thegarehanman

Wes, greg, I want 30 minutes of my life back. wait for it.... wait for it.... there ya go, now you can be certain i was joking. now kiss and make up already.

If they aren't pretty, that's because they aren't done well. If you don't have the patience or skill to make a bobbin topper work well, you may not be able to do a professional job of painting the bobbins either. Personally, I would leave them be. The only time a guitar should look new is when it first leaves the store. These are how bobbin toppers should look when done well: peace, russ

UniversalJems.com sells vinyl stickers called "bobbin toppers" that are only about $3-$4 for a set and work well if applied correctly. What you need to do is remove the adjustable pole pieces. Then, clean the bobbins and very carefully apply the stickers. Use a small drill bit matching the hole you're reaming out to pierce holes where there were formerly holes in the top of the bobbin (there are 3 holes small holes in total on each bobbin, for most single coils and humbuckers). This will ensure a more authentic (read: "not a sticker") look. Once this is all said and done, use a brush to apply CA around the edges of the bobbin and the insides of the holes, where the sticker's edge is exposed. Apply the CA very sparingly. Finally, get yourself some clear engine enamel from an automotive store. Spray the tops of the bobbins (do several light coats) making sure to get the edges of the bobbin, where the sticker meets the bobbin. Once this has cured, knock the gloss off with some 0000 steel wool. Clean off the steel wool that's stuck itself to the magnets and then reinsert the adjustable pole pieces. If you do this whole process perfectly, it will not look like cheap stickers stuck to a bobbin, the top of the bobbin will simply be a slightly different color from the rest of it. peace, russ

Not sure, but I have no intention of price gouging, as I always get irritated seeing these "boutique" pickups selling for hundreds. The first few sets will go out to certain builders for free or at cost. Hopefully I can get feedback from a broad range of builders. peace, russ EDIT: A few more pics for ya In case anyone was wondering, the multi-coil pickup is designed with a (approximate) 2" string spacing in mind and does take into account for a string spread (which is important since the poles are not oriented in a straight line that is perpendicular to the neck's centerline).

And here are the renderings of the p90 style pickup I'll be having rapid prototyped as well. peace, russ PS Pete, by the way, upon quick inspection, that humbucker ring made from carbon fiber that you posted a picture of is actually just plastic covered with a black/grey checkerboard pattern. Carbon fiber does not have that much definition to the perpendicular weaves. Hope he's not selling that stuff as real carbon fiber.

Pete, while I do intend to sell these things, I could care less what the market is. I'm just building stuff that I would like to try. I'm just trying to have fun really, and if I recoup a bit of what I spend developing this stuff, then great. I intend to wind some pickups that are not drop-in replacements, these will be geared towards folks like us who like to build from the ground up. However, when possible, I hope to offer drop-in versions of these pickups. Obviously, the one pictured above will not have such a fate. As an undergraduate ME student, developing stuff like this (as well as the performance honda parts I just started developing at my new job) are excellent portfolio fluffers, at least if you have any aspiration to do design work, as opposed to field work. Rapid prototyping is basically an additive manufacturing process (additive in that material is added to create the part, rather than removed like in milling). There are 3 or 4 current methods of rapid prototyping, but the method I will be using is "Fused Deposition Modeling." Basically, material is built up, layer by layer to create your plastic model. The only material that can be used for this is ABS plastic. I'll use these parts to create molds which will be used to make the cast resin parts that will actually be used for the pickups. It's a pricey process for guys like us, but compared to machining and things like that where you only want 1 part, the price can't be beaten. As for that pickup, you're correct, that's 6 coils you see. The design is the result of a lot of pondering, staring at walls, tedious math accompanied by frappacinos, and then testing with very unattractive mock-up coils. I'd definitely be interested in trying out the hex coils. Once I get some of these made, we'll talk about you getting your hands on a set. peace, russ

um...you could dip them in that silicone tool grip stuff. If you can find it in white, then you can tint it to a cream color using analyne dies (assuming they're compatible). Let me do a quick search. EDIT: Plasti-dip. Comes in white too (or you could try the clear over a creme knob)! http://www.plastidip.com/industrial/plastidip.html

I've seen strat style knobs with rubber grips. Although if you have white knobs, the grips will be black, of course. Stewmac might have them. I don't believe they're traditionally sold as guitar knobs specifically, but they are the same dimensions. Some googling might turn something up.

Obviously if any of these materials negatively affect the sound of the pickup, I will not be offering them. However, there's no reason the impact couldn't be positive. A few preliminary tests incline me to believe that because these metals are non-ferrous and thin(about 1/64" thick), there will be little to no noticeable effect. Carbon fiber will actually be a functional component of all of my parts, but for this particular application, it won't be cosmetic (or even visible, for that matter). To wet your whistles, here's a rendering that I'm going to have rapid prototyped soon. It's one of two slightly unique (the other one less so than this) designs I've been working on. As for offering thin veneers. I'm interested in the pickups' function more than their form. None the less, the appearance must be professional, and adhesive backed covers do not look professional imo. The finishes will be on covers (which are seperate from the coil. originally I had toyed with epoxy potted pickups where the potting doubled as the "cover," but I've seen strayed away from that method) though, so buying a certain style cover with a pickup won't mean a commitment to that look or a need to get another pickup for a new look. peace, russ

I haven't worked with nitro, but I believe one of its attributes is that it melts in. That said, you might be able to drop some nitro on the cracks and remelt the cracked areas. This will mean you have to wait for it to cure though. In the future, use some melted wax and a nail to coat/fill the insides of screw and stud holes before wetsanding. peace, russ

Where is the chip? If it's on the body, then don't waste your time worrying about exposed wood. It's not going to cause the wood to dramatically change moisture content and warp or anything like that. Chances are the sealer is still in tact anyhow. Care to provide a picture? peace, russ

Well, I was actually referring to the shape of the neck, not the joint at the body. Really, the area directly around the neck bolts is seeing a different type of stress (shear) than the majority of the neck joint (bending), so countersinking the screws doesn't mean that the joint will necessarily become weaker altogether, but then again, that's probably not something that crosses most guitar builder's minds, especially since bolt on neck joints are typically overbuilt anyhow. peace, russ

Looking at that guitar, his work has gotten much cleaner than it was about a year ago, so that's certainly commendable. I'm not crazy about the way he carves the heel of the neck (looks like it goes from a round profile to an almost square one at the joint), but that doesn't mean it's "wrong". I'm still not crazy about the attitude he has, but if it's just marketing and people are buying it, then I respect that he's playing off of certain personalities to sell guitars...that's marketing for ya. peace, russ

Yes, definitely clean the gun during those large gaps between coats. Laquer thinner will clean any finish you'll spray. Just use some gloves around it, as it's not healthy to get solvent on your skin. I keep a 5 gallon drum of the stuff in my shop so that if my shop should catch on fire, it will be occompanied by a large explosion.

Can't help you then. I had problems veneering a curved surface...so I built a vacuum pump.

The easiest and most consistent way to apply a veneer is with a vacuum bag. This is probably out of your price range, if you're only looking to veneer one guitar. That said, if it's a flat surface you're veneering, your best bet is to (remove the previous attempt and) put another veneer on. Press the veneer on with a large (and very) flat board with lots of weight on top of it. If you're using two pieces of veneer joined at the middle, invest a few dollars in veneer tape (look at veneersupplies.com) to join the two pieces. peace, russ

I think you're misinterpreting what's being said, as I've not written anything meant to be or read anything that comes across as "territorial pissing." You made it clear that the results would not be useful, and I simply retorted by saying that, in the case of a high school project, it is not the usefullness of the results that matters, but the manner in which they were obtained and the fact that you can distinguish whether or not they are usefull as well as what factors you may need to take into account (including possible further testing) to make the results decisive and useful. However, I would still like like that picture of a puppy.

dh7892, you should come to the states. For my school (and it's not like it's a top 10 engineering school), the employment rate for engineers is nearly 100%, and the salaries are very competitive. peace, russ

Glad we're seeing eye to eye here, dh7892. As a high school project, he's doing exactly what he should be doing. Hell, he's doing it all on the same guitar, which is more of a constant than most "luthiers" use when think they try to compare guitar parts' effect on tone. I do a lot of design and fabrication with composites for my job and for school. I'm with you 100% on the importance of a methodical application of the scientific method. However, I fear you're going to scare the kid away from science because he'll be afraid of turning into a scientific snob! haha peace, russ

This is a highschool project, not the basis for a thesis, and I think, while the results may not be entirely useful or all-inclusive, how he presents those results could very well still get him a fine grade. Just say, x bridge is this metal, attaches to the body this way, and the strings go over/mount to it this way. y bridge differs from x bridge this way. And so on. If he doesn't say "the difference in mounting techniques and not the difference in metal is the definite reason for a tonal difference," then I don't see why he couldn't get a good grade. Just be as consistent with testing methods, and as objective with results as possible. Me thinks the teacher wants to see the quality of the research, not the quality or usefullness of the results. If the former is the case, than this should be a good project. You are the only one that will know for sure though. peace, russ

I'm sure some diligent searching on the internet, compliments of google or yahoo, should give you a range of audible sound waves. One thing you'll have to determine is what the sensitivity of your microphone, recording program and sound card are. Remember that just because your computer doesn't tell you a certain frequency is present, doesn't mean it really isn't. Then again, anything your computer isn't sensitive enough to hear, your ears probably couldn't hear anyways. Anyhow, these are some things to look into and consider. Knowing the limits of your testing methods is just as important as knowing what you're testing for in the first place. peace, russ

You can buy vinyl that's textured and colored to look like snakeskin. A lot of places that sell guitar amp parts sell it. Do some googling.

Just make a pendulum to pluck it. Make the pendulum long enough so as to nearly simulate the action of a hand plucking a string. 4' radius should do the trick. Just have it set up so you're releasing it from the same height every time. For something like this, it would be wise to use a soft pick to avoid popping a string. You could even incorporate a mechanism that catches the pendulum so it doesn't go back and pluck the string again. This would free your hands up to pay attention to the computer. Make sure that you figure out what frequencies and amplitudes are audible and what aren't. Because while one bridge may have the longest physical sustain, it may not actually have the longest audible sustain. I know I've heard of a study that was done on les pauls vs strats (although the person could very well have been bs'ing) where a les paul was said to have longer audible sustain, while the strat had longer physical sustain. I think a computer is going to be the most accurate recording instrument you're going to get without spending quite a bit of money. I could be wrong though, I'm no recording guru. peace, russ

Hey guys, I'm getting set up to do a small run of pickups. I've been doing some testing with some designs that I think will be a hit. More on that later. What I want to know now is what sort of stuff you would like to see available in terms of appearance of pickups. Right now here's my list of finish options I plan to offer, tell me what you think and if there's anything you think should be added to the list. -carbon fiber -zylon (looks like woven gold) -texalium (looks like woven silver) -engine turned aluminum -copper -corroded copper -EIRW -Cocobolo -Ebony -Striped Ebony -Flamed Maple -Gloss Black -Gloss White -Flat Black -clear (pole pieces and magnet wire visable) peace, russ PS I will likely also make carbon fiber, zylon, and texalium humbucker, single coil, and p90 covers for retrofitting existing pickups.

the answer you seek is "5" Or, since no one knows, you could find out the scale length of the guitar, find a straight on shot of the whole guitar, and scale it up so that the distance from the nut to the 12th fret is 1/2 the scale length. Blamo, 3 easy steps and you've got a full size picture of the guitar.