GregP

That sux, mang.

So confused. You need a stereo jack, and now you're saying it's a mono jack? Looked like a stereo jack to me, though I didn't look too carefully.

Yeah, pictures can be funny. But don't be so sure about the soldering... I actually suspect that even if it IS 'bad' soldering, it'll work fine for now; but then again, since it's the longterm that'd be an issue, and that's not what you're worried about at the moment, it was perhaps a premature criticism. In any event, I'm sure I have nothing more to add, so I'll let you take it from here.

What that pic can't show is whether or not you have a good solder joint and if there's continuity throughout the circuit. It's hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like some bad soldering going on there. The grey one seems to be connected with solder only. The bare wire looks like it's likely to short out to something and also looks like it's merely "tacked" onto a blob of solder. I dunno dude. Pictures are funny. I'm not being intentionally harsh... it's just that you're swearing up and down that you have the tools and know-how, but you don't have a meter. And your solder joints look questionable from that photo. But I understand what it's like to have $0.00. You probably even mean that you have LESS than $0.00, if you're in the sort of spot in your life that I've been a few times... so I definitely understand that a technician might not be an option. But one thing that's theoretically free is patience... if you can manage to find some more in you (I can tell you've already used a lot of it up!) you might have to go one more time. If you're bound and determined to do it yourself, I don't know how it'll be possible to do the right job (assuming that trouble-shooting is required rather than just rewiring) without a meter. Mine was $10 and had those pokey-sharp connectors/terminals/probes(??) only... add a pair of alligator clips for $0.25 each, and you're off to the races. I know you don't have $10 right now, but just wait until you do... if you don't have the tools to trouble-shoot the problem, the only thing you can do is makeshift and/or rewire from scratch again. Greg

Well, that's me out of ideas already then. I gave up on hum a long time ago in the apartment I currently live in. It's a mess. Best of luck!

If you have a CRT monitor (as opposed to LCD), that'll be more likely the problem. Though, it should've been noticeable on your solid-state as well since your guitar will pickup the EMI/RFI (I can't remember which a CRT emits).

Fair enough, but don't get upset when people provide it. Nobody has any way of knowing exactly what steps were taken. If you truly truly believe you've done everything possible for wiring (including testing point to point with a meter and getting a 3rd party with "fresh eyes" to compare your work to the diagram) then it has to be a defective part. Now you just need to figure out which one. But "no factory wires" is an odd statement. All pickups ship with wires. EMGs have that quick-connect thing since ages ago... I simply meant that those wires (either directly from the pickup or on the quick-connect thingy) might be incorrect as a factory flaw... you just never know. That's why you have to test everything with the meter if the wiring diagram doesn't produce the right results. And if that's all stuff you've already done, it just proves the point further-- there's nothing anyone can do for you, so don't get mad at them for not providing the solution. We all know the frustration of wiring up a guitar and having it not work... or at least the vast majority of us do... and it's not a pleasant feeling. Greg

Isn't this exactly Crafty's point? You're not likely to get any additional help I'm afraid. Not because people are unhelpful, but because they've given you all the advice they can, and the next step is for you to take it into trouble-shooting mode. It doesn't matter if you're 100% sure you wired it up according to the diagram at this point in time, because IF that's true, then something unexpected has happened. It might be that somehow (who knows how?) some wire colours got switched around at the factory. It might be because you're shorting out in a place that even you can't see, and you'll need to go point-to-point with a meter. It might be a faulty component that you haven't been able to pinpoint yet. And it could be that even with your 100% certainty, you're wrong. I've been guity of that. For some reason, wiring diagrams are my bugbear and no matter what, I always mess it up the first time around... last time, I swore up and down (to myself, mind you...) that it was correct, I 'verified' it what felt like 1000 times, and then in the end I actually DID have the wires going to the jack in reverse <shrug>. This isn't the time to be proud or feel upset and condescended-to. You asked for help, people tried to provide help, and that's the bottom line. Nobody's intentionally trying to make you feel stupid-- if you're like me, you're probably already punishing yourself for not having figured it out and THAT's what's making you feel "stupid." We're all our own worst critics... just don't project those feelings into other people's posts and you'll come out on top. The short version: at this point in time, all the "outside" advice has been given and if it's not working (for whatever reason), the only person who can actually trouble-shoot it is you. Nobody here has meters and your guitar in-hand, so we're pretty well blocked in terms of providing practical assistance. Greg

I can't for the life of me imagine anyone in a double-blind test noticing an improvement in tone. As for stiffness, I wouldn't imagine an appreciable difference there, either; and I'm picturing actually a weakening of the neck rather than a stiffening... unless I'm imagining the depth of the slot all wrong. If it's a shallow little slot, there might be some improvement in stiffness, I guess. It's not one of those factors I would really consider very deeply as part of the tone equation. I'd think most luthiers would only deviate from the norm for the sake of doing some sort of authentic repro, for nostalgia, or because they prefer cutting that kind of slot for one reason or another.

Yeah, shielding won't do anything for squeal. Potting as per fookgub's suggestion is actually rather easy to do. The foam might help a miniscule amount but I wouldn't count on it. In any event, you don't need any special foam so just give'er a given'er.

I like this thread. thirdstone's attitude is "it was a piece of crap guitar, and I'm just gonna run some experiments on it and see if I can make it better." It's true that he's not following the "measure twice, cut once" philosophy, but in the context of this particular guitar, I think it's working out great. Wonder how those "singles made into humbucker" pickups sound.

I would say that it can potentially make a huge difference. Unfortunately my concrete-and-steel basement apartment is near power AND communications junctions and is really just so insanely noisy that it's more an academic exercise than anything as long as I continue to live here. Greg

I agree with fookgub-- I tried doint shielding on a budget with tin foil, and it wasn't worth it except for the pickguard. Ordered some copper tape from Stewmac and it's done the job perfectly. I haven't used the paint and I imagine it would be even easier though potentially less effective (depending on the density of the conductive material, etc). I think the tape is the way I'm going to continue doing it.

Foam or rubber are used behind P-90s to act as a spacer for height adjustment. Haven't heard of it being used as shielding, because it won't do nuffin'. If it helps keep the pickup firmly in place it might reduce... I don't know... maybe some microphonics from the mounting screws? Seems like a stretch and I'm not sure I buy that, but it'd be my best guess. Definitely not shielding, though.

Guitar2005: I WAS talking about external EQ.

Kind of a weirdly hardline statement. Whether with passives or actives, EQ is an important part of many guitarists' arsenal. It's "BS" to think that you need EQ to "fix" something inherent in EMGs... and I would agree wholeheartedly that if you don't like the core EMG sound, they're not for you regardless of any EQ. But that's a different statement, innit? EQ is the second-most important thing in achieving a good sound (the first being, as you allude to, a good base sound to begin with) and it's a mistake to dismiss the possibilities as some sort of trick or cover-up. I'm not one to EVER poo-poo the idea of versatility in tone shaping. And that's what EQ gives you. As an additional thought, it's absolutely classic and fundamental for many metal guitarists throughout history to mid-boost before hitting the pre, and then mid-scoop in the tone stack. Just another example of how EQ can be used in a thoughtful and versatile way.

Hey Dudz, The thing is-- your questions are too vague (except the glue one for example, but you could answer that one on your own-- if you hear that Titebond is the best from a number of guitar builders, then regardless of if it's "the best", it's obviously plenty good enough. ) to get many responses from most of the builders here. Even with a mockup, a lot of the more senior members are exhausted from giving advice based on a visual representation without much research behind it. There are certain kinds of questions you'll be able to answer for yourself, and most of those questions are ones that don't have one good answer anyhow. "Bone or graph-tech?" --either! Surely you know already that both are fine, but that each has its own characteristics. Purists seem to continue loving bone, and trem-users tend to like the Graph-tech's lower friction. There's no good answer to that question. My suggestion is-- do some preliminary research, get as far as you possibly can with answering your own questions yourself, and then when you hit a wall, ask our members some very specific questions. Your question about finish was an example of what would be a good question-- "I want a trans finish, I have Minwax that I could use for this first-timer cheap-o build, will it work?" Best of luck! Greg

I can't speak from personal experience with all the actives out there; but it's worth at least mentioning that EMG has had plenty of endorsees and players who love the pickups who are NOT high-gain players. It's a mistake to think active = high gain. David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Vince Gill... not high gain players. Lukather... not always much with the gain... I think of the sound as more "high fidelity" than "sterile". All the frequencies are there, in remarkable clarity. Then it's up to you to do something with them. Whereas passives tend to have a fairly distinctive frequency response, you might find yourself needing an EQ pedal in-line with an active in order to get the sound you're after. Or use onboard EQ shaping for added flexibility.

Tesla were definitely better musicians than the Black Crowes. But the Black Crowes had/have a better vibe. "She Talks to Angels", "Twice as Hard", and even "Remedy" were better and more memorable recordings than anything Tesla came out with.

Availability: Special Order Wouldn't be surprised if that was "pre-order" in Guitar Centre speak, or if it takes a long time for it to arrive. Not trying to be intentionally negative, I'm just sayin'.... caveat emptor.

Pre-order doesn't necessarily mean "out". I'm also surprised that EMG doesn't list them on their site yet. Where do you see them available for immediate consumption?

Neat, if true. Don't see anything on EMG's official site. Sounds like it's the 89 but with the dual coil component voiced to sound more like the 81 than the current 85-sounding one. Supposedly announced at Winter Namm, but if it's unavailable as of yet, I don't really see much point in waiting around. If there was a date set, sure... versatility is not a bad thing IMO. But if you were already going to be happy with the 81, there's no reason to be "less" happy that it doesn't have the single-coil mode, especially if you're not much for single-coil sounds in the first place. If you see a confirmed release date somewhere, you'd have a better idea of whether it's worth waiting or not. Try contacting EMG directly. They've been pretty good communicators whenever I've needed information from them.

I meant the automatic butt-cleaning toilet. I think we talked about Tronical back on page 1 or something. Or maybe it was another thread-- there's been a few of these. But yeah... the automatic butt-cleaning toilet. It's quite a piece of engineering and apparently kicks.. er... butt...

I can't remember the company name, but they're quite the pieces of engineering and apparently kick ... er... butt......... .... .... over using conventional toilet paper.

That's a simplified view that excludes a lot of factors. For example, is the art in how material is removed, or the fact that you've decided where material should be removed? Very few of us are unassisted by power anyhow, so what's the difference between building a template and running a router up against it, or programming a machine and saying, "yup, take the wood away from THERE." To me, the art is primarily in the design, from choice of wood to shape/profile, to electronics. You can't just tell a CNC machine "make a guitar". It's not like the human factor is eliminated. A guitar is in many ways too precise an instrument to get caught up in glorifying the "art" of it. Like I said above, the art is in the design. But there's also the engineering and math involved. It's a verrrrry slippery slope to try to play the "art" card, but still allow things like fret-saw jigs, templates, drill presses, calipers, and other tools that are meant to produce as -precise- (not "artistic") a result as possible. Even at its very worst, the CNC machine is just another tool at your disposal (or not... if there's not one at your disposal...!).