Stew

I really appreciate all the help and comments. Of course my Dad is a big fan of this guitar too (big boat fanatic). Somewhere someone's got a Jaguar sized hole on the deck of their Chris Craft. Just kidding. I think I'll go and get the SPST switch to simplify matters. Two lugs, two wires. Now, at guitarelectronics.com, their tech suggested grounding the switches. Do I take a separate wire that shares the output wire and send to a grounded screw in the control cavity? I'll try to hook up to a 1/4" mono jack tomorrow. And if it works, then I'll try it with the LR Baggs system. If it does not work with the Baggs but worked with the magnetic using the mono jack, then I know my problem is in the wiring of the stereo Switchcraft deep panel phone jack. Thanks again guys. - Stew http://community.webshots.com/photo/328177...328177692tbNXRl

"Try getting the magnetic side working BEFORE you get the stereo jack and piezo side hooked up." Problem is both circuits share the same output jack. Can I test the magnetic system by wiring up to a normal mono 1/4 output jack? I'd just replace the red wire that goes to the stereo deep panel phone jack (middle lug on the volume pot) and just run a normal wire to the output lug on the jack. That will also tell me if my stereo jack is hooked up correctly. Because that may be my problem, everything may be hooked up right except my output jack. jnewman: So you're saying go with a DPST switch? So an ON/ON is really a ON/OFF depending how you wire it? I'll go back to the electronics store. It's Electronics Warehouse which has everything, more than Radio Shack. I think EW has something like 300 different toggle switches from mini to full size.

Actually all I could get were on-off-momentary mini switches. Everything else was on-on or on-on-on. I tried my hardest to find on-off switches that weren't slider switches. Anyway, the switch is a on-off-momentary as I said. The off stays in place when necessary and the on position stays in place. I would probably never use the momentary unless I wanted to do some Ace Frehley on-off toggle effects. So you're saying that I should have the pot wire go to the opposite middle position from the hot wire middle? Or connect to the terminal on the switch that makes contact when in the ON position? As far as cable goes, I do have a Y stereo cable from Fishman that is marked "piezo" and "magnetic" on the two Y ends. I would also like to use a normal mono cable for when I'm only going to use magnetic pickups and don't need the piezo circuit. The piezo/magnetic wiring is wired as follows: white to inner ring, red to adjacent tip, and shielded wire to the end of the clip (shark fin looking end). This white wire then hits the 5 meg (that's what LR Baggs requires) pot at the opposite side of grounded lug. This wire shares the capacitor that's also connected to the middle lug of the 5 meg pot. Then the shield wire is soldered to the back of the pot and the red wire goes on and connects to the center lug of the 250k magnetic volume pot. I've tried to wire up the switches with the hot in the left middle position and tried connecting the magnetic volume pot wire to the oppposite side. In fact I've tried all 5 terminals on the switch and no signal, of any kind. Sorry I came off rough but I was wondering if the reason why nobody was responding was due to my stupid question. You know the kind, too stupid to even bother answering? That's where I was going.

Either this is the worlds easiest question or nobody has knowledge regarding the use of 3 individual mini toggles for each pickup. Or this is the dumbest wiring idea ever thought of. I'm noticing plenty of interest but yet nobody will answer. Geez I'll just do the standard wiring configs in the future.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/317746...317746316EJcWTS

Ok, I've got a project that requires 3 mini DPDT ON/OFF/ON toggle switches, one for each pickup. I also have an LR Baggs piezo X-bridge blend pot that I'm going to work into the wiring diagram. I've wired up 3 LR Baggs systems before so there's no problem there and I've wired plenty of Strat configurations before. The only difference with my design, is that instead of the 5 way switch, I'm using the toggles, and instead of the LR Baggs supplied 1/4" output jack, I'm using a Switchcraft deep panel stereo jack instead. The LR Baggs system is normally to be installed into a standard Strat pickguard assembly. But since my components are rear routed and side jack access, and Jag style location of magnetic controls, it changes things for me. I'm getting really confused about the whole "what wire hooks to what" concept. You see, instead of the wires coming from both LR Baggs 5 meg mini pot and 250K volume and tone magnetic mini pots, that normally attach to a 5 way switch, now have to somehow attach to 3 separate DPDT mini toggles. Seymour Duncan has wiring schematics that show toggle wiring for independant pickup control........but; 1. There's one wire coming from the middle left toggle (out of two rows of 3) and going directly to the output lug of a mono 1/4" output jack.......no volume pot. 2. The hot wire from the pickup is show going to the L bottom lug on the toggle. So I'm trying to figure out where to place the pickup's hot wire onto each toggle and what return wires from the toggles going to the magnetic volume pot. The opposite "ON" position on the toggle switch does not stay in place, but the opposite "ON" position does. So it's almost more like, "ON/OFF?Preview". I contacted guitarelectronics.com and their tech said that you only attach the wires from the pickup and volume pot at the two upper terminals on the toggle switch. Then connect the two middle terminals on the toggle and send to ground. So what's a good plan? I hope I wired the Switchcraft deep panel stereo jack correctly. There's three points of attachment on the jack; 1. shielded braid at the metal clip type part of jack, one white wire on the ring, and the red wire (which connects to the middle output lug on the magnetic volume pot) on the tip. So: A. Connecting toggles to volume pot, where to place white pickup wires to toggle terminals, where to place volume pot wires on toggle terminals. B. Refresh memory of correct wire placement for Stereo deep panel Switchcraft jack. Thanks and sorry for the frustration to those that this stuff comes easy to. I just can't visualize the flow of things.

David, Thanks for your input.

Endorsement....hmmm, I've got two going right now that are not quite ironed out yet. This just recently happened. Both are well known surf guitarists. I've got their attention but following through might be another story.

Well I appreciate everyone's input. I guess this topic is over since I just sold the zebrawood guitar (aka Maui Classic 90). It sold for $1,200 as a "Buy It Now" feature and I did what everyone suggested, start with what you'd accept and no reserve. I'll be building more to have a few to offer when my website is up, license purchased, and my dealer solidified. This was probably one of my most conservative designs and was sort of bored with it. I was going for a Hawaiian/Tropical theme and obviously did not go over as such. I don't like to hit people over the head with the obvious details, just subtle enough to get the idea. The zebrawood was like by cane mate wall and the logo was like my tropical logo picture hung on that wall. But explaining that with every guitar I build has the same impact as having to explain the punchline to a joke. Thanks again, and I'll be sure to keep you all up to date with what's going on. - Stew

mledbetter: Your comments are helpful and disheartening. It's weird, I started building as a hobby and have been told to step up to the plate by many I've built for. Even the Fender Custom Shop thinks I should go for it. I started using the name "Stew Made" for two reasons; 1. Stewart guitars are already taken, and 2. that was the hobby name I used just to place something on the headstock and it worked well. Well, now I'm starting to become known for this name locally and a few small countries. So I guess I aka attach to my Stew Made name? I guess this would not be hurtful since Broadcaster was eliminated from the Tele after it's first year of production. But then the Fender name was never changed. Tough part is the few that I've built have been very much specialty theme guitars. I'm developing this skill that is increasingly getting attention. But I'm not making run of the mill guitars in what seems an oversaturated market. Although I've said many times that these are display guitars but are still functioning guitars. But I want them to be exceptionally functioning guitars, not just in the sense that they make sound when plugged in. I get lots of feedback from my customers saying they are the best necks, finishes tone, blah, blah, blah and it's hard to ignore that. And we're talking maybe 12 customers. I've also made many Fender replicas and still get requests to build those. But why give Fender the credit when I could be getting recognition for the build. I'm not willing to accept building crap with cheap hardware, pickups and below par wood. Only because I know the disappointment I feel when finding out a manufacturer used cheap parts to keep prices down. I'm buildingthese out of my garage and giving great attention to detail, and detail takes time. I'm on temp disability right now and my future seems uncertain. So money is tight, there is no plan, I can't set up a website for fear of Worker's Compansation fraud. Tommy at USA Custom Guitars builds bodies and necks for many guitar companies that charge over $2000 when finished. Maybe that's a route until things with WC blow over. At this point I'm thinking of just building 3 guitars per year, stay small, maybe change my logo name, develop a website to show what's available to order, and keep my day job. BTW, I don't plan on using a logo in the middle of the pickups for every guitar. I've been told by Dennis,"Screw 'em, build what you want and who cares what others think".

I guess I'll link instead.

Still.

Sorry, can't seem to work.

http://image34.webshots.com/35/7/42/66/276...66NDnQRP_fs.jpg Try that. Maybe someone can help me figure out how to just post the pics to the message.

12 out of 14 so far. My buddy is Masterbuilder Dennis Galuszka at the Fender Custom Shop. I've learned a ton of stuff from his from setups to building tips. Almost everyone of my guitars I've taken to him so that he can give a once over of approval. He likes my guitars and says everything is dead on. All he doesn't like is the fact that for so long I've used the nitro cans from Guitar Reranch. He's guiding me towards spending some cash for an airgun setup and to start milling my own bodies and necks. Dennis says that the only problem with my guitars is that it lacks the famous "Fender" logo on the headstock. The big Fender machine versus the little unknown guy. The guitars have sold between $1200 to $1800. Once I've built a few more guitars, I plan to actually have an Art Gallery sell my guitars. Because I'm not going for the standard oversaturated gigging tools that anyone can buy or build. This zebrawood guitar is not the outside of the box I'm planning to sell. But I was curious why this one in particular did not sell. Tell you what, I'll make a few more and hopefully show in this forum for opinions. Here are a few to date. (Sorry I don't know how to paste images straight into my message). http://image34.webshots.com/35/7/42/66/276...66NDnQRP_fs.jpg http://image09.webshots.com/9/5/48/19/101154819aFgWaE_fs.jpg http://image16.webshots.com/16/2/31/35/222...35VprUxQ_fs.jpg - Stew

What other company puts their name on the body? http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/11082238 I'm aiming at a narrower market I guess. I would never sell this type of guitar for $3000, I don't have a Fender reputation to do that. But what I'm brewing is totally different from any guitar. Anybody can build a normal plain guitar. My logo is that baseball diamond shape. This is where that hole logo body decal came from.... http://community.webshots.com/photo/85715974/112361680pkqHFr http://community.webshots.com/photo/85715974/110848734KEnyta I appreciate the input. My whole gag is Stewmade surf guitars or from the Stewmade surf shop. All of my guitars revolve around the surf culture theme. The zebrawood had a tropical/exotic look to it and I pictured it hanging on some cane mat wall in some hotel in Hawaii. I realize not everyone is going to see my vision. But these are more art guitars than gigging guitars. I agree that if I were building to make another standard guitar with custom features, it would be a huge.......wave to climb to get sucessfull. I'm heading the opposite direction.

x189player, thanks for your time. Makes sense. I was afraid that if I started dropping my price to get bids that my credibility would decline. I mean Mercedes Benz does not drop their prices by $40,000 just just to make a sale. That's exactly it, I have been choosing higher end hardware and has been driving up my margin of profit. But I'm a guitar player and I build these with what I would want in a guitar. I want to make something that's not on the wall at your local music store or Guitar Depot. I'm not focusing on the 14 year old first time guitar crowd, I'm going for the one's who are 35-50+ who can afford something unique and yet has custom features that you can't get from a factory built guitar. I want people to pick my guitars up and instantly know they have something better than anything else they have ever held or played. I'm working on a line right now that will be totally different from anything ever built, but I need to make a few first as well as find photographers who can convey special as opposed to what looks like a "really nice digital image" photo. Ebay has been easier than pimping around to local stores who want to lowball price or only want to deal with the top 3 well know guitar names. That's fine but I'm interested in the Cadillac dealer of guitars. I have some artists in mind to offer my guitars to and we'll see what happens. I have an 18 month goal plan to get everything coordinated. Whew, I feel better already. - Stew

Well, the problem was that both black wires coming off the humbucker wiring was not quite soldered to the lugs. Some of the lugs are shared by jumper wire so both were hiding behind solder. Now I full volume but now I loose my signal when I mount the control plate. Aaaaagh! With the Super Switch, it's kind of a tight fit so I may Dremel some material off of the sides near the switch area. Something is pressing up against something else and shorting out. All connections are solid so it's back to the drawing board.

Wow, nobody can respond? This must be a real idiot question.

Well, Stewart guitars is already taken and I didn't want something cheesy like "Cowabunga Guitars". I'm happy with StewMade. Plus it's too late, the name is getting too well known around town. It's like naming your dog differently after the dog has learned to respond to the old name.

I have a two humbucker config with a 5 way Super Switch. The pickups are Suhr DSV's. John Suhr sent me this diagram. This is what it's supposed to do.. 1. full bridge 2. inner coils split 3. both humbuckers 4. neck split 5 full neck I wired everything up including the treble bleed mod. I have to turn my amp up to 10 to hear any output, and it's still not even room volume. All positions seem to be fine (all seem separate, no two tones are the same). Also, I can't roll off the volume on the guitar. I have the same output from 1-10. Plus I can hear a little static while rotating the volume knob and I get a faint hum when I roll past volume settings 4-7. Each end of the volume spectrum is hum free. But then maybe since the output is so low, I may not be hearing any hum that may be present. I've got the ground wires from the switch, output jack, and claw wire soldered to the back of the volume pot as well as the bare wire and green ground wires from the pickups. My claw ground (what normally would go to the trem claw) is screwed into the contro cavity which has been painted with two coats of Electrodag 112 shielding paint. I've got a wire from the outer lug of the tone pot going to the middle volume pot lug which is also sharing the resistor and cap treble bleed, and a wire coming from the other resistor/cap shared lug to the switch's pole (near #5). Sorry, I'm new to this site and don't know how to post the pic directly to the message so I'll have to leave a link right now. The wiring is colored for reference, not actual wire color codes. So please refer to a particular color on the diagram so that I know where to concentrate on. I have no idea why this concept escapes me. Thanks for your patience. I want to learn from this. After asking John himself for what seemed like many clarification emails, he wanted me to just bring it in and have himself wire it up. That's not what I want. http://community.webshots.com/photo/246749...272690964tEzpQv

That's great selling with no reserve but I've been burned on so many guitars by doing this. Let's see, a guitar that costs me about $1200 in parts not counting labor has sold about 3 times in my unexperienced early ebay encounters, sold for an average of $450. I was screwed then. I basically just gave away three guitars going that route. I've been doing reserves ever since. This is the only time I have not got any interest. I get emails raving about the guitar but nobody wants to buy. I'm thinking if I drop my reserve, then what would normally sell in a shop for at least $3000 would sell for $500. I think I need the following: 1. website 2. contact music businesses 3. establish a place of business for guitar building. I'm thinking small shops that sell Custom Shop grade guitars. Consignment, is this a common trade? How do other small guitar companies get known? My goal is to be in the lower level at Anaheim NAMM 2007.

I'm a builder, started hobbiest and now want to advance and leave the hobbiest realm. I've sold a few of my guitars on ebay with no problems in the past. Plenty of interst, many satisfied people. But recently I've posted my guitar twice and hardly anyone bids. Plenty of people watching my auction but no takers. The items are all custom but there must be something I'm missing. Can you guys give me an idea of what I'm doing wrong or is it just that ebay has fallen to yard sale deals? Any input would be appreciated. I usually hang around the Fender Discussion Pages but their mediator feels that each question is merely "pimping" my guitars for sale when all I really want is input. I figure Project Guitar.com would be the most honest opinion without heads being fogged with Fender. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...=ADME:L:DS:US:8 BTW first time on the forum. - Stew