Steve Vai

Okay, I decided that the extra piezo won't add anything, so I don't need a blender circuit or stereo preamp. I'm thinking of building a Preamp Cable (http://www.till.com/articles/PreampCable/) for my electric guitar. How would this work on the nylon string guitar with a piezo?

I have an ibanez 1527cb 7 string with a blaze in the bridge position, stock in the bridge.  I found out that EMG just came out with a 7 string version of their 81, so I'd like to move the blaze pu to the bridge position and put the EMG in the bridge.  BUT... how easy is it to mix the active and passive pickups?  I know it's possible because a friend of mine bought a guitar and the original owner put an 81 in and it also has 2 single coil passives in it.  Sooo, is it difficult to get it to work correctly?  Thanks.

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Wow, that looks incredible. I'm going to need to get the logo on my pickgaurd if I don't use a box!

All the pictures look great, both modeled and real! I can get the idea of what the real one looks like with the bad quality, and I'm getting real excited!

The idea is this. With this control option you can insert the effect, like you would a trem, to "season" your regular style to taste. Using it this way would mean extended battery life and avoid it being simply a gimmick. I really feel strongly that the problem with sustainers have been people haven't seen the subtle effects that are possible...A gimmick thing is simply a fad if your lucky. I wan't this thing to last.

You could use a smaller battery and make it rechargable. That would be better in a few ways because you don't have to spend money on new batteries, it takes up less space, etc. You could put the jack on the side away from the bridge. I'm not good with graphics, but this is what I mean:

I have just a quick question. I'm going to build Don Tillman's Preamp Cable, but I don't know what cable to get. I want a 15ft cable that costs around $30 (but I could go with a 20ft cable). I don't care what brand it is, I just want the best cable for the price. Which cable would be the best?

I believe that is from the February 1989 issue of Electronic Musician, on page 89. Try to find it! That would be an awesome project.

Those pictures are impressive. I don't really like the boxes that go behind the bridge, but I like this one a lot:

As much as I think the box is a good idea, and I know I could get used to it, it doesn't seem natural me. I would strongly recommend also making a model that fits inside a control cavity when you have a final product. If you send it to a guitar maker, would they use the box also? If it's for something like that, ease of installation isn't an issue.

I'd just prefer not having a box, and I'm sure lots of other people feel the same way, even though in a lot of cases, it's a good idea.

I need to finish my amp before I start on another guitar, so it could take a couple months. I'm mostly just planning it out right now. Once I get started, the hardest thing will be the electronics, so there shouldn't be anything else I have to worry about.

If I can't do the preamp myself, which I'm guessing I can't unless it's really simple, then I'll just buy one used or something.

Before I decide to do any of this or buy a blender preamp, I need to make sure that I want to add the soundboard transducer I already have it, I just don't know if it will add any worthwhile sounds if I install it. It should though, since I can mix between the two different sounds until I find one I like. I'll probably want to use more of the undersaddle pickup, but I can play around with the ratio later. I'd need a preamp that can bypass one of the inputs, in case I decide not to use the soundboard transducer.

I'm probably not good enough with electronics to make my own blender preamp yet. I could probably pull it off, but it looks like it will be more trouble than it's worth. Where are you located? I could buy a preamp from you through Paypal or ebay. That's probably the best option I have!

I should have space for two batteries. I'm going to get the body from Warmoth; it's just easier. I could get a double battery box installed, and even if I don't, it should fit under the pickguard.

I'd want to use trim pots to change the volume of each pickup, so I could get a set ratio to always use, and not have to worry about bumping into the knobs, and a master trim pot, so I can lower the maximum gain in case it clips. I would want a volume pot in the first position of a Strat pickguard, so I can change the master volume of both pickups, but I'd want the trim pots for each individual pickup and the gain trim pot internal.

Having an XLR output would be nice, but not required.

Someone recommended getting a preamp with a minimum 3 band EQ, and possibly sweepable mids, but it's not really necessary since I could get a seperate EQ unit, or change the settings on the amp.

Other than EQ, blending, and a good signal to noise ratio, what's the main thing that acoustic preamps offer that a simple booster doesn't? As long as I can get a nice natural sound out of my guitar, I'll be happy. I'd like to buy one from you, if you want to do it, and I'd be willing to pay whatever the price is for a similar LR Baggs preamp. I just want to get this right.

Hey LK, could you help me in my thread?

I'm going to do a project like this (http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=6941), so I'd like some advice. It will be a semi hollow Strat with a spruce top and an undersaddle Shadow piezo (http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=281) (unless someone can recommend a better one). I'm not sure what to use for a preamp. Should I make one like a simple booster, or should I buy an expensive one designed for acoustics with piezos?

I also have an extra Schatten soundboard transducer (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...Transducer.html) and I'm thinking of making a single coil route to put the transducer in the bottom of (attach it to the bottom of the pickup route), and using/making a mixer or blender preamp to combine the sounds. Would this be a good idea, or would I get better tone from running just the undersaddle pickup?

Yeah, most of it seems to be them coming up with names and people complimeting it. All the pictures and videos were down.

But we can use their ideas for names! Lulusustain!!

Well, it's a message board, so there is a lot of slang that a translator can't translate, but it gives you a start. Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and paste in the URL of that site in the Translate a Web Page input, and select it for Portugese to English. That should at least give you the main idea to get you started.

He may not be willing to help:

with you must well understand of moment I cannot supply this information

But it may have been patented by now.

I'm going to do a project like this, so I'd like some advice from anyone. It will be a semi hollow Strat with a spruce top and an undersaddle Shadow piezo. I have an extra Schatten soundboard transducer (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_Acoustic/Schatten_Soundboard_Transducer.html) and I'm thinking of making a single coil route to put the transducer in the bottom of (attach it to the bottom of the route) Would this be a good idea?

Since most expensive classical guitars are made out of rosewood backs, would it be a good idea to use rosewood for this one? Or should I just stick with mahogany?

Also, what's a good preamp to use? Should I make a simple one like just an output booster or buy one designed for acoustic guitars?

Whatever you decide to do with the box or tailpiece to make installation easier, you should do a permanent version that goes inside the control cavity. As much as I like the idea, I'd still rather have one that feels more permanent.

Having lights like that would be quite nice. I like the idea of that more.

Put a preamp before the diodes for more distortion - that's basically all the MXR Distortion + and the DOD OD250/YJM308 are (except they use silicon diodes for a higher output).

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Mouser has 'em:

http://www.mouser.com/access/?pn=511-BAT41

You guys need to keep in mind that unless you're running something  really hot (like an Invader), this is a fairly subtle effect. It's not a tubescreamer.

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Andrey, you're right if we're talking silicon signal diodes, but Germanium diodes and Schottky diodes have a lower forward voltage. Ge clips at about .35v and some Schottkys as low as .25v. The diodes he's using are rated at the lowest Vf I've ever been able to find, so even fairly mild pickups should at least clip on the attack.

RT40, I'm at a loss -everything looks right, best i can tell. 

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How about using phantom power, and an XLR or 1/4" TRS jack?

I need help with the wiring now. His schematic is for the sustainer with two humbuckers, and I need one for a guitar with one humbucker, one volume, one tone, a trim pot for the sustainer, the sustainer with a switch, and the output jack. Once I get it wired up, I'm going to play around with placement and mods to the circuit to see what I can do.

This is what I have so far. It may be wrong. It needs a switch, volume, tone, and output jack.

I appluad both you and ansil (and everyone that's added input) for your work with sustainers. I'm really impressed with what you've done. I don't mean to criticize either of you in any way.

LK, want gmail?  It has up to a 10 MB attachment limit, and I've got 6 invites for whoever wants em.

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I'm more than happy to lend assistance to anyone who want's to have their own go. It's telling that I've had no takers, just offers of $10 for the schematic!!!!!!