jefm

You do have a good point...but the point I was trying to make is not that the tutorials have to be elitist or inaccesible...but that it would benefit both the people interested in the electronics mods and the person writing if it could be assumed that they had a knowledge of the basics....I'm not saying you have to truly understand how something works...sometimes you don't care to...sometimes it's just not possible...but the "what goes where" discussion is a lot easier when there is some common knowledge base that can be drawn from....(like assuming people know a little about woodworking in some of the other tutorials) I'll provide a basic outline on how schematics work...at least pertaining to guitar electronics in a very basic way with examples from outside the electronics realm when I can come up with them...guitar electronics luckily don't get too complicated so I should be able to manage ok....this will make for easier tutorials to read and write in the future...(i.e. Less complicated instructions)

That pedal tutorial is actually really good...I missed it the first time through... It's basically a bypass pedal with a wet dry pot right????

Everybody has seen these in elevators...the switches that have no mechanical component... What about putting them in a guitar...inlaying some chrome into the top and using these to switch circuits... I think this could be done with SCR's...I've been reading about them a bit...I think it would a real pain to bias it into the operating region...this just popped into my head about 5 minutes ago so I haven't had the time to totally sort things out... I don't think the PU signal would sustain them for suitable use...but maybe a way to trigger a normal transistor to do a coil tap or trigger an effect or something... then you could have plenty of switches without things looking too ugly... have one ground rail and a dashed switch rail parallel and you could make them look pretty... Just a half baked idea...probably too gimmicky...or maybe not even possible..

Oh and I'll work on that on the weekend...I have it off...so I should be able to come up with something

Hahaha...yeah...soldering irons are my enemy...I always try to grab them like a pencil out of habit...Always always....My friend has a nice butane one...you can grip it lower without causing injury... I'm sure everyone in a trade has those fun "I once set myself on fire" kind of stories... Wearing jewlery with electronics is bad...not so bad with guitars...I wouldn't dare with an amp...get a gold ring in the wrong spot and you're a very sad panda...if it's expensive enough it'll melt into your skin...yep...shop teachers are great... As long as it has a route to ground that doesn't involve your head or heart though you're a little bit safer...(not much) and it's not backwards reading schematics....they're easier...I re-drew a lot of the ones from the guitar electronics site....actually I spent a couple days doing it...

I actually have an aweful time with the diagrams...I find it easier to follow with schematics...that would help me loads... also a how and why they work... I know that won't work for everyone though...If you follow some of the other electronics mods on there you should be pretty safe... I think the problem isn't that they are too complex...maybe the other way around....they need more info... Some like the black ice are pretty obvious...it's a clipper...you could maybe draw up a sinewave and show how it clips the signal for more clarity some like the sustainer are a little muddy and need more info...I'm not entirely sure from the diagram where it fits into the normal circuitry and how the effect is produced Pictures of how things are secured to each other would be a big step forward... To be honest a solder this here....do this do that step by step hand holding tutorial would be a step backwards....A little exposition yes...but getting that verbose with the detail would make it too specific and make it hard to adapt to custom applications...it'd work in an ideal situation though...but retrofiting a sustainer into a guitar that doesn't match the one in the tutorial might catch some people out...some vagueness is necessary A tutorial on schematics...at least on what the symbols mean would likely benefit a lot of people...and basic electronics safety...I know it's passive electronics but still...might as well... those should really be addressed anyway before an "audience that knows nothing about electronics" should be attempting things like pedals and wiring things...(I have had soooo many burns and shocks and I basically know whats going on) Maybe a difficulty level rating...something like the black ice that takes 10 minutes and and can be done in the dark with one hand behind your back would be for most people...and things like that horrifying 12 way switch could be a little tougher...and stuff like the sustainer that involves active circuitry might be advanced level... that way you can write appropriate tutorials for the audience...if people can't read schematics or can't understand you could point them to where they can learn about it... You know a lot about electronics and I'd hate to see you hold back some advanced stuff because you can't dumb it down...Some stuff really is just plain hard...there is no easy way...I'm not saying this to exclude anyone or to tell you to only write for engineers....but some stuff isn't meant for the average person...You wouldn't buy a car and ask why there isn't an easy tutorial on tuning a carb....because there isn't an easy way....changing oil...easy...installing a turbo....hard.....changing pickups....easy...designing a logic circuit *cries* If you want I could even put out a schematic lesson to help out.... I would do one on safety too but....well burns and shocks and such...that and it's a complicated subject best addressed by someone that has more knowledge...kinda like a shop teacher telling you why you need to cut your hair and take off jewlery and giving graphic examples (that was one of my favourite parts of class) By modding Pickups do you mean like a conversion to a 4 conductor wire??? Anyway...I guess that's a little more than two cents

I don't know about the texture but that guitar is awesome

Depends on what type... Auto paint is pretty expensive and I think a few people here use it...it can range from affordable to rediculous...when i worked at an auto repair shop the one guy showed me a tiny can that was worth about $350...not even the big ones you get at wallmart it was about the size of a coke can...

Hmmm...gibson factory...sounds like a good trip there is a guy here that runs a decal site...I think his name is mike but I can't remember...he has kind of an ez-inlay kit... you get a large piece of square MOP then inlay that into the headstock...then apply a decal over it...neat idea actually... I can't remember the link but the guy's site has more info...if you get in touch with him here I think I remember a discount for project guitar members....not sure if he's still doing that promo though...

I posted this in the same topic started on the solidbody side From what ansil just said what I posted above in the quote is wrong...I'll go dig through the big thread about those tutorials after I don't imagine that the piezo would make it sound buzzy though...it should be secured to make it work...I'm guessing now that this is to shake the pickup in relation to the strings or just set the coils shaking...meh...in either case the amp (LM386) drives the peizo and the peizo shakes something and sets up a vibration that "sustains"

Well...With a triple pole double throw...it's basically the same with another row... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 the middle would of course be the Live terminals.... So you'd bridge 1 and 2 4 would come from the pickups...5 would be the output and 7 would be effects in and 8 effects out...that is the same as the DPDT this just adds another switch to the package...you'd wire it like any battery switch...so it's open in the bypassed position (leave terminal 3 unhooked) and have it so that it completes it when the effect is on......there is more than one way to skin a cat...you can do this with another seperate switch so you can have the effect pre-juiced when you need it...or you can actually have it done (albeit not a true bypass) with one DPDT switch...it all depends on what you need the switches to do and what you have available to you...

Ansil did it...he's on the board and hangs out in the electronics section (actually this probably belongs there) From my understanding it feeds the pickup out to an opamp that boost the output to drive a mini speaker...that basically vibrates the pickup...in a self sustaining cycle...the strings vibrate the pickup and the pickup vibrates the strings... That's what I gather

Errr...from the earliest I've seen solid-bodies have always had adjustable bridges...at least for intonation and I'd imagine most had a way to adjust the action...otherwise they'd be rather unpleasant and almost unplayable...there's exceptions of course...The only real way would to be sure is to bug gibson to find out...I don't really care enough... I have a friend with a vintage ford tempo....relic job and all...some things will never be properly called vintage or classic...sure someone might love them.... This would definantely be a fun guitar to start toying and experimenting with though...I would feel just as happy about doing a good job without having to feel bad if I pooch it completely....

Hmmm....I think they used stuff like that in really old car stereos???

Ah...yeah I get you now...Strangefruit That's a good idea Hmmm....if he gets his hands on a TPDT he could have something to keep it from eating power when it's bypassed

To the best of my knowledge Strat came from the facination with space at the time of conception...basically plucked from a newspaper Tune-O-Matic is likely just held over from a period when the Dice-O-Matic 5000 was a must have kitchen tool But yeah...in the end they're just brand names

This circuit has one push pull DPDT tone On-On Switch and a gibson 3 way http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/WDUHH3T1105 This is a schematic done in paint... I'm not sure on the tone control symbol...it's been years since I've used them properly...The gibson switch I've seen drawn elsewhere like this and is the closest representation of how it works that I can find But in any case...this is how it's wired...hopefully I didn't mess up http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/view_i...C/picserver.gif For anyone that hasn't seen schematics... The curly lines on the left are inductors...or coils...the pickups basically...the zig-zaggy guys on the right are the knobs...(variable resistors or pots) the gap below the tone is a capacitor...the out is the output jack... The gibson switch either connects both or disconnects one or the other...we'll assume both are connected for this So now we're aquainted with all but the DPDT switch... (and for those that know schematics...I know this is a total mess...I'm soo sorry...if I wasn't so tired I'd clean it up) For this you pull for coil tapping on the outer coils of both pickups...the picture has the pot upside down...so it might trick you...like it did me...so pretend my switch is upside down as well so I don't have to fix it A DPDT is basically 2 switches together...and that's why that is the symbol for it on the schematic.... the input for the first switch is terminal 3 and the second terminal 4 in the pushed position (up on my diagram)....it acts like the switch isn't there....actually it basically isn't...it is an open circuit...output terminals 1 and 2 are selected...nothing is connected to them so it acts like a normal humbucker... When it is pulled (down in the diagram) This is when the cool stuff happens.... The input for the first switch is in between the 2 coils the output for terminal 5 goes to ground.... the input of the second switch is the start of the top coil of the Second humbucker...the output is the middle... This does look weird at first but I'll explain where this goes... the current for the first PU travels through the first coil and before it reaches the second it finds a shortcut to ground (saves having to go through a mile of pickup coil...I don't blame it) so it skips the second one... The Second humbucker is a little different...the current never reaches the top coil...it goes from the selector switch straight to the second one....starting from the middle...again...shorter route to ground... Anyway....Now you know how DPDT switches work and coil taps.... ***EDIT*** I screwed up on the pic....not anything that affects the circuit operation...but if you number the terminals in the picture 2 1 4 3 6 5 it works ok....

Ummm....Are you sure on that??? don't you have to bridge the pins to get that to happen like you have in that diagram???? actually the diagram you have would mean the switch would have no effect other than making the electricity change it's mind on which path to the same destination to take.... Maybe I missed something but for the time being I wouldn't go by that diagram

I don't think it's been answered and I actually had a pain finding the information myself a while ago...Here's how it usually is... On-On 1 2 3 4 5 6 this is basically 2 normal SPDT switches stuck together... up position 3 is connected to 1 and 4 connected to 2 down position 3 is connected to 5 and 4 connected to 6 3 and 4 aren't connected... On-Off-On same as before but with an off position in the middle On-On-On This is probably simple but it took me a while to figure out Up 1 -3 , 2-4 down 3-5, 4-6 Mid 1-3 4-6 or also 3-5 2-4 (I don't know which is more common...I guess it doesn't matter) I did find an animated picture of the On-On-On....I just can't figure out where it was... Scott had a pretty good explanation...the on-on-on is the only one in wiring diagrams that ever messes me up...

Yeah but does it cut the wattage by that amount or has nobody tried measuring it yet???

Hahaha That's hillarious...it's actually impressive when you realize what some of the otherwise ordinary people around you are up to

Warmoth doesn't sell set necks...only bolt ons...(they'd likely make whatever you asked for though) they do have 24 3/4 scale for the warmoth and LP style headstocks...but they call it 24 3/4 conversion I believe...I don't know if that's any different scale...they also have baritones and mustang scale necks The necks are designed to fit in a strat pocket for most... He didn't really specify a set neck though...epiphone has some bolt on's for the cheaper range like the g-310 If you need something done from warmoth they probably will if you ask... If you have the neck pocket routed though that really limits your options **Edit I just noticed that he said it was a bolt on

Meh...I got Mpeg2... I really like the contrasting elements of the guitar...a very dramatic yet subdued effect...looks nice enough to me

Well I guess you wouldn't want to lower the power when you play live....but it'd be a bummer if the light went out when you were playing... How would you decide what rating to use...is it trial and error or say for a 100 watt amp would a 60 watt bulb bring it to a 40??? and do you use the lightbulb in the weber circuit or on it's own... just a little lost

20 Male Actually I was going to post a gender Poll too I'm curious if there is even one lady here....this place is probably more manly than most car forums though...