Hey John, after playing it for a week...I'm really happy and wouldn't change a thing on it...only that the single-coil has a strong 60-cyc humbuzz that I have to deal with...but it must be a just shielding issue because it's directionally sensitive (I can turn it so the hum goes away) -- I think I got my lead and ground wires mixed up -- I'd covered them with tape and assumed they were opposite, until I saw a pic I'd taken showing the white starts the coil and black ends it) --anywho, figured I'd break out the soldering gun again and switch the wires -- maybe try a diff capacitor or a tricky 'treble-bleed' wiring on the vol... inserting a DUMMY COIL is a possible solution to the hum... --- but boy the pickup has got so much warmth and remarkably dynamic character, I don't want to lose that...
The bridge piezo rod pkup was a total bust, I blew it by sealing the rod completely in liquid steel in the channel in the wood...dumb. killed any hope for vibration, sounded like weak shite when wired, so just pulled it from the circuit -- but it's a cool solid-as-hell bridge so will leave it and try another piezo rod bridge on another build...
I'll try to get a sound clip up soon, it's really cool sounding -- clean is so badass, and through my '81 TS-9? Sickness. from low gian to high gain...very natural and swampy, or dimed and stacked into a high gain metal amp emulation...it's an industrial metalhead's wet dream: sludgy and crisp at the same time...so I can do sweet 'western prairie' tones or 'apocalypse industrial metal' on it.... Just need to experiment a bit with the wiring before making a final assessment.
When I get the next pikup built I'l let you know how that comes out -- gonna use a properly-sized ceramic bar pkup mag for it instead of the massive frig magnet and likely build in a dummy coil or make a low-powered humbucker...slowly chip away at the variables...
Hi Eric. I'm not sure how this instrument slipped by me. Very nice work. Are you happy with how it sounds? There are some lovely design elements in there including the contrast between the woodgrain and the black paint.
Thanks Hal! I was gonna just go clearcoated or stained...but the pickguard (just a cheap liner from a box of cigs) was so flamey and nice, I thought it should be featured...(the top was the clean side of some luan panelling, so was a little 'safe/Home Depot-y" -- this way the pickguard and headstock veneer feel more like a design through line..FYI design-esoterica decision ...I was gonna make the bridge the same as the pickguard or teh pickup...but it looked too goofy and harlequin-like...so went BLACK
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Hey John, after playing it for a week...I'm really happy and wouldn't change a thing on it...only that the single-coil has a strong 60-cyc humbuzz that I have to deal with...but it must be a just shielding issue because it's directionally sensitive (I can turn it so the hum goes away) -- I think I got my lead and ground wires mixed up -- I'd covered them with tape and assumed they were opposite, until I saw a pic I'd taken showing the white starts the coil and black ends it) --anywho, figured I'd break out the soldering gun again and switch the wires -- maybe try a diff capacitor or a tricky 'treble-bleed' wiring on the vol... inserting a DUMMY COIL is a possible solution to the hum... --- but boy the pickup has got so much warmth and remarkably dynamic character, I don't want to lose that...
The bridge piezo rod pkup was a total bust, I blew it by sealing the rod completely in liquid steel in the channel in the wood...dumb. killed any hope for vibration, sounded like weak shite when wired, so just pulled it from the circuit -- but it's a cool solid-as-hell bridge so will leave it and try another piezo rod bridge on another build...
I'll try to get a sound clip up soon, it's really cool sounding -- clean is so badass, and through my '81 TS-9? Sickness. from low gian to high gain...very natural and swampy, or dimed and stacked into a high gain metal amp emulation...it's an industrial metalhead's wet dream: sludgy and crisp at the same time...so I can do sweet 'western prairie' tones or 'apocalypse industrial metal' on it.... Just need to experiment a bit with the wiring before making a final assessment.
When I get the next pikup built I'l let you know how that comes out -- gonna use a properly-sized ceramic bar pkup mag for it instead of the massive frig magnet and likely build in a dummy coil or make a low-powered humbucker...slowly chip away at the variables...
talk soon, ET
Hi Eric. I'm not sure how this instrument slipped by me. Very nice work. Are you happy with how it sounds? There are some lovely design elements in there including the contrast between the woodgrain and the black paint.