Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

-I don't know that the switch will cause a problem, and I doubt it will. I just have never used the Powerchip and/or their special output jack, so I wasn't sure exactly how the switching occurs. The switching method I described is a combination of a couple different diagrams.

-Looking at the Parker diagrams it appears as if there is a built int switching option on the Powerchip itself, so I do not know if this would function Properly if the battery was dead. The switching option I provided allows you to still use the magnetic pickups if the battery is dead when set to mag only.

Oh ok ok! I guess I lost my trail of thought!... I got confused and thought you were talking about the switch itself but I see what you mean now… You are talking about the switching scheme you’re proposing where I don’t lose the capacity of using the magnetic pickups if the battery dies, right?

You know if you can pull that off it will be genious!... But if we have to do it the other way where both the piezo and the magnetics need the battery that’s fine too… I can live with that so do what you think is best! (and possible!)

These are the kind of things I will be able to better work out when the parts are in my hand and i can test them out.

That makes sense… Do you want me to buy the Piezo tune-o-matic pickup and the Powerchip and send them to you bro?... I could do that right away since I suppose I can’t get those at mouser with the rest of the parts…

-The manual stereo wiring I described would simply result in having a switch to go between stereo operation (piezo to one channel, magnetic to another) and mono. You could use either a TRS cable or 2 separate mono jacks. everything would be sent over one channel unless you flipped the switch, so it would not automatically sense what kind of cable you are using (like Fishmann's special output jack does). Once again I don't think we will have problem; I just like give fair warning with anything I am not completely intimately familiar with.

I see what you mean brother!... The Fishman system were the jack senses the cable will be ideal obviously. The other solution is not bad at all but I doubt I will ever use it with two jacks so in that case an only mono scheme will be fine.

-I worked on customizing some speed knobs, and I everything looks good. I would need to have the pots in hand so I could do test fitting, and other little finishing touches. I did notice that when you drill out the holes for the bigger shaft and the side screw you can notice some marks because the knobs are clear in that section. I was able to conceal this with some black paint, and it really isn't noticeable unless you are comparing 2 knobs in your hands, up close.

Sounds great! No problem there!

-I only had 2 speed knobs in my parts bin and they where fairly scratched up, and got further beat up during the prototyping. If you order a set of them when you get the other parts I can modify them and pack them with everything else. I ''ll see who has the best price.

Absolutely man! I’ll do so… Can I get the knobs at mouser or will I have to buy them somewhere else?

- I did not have the right drill bits etc to make the special switch tip for a the mini toggle, but I know that I can work something out for you

The Force is strong in you master… I don’t doubt for a minute you will! Hehe

Cheers!

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Hey brother!

Not that it matters much now since it's obvious you're clear about this aspect, but for what is worth I did write to Fishman asking about the correct toggle switch for the piezo/both/mags selection and they said that any DPDT on/off/on toggle will work fine... I also asked if they had wiring diagrams or something on that regards but they mentioned nothing. FYI

Cheers!

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

I have a diagram for using a DPDT that Fishman provided, but it seems to be only for wiring the magnetic pickups right to the mono output. The diagram I am working on Will allow you to have the magnetic pickups wrierd right to the tip of the jack (normal mono operation), the Power chip working normally (both piezo and magnetic), and then the piezo pickup right to the tip of the output jack. You mentioned ordering the Powerbridge and Powerchip early and sending those. If I had them in hand I could test a couple ideas and then we would know for sure. If you still want to do that; it would probably be the best option.

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Hey brother!

Yes that's no problem! I will place the order tonight and send the piezo pickup and the powerchip to ya!

By the way, when do you think we'll be ready for doing the mouser.com order? As I told ya, I delayed it because I thought we'll probably be needing some more parts for the piezo part of the scheme (you know, the slide switches, toggle, etc).

Cheers!

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Once I get the piezo/powerchip and see how everything works we should be able to put int he order at mouser.

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Gotcha! Will do so then my man!

Cheers!

 

[Kettu]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Wow.
I have to say that the ambition and magnitude of this project is impressive. There's some real talent at work here!
Knowing me if I attempted this I'd get the bad ground hum and go through hell trying to find it the bad connection.

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Thanks a lot Kettu!... I bet that would happen to most people... But fortunately we have the most talent guitar tech working on it... nalo1022!

Cheers!

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

lol I wouldn't say most talented, but thanks regardless.

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

ok after a bit of a hiatus this thread is back.

-after many thrown away scribbles I figured out ho to achieve mag/both/piezo while still allowing the magnetic pickups to work if the battery dies. The only compromise is that if just the magnetic pickups are selected the battery is still in use.

-Found a suitable DPDT on-off-on switch that is essentially a drop in replacement for a Gibson style toggle here

matizadomrb and myself decide we wanted to keep everything in this thread, so here we are again.

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Don't you hate it when you're all excited reading a great thread and all of a sudden it ends without a conclusion?!... We didn't wanted to do that here so we're back baby! hehe

This is where we're at:

- Excellent news about the toggle bro! It looks perfect! You're the man!... By the way, remember where we left with the side plate we were designing to control volume, tone and phase on the piezo?... I remember we discussed the possibility of incorporating a switch to control the phase jumper on the powerchip that would go next to the volume and tone slide pots. I also remember you mentioned that those pots will be 20k linear and 100-250k linear...

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

I'm still working on the side plate. The biggest difficulty is not knowing the curve of the guitar, so I have to make educated guesses based on other guitars. Still need to source the proper slide pots. The phase switching will be very easy to implement. I had an idea that we could put a power switch on the plate as well, so when you are only using the magnetic pickups you won't have to drain the battery. This would also allow you to leave the guitar plugged in whenever you wanted..

Bro that sounds AWESOME!... Having this whole scheme and being to use just the mag pups without draining the battery is just a stroke of genius!!!

GREAT STUFF!

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

I have been trying to source the proper slide pots for the tone/volume controls on the side of the guitar, but as we talked about before, it is kinda difficult given I don't have exact dimensions. I have come up with an idea that will allow this process to go quicker.

-Do you have a scanner, or access to one? If you do get some graph paper (measured into 10mm squares would be best). You can then trace the bouts of the guitar, and I will then be able to have an accurate measure of the arc. This will allow me to know the measurements, so I can pick out the proper slide pots.

I believe the slide pots are the last major component me need to source before p[lacing the order, but I will go over everything to make sure.

 

[The Dali]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Wow... after reading this I think I now have a brain aneurysm.

When is this thing going to be wired? I think you'll be able to get piano sounds out of this guitar when it's done.

 

[matizadomrb]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Hey nalo1022!

Sorry I was away for a while (things got a bit crazy at work)...

That sounds like a good idea to get an accurate measurement of the arc. I'll do so on the weekend and email the scanned images to you.

I know how you feel The Dali! Even though this monster came out of my imagination, I myself have had a tough time following nalo1022's mad genius!... I'm not by far a tech guy; I'm just a guitarist that knows what he wants... I've had to do a lot of research on this!

And indeed this is gonna be a guitar with endless possibilities!... Makes the new Gibson Firebird X looks limited! (have you seen that guitar?... It is a if someone borrowed from our design... specially on the pickup combos!)

Cheers!

 

[TV Robot]

Re: Let's talk greed... Three P-Rails + triple-shots in one guitar!

Alright so, a week or so ago I saw this guitar, http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/GTRs/airline-3P/airline3P-dlx_frm.htm (you may recognize as the weird Jack White guitar). And the 3 humbuckers and all of the knobs on it just made me go "WHOA! What if I put even more crazy switch/knobby goodness on it?" And so I thought triple shots + p-rails immediately. So while I was looking into if I could put 3 Liberators (I know little of the process known as soldering), 3 triple shots, and 3 p-rails on it, I came across this thread. Now I would understand if you guys wanted nothing to do with this post (especially after seeing all of the madness contained within this thread), but in case you did feel like drawing up another wiring diagram for the 3 libs, 3 triples, and 3 P's previously mentioned, I would REEEEEAAAAAALLLLYYYY appreciate it. I don't have the money to do any of this right now. I'm mainly wondering how to do this because: (A) I don't have much of a life as of recently. And (B) I do plan on doing this eventually (within the next year hopefully). I'm also quite the wiring guitar-tech-noob so forgive me.

Edit: Oh yeah I also read in another thread on this forum about 3 p-rails and something about hum-cancellation; any idea what that is all about? (most people on here use vocabulary that is just too crazy for my 5th grade reading level mind to handle so I had a hard time understanding said thread)