Dec 24, 2009 3:46 PM
New Re-plant pics
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Here are some new pics.Not much yet,just starting the replant into the strat.The new doner,workbench(messy),electronics and pickguard.I will have more as I go.Merry Christmas!!!!
Great! Merry Xmax to you too, and I really look forward to see your next photos !
Hello,
Could you make a detailed photo of the mag. pickups conections to the p.u. selector?
Thank you
more pics as i go!!!
and more
My pics did not come out well.The first set shows top and bottom of pickguard,tbx tone and vol for mag pu's/layout for the knobs and switches/general wiring=second set of pics shows the 5 way switch and how the mag pu's are wired in/////common 1st,neck 2nd,mid 3rd,bridge last(from left to right).
Some of your pics did not come well, indeed, but one is very precious to me : the selector one. Thanks !
The pics were fine until the upload,not sure what happened but I will try to take better ones as I go.This is my first "pics and details as I go" build.I was hoping this would help someone else like others have done for me.
...and it will help, be sure of that ![]()
Thanks again.
i agree with john. anything posted is helpful to the next guy that comes along.
Thanks guys.I agree.I have been following every build online I can find.There is always someone trying something new and different that may help.Since there is not really any documented things you can buy or get,we are it!!I am going to try to work some more this weekend and post some pics.Next is the bridge and then routing.I am doing the bridge a different way than last time,at least the wiring that is.I got the idea when I accidently broke a couple of solders while adjusting the intonation,so we'll see if it works.
It´s enough for me. I only want to see what was the wiring in the p.u. selector.
You have made a good work with this guitar. It´there too much noise when the mag p.u. are on?
Thank you
I haven't actually hooked all this up and tried it yet but my last guitar only made noise when my vax power adaptor was plugged into a strip where other things were plugged in.When I plugged it in its own socket almost completely noiseless.I had noticed that at my house it would be fine then at a gig it was noisy then narrowed it down and found the issue.
those are good pics . i saved the one of the pickup switch incase anyone else asks that question and i put your name on it. hope you dont mind but someone else may come along some time and ask about that and one of us will have that photo. btw i dont take credit for someone elses ideas thats why i put your name on it.
One more question... How would be the p.u. selector wiring for only two pickups? (bridge, bridge+neck, neck)
Thank you very much again!
I am not for sure but I think if you hook up 2 pu's and use the middle just like a GIbson style 3 way,it should work the same.I have never done it that way but I am sure someone around here has.
If you're using the 5 way for only two pickups, you're going to have two of the positions do nothing when you've selected the pickups. You'll have to choose the leads on the switch that select what you want it to select, that is, one seperate for each of the pickups and one that combines them both. The other two positions won't do anything.
I don't mind at all.I got the idea from the transaxe site.I have never done it this way before.Last build I had 3 seperate switches for the mag pu's which worked fine but this build I wanted to condense and have less room.I am not going to rout tha back like the last.I am going to rout under the pickguard and squeeze all the stuff under neath.The only extra rout will be a small rout in back to make room for the output,It's long and I am using the strat plug.I have seen it done before so I know how but new territory for me.Heck,all this is new to me!!!
Scratch that last part about the switch before you use it.I may have got the pu pattern backwards.I tried it all out and it works but I think it is (left to right) common/bridge/mid/neck.Be sure to have the selector turned the right way and test it.I seem to have been in a hurry.I'm not sure if I have it the wrong way or if I need to switch the bridge and neck wires.Oops!! Like I said,still learning.I need to slow down,ha ha ha.
Ha ha! Now, you have to repost your picture with the right thing ![]()
Ok, I save your time :
Thanks John.It works either way but as you can see it helps to face the right way!!!Peace......................
yeah that can happen i remember putting in one of the board plugs in backward.. yep it can be done . all i would get was a pop pop pop . so i had to take it apart and check everything. . dont pay to rush the job. probably reversing the wires will do the trick. ![]()
Newest pics=Bridge prep,,,,,,,,,body preview,,,,,,,,routing away!,,,,,,
Hole for input through body to input cavity,,,,,,,,,,,,took forever to gut out but this way it can fit without any external non stock routing
Rout under bridge to make sure wires have enough room,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,body rout,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,board placement,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,prep shielding
It's a good thing all of it is covered with shielding and the pickguard.My routing skills are not the greatest but it all fits!!!!!! I am always a little worried that after moving it all around so much during builds that it won't work but everytime it all comes together fine.I should have it all done in a couple of days,maybe in time for my sunday service but I am not going to push it.Peace guys!!!!!!!!!!
well its coming right along. didnt realise you wer going to remove so much material. i did that wayback and i ended up making a large base forthe router. helps with those spots where it wants to tip in on you. i made it out of a phenolic board but the best thing is a piece of lexan. that way you can stil see where your going. im having that problem now . one of the reasons i stopped. so i finally got a router base for my dremel. so far i been using this bell shaped attatchment. but now the base is about the size of a normal router base so it shouldnt tip in. so when i finish il go over the previous stuff with a very light cut.
anyway it wont be long now and youll be up and running. ntw i finished that saddle job and dressed out the 4 firat frets for a buzzing problem now im reshimming the nut to factory specs and that job will be done.. looking forward to seeing your next photos.
mind if i ask what that shielding is. ive seen copper foil copper tape and copper based paint but ive never seen that color of shielding unless its the photo. if theres something new and better id like to know. ![]()
I would prefer shielding paint but no money.Used copper before and kinkd of pain.This is the cheap man's way=aluminum foil,household stuff.Works good in a pinch and when you have no cash-ola!I have tried other stuff too but this works good for what is needed.I have used it in 3 other builds and seemed fine.The way to go though is the paint.Pain to wait for the drying but better in the long run.Foil is easy to mold and glue though,and used in layers.Hope to have more updates soon!!!
i wouldnt have thought of that but its a good idea . and reasonable price wise. there using aluminum in home wiring now . it just never occured to me to use that . . see this is what i mean about posting ideas. this is another good one ![]()
Here is how I am going to mount the piezo circuit board and the main board.I am making the wires longer to reach the bridge and have nothing else attached to the trem.I found some felt "feet" for chairs that work just right for the main board mount and a small piece of cardboard underneath to keep the shielding separate from any part of the board.The hardest part of this build is trying to keep all the components under the pickguard which means fitting all the stuff in this small space.Took awhile to test fit where everything was going to go.I am now on the downward stretch and as long as everything works right when plugged in,,,,,,,,,I can finish up!!!
seems like you took out alot of wood. do you think theres enough strength to use the tremelo? i attatched a photo of where im at so far ive got a few more pieces going in to mine but dont seem to need as much room. bear in mind on mine these are the rough cuts and it needs to be all buffed out back to clear yet
Wow,that is going to be sweet!!Yeah I did take alot of wood out.When I was measuring out where everything was going to go,I needed depth to fit it all.The board fit my first pass but the pu's hit it so I took out more.Then I needed another spot for the piezo board.Alot of wires around the pots too so I had to make sure there was room there.I have actually taken out more wood on my first build and all was ok.As far as the trem,my last build I did the same rout and it was ok.I don't dive much with it so I should be ok.Keep up the good wokr and post pics!!!I can't wait to see it!!
ive got two more square holes to make where you see aafew drill holes together. then final light cuts then polishing back to clear . thats whats going to take alot of time.once i get that done assembly should be quick enough. i figure the way i work it will probably be at least 6 months. or more. then ill already be into bike season so i wont be working on that accept on rainy days. all in all it should be done by this time next year only because im in no rush. , got plenty of guitars to play with. its basicly a rainy day project for me.
You are a patient man....Disastor has struck!!! I was working on the bridge wires and a piezo wire broke from the pu from the inside!!! Unrepairable.....but,this now gives me the chance to use Ghost saddles!! I checked with my "financial advisor" and I git the ok to get them so this may be a blessing in disguise.The only problem is now I have to wait for them to arrive.So goes life!!!!! I can still all the rest until that time and then install them in.Peace and better building to all!!
leave the wires long on them thats what i did . there much better. the blue wires are ground and silver ones are positive . try ebay you could get a good deal there.
I checked with ebay and it was slim pickens.I ordered a set from mus friend,only $10 more/free ship and I have their crdt card.About the only way I can afford them right now.Thanks for info on the wires,I have never used them and all good info helps!!
heres the rest then i thought you had used them efore. when seperating the wires use a small wire cutter in between them and work your way up the wires. to strip them i used a small butane torch. you can use your kitchen stove if its a gas one. i stripped 1/4 inch off the silver ones and 1/2 inch off the blue ones. the blue ones got twisted together soldered then put into a loop connector and soldered and crimped. to it the silver ones go where the pickups that are in there already go. stripping the wires in this way works good . they wont clean off with a regular stripper and you take a chance of puling thw wire out the pickup. if when bruning the insulation the wire inside gets red hot dont worry . that actually gets it nice n clean so the solder sticks well. your bridge is off but if you havent taken it apart yet take measurments from the back of the bridge plate to the front of the saddle for each one and write them doun then take a height measurment write that down. then when you change out the pickups you wont need the saddles. you can set the graphtechs up close to where the old ones were this will help when you do your setup. mine took just a bit of tweeking to get the string height and intonation. since your using a strat you automaticly have the same scale length as the origonal variax.
Thank you very much!!Loads of info...I love this forum.!I probably would have asked about all that anyway but you have saved me time.Brother you are a godsend.I should get them this week.I actually hooked up the remainder of the pickups and tested the system,all works as it should.I just have a couple of solders left and I am putting it all together then when the Ghost's come in I just have to install and verify operation.Thank you again!! I may have other ?'s,we'll see as I go.Peace..................
Preview-------------------All fits and works,awaiting the Ghost's-Even with all the wood I took out,it still fits very snug.The circuit board for the pots is pretty deep where the ribbon for the main board attaches and it touches the bottom but doesn't affect anything.
Forgot the pics!!!!
it wont be long now. ![]()
So I need to rant for second.I ordered the Ghost saddles through Mus Friend because I had a MF card right.I waited 6 days and nothing came in.I had originally got a email confirming the order so I assumed no issues.When I tried to find out where my order was I get a hold of somebody there that tells me my order couldn't get completed due to the inactivity of my card and it has been declined and cancelled!No email,phone call or any type of communication at all to tell this for 6 DAYS!!You have got to bekidding me.They were no help at all.Needless to say I am done with all things MF.I shredded my card and told them to not send me catalogs.I ended up getting the saddles through an Ebay store and a better seal so all is not lost but frustrating.Sweetwater sound has always been cool to me even when I haven't ordered anything.They even call every couple of months to see how I am and if I need anything!That is what I call customer service.Okay,enough of my rant and apologize for it.I just was so frustrated and needed to air out.I hope nobody else has been burnt like this,it sucks.So I should be finished this week when they come in and i'll post pics and also maybe some sound clips.Peace to all..................
yeah i know about that it wasnt musicians friend but another company who deals parts on ebay first they declined me then they doubled the order then the order got lost. no parts came. i finally cancelled and bought it through sweet water. had the parts in no time i think it was my graph tech boards. i like sweetwater.
My final pics.Got my saddles and attached everything then strang up and adjusted.COuple of small issues but easily fixed.All works.Might be able to post some sound samples soon too.One question to anybody who may have had the same===My 12 string and alt tunings patches seem to be tracking wierd with the ghost sadles,has anyone else had this?I am sure it can be fixed in workbench but I was curious if anybody else ran across this?Anyway,they do run hotter like I had read but all in all ,everything works and scale legnth issue from last one is fixed now.Peace.....
nice neat job
on the tracking i didnt have any problem with mine after installing the graphtechs. although mine was all the factory settings accept for the two wnd ones . so maybe if you already made changes there you might have to fine ajust them like you said. have fun with it now that ist done
Keep us updated on yours too.Can't wait to see the finished product.Peace,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Nice job! You're a pro!
You give me too much credit but thank you very much.This has been my most challenging build yet.I am hoping to do another one but from scrtach in the near future.
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