Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

[nicholaspaul]

If I put an XLR jack in a guitar, can I use all three outputs? On a guitar with two magnetic pickups and a piezo, I want to send each of them to their own output through a mic cable and to a splitter box for recording three channels at a time.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

What do you mean "outputs"? An XLR has three pins, and when used for a mic or a balanced connection, they're typically signal, inverse signal, and ground.

A standard 1/4" plug for guitar has two contacts: signal and ground.

So, if you went with an XLR you'd only be gaining one extra connection, not two like you think (you forgot about ground). You could also accomplish the same thing with a TRS 1/4" cable and you wouldn't have to route anything for the bigger XLR jack.

In any case, electric guitars with a piezo sometimes already use a TRS jack. This allows you to send the magnetic and piezo signals to different amps.

I don't know of any setup that allows for what you want to do though. Why do you need to record all three at the same time?

 

[nicholaspaul]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Yup, forgot about ground. I wasn't sure if I could have used that third pin for something other than ground. My reason was really experimentation. I have no idea what recording two electric pickups at the same would be like, but it's worth trying. But if it doesn't seem worth it, I won't waste the time.
My other option is to wire a switch that switches which two pairs of outputs go to the TRS output. i.e.. switch up sends front and rear magnetics, switch down sends magnetics and piezo.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

You could do it with a normal XLR connector, but not with a normal mic cable. You'd need cable with three conductors and ground, mic cables are only 2 conductors.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

You could do it with a normal XLR connector, but not with a normal mic cable. You'd need cable with three conductors and ground, mic cables are only 2 conductors.

Where would ground come from in that scenario? The connector housing? Is XLR spec'd for that? Most XLR connectors I've seen have a non-conductive (or at least poorly conductive) housing.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Most have a solder tab for the housing. I don't know how good the housing-to-housing connection is, but it's probably okay... most fit pretty tight. Of course, I'm an old fart and am thinking of the old Switchcraft variety - plenty of metal in those.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

I've got a Washburn acoustic with both 1/4" out and XLR out. Never tried using both, but would be interesting using it as a summed mono (faux stereo) sound running into 2 amps or 1 amp with two cabs or 1 into the PA and the other into a acoustic/electric amp.

 

[ParameterMan]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Yeah, like Rich_S said, most have a fourth tab for the shell. Or, you could use an XLR with more pins - they can have as many as eight.

 

[wodeln]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

You could do it with a normal XLR connector, but not with a normal mic cable. You'd need cable with three conductors and ground, mic cables are only 2 conductors.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

I think Brian Moore guitars is working on an idea like this, except it will be USB: magnetic pickups, piezo, and hex pickup for guitar synth out of 1 USB cable.

 

[nicholaspaul]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Aren't USB plugs on guitars just built in USB audio interfaces? I can see that being handy for portability but nothing else. Of course, if you have magnetics, piezo AND hex in one USB, then my head just hurts. Audio through a USB cable? Isn't that like trying to get audio down a MIDI cable?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR_connector#Current_patterns_and_applications
So no matter which configuration, would I still need one pin for ground?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Then again, You could always go with the times and jerry-rig something with an HDMI plug :laugh2:

 

[uOpt]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

I used XLR cables for a while in the 1980ies. The point being to supply phantom power to the preamp or EMGs I had inside the guitar.

(once you have active pickups you can use a microphone cable)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

I think Epiphone also has an LP that sends piezo and magnetic through a USB cable.

 

[nicholaspaul]

Re: Let's put an XLR in a guitar!

Then again, You could always go with the times and jerry-rig something with an HDMI plug :laugh2:

Hahah good one! How many conductors does it have? I could get an ethernet/HDMI and use the guitar's built in wifi router to bridge a connection to the amp which can install updates at will. Wait, I think Line6 have already done that.

After looking into pricing, the 'oh look what I can do' might not be worth the cost of extra cables, connectors and break out boxes. I was just looking at options.

But... USB is interesting...