That looks great!
The white guitar phase 2
- Thread starter Elias Graves
- Start date
Makes sense now.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
This setup works. I can't believe how much load I had to put on the bridge pickup to keep it from getting shrill.
The volume pot is 250k, the tone pot is 250k, the tone cap is .047 AND there's a 2.2k ohm resistor in line between the pickup and tone pot.
But it works. The thing finally sounds like a P90 instead of a strat.
I did open up the neck pickup a bit. The original tone pot was 250k and the new one for the neck is 400k with a .022 cap.
The new volume knob location is nice, too. I can use it without moving my hand away from the strings.
The volume pot is 250k, the tone pot is 250k, the tone cap is .047 AND there's a 2.2k ohm resistor in line between the pickup and tone pot.
But it works. The thing finally sounds like a P90 instead of a strat.
I did open up the neck pickup a bit. The original tone pot was 250k and the new one for the neck is 400k with a .022 cap.
The new volume knob location is nice, too. I can use it without moving my hand away from the strings.
Flatspotter
What?
That bridge looks fucking awesome!
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Thanks.
While it wouldn't be practical for a production piece, it works well. Now, if I ever wanted to alter the setup significantly, I'd have trouble. But once I get things where I want them, I don't change it much so it should be fine.
The guitar sounds way better with this bridge than the other. A much fuller sound that's less harsh.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
A little wiring experiment. This version has the neck pickup going to a volume pot, the bridge pickup going to a tone pot, each to the three way switch then to a master volume.
The neck pickup is way louder than the bridge pickup. While you can adjust the neck pickup down to decrease output, it sounds like crap so I don't want to do it. I also found that while I liked having the bridge pickup on its own tone circuit, I still wasn't using the one for the neck very much. It sounds better open so I didn't think I'd miss much by not having the tone control available on the neck pickup.
With this setup, I should (theoretically) be able to turn the neck volume down to 7 or so and match the bridge volume. And I still get to keep my master volume control. We shall see...
The neck pickup is way louder than the bridge pickup. While you can adjust the neck pickup down to decrease output, it sounds like crap so I don't want to do it. I also found that while I liked having the bridge pickup on its own tone circuit, I still wasn't using the one for the neck very much. It sounds better open so I didn't think I'd miss much by not having the tone control available on the neck pickup.
With this setup, I should (theoretically) be able to turn the neck volume down to 7 or so and match the bridge volume. And I still get to keep my master volume control. We shall see...
Elias Graves
Common misfit
I only had two Hipshot knobs. 
Had to use a dome top for the third one til I place a parts order.
This pic shows off the gloss on the rosewood bridge pretty nicely. That was a lot of polishing, Walter.
Had to use a dome top for the third one til I place a parts order.This pic shows off the gloss on the rosewood bridge pretty nicely. That was a lot of polishing, Walter.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
What a difference two resistors make!
All the fighting I've been doing to dial out the harshness with pots and caps were nothing compared to what a pair of resistors accomplished.
I put in a 2.2k in line between the bridge pickup and the tone pot. I put a 1.5k resistor in line between the neck pickup an the neck volume pot. This works well here. It took off the shrill without muddying things up. Probably my best alteration yet. This thing sounds smooooth now. Really good.
All the fighting I've been doing to dial out the harshness with pots and caps were nothing compared to what a pair of resistors accomplished.
I put in a 2.2k in line between the bridge pickup and the tone pot. I put a 1.5k resistor in line between the neck pickup an the neck volume pot. This works well here. It took off the shrill without muddying things up. Probably my best alteration yet. This thing sounds smooooth now. Really good.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
I brought the guitar out to jam tonight and got to play it and listen to it played for a while. Damn, it's sounding really, really good. I like the firebird pickup in the neck better than the phat cat. It seems to be a better fit for this guitar. The amount of bass is off the charts with the mini. It sounds killer.
Ash playing
Ash playing
telecaster911
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Sweet 
Guitar Heel
Demented Trick
These are the first pics I can actually see!!! Looking amazing!
Looking amazing!
Elias Graves
Common misfit
I loaded those direct without going through photobucket.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
And a new bridge pickup ordered. I got a deal on an Antiquity dogear I couldn't pass up!
I got a deal on an Antiquity dogear I couldn't pass up!
Guitar Heel
Demented Trick
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Some video of Ash playing.
Check out the weird setup he had. Both pickups on, neck humbucker split, neck tone full down and bridge tone full up.
Check out the weird setup he had. Both pickups on, neck humbucker split, neck tone full down and bridge tone full up.
Guitar Heel
Demented Trick
Man, love that bridge.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
New pickup install is underway.
Question.
My neck pickup a lot is cut for a humbucker which means it'll be a little too wide for the dogear cover to span.
I see three choices for dealing with it.
1. Fill a strip of the current opening. By far the most pita method but also the cleanest in the long run. That will entail a little paint stripping, gluing in a fill strip, hiding the seams with filler and touching up the finish.
2. Make my shim wider and center the dogear cover over the hole. Fairly clean but that will move my pickup 1/4" or so away from the end of the fretboard.
3. Make the shim cover the hole and offset the dogear so it sits flush with the end of the fretboard. That will leave a little more of the shim exposed on one side than the other.
What say you?
Question.
My neck pickup a lot is cut for a humbucker which means it'll be a little too wide for the dogear cover to span.
I see three choices for dealing with it.
1. Fill a strip of the current opening. By far the most pita method but also the cleanest in the long run. That will entail a little paint stripping, gluing in a fill strip, hiding the seams with filler and touching up the finish.
2. Make my shim wider and center the dogear cover over the hole. Fairly clean but that will move my pickup 1/4" or so away from the end of the fretboard.
3. Make the shim cover the hole and offset the dogear so it sits flush with the end of the fretboard. That will leave a little more of the shim exposed on one side than the other.
What say you?