toneblind

I helped design and build a sound "restricting" room for a homemade CNC router that was in a friends basement. Same situation, new business, new baby. Basically, we built a 10' x 12' room with standard 2x4 studs and 1/2" drywall on the walls and ceiling. Then we covered all the interior walls and ceiling with 1/4" thick foam sheeting (the stuff used for packaging). We used only enough spray adhesive to hold the foam in place until we installed a second layer of 1/2" drywall. The idea was to have the foam act as an accoustic break, stopping the sound waves from transmitting through to the studs and exterior drywall. The cost over the base construction was about $30 for the foam (bought at a UPS store) and the cost of a 2nd layer of drywall. With a rented decibel meter, he measured about 110dB inside with the CNC running, and outside it was under 30dB at 10' from the room. Upstairs directly above the basement room, (through a padded & carpeted floor) it measured less than 10dB. I've also seen where people have stapled 1/2" foam backer rod to the wall studs before installing the drywall. The trick though is to use 1/4 spacers to prevent the drywall from compressing the foam rod and touching the studs.

Some of you out there might find this interesting... I'm designing a mounting plate to install a Bigsby on my guitar. I'm trying to do a "no drilling" installation (similar to what zzguitarworks.com does). I plan to use .125" aluminum. While modeling the mount in CAD, I got concerened about the two ears where the plate attached to the stop bar holes breaking due to fatigue. I ran a stress analysis of the part and it showed it would fatigue at the bottom end first.

Here's a picture...

I'm just cutting my teeth on learning how to play guitar and I'm wondering what about the guitars used in Rock-a-billy music that gives the sound that distinctive "twang"? (think Brian Setzer) Is it the guitar body, the pickups, an effect pedal or the amp? Or a combination of things. I've got an Oscar Schmidt OE-30 (Gibson ES-335 clone) on which I'm installing a Bigsby. While I've got it torn down, I'm wondering of there are different pickups, pots, capacitors that could be used to get to the sound I'm after.

My grand plan for having a Bigsby on my Oscar Schmidt is on hold. The darn thing doesn't fit. It's a new unused Model B-7, aluminum. Please note, this is the original sand cast, made in the USA model, not the "Licensed" model B-70. http://www.bigsbyguitars.com/products_b7.html If there's anyone interested in offering the $115 it cost me, I'll pay for the domestic shipping to get it to you. If so, PM me and we'll work out the details. My camera should be back in operation in a day or two if want pictures. I can accept payments via my PayPal account.

The stands are a only temporary measure... I already ordered a bolt on 'Hercules' Hanger for my son's guitar simply because there is no floor space left in his room. There's a shelf following the perimeter of the room for an electric train, that I'll be able to safely anchor the guitar hanger to. The president of design and budget (the wife), objected to having guitar wall hanger in my daughters room. I'm planning to start building (as soon as it's above freezing out in my shop) a pair of armoires for her room and will add a guitar hanger to the side of one at a height she can manage. For my hollow body, I'm designing a thin 'hide-away' cabinet that will fit between a dresser and wall, that will have a hanger on a panel that will pull out (like a drawer) to load and unload, and slide back in to conceal & protect the guitar. Again, I won't start making sawdust until it warms up a bit. We're also setting up an area down in the basement with bar stools, a couch, track lighting and a halfstack for the kids and their friends to hangout and "shred". The floor stands will end up down there.

In my budget range, and for the design I want, they're few and far between. I'm going with ihocky2's suggestion and will wrap the rubber covers with strips of cotton ribbon.

I've been shopping for floor stands and or wall hangers for the 3 electrics now parked against my favorite comfy chair. Some of the stands I've found state specifically that they are NOT for use with guitars that have Nitrocellulose finishes. How can I tell what type of finish is on each guitar? We have a Lyon Idol LI15 - black, a Washburn Idol WI14 - clear cherry and an Oscar Schmidt OE-30 - black. There will also be an Epiphone Les Paul Standard soon. Thanks.

Thanks for all the ideas and answers, but "Project Cheap Date" has been axed (pun intended) for a better "Cheap Date" project. I found a structurely intact Epi Les Paul Standard in decent shape for very short $$. It's a refinishing project someone else started and lost interest. All the electronics and hardware has been removed but, except for the pickups, all the necessary bits are there. It even comes with a strap and Epiphone case. Depending on how well I can match the grain patching the extra holes, I may attempt a transparent green finish. If the repairs are really noticible, it will be a gold top. All in all, this project will cost me about the same, but be done much sooner, and the end result should be much better. I should receive the new project in a week or so. Stay tuned.

I don't know if this will create more EMI problems, but.. I'm looking into building some small on-board effects that can be hidden inside the access cavity in the back of a Les Paul project. I'd rather not have to keep feeding this circuit with on-board batteries, so I'm thinking I can swap out the 1/4" mono output jack in the guitar for a stereo one. I'll wire the power feed for the effects to the unused channel on the jack. I'd use a stereo sound cable from the guitar to a separate box where the signals would be split. From the separate box, I can, via a mono 1/4" jack, run a mono cable to the amp. The unused signal channel will be attached to an independent power source. I've got a few laptop power supplies that put out 16vdc. Through a 78XX voltage regulator, reduce it down to 9v or 12v, whatever the effect circuit will require. I figure I can use the main ground from the guitar output, but will probably put an inline diode just to be safe. BTW, using power supplies from laptops or printers is great because the output voltage is very consistent regardless of load and the signal is usually filtered and very clean. I find these and other goodies at online electronic surplus sites like: http://www.sciplus.com and http://www.goldmine-elec.com . My idea is that the independent power supply and the splitter box can be housed together and velcro'd to the side of the practice amp. The AC power for the independent power supply can be slaved off the amps AC supply, thus only one AC plug. I suppose I could find and slave of the DC supply in the amp, but the voltage will probably be too high to easily regulate with a single IC and will also most likely pick up noise from the amp itself. Anyhow, that long winded dissertation is an idea for providing clean, noise free power to an onboard circuit, without using batteries. Maybe I've just described doing something that has already been tried and in use, or tossed aside as unusable, but it's worth a shot.

About 5 years ago I made a wood die with grape skins. We have a huge arbor off the back of our house to support a mature vine. Each year, hundreds of grapes drop off and stain our patio. Every summer, I break out the bleach and scrub brush to clean off the cement, but one year it occured to me that the stain from the grape skins might make a good wood stain. I skinned enough grapes to fill a gallon bucket with skins. Then I spread them out on a tarp in the sun to dry. After they were crispy dry, I fashioned a mortise and pestel with a heavy glass mixing bowl and an ash baseball bat (Louisville Slugger). After grinding them down to a course powder, I gathered and tied it into a fine cheese cloth and put it it in a small jar. Then I filled the jar 1/4 of the way with denatured alcohol, capped it and left it for a few weeks. Then with gloves on, I squeezed the left over solution from the cheese cloth bag and discarded it with the skins. Using the stain was a challenge because it tended to settle, leaving the bulk of the pigment at the bottom of the jar. I had to apply several coats to "build up" the color density I was going for. The alcohol based stain also tended to lift the nap on the wood, so after the second application of stain, I had to sand the project (a keep-sake box) with 600 grit befre applying more stain. I used a water based urethane for a top coat and it took away some of the warm tone of the color. Next time I'll use an oil based clear.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. My favorite expression and my signature on other web forums I frequent is "There are no simple projects" Like I mentioned earlier, it takes me forever to finish any project. I will fixate for weeks on end over the smallest detail, or spend 40 hours designing, and re-designing a part before I actually start getting dirty. My little brother says I suffer from "Analysis Paralysis". This is the two year epic mechanics toolchest I built: (quick note, my workshop is usually never as cluttered as is in that picture) It has 17 drawers, over 15 cubic feet of storage. There's a hidden button in the underside of the top frame, to the left of the center upright, that when pressed, releases a foot lever out from the bottom. Step on the foot lever and the lid elevates, staying level, on 4 parallel arms pushed by twin gas shocks. Also, all the drawers and the lid can be locked with a single key. I've been offered $5k for it and turned it down. Inside the top storage area is a stainless plate I had engraved with a message for my son who will one day inherit it (and hopefully some day pass it on to his son). The plate is installed backwards to keep the message hidden until the time is right. I know it's not heirloom quality, but it's a statement that with enough planning and patience, he can do anything. As far as heirloom quality, some day I'll post photos of the solid oak mission style sleigh bed I built for my daughter.

That's a pretty cool Idea, and I wish i could do the same with access to the proper machines. My only question concerns the aluminum. From what I learned in casting, cutting, and stretching aluminum, i've come to the conclusion that aluminum is a pretty flexable, and not very strong metal to use. Do you think it'll resist wear from the strings creating a lot of tension on it? I may have been using pretty low grade aluminum, but from my experience, aluminum isn't hard enough to deal with tensions like that. I'll be using 6061-T6. It's the stongest alloy I have readily available. It may flex a bit, but shouldn't be much more than cast aluminum. If I don't have material thick enough and end up having to weld on additional material, that will make it a lot stiffer. I can also leave extra material in key places to improve the resistance to flexing. For the install on my OE-30, I don't want to drill and screw into the front of the body, so I'm stealing an idea from ZZGUITARWORKS.COM and will make a plate that the front Bigsby mounts will bolt to and then fasten the other end to the stock stop bar bosses. Depending on the string angle, I'll make the mount plate from either .045" Stainless or .100" aluminum. Either way, I should be able to put a finish on it that will match the Bigsby. Other than the CAD system, the only equipment I'll be using will be a drill press, angle grinder and borrowed time on a bridgeport mill at work. I expect there will be hours and hours of hand filing and polishing. The only parts that contact the strings (the front roller and the stop bar w/ pins) will be stainless steel round bar and will rotate on pressed in bronze bushings.

I assumed the truss rod anchored into the body, but if it anchors in the neck, then I'll leave it alone. Like I mentioned an in earlier post, until this past December, I'd never even held a guitar, much less knew anything about them. Southbound, I wouldn't know the sound of a 50's LP from a 50's refridgerator, I just appreciate the look. I plan to keep it, so if down the road it's determined that it sounds like crap, I'll address it then. I've heard of, but not seen pictures of, the voids milled into the bodies of Les Pauls that help to bring out the correct tone. If and when I find that info, I'll add that to the to do list. I'm using mahogany because I have about 100 board feet of irradiated mahogany flooring (hard as rock) in my workshop. There is about a 7/16" height difference between the flat body and the fretboard. From what I've seen on the LP Standard, I could add about 3/8" of material to the top and still be able to position the bridge to have the strings the current height off the fretboard. Like I mentioned, this is my first go at guitar work. If it turns our awful, I'll part it out on Ebay and go on to something else.

In with both feet . . . this is my first foray into guitar refurbishment. I’m calling it “Project Cheap Date”. Yesterday, I picked up this Epi LP Special for $75. Maybe I paid too much, but a co-worker who knows guitars said it was in decent shape & played well. The only blemish worth mention is a chip at the bottom. My goal is to make it look like a late 50’s gold top. The previously mentioned co-worker has an Epi LP Standard I can use to measure the various thicknesses and curvatures. The reason I’m calling it ‘Project Cheap Date” is because the only things I’ll have to spend for will be the new pickup trim, knobs and binding. I already have the electronic bits, mahogany and what I believe is a very close match on the gold metallic paint. I even have some automotive clear left over from a recent car project. I plan to strip and plane the body, removing enough material from both the front and back just to take off the rounded edges. Then, after machining to give it 2 volume & 2 control knobs, and relocating the selector switch (I already have the pots and the schematic to change the controls), I plan to laminate mahogany to both surfaces in order to build up enough thickness to shape the arched top as well as a slightly rounded back. I’m planning to reuse the pickups, but I’d like to try and make some polished aluminum covers. I’m not sure what affect that might have on the sound. I’m even planning to rout for and install edge binding (Cream plastic from Stew-Mac). Because the body is plywood, and the finish on the neck and headstock are still good (black), the sides and back of the body will also be black. Way at the bottom of the wish list is to make, yes I said make, my own Bigsby for it. In a week or so, I’ll be receiving a B7 that I’ll be installing on my Oscar Schmidt OE-30. As an engineer at an aluminum fabrication company, it will be easy to make a set of CAD drawings and gather the materials. Actually making it, so it works will be an entirely different epic. On to the questions: 1. I think I understand that the painting has to be done AFTER the binding is glued in place. Other than doing a really good job taping off the binding, are there any tricks to achieving a clean edge where the paint meets the binding? 2. Can plastic binding be sanded? I saw on the Stewart Macdonald web site that they recommend using a scraper to bring the wood down to the binding. 3. Is there a better binding material than plastic? 4. I’ve never disassembled a guitar. Are there any precautions I should take when removing the neck and truss rod? 5. If I end up repainting the neck and head, is there a resource for the Epiphone logo decals? I should offer a warning . . . It takes me forever to finish a project. It could easily be a month between updates on this project. For example, I wanted a large multi-drawer mechanics tool chest, but was too cheap to buy one, so I set out to make my own out of aluminum. It took over two years to find the time to get it done. Thanks in advance for any answers to the above questions.

Of course mine's bigger... Just a couple of low wattage practice amps. A 15 watt Randall (for me) and the itsy 5 watt that came with my son's Lyon. I just ordered a 10 watt unit for my daughter to use. Maybe in a years time, when we can all play for real, I'll invest some real boom. I know where I can get a used Marshall half stack for $400 or so. In the mean time, I've got a schematic for MOSFET amps and some effects I might try out. I'm also looking for circuits for wireless systems I can build. I'm working on the callouses. Two days after Christmas, my fingers hurt so much I couldn't even hold a coffee cup (for me, that's serious).

Hi out there... Quick background. Up until this past December, I'd never even held a guitar. My son asked for an electric for Christmas. Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to learn to play. Since my son was getting one (a Lyon LI15, Black), I got myself one too (a Washburn WI14, Cherry) so we can try to learn together. A few weeks into it, I stumbled across a mint condition Oscar Schmidt OE-30 in black on Craigslist for $125. I love the look of the ES-335 copy. The size and style suit my 44 years better than the Washburn Idol. Along with actually learning to play it, I'm going to add a Bigsby B7 in the next week or so. My daughter has since adopted the Cherry Idol and joined in on the learning to play epic. The toys so far: Just to be sure not to have any spare time, today I picked up an 'well used' Epiphone Les Paul Special for a refurb project. Stay tuned for more pictures and a lot of newbie questions.