What's on your workbench right now?

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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Flurko
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Flurko » Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:49 am

epizootics wrote:
Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:43 pm
Ludo and Flurko, you're both honoring the French tradition of doing things differently with a bit of je ne sais quoi :)
Very nice of you to talk about my hack job in the same sentence as Ludo's lovingly crafted instruments ! :D

Said hackjob is now officially off my workbench, and now in its own thread and on Youtube.

(insert "I have no idea what I'm doing" image macro right there)

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by ThePearDream » Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:59 am

Wow, thanks for such positive feedback everybody!
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:51 am
ThePearDream wrote:
Wed Oct 07, 2020 6:43 pm
A part Bronco, part Jaguar body and guard. A little more sanding and it will be ready for finish. A neck for this is in progress as well.

Image
This is awesome! I am assuming that you're running two Jag pickups, where you can use them as singles or series like a humbucker?
Pretty much. Pickups will be Jags with a pair of my 3D printed covers for pickguard mounting that have been sitting around waiting for a home (shown below). These will be wired to a 3-way slide for series/split/parallel options. The body is also routed for a toggle in the lower horn, in case I want to add a neck pup in the future.

Image
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Gordon » Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:16 pm

ThePearDream wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:59 am
Pretty much. Pickups will be Jags with a pair of my 3D printed covers for pickguard mounting that have been sitting around waiting for a home (shown below). These will be wired to a 3-way slide for series/split/parallel options. The body is also routed for a toggle in the lower horn, in case I want to add a neck pup in the future.
Actually, I was wondering: one pickup has to be RWRP, correct? Since they have flat poles, can it just be done by taking two pickups (same polarity and all), and installing one rotated 180 degrees? Because I keep thinking it'd just make the two pickups out of phase... :-/

I can follow schematics, wiring, and the logic behind them, but the polarity thing always confuses me. :jacked:
Graphic designer (comics stuff, Doctor Who, Star Wars...): https://www.instagram.com/monsieurgordon/ \o/

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by ThePearDream » Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:41 pm

Gordon wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:16 pm
ThePearDream wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:59 am
Pretty much. Pickups will be Jags with a pair of my 3D printed covers for pickguard mounting that have been sitting around waiting for a home (shown below). These will be wired to a 3-way slide for series/split/parallel options. The body is also routed for a toggle in the lower horn, in case I want to add a neck pup in the future.
Actually, I was wondering: one pickup has to be RWRP, correct? Since they have flat poles, can it just be done by taking two pickups (same polarity and all), and installing one rotated 180 degrees? Because I keep thinking it'd just make the two pickups out of phase... :-/

I can follow schematics, wiring, and the logic behind them, but the polarity thing always confuses me. :jacked:
I'll be using a pair that are already RWRP with each other. If the coils were the same polarity, the only options to reverse one would be to flip the coil over (which won't work with the pickup cover), or to re-magnetize the magnets using a stronger magnet.
Doug
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Gordon » Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:52 pm

ThePearDream wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:41 pm
I'll be using a pair that are already RWRP with each other. If the coils were the same polarity, the only options to reverse one would be to flip the coil over (which won't work with the pickup cover), or to re-magnetize the magnets using a stronger magnet.
Thanks! :)
Graphic designer (comics stuff, Doctor Who, Star Wars...): https://www.instagram.com/monsieurgordon/ \o/

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:13 am

(Re-posted this one as it was lost in the site going down the other day).

A while back I posted a schematic for a pickup tester box I had designed, and then took it down when I realized that it had some trouble spots. It might take a while, but I'd really like to get back to figuring out the designs, and I think I've got all the major guitar modifications, but I wanted to see if there was anything common that I was missing. Here's what I've got so far:

Inputs/pickup selecting: I'm planning to have 4 inputs (3 is common, but in case I ever decide to make a double Jag or something like a DiPinto Galaxie 4) with both 1/4" input jacks and wires with soldered alligator clips (so I can test pickups in a guitar that aren't wired in at all). I haven't decided for sure, but I'm thinking about making 2 sets of 2 inputs separate, with a phase switch, series-parallel switch, and a 3-way selector (1/1+2/2, 3/3+4/4).

Volume pots on a rotary switch for multiple values (250K, 500K, 1M, and maybe 330K) to quickly compare the different values.
Tone pots on a rotary switch for multiple values (250K, 500K, 1M, and maybe 330K).
Capacitor values for tone pots on rotary switch to compare different values. I also plan to have a place to add external capacitors to this switch.
Bass cut pot (maybe a switch for different values?)

Strangle switch (yes I know it's almost the same as having a bass cut pot)
Phase switching (don't know if I'd need any more, but maybe)
Series-parallel switch
Kill switch (2 different types I've found)
Cocked wah capacitor switch
Gibson-style Varitone

Image
Here's an example of a simple box I made a few years back that includes a rotary switch for 3 different pot values for both volume and tone, a rotary switch for different capacitor values, and a switch that adds the tone capacitor between the volume and tone pot like some old guitars do, or between the tone pot and ground like other guitars I've found are wired. Don't know if that last switch makes a huge difference, but I thought it was cool to add...

Anything else I should include? I think I've got all the common mods, but I can add anything I want really. I am making this for myself, but I'll draw up the schematics when I make it so any of you guys who build things all the time or any pro builders can use this. With some switches, pots, and wires, I can't imagine it would be expensive to make.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Perry » Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:41 am

Just about finished. Tuned Bflat, F, C, G. String gauges are 56, 44, 32, 19 from a D'Addario EXL 117 set. The pickup is from a Peavey Mystic. The rocker switch is to split the coils. Now I just need to learn how to play it.

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by bodhi » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:56 am

Perry wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:41 am
Just about finished. Tuned Bflat, F, C, G. String gauges are 56, 44, 32, 19 from a D'Addario EXL 117 set. The pickup is from a Peavey Mystic. The rocker switch is to split the coils. Now I just need to learn how to play it.

Image
Whoa, seriously nice design! Kind of looks like a retro space design bass :) Any particular type of music you commonly play?
Jazzmaster project (got a body, placeholder neck, some pickups and ideas)
Tokai Telecaster Thinline with Creamery Pickups Filtertron and Tapped Tele
Blake Mills-inspired Strat project w/ Gold Foil and slide pickup

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by bodhi » Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:01 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:13 am
(Re-posted this one as it was lost in the site going down the other day).

A while back I posted a schematic for a pickup tester box I had designed, and then took it down when I realized that it had some trouble spots. It might take a while, but I'd really like to get back to figuring out the designs, and I think I've got all the major guitar modifications, but I wanted to see if there was anything common that I was missing. Here's what I've got so far:

Inputs/pickup selecting: I'm planning to have 4 inputs (3 is common, but in case I ever decide to make a double Jag or something like a DiPinto Galaxie 4) with both 1/4" input jacks and wires with soldered alligator clips (so I can test pickups in a guitar that aren't wired in at all). I haven't decided for sure, but I'm thinking about making 2 sets of 2 inputs separate, with a phase switch, series-parallel switch, and a 3-way selector (1/1+2/2, 3/3+4/4).

Volume pots on a rotary switch for multiple values (250K, 500K, 1M, and maybe 330K) to quickly compare the different values.
Tone pots on a rotary switch for multiple values (250K, 500K, 1M, and maybe 330K).
Capacitor values for tone pots on rotary switch to compare different values. I also plan to have a place to add external capacitors to this switch.
Bass cut pot (maybe a switch for different values?)

Strangle switch (yes I know it's almost the same as having a bass cut pot)
Phase switching (don't know if I'd need any more, but maybe)
Series-parallel switch
Kill switch (2 different types I've found)
Cocked wah capacitor switch
Gibson-style Varitone

Image
Here's an example of a simple box I made a few years back that includes a rotary switch for 3 different pot values for both volume and tone, a rotary switch for different capacitor values, and a switch that adds the tone capacitor between the volume and tone pot like some old guitars do, or between the tone pot and ground like other guitars I've found are wired. Don't know if that last switch makes a huge difference, but I thought it was cool to add...

Anything else I should include? I think I've got all the common mods, but I can add anything I want really. I am making this for myself, but I'll draw up the schematics when I make it so any of you guys who build things all the time or any pro builders can use this. With some switches, pots, and wires, I can't imagine it would be expensive to make.
I think I saw that earlier at some point, wasn't it in the marathon switching diagram thread? But anyways, I copied it over to a notebook, considering how I'd actually want to use it, and was thinking it'd be neat to have as a compact PCB so you'd have a box that you could tape to the guitar body for a while. My thinking here is guided somewhat by the thought that I prefer to try out wiring variations in as normal a playing position I can have, and that it's time-consuming to need to remove pickguards and the like to switch out the pots involved.

The thought struck me that instead of having multiples of different pots in there, you could perhaps try to use switchable parallel resistors instead to save space. Didn't check how that might affect the tapers properly, but I'm under the impression that it'd be close enough for jazz...
Jazzmaster project (got a body, placeholder neck, some pickups and ideas)
Tokai Telecaster Thinline with Creamery Pickups Filtertron and Tapped Tele
Blake Mills-inspired Strat project w/ Gold Foil and slide pickup

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:15 pm

bodhi wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:01 am
I think I saw that earlier at some point, wasn't it in the marathon switching diagram thread? But anyways, I copied it over to a notebook, considering how I'd actually want to use it, and was thinking it'd be neat to have as a compact PCB so you'd have a box that you could tape to the guitar body for a while. My thinking here is guided somewhat by the thought that I prefer to try out wiring variations in as normal a playing position I can have, and that it's time-consuming to need to remove pickguards and the like to switch out the pots involved.

The thought struck me that instead of having multiples of different pots in there, you could perhaps try to use switchable parallel resistors instead to save space. Didn't check how that might affect the tapers properly, but I'm under the impression that it'd be close enough for jazz...
This one is still in the schematic thread, I only deleted the big one that was the WHOLE tester box. I LOVE the idea of having a box like that on the guitar itself. That could be really fun.

My thinking is similar, but almost opposite in a way. I like the idea of having the pots on a switch instead of the resistors because I like the idea of having the electronics as close to the way that they are usually permanently installed in a guitar as possible. I've never messed with resistors like that, but that could be fun to mess with too. Switchable pots/resistors with a Gibson-style Varitone could be VERY useful, especially in a jazz situation.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Perry » Thu Oct 22, 2020 2:00 am

bodhi wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:56 am

Whoa, seriously nice design! Kind of looks like a retro space design bass :) Any particular type of music you commonly play?
Thanks for your comment. I usually play only what I write--mostly short tunes that I can often string together into much longer ones. Here's a photo of the headstock. The truss rod cover is from an H-65 Fernandes guitar.

Image

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Thu Oct 22, 2020 2:48 am

Perry wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:41 am
Image
Image
That is amazing. I LOVE it! Great color too!!!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by ThePearDream » Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:30 am

Sanding sealer > primer > color coats. Conventional wisdom says that poplar is an ugly wood that is only good for painting, but I think that it's can be very lovely, the green tones go away pretty quickly. Of course this was always going to be painted, regardless of how the wood looked. Clear coats are going on now and I'm almost done with the neck. I just need to fine tune the carve, put the frets in and sort out a decal.

Image
Image
Image

In case you didn't see me post about this on my project thread, this color is VW Sage Green Metallic. I had almost an entire spray can left over after painting a new fuel door on my (now my father-in-law's) VW, as well as a few cans of clear from using the same paint brand for a previous project. I decided to build this as a way of using up that paint, and in lieu of buying a Squier Cyclone.
Doug
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by bodhi » Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:43 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:15 pm
bodhi wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:01 am
I think I saw that earlier at some point, wasn't it in the marathon switching diagram thread? But anyways, I copied it over to a notebook, considering how I'd actually want to use it, and was thinking it'd be neat to have as a compact PCB so you'd have a box that you could tape to the guitar body for a while. My thinking here is guided somewhat by the thought that I prefer to try out wiring variations in as normal a playing position I can have, and that it's time-consuming to need to remove pickguards and the like to switch out the pots involved.

The thought struck me that instead of having multiples of different pots in there, you could perhaps try to use switchable parallel resistors instead to save space. Didn't check how that might affect the tapers properly, but I'm under the impression that it'd be close enough for jazz...
This one is still in the schematic thread, I only deleted the big one that was the WHOLE tester box. I LOVE the idea of having a box like that on the guitar itself. That could be really fun.

My thinking is similar, but almost opposite in a way. I like the idea of having the pots on a switch instead of the resistors because I like the idea of having the electronics as close to the way that they are usually permanently installed in a guitar as possible. I've never messed with resistors like that, but that could be fun to mess with too. Switchable pots/resistors with a Gibson-style Varitone could be VERY useful, especially in a jazz situation.
Heh, not necessarily a bad idea, but I was still thinking for testing purposes mainly. :)
Jazzmaster project (got a body, placeholder neck, some pickups and ideas)
Tokai Telecaster Thinline with Creamery Pickups Filtertron and Tapped Tele
Blake Mills-inspired Strat project w/ Gold Foil and slide pickup

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Thu Oct 22, 2020 5:05 pm

bodhi wrote:
Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:43 am
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:15 pm
bodhi wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:01 am
I think I saw that earlier at some point, wasn't it in the marathon switching diagram thread? But anyways, I copied it over to a notebook, considering how I'd actually want to use it, and was thinking it'd be neat to have as a compact PCB so you'd have a box that you could tape to the guitar body for a while. My thinking here is guided somewhat by the thought that I prefer to try out wiring variations in as normal a playing position I can have, and that it's time-consuming to need to remove pickguards and the like to switch out the pots involved.

The thought struck me that instead of having multiples of different pots in there, you could perhaps try to use switchable parallel resistors instead to save space. Didn't check how that might affect the tapers properly, but I'm under the impression that it'd be close enough for jazz...
This one is still in the schematic thread, I only deleted the big one that was the WHOLE tester box. I LOVE the idea of having a box like that on the guitar itself. That could be really fun.

My thinking is similar, but almost opposite in a way. I like the idea of having the pots on a switch instead of the resistors because I like the idea of having the electronics as close to the way that they are usually permanently installed in a guitar as possible. I've never messed with resistors like that, but that could be fun to mess with too. Switchable pots/resistors with a Gibson-style Varitone could be VERY useful, especially in a jazz situation.
Heh, not necessarily a bad idea, but I was still thinking for testing purposes mainly. :)
I was too! I misunderstood you that you were talking about it for live purposes. Haha.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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