. Perhaps if it worked perfectly, I'd be more patient with it! I will continue with experiments though...the dual lm386 circuit worked well and is an interesting design but I think it drew way to much power from the battery...only required 7 components and a tiny board and in some ways easier and smaller than the single LM386 circuit... Still...maybe I'll have a use for this thing somewhere...maybe a little practice amp... The next time I will build a straight LM386 amp but on stripboard based on my champ modified amp (I use a circuit board but I plan on reducing size) and fit it to the underside of the mid-driver's base plate and wire it all in...I may replicate the preamp that I used also, but reduce the gain and see if that helps... While the mid driver has merits, back in the hex days I was actually trying to make not just thin, but "slim" drivers. It maybe a better proposition to make a driver so thin and slim that it could be surface mounted on a guitar like mine betweeen the neck pickup and the bridge and work with the bridge pickup alone (requiring the use of bypassing particularly of the neck pickup and disallowing any other pickup combinations)...it certainly would be a neat configuration for the device but not so much a step forward in the implementation... Meanwhile...school holidays are upon us, so work will be suspended for a little while...any thoughts on little projects like the ones I've been doing or directions to go are still appreciated...will respond if the kids let me near the computer! pete PS Hot glue will only be used to tack the magnet onto the bottom of the bobbin. Hot glue is messy stuff and hard to control...for sticking the magnets on and other uses, including sticking the driver to my aluminium base plate, I used superglue (be careful with the stuff and don't inhale!)! The putty sounds like a good way to make a one off molded unit...it can be painted up later, just dont sand through to the windings when shaping it... p Edited June 27, 2007 by psw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Oh...and I had reason to look into ebow stuff again and was pointed to this Phil Keaggy video demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwq0i6jP7dQ...amazing stuff! Certainly has inspired me to do a little work in this direction. In many ways the ebow idea would be easier than a full blown sustainer to build and of course requires no modifications at all. We have talked a bit about ebows but I never got around to making one myself...perhaps now is the time while I have all these little circuits floating around... I'd be interested in ideas people might have for alternative designs for the actual unit...the ebow is elegant, but would it benefit from separating the battery from the sensor/driver part and miniturizing it in some way that allowed the player to retain the pick? Could it be designed to some how float above the strings more easily to enable those chord appegiations (I've not seen that emonstrated before)... Anyway...just sharing...Paul Marossy has a bit on it and has contributed here on occasions over at his site www.diyguitarist.com... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Hot glue is messy stuff and hard to control...for sticking the magnets on and other uses, including sticking the driver to my aluminium base plate, I used superglue (be careful with the stuff and don't inhale!)! *(Now remeber, this is just me....all of the rest of you listen to PSW on this one )* I am proud to say that with my tinkerings and construction of various items including guitars, amps, movie-prop lightsabers, computers, and costumes to name a few, I have become a HOT GLUE EXPERT!!!!! I think (as lame as this sounds) that I have mastered working with the substance and have complete control of it. Anyway, one man's messy glue is another man's sculptable masterpiece-building-material. (heh heh heh) If you have not had the misfortune/fortune of using this stuff as much as me though, stick to super glue.... ....just don't sniff it The putty sounds like a good way to make a one off molded unit...it can be painted up later, just dont sand through to the windings when shaping it I will use that... but one concern: Can the chemicals in the putty 'melt' or 'eat' thru the insulation on the magnet wire causing the driver to short?? Just a thought.... -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I have become a HOT GLUE EXPERT!!!!! Well...I have nothing against hot glue in it's place...I'm not sure where that place is, but I am sure there is a place for it...just not sure this is the place! The truth is I love playing with materials and this is interesting stuff...At one stage I tried to melt it and impregnate it with iron filings and pour it into a mold...the darn stuff could never come out...it's tenacious stuff alright. I actually admired your use of hot glue to attach the temporary bobbins...it occurs to me that this would be an ideal material to use to make the rubber core for Tim's jigamethingy for bobbinless, coreless coils perhaps... Can the chemicals in the putty 'melt' or 'eat' thru the insulation on the magnet wire causing the driver to short?? I have not experienced these problems....I have used epoxy that you would think would be a solvent. Of course the glue will most likely re-insulate the wire anyway. PVA glue offers some protection to as it is a plastic waterbased substance that will not be effected by these things...so there is double protection. You know...there is even a kind of specialist wire that has insulation that melts with heat...you run a current through the coil and the whole thing glues it to itself all the way through...the ultimate potting. For our purposes, in general the PVA or similar is adequate and safer...my coils were later glued with epoxy to the outside when those top pieces went on and it was solid as a rock with no ill effects. If I were to make a truely professional product, I would mold the driver EMG style....I even have gone so far as to learn how to make molds and dabled with epoxy molding...both for this project and for some other ideas I have had (pickups, etc). The Hex drivers would not have worked without such "putties" holding it all together and absorbing the heat and EMI...the internal components were quite fragile without it...the aluminium casings formed an exoskeleton to hole everything in place (there were 12 magnets in each one for instance)... I am starting to think about some other driver designs to try...a little unfinished business. I know Juan tried a few too but translations make it difficult. I have some side driver thoughts and the bi-lateral and multicoil systems have not been fully explored. I am also interested in the idea of the DIY ebow...remember this is about all things sustainer. An ebow should be a lot easier to build with very similar technology to what we are dabbling with. It could aid in a better understanding of the whole field. I have already learn't a bit from the research I have done recently...not only about it's benefits, but the ebow's shortcomings. I have the kids over for a week, but I may get a chance to sneak in a little work on this...I am proof reading my LM386 module and may get a chance to build and install it into the mid-driver. This could at least solidify this part of the circuit. I could also do a bit on the alternate preamp design...I already have a few ideas. I am actually really enjoying the challenge of making these things as small and simple as I can get them...quite an art really. To get them small like these, I make a layout then see how many jumper wires I can fit under the chip or across the board on the other side...some you can even attach components to each side. Of course, if you don't mind them being a bit bigger, you can reverse the process and spread things out for an easier build... Anyway...time to sleep...take care...wild storms down here...wind and rain in the middle of a drought...shocking stuff... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I am actually really enjoying the challenge of making these things as small and simple as I can get them...quite an art really. I agree! Now if only we could figure out a DIY 5150 III amp to build!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As for my driver.... it is still clamped (I will share this technique soon, as it is very simple but also pretty foolproof) and is drying well. I'm gonna putty it today I think.... while it is still in the clamps which I think could be beneficial because then no structure/shape can be lost in that process.... anyway, like I said, pictures soon. Oh, and about hot glue molding..... I have actually had success in that field (believe it or not). I used mid/high temp hot glue, and used Sculpey clay to make the molds (it bakes hard in your oven and doesn't smell bad). As long as you either slightly oil the molds or slightly powder them with ground up clay dust, you can pull the hardened glue out pretty easy. Also, your mold has to be 2 equally deep pieces (no one piece pour-glue-in-the-top molds.... tried it, doesn't work.) You can even paint the dried glue (I have only tried high quality Acryllic, not oil base.....) -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smile44 Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) Sorry, kind of off-topic, but I think some of you might be interested. I'm on another guitar forum (Redspecial forum on brianmayworld.com), and some guys on this forum built their own replica of the Deacy (some of you may know this little amp, which has been created from scratch by Queen bass player for Brian May, and he used it for all the multiparts guitar harmony you can hear in Queen records). This replica is called the Orchestrator, and used with a treble booster, it's got a huuuuuuuge sustain ! Here is the link for the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxZV7KM3Igs Now, who still needs an e-bow ?? Cheers. Edited June 28, 2007 by Smile44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 (edited) Well, here it comes... Pictures of the first stage of building the dual coil sustainer: I used the same cores as the 1st try (seen previously), but this time they are much closer together. Temporary bobbins attached to the cores with hot glue were used again also, but this time they were this size. This is the bobbin structure without a core and coil in it, so that you all can see it better. The side pieces are the correct coil depth, and were used to squeeze the coils in towards the core. Here they are again being used to squeeze the coils inward on their final bobbins. This is the clamp system I used before I squeezed the coils in as shown in the last picture.... this is the key to getting the entire driver correctly aligned. *Note that the 2 main clamps never touch the cores!! Spacers (wood here) must be used* **Note the 3rd smaller clamp that is holding the 2 cores... since the coils were squeezed together to be put onto the final bobbin, they of course wanted to push themselves apart before they dried (which took 2 days), and that pressure caused the cores to want to angle apart (very bad!!!) I used that 3rd clamp to keep the cores perfectly parallel. And here is the final result so far. *Note that the cores DO NOT have to be that tall.... mine just are for mounting purposes...* -MRJ Edited June 29, 2007 by mrjstudios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashBandit Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 What are the drawbacks to using BTL amps? I'm just considering using one, and I want to know what problems I'll face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hi, ive been reading this thread for ages now ive decided i want to build a sustainer, im good with the driver part but the amp part kills me, is there an easy amp to build (is the ruby one the best one to go with?) i mean really simple to understand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hi, ive been reading this thread for ages now ive decided i want to build a sustainer, im good with the driver part but the amp part kills me, is there an easy amp to build (is the ruby one the best one to go with?) i mean really simple to understand? Stick around.... we are working (mostly PSW and a few others) on a new amp that is not only very simple, like the ruby, but actually works really well too. It seems the Ruby by itself just can't quite cut it for this project, so that is why many people use the Fetzer/Ruby amp... but it has some major drawbacks. Just wait until everyone can figure out the new design.... if you can. Otherwise a bare minimum to build is the Fetzer/Ruby circut from runoffgrove.com. -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted June 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2007 Welcome newcomers and return sustainers What are the drawbacks to using BTL amps? I'm just considering using one, and I want to know what problems I'll face. Well, flash...I tried the TDA7052 and more recently a dual LM386 in bridge tied mode. They tend to heat up a fair bit and try to put out more watts than the battery can take, flattening it in fairly short time. The TDA7052 was generating a fair bit of heat (a sure sign of excessive power use)...probably work great in less demanding situations and with power supplies...still, it is inconclusive. I have tried 1 watt type amps but have found nothing that can run for any decent amount of time on 9volts. It is not the voltage you need to consider...you can get amps that will run on very low voltages...it is the current draw required to push that kind of power that kills it for battery use. But that is just my experience...maybe you have found something that might work? im good with the driver part but the amp part kills me, is there an easy amp to build Yes...well this does seem to be a perenial problem and I am working on it. Have built a good layout for the LM386 that can be built very compactly or spaced out a little for the complete newcomer (still very small)...this circuit also contains power protection and LED power on board as well as variable gain option. Am getting closer to a matching preamp design...stay tuned! Looking good mrj...I was building mine to the magnet size and to the single coil size (it actually worked out a little narrower, even with external fins... Smile44 Well...enough distortion/compression and sitting in front of a seriously driven little amp will give that kind of sustain...but you can't really compare it to the techniques available with a device like an ebow and to some extent the sustainer...look again... The name "sustainer" is a little unfortunate. It is a feedback generator and auto harmonic player...it extends the potential of the guitar without inhibiting it...well at least that's the aim...with out having to resort to extremes of tone or volume to get the effect. Not that there is anything wrong with that tone or a player like Santana...but the "sustainer effect is completely different... Talking about ebows...DIYstompboxes has had some threads on some DIY propositions and a suceessful build. I have always intended to do something along those lines and since our poweramp is identical and the driver easier to make that a full sustainer...I am finally going about giving it a go. Looking promising so far. The biggest draw back (besides the enclosure) is the pickup coil to make...I have found a common relay that can be taken apart for a coil that will work for A$4 which is pretty good and ideal in size. I just need to wind a little driver coil and it should be cooking (circuit and pickup tested)...would make a good introduction to this and a valid device in it's own right... The ebow also has some drawbacks and assumptions about it that I feel I really should explore more and may feed our reasearch a little more... Otherwise...very little is likely to come for a week or so...have my mini LM386 amp to put under the mid drive built up but needs to be installed. Will test it with another preamp when I get a chance. I also have a new driver design that may help if this one turns out not to go as planned. I also have an idea of adapting this to a neck driver that surface mounts between the neck and single coil of a strat...this thing will be thin and slim and have novel coil orientations...if I build it (and I probably will)... cheers... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted June 30, 2007 Report Share Posted June 30, 2007 (edited) PSW Well, I probably could have squeezed it the remaining 2mm that the magnet does not fill, but I was working with clamps and a pre-cut bobbin that I had to guess on... and, had I made the bobbin slots a little closer, it would have been nearly impossible to slide both coils on it at all. So yes, it is not 'perfect', but I am very happy with how clean and tight the coils and entire driver are so far. And don't be fooled by the pics; it is only 26mm wide compared to a slim single that is 18mm. I could even shave 3-5mm off the sides too if I wanted. About your circut.... Sounds very good so far -- you got a solid LM386 stage (which is what I wanted ). I also very much like the LED on board indicator and and the gain adjustment will be nice.... -MRJ Edited June 30, 2007 by mrjstudios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_David Posted June 30, 2007 Report Share Posted June 30, 2007 (edited) Talking about ebows...DIYstompboxes has had some threads on some DIY propositions and a suceessful build. I have always intended to do something along those lines and since our poweramp is identical and the driver easier to make that a full sustainer...I am finally going about giving it a go. Looking promising so far. The biggest draw back (besides the enclosure) is the pickup coil to make...I have found a common relay that can be taken apart for a coil that will work for A$4 which is pretty good and ideal in size. I just need to wind a little driver coil and it should be cooking (circuit and pickup tested)...would make a good introduction to this and a valid device in it's own right... Hello again Pete, at the risk of getting shot down in flames again, I am going to stick my neck out a little here......not having my promised Sustainer from Juán even after all this time, I have taken to doing a fair bit of experimenting with my MkII e-Bow. Today, fed up with not being able to use my pick, I discovered that in fact one can use the front edge of the unit to pick with....but it unfortunately sounds like one of those stone plectrums that were all the rage some years ago. But they sound distinctly 'plinky', if you know what I mean, and so does the edge of the e-Bow. But it must be said that this effect sounds quite nice on chordal work, and you can even strum pretty fast, because the surface glides over the string with next to no resistance. But it takes some getting used to. So here's where I stick my neck out - what about fixing a pick surface to the upper leading edge of the e-Bow? (Even as just a temporary measure, until you can better the design). What I like to be able to do is go from playing let's say a lead line, then catch the final note with the e-Bow and sustain it. For me this is far more musical than just playing with constant sustain/feedback, and it also frees one from the restriction of cross string movement during solos, as one can never be sure when moving from one string to another during a solo to be able to get the e-Bow to correctly cause that string to sustain.....and even a master like Phil Keaggy sometimes doesn't quite catch it right Another possiblity to look into in terms of trying to improve on the ergonomic design might be to reduce the width of the casing where it most affects one's ability to grasp a pick or fingerpick, in other words the part that fits between the thumb and the outside of the palm. I know you don't own an e-Bow, so I am trying to be as descriptive as possible..... From personal experience I really don't think the string guide rails need be anything like as pronounced. With practice you can get the 1st string sustaining, and obviously that means that only one guide rail will be engaged. So I think that one could adapt to not resting the e-Bow over the strings with the aid of these rails. It would be tricky, because of the weight of the e-Bow. That is one of its greatest problems, it just feels like such a mass in the hand and impairs the movement of the fingers and the wrist too, because on the one hand you have to keep changing the angle slightly in order to maintain the sustain when not directly over the nodes - for me it is a little like using the pinky to support the hand when you are picking very fast and deliberately trying to minimize up down movement of the pick - although in this case it is more to provide control over the height of the e-Bow over the string, especially the 1st string. I also find that if you rely entirely on the rails for height positioning over the string, often the string will actually end up vibrating against the bottom of the e-Bow, choking the string, which sounds terrible. Another thing that I dislike about the guide rails is that they tend to force one to play only on that one single horizontal plane, whereas it would be interesting to experiment with different angles in relation to the p/up(s) being used. The ebow also has some drawbacks and assumptions about it that I feel I really should explore more and may feed our reasearch a little more... I am willing to help - just tell me how. (Although this is a new e-Bow, so as long as it does not involve damaging it, I'm game.) Oh, nearly forgot, there is one thing that really needs improving as soon as, and that is the selector switch. Once even a little worn, it tends to turn on by itself, and the battery ends up drained. It is a really cheap and nasty 3 position slider switch, and there must be a far more elegant solution. It is also pretty much impossible to tell whether one is switching into harmonic mode or normal mode either, as there is no visual indicator - I just know I'm going to get flamed on this - remember the LED discussion? It is also very difficult to select just by touch, because you have to turn the device around and actually look at the switch position in order to tell which mode it is in (if you have marked it). As you are starting from scratch Pete, you might like to try experimenting with switch placement somewhere where it could be operated for example by thumb movement. I think maybe tiny recessed push switches might be preferable over a slider (or perhaps we might borrow some of the Pocket PC and mobile phone technology for this), and perhaps replace the LED with a bi-colour LED to indicate normal/harmonic modes; or have a separate second LED which was bi-colour for the same purpose. Someone ought to also invent a means for attaching the device to the guitar itself, I am forever looking for somewhere to put it when not using it where it is easily within reach but will not risk falling on the floor, especially on stage, where you might not be able to find it, nor the battery which will in all probability have detached itself and gone skating across the platform just out of reach .... For a while I tried blu-tacking it to the guitar body but when I went to pull it off again the casing of the e-Bow came apart! - There seem to be no screws holding the casing together, and it must be said that it is a little flimsy. BTW, off topic I know, but has anyone here tried out a harmonic capo? The inventor does not seem that interested in marketing them, but they are really amazing for people into two handed tapping, especially on acoustic... David cheers... pete Edited June 30, 2007 by Truth_David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hey David...good to see you back... harmonic capo? What is that? Got a link? So here's where I stick my neck out - what about fixing a pick surface to the upper leading edge of the e-Bow? Well I don't have an ebow, but some of these ideas may have some merit. I have done a bit of experimenting with the DIY ebow and have even found a "coil" that could serve as a single string pickup...no winding required... Will let you know more of the progress on this... you got a solid LM386 stage (which is what I wanted ). Well...should be ok...just need to test it before posting. I also have found a way to switch from inverting and non inverting inputs into the LM386 I think....leaving the driver leads alone...we'll see...am trying to install circuit in guitar (when kids give me a chance) and see if that improves things for the mid-driver... Installing the circuit will put the accent back onto the driver and EMI problems again... May get a chance to do some preamp circuit work too...have a couple of designs to try out... I also have a new design for a side, dual coil bi-lateral type driver that may have some application...these craft shop magnets are exactly the right size for such a device. I am wondering whether the whole parrallel 16 ohm driver is the way to go...series may be as good with thicker wire...comparison tests would be the only way to be sure.... Got to run...be back when I can... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 I am wondering whether the whole parrallel 16 ohm driver is the way to go...series may be as good with thicker wire...comparison tests would be the only way to be sure.... Really..... Well, I suppose if I get some free time (and once we have a working circut here that I will build and test, etc.) I could use some of my extra .25mm Milspec wire and make a 2 x 4ohm in series. Not sure where I will get a decent magnet though.... even with a bunch of craft stores nearby, I have not been able to find ANY applicable magnets. SO.... I am limited to my 2 stolen-from-strat-pickup magnets, one of which is superglued into my single coil driver, and the other that will be used on my 2 x 16ohm parallel coil driver. Hmmmm..... Still -- as much as I want to experiment with the drivers, the circut really does need to be completed for many of us, including me, to be able to be of any help in experimentation and testing. PSW, it looks like you will have a good one soon, so hopefully we can all put circut concerns on the back burner and make drivers, (and perhaps you could make some $$$.... or, I mean of course, A$A$A$.....) -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Still -- as much as I want to experiment with the drivers, the circut really does need to be completed for many of us, including me Yes...well, hopefully after this week I will have a bit more time to experiment...I will have tested the LM386 module which should be ok and then get some work on the preamp design, one of these designs will be sure to be ok for a basic preamp...then I can post layouts or even investigate a "kit" of parts or some such (BTW A$ are worth 30% less to the US$ so any prices I quote are actually about a third lower!)...I may even make up modules (which could be a better proposition than simply parts) so people can be assured the circuit works as intended as this seems to be the stumbling block for most...if successful, a circuitboard may even be in order (perhaps after a little more refinement) or even ultra small SMD circuit...who knows... As for the driver...the design stuff is really up in the air...I got a few packs of the magnets I found at the local craft store, but I don't know about future supply (I bought all they had)... My newer ideas would use neodyminium magnets (I have a few) internal to side coils...I know I could get more of these. The idea here is to use the increased power of the rare earth magnets between two fins...the coil is wound around these sideways to the strings. I would make two half drivers (for each set of three stings, RWRP... so that is maybe, 10 magnets 4 magnetic fins and two coils on thier side. The whole thing would be fairly compact (less than 5mm wide) and hopefully not to deep (no deeper than the thin drivers. Such a device could surface mount between a strat neck pickup and the neck pickup itself, or perhaps (with a little refinement) be built into a substitute HB pickup ring for other guitars...another idea to be revisited. Of course in this position you would require bypassing switching and the like (just as with any contemporary sustainer) but may be preferable to the mid driver, even if (or when) this is successful. It is also hoped that this design would have better EMI qualities and make a better mid-driver anyway. If this kind of design is a productive one, perhaps suitable parts (otherwise hard to source and with a need to buy in some quantity) could be developed also...we'll see... The DIY ebow...not my priority...has already taught me some valuable information about the differences, adavntages and drawbacks of both devices. The ebow does not avoid distortion but exploits it...it produces and effect that we try specifically to avoid as it nears the pickup...feeding the ebows signal into the pickup through magnetic coupling. It also works speciffically with the neck pickup (kind of the opposite of the sustainers bridge pickup restriction)... Anyway...kids wont let me do anything like this or even get to the computer for any length of time for this week but some more time will be coming available soon as far as I can tell...hopefully I will have the circuitry finalised. At the very least, I could replace the sustainer strats circuit for a direct comparison between what I have been using and a new design so that people can be assured that it would work with the basic design... It is important that I don't post ideas while people are so anxious to get a hold of them till I have fully tested them. It is far too easy to post a faulty layout, even if the design is sound if it has not been built and shown to work, so I am resisting for now. Also...component values may change with testing and with so many restricted to mail order of parts, it is unwise to post things only to have to order one substitue capacitor or something... My idea is to make something as easy as possible and use as few parts and components and still be very compact...most likely using veroboard. My very compact layouts typically have "jumpers" installed under the chip so I could post a more spread out layout that could be condensed if peoples soldering skills are up to that challenge. will try to stay in touch... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 I could post a more spread out layout that could be condensed if peoples soldering skills are up to that challenge. That would be a great idea. Even though my soldering skills are getting pretty good now, I still would probably want to make the bigger layout just for troubleshooting and testing purposes. Also, my sustainer guitar (XS002) has been built to fit quite large sustainer amp designs in it, so for me, I won't bother compacting everything. By the way, it would be awesome if you used that DIY Layout Creator free software and let people download the file for your layout. That way we could see the under-the-board jumpers and such much more easily. -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 By the way, it would be awesome if you used that DIY Layout Creator free software and let people download the file for your layout. That way we could see the under-the-board jumpers and such much more easily. Yep...love that program...that's what I am using and would make the layout files available to those who'd want them.... BTW...how did this thread get "pinned"...I couldn't find it for a bit!!??? After all these years Anyway...kids won't let me play on this computer any longer...all communication must cease for now...I must obey... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) Yep...love that program...that's what I am using and would make the layout files available to those who'd want them.... Great! I know that will save me time already! BTW...how did this thread get "pinned"...I couldn't find it for a bit!!??? After all these years Hmmm, not sure. I didn't notice though, because I have this thread bookmarked directly because it is so useful. (and mind boggling at times ) Hey, any electronics wiz's out there on this thread want to help me design and build a DIY 100watt 5150-like or Marshall-like amp head?!?!? I just figured out that there may be a way to build these type amps WITHOUT tubes, and still get a very tube-true sound without any digital or external effects/moddlers.... (Just a thought/side project) If so, tell me and I'll start a new thread. -MRJ Edited July 2, 2007 by mrjstudios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_David Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hey David...good to see you back... Thanks, I am finally starting to really feel well again after that virus, but it took 2 months to get rid of it! It's a wonderful feeling to have my strength start to come back after so long being unable to do anything much at all. harmonic capo? What is that? Got a link? Yep.......here it is, it's Bob Kilgore's MySpace site : http://www.myspace.com/bobkilgore But beware! It is patented.... you will find quite a few videos on youtube of this guy, many using this invention. I really think it's amazing, and so simple too. Not that I could think about making something like that, but I daresay it wouldn't be much of a challenge for you Pete So here's where I stick my neck out - what about fixing a pick surface to the upper leading edge of the e-Bow? Well I don't have an ebow, but some of these ideas may have some merit. I have done a bit of experimenting with the DIY ebow and have even found a "coil" that could serve as a single string pickup...no winding required... Will let you know more of the progress on this... Thanks, look forward to it...... David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Harmonic Capo... Yep.......here it is, it's Bob Kilgore's MySpace site : Neat simple idea, but not for everyone... I have sometimes played with sticking a bent paperclip in the bridge so as it touches the string just ahead...get it right and it sounds just like a sitar with all these background harmonics... Hey, any electronics wiz's out there on this thread want to help me design and build a DIY 100watt 5150-like or Marshall-like amp head?!?!? None left now that Lovekraft has passed that I am aware of...sounds like a tall order, to me Digital has made the most significant inroads in tube emulation...nothing beats the real thing but they need a lot of TLC over their lifetime... I have often thought the way to go would be to build a really neat low watt amp and have a mini PA to amplify that up to stage level or whatever. I still have a ROland GA60 that I used in my pub band days...it has an extention speakerbox with a 15" in it and was pretty loud...we didn't use a PA for guitars in those days (small rooms) so I would put the extention cab on the other side of the drummer....I kind of like that the guitar was spread out all over the stage. Anyway...glory days... Still not got a chance to do anything on this...next week... I have been able to install the little LM386 in the mid-driver cavity though, so it is ready to test...also found a preamp "module" in my bits and pieces that I also used successfully, so can use that to test it again... Presently, I am starting to go off the mid-driver...a lot of advantages but it does comprimise the instrument by lossing a pickup and it is not in the ideal location...being able to drive with different pickups seems not to be as big a bonus as I thought (I was hoping for ease of installation issues primarily). Lately I have been thinking there may be more promise in a more compact neck positioned driver that could surface mount with a more innovative design. Still...the work on the mid-driver is improving the knowledge base in a few areas including construction and circuitry, so all is good and I will continue in that direction for a little longer. later... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Hey... Got a little time and laid out a preamp circuit...looking good, small, simple and cheap...got to build and test it yet... Looking at a non-inverting op-amp (TL071 or similar) with a gain adjustable from 0 (ie a buffer) to about 100x...more than enough...with a trim pot. Nice match to the LM386 module that I have already made...should even be able to get the harmonic switch between the two (just where I wanted it)...so certainly on the right track... So...if this works out, a nice alternative for the fetzer ruby purpose designed for this project...stand by for the layout. Still have a new design for a driver...again not sure if it will work any better but some interesting posibilities for either a mid or neck driver design and "slimmer" as well as "thin" meaning the possibility of keeping all the pickups installed on suitable guitars, but requiring bypassing. I have realised that it should be possible to use a superswitch like the one I just installed to activate the sustainer with the pickup selector...still need a switch for the harmonic function I guess, but interesting... Anyway...better run... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 I'm still as lost as ever. <lol> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_David Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Harmonic Capo... Yep.......here it is, it's Bob Kilgore's MySpace site : Neat simple idea, but not for everyone... I have sometimes played with sticking a bent paperclip in the bridge so as it touches the string just ahead...get it right and it sounds just like a sitar with all these background harmonics... Interesting innovation.....I have also been checking out some of the hybrid harp guitars, there have been some amazing advances in these instruments, but unfortunately they are priced way out of my range....the most innovative in my opinion is Pat Metheny's Piccolo guitar. I really like the idea of expanding the guitar's range, not only in the bass, but also in the high range. Could anyone recommend a thread on this forum to post for more info please? Hey, any electronics wiz's out there on this thread want to help me design and build a DIY 100watt 5150-like or Marshall-like amp head?!?!? Well I would add that Juán builds his own valve amps, and he is a fully qualified electronics engineer now working in other fields, but I somehow doubt he has time to fit in yet another project.....he seems to have disappeared off the scene anyway for the time being. But if you want to go ahead and ask him, I can help you with the translation if you like.... David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjstudios Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 still need a switch for the harmonic function I guess, but interesting.. Hey, you could make an ULTRA switch... one that activates the sustainer using the pickup selector type switch, and then the top knob part twists to click in or out of harmonic mode! Just a thought.... might be hard to build without some commercial micro-electronics. I wouldn't ask Juan to help me take on such a task fully anyway -- way too much to ask.... I just wondered if there was someone already doing it, and maybe had a team of helpers, or a schematic that was proven to work.... oh well. -MRJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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