Tony Enamel

Use the polishing compound!!! It makes a huge difference. I rub out guitars and thought "this looks great!" and then polished them and... "Gat-damn, this looks f@$kin' unbeliveable!!!!!"

It's well worth the extra $4.

Hey all,

Anyone know where I can buy a Floyd Rose style bridge that comes equipped with piezo pickups in the saddles? I've scoured the net and all I can find is the Ibanez Lo Pro, which is great BUT, I can't find where to buy one! I don't want to buy an entire guitar just to get the bridge I want!

just twist on some new wire and tin with solder. A little piece of heat-shrink tubing will cover the joint and avoid a short.

You can get the Ghost Modular Piezo system for 7 string and just buy the hexaphonic preamp instead of (or as well as depending on budget) the acousti-phonic preamp. Check it out here. This will allow you to have acoustic and synth sounds.

As for the sustainer, It will work fine with seven strings you just have to build your driver to cover the extra spacing. I don't think the circuit will need to be changed. I've been using the fetzer-ruby circuit with good results on a 6 string but the boys on the sustainer thread are devising a new and improved circuit. Read the last 2 pages to find out about it. The sustainer will work best with only one other magnetic pickup in the bridge position. but that, combined with piezo acoustic and midi synth sounds still leaves you with a silly amount of tonal options.

Good luck

Well, obviously no one here knows anything about 9 pin output jacks! On the plus side, I managed to find the answer to my query. So now we all know.

The Answer

Hey all. I got a 9 pin stereo output jack that can be used to close the 9v circuit to activate my piezo preamp. My question is, what are the 9 lugs for? how do I wire it into my circuit? I tried google but, alas, to no avail.

Edit:

This is what I'm refering to...

Stereo Switching Jack

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback. I used the methyl-hydrate between coats and it seemed to work just fine. I have no witness lines from the previous days coats.

This method has been discussed here and if my memory serves correct, we've concluded that this is a BAD IDEA. Give it a go on some scrap and see. You never know. I personaly have not tried it.

You need Methylated Spirits

Is that not the same thing as methyl-hydrate alcohol?

Hey all,

I'm trying my first KTM9 finish and the guys from Grafted Coatings say you should use denatured alcohol to neutralize the film before applying the next days coats. This is to encourage the new coats to melt into the previous ones. My problem: I can't find anything called denatured alcohol in any store (hardware, pharmacy, etc). All I can find is Methyl_Hydrate. Will this work the same way?

Thanks,

Dezz

Hello Mind Riot

Welcome to the forum. After reading the entire length of your post, I have a very good idea as to where you're going wrong. After leveling and crowning and dressing your fretends, use the 800/1000/1200/1500 grits to remove scratches NOT BY SANDING ON EACH INDIVIDUAL FRET but by "flapping" the paper over the frets up and down the length of the fingerboard. I use a foam brush with the paper wrapped over it to avoid digging in too much. 7 or 8 swipes over the entire board (don't do one area at a time, that will mess with your leveling) will do.

I use 800 then 1000 and sometimes 1200 and 1500 then pollish with 0000 wool and finally rubbing/pollishing compuond (mask off wood first). Then you can hold that baby in the light and blind yourself!

Hope that helps,

Dezz

I just forstner bit out the neck pocket, the n clen up with a router.

Word.

Wow!! That is some beautiful S#!t!!!! You've obviously had some practice!. Nice work.

patent that i have read some twenty times or more so far

by the way if you have not read it there is a ton of info to be had

thanks for your time

I was embarassed to mention it but I've read the whole patent too! I'm glad I'm not the only one with way too much spare time!

You're right, there is a s$%t load of info there. I'm curious to hear/see this bilateral driver you're worknig on. Keep us posted.

Hey guys,

When I switch to harmonic mode, should my tone change? I thought it would not but, it does. The tone goes really trebley.

...if you don't have the vocabulary you may have something more complicated you want to say, but no way of saying it.

Exactly!

I'd love to fix that for you BUT it would cost you more than you're probably willing to pay. The only reason to hire a pro would be if there's some mad sentimental value attached to this guitar. Just the refinish alone would be expensive. Let me know....

I seem to have posted the same reply 3 times! Sorry for that.

I don't know how to delete a post, so I'm just changing the content.

Still no luck with harmonic mode. I'm going back to the breadboard. I'll keep you posted.

Has anyone tried a driver with pole peices instad of a rail?

Yes, I have...

Originally, my driver just used the alinco pole piece slugs from the pickup. It worked but as I bent away from the pole the sustain faded. So I cut a 5mm steel core from a strip of welders steel and just set it on top of the poles and pushed them down into the flatwork of the pickup. Bends worked much better. So, that confirms that theory.

...Indeed.

OK...

In the beginning, there was no harmonic goodness. Then Pete said "Let there be a 100uf cap on output!" and a few rays of light could then be seen. Being blessed with free will and an inquisitive mind, Dezz set out to let his light shine. In doing so, he changes to a 47uf cap... and the clouds began to part. The warm harmonic glow began to shine a little brighter (but just on the 6th string and 1 or 2 notes on the 5th)!

I'm going to try your 10uf suggestion later today. I'll keep you all posted.

Question: What would happen if there were no cap at all?

One thing to consider for your picking hand is to make sure that your technique never changes (fast or slow). Try this: Play a lick that you're good at slowly and study your picking (ie. angle to the string, which muscles are moving the pick, how wide the pickstroke is, etc.) the play the lick fast and check your picking. If there are any differences you need to correct them. Your picking should stay exactly the same at any speed.

Consistancy is KEY.

There's my $.02

Hey Pete,

I am not sure what the output capacitor on the ruby is (ahh...it is specified as a 220uF)...now, on mine I have changed that to a 100uF and that's on a bright sounding single coil guitar. So, this output capacitor if made lower will give a brighter circuit (less bass) and may compensate for the darker sounding humbucking pickup you are using and bring out those harmonics.

Thanks for the suggestion about the output cap. I changed it this afternoon from 220u to 100u and I'm getting lovely sustain on every string.

You may also get that "mix" effect I get on the lower notes where the morph into notes an octave above as they sustain. This will give more character to those long held notes and a singing quality to the lower strings which is kind of neat. Sounds more like singing feedback than like a continuously held organ note if you get my meaning...more guitar like!

Now, in normal mode I do get that octave morph you described! HOWEVER, I still don't get much in the harmonic mode. I'm getting more than I did yesterday though, so we're moving in the right direction!

Any other suggestions on bringing out those harmonics? What percentage of your entire fretboard give nice harmonic sustain?

BTW, I'm using 11 gauge strings. Do you think I should try 10's or lower?

Also, I designed my driver with a removable core. I cut a new piece of metal and ground it down to about 3.5mm and my sustain still works about the same (although I only got to play with the thin core for a few seconds). I'll try a little more playing tonight and give you a 100% confirmation on your thin core theory. My original core was just under 5mm so there's not a huge difference. But If I find that one works better than the other I'll let you know.

Originally, my driver just used the alinco pole piece slugs from the pickup. It worked but as I bent away from the pole the sustain faded. So I cut a 5mm steel core from a strip of welders steel and just set it on top of the poles and pushed them down into the flatwork of the pickup. Bends worked much better. So, that confirms that theory. Now, as I mentioned, I'm trying the thinner core theory.

I'll keep you posted.

Dezz