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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 8:37 am
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Location: Denver, CO, USA
There are almost infinite ways to wire guitars.

Push/pull switches on the knobs, mini-toggle switches, SuperSwitches&MegaSwitches&E-Switches for the pickup selector and the S1 can switch multiple things at once.

With humbuckers, you can switch off one coil for a single-coil sound. Or switch the two coils from normal series connection to parallel connection.

You can add a switch to get the bridge and neck pickup combination. Which also gives you the all-pickups-on combination.

You can add a phase switch. (Neck and bridge can sound good out of phase.)

You can wire the tone controls so you have a master treble rolloff and a master bass rolloff.

You can add preamps. Active pickups. Parametric EQ. Built-in effects.

But really, as someone switching from acoustic to electric, start basic. Maybe a mini humbucker in the bridge for heavy dirt and single coils in the middle and neck for sweet traditional Strat tones, but don't go crazy to start.

After you get thoroughly familiar with the basic setup (and there's a lot of sounds to explore with the basic setup), then start thinking about what sounds you can add.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:07 am
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No-load tone pot. Blender knob. Spin-a-split knob. 6 position Vari-Tone knob with inductors, caps, and resistors. Dual-concentric knobs.

I forget the product name, but there's a 10 position tone knob. Each click switches in a different cap&resistor combination.

Stereo output (more for 2 pickup guitars, but could be done with a Strat. Maybe send the bridge humbucker to a raging metal amp and the neck and middle to a chimey clean amp.)

Tapped single-coils.

On a Strat you can hook up the tone controls to different pickups.

Piezo saddles.

Hexatonic synth pickups.

I saw a modified/butchered Les Paul with 12 knobs and more switches than a 747 cockpit.

Still just scratching the surface.

You can spend so much time playing with wiring that you never actually play music.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:20 am
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Even on a basic Strat setup, you've got tone cap options. And the option of different cap values for each tone pot.

And which tone pot gets connected to which pickup (or pickups -- it's common to have one of the tone controls connected to two of the pickups).

And whether to have a treble-bleed on the volume pot. (And which treble-bleed circuit and values to use.)

All the more reason for a prewired assembly where the decisions have been made for you. Then start modifying that eventually if you feel the need.

And if you spend a lot of time on forums you'll find lots of threads where people think they've followed a schematic exactly but things went mysteriously wrong, creating all sorts of gremlins that have them tearing out their hair.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:51 am
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What a great project. Thanks, for the photos. And your son - what a great lookin’ little fella he is. Definitely a rock star in the making. You’ll need lots of burly bouncers to keep the girls away when he hits the stage. :D
FSB

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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:25 am
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@strayedstrater - Thanks for all that info. My main problem is I am terrible when it comes to electronics. But you left something out that I bet will be big in the future. And that's Arduino/Raspberry Pi setups. Maybe my next axe will have a pocket to store a Raspberry. Guess I need to go see if that's been done yet.

Yeah Fender Strat Brat he is a real ham. I gave him my Ibanez Les Paul guitar a few months ago and he got so excited. He grabbed a couple picks (he said to find which one he likes) and drug the guitar over to the recliner and started strumming. I was proud papa let me tell ya. That guitar weighs as much as he does.

What I really want for him is one of the Squire Mini necks so I can make him a really cool guitar he can use now. I don't know of any other guitars that have a kid's size neck that is actually a decent neck. I am on the hunt for one so if you guys know of any keep me in mind.

It's funny the IMG link doesn't show an image in the post. But if I create an img link and right click on the broken image and copy the address and paste in a new browser it works just fine :?

Working on an output jack bezel...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4pdud63t1g899 ... l.png?dl=0


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:12 pm
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On the images; photobucket's new terms-of-use prevent images one stores there from showing; the "third party hosting" feature is available only for their prime customers willing to pay some 400$ annually. (There are workarounds for some browsers, but I'd recommend boycotting the greediness and choosing another pic host.)

strayedstrater wrote:
You can spend so much time playing with wiring that you never actually play music.

Wise words indeed.
And: only some players really benefit from Joseph's multicolor coat -type wirings. Most get along with quite simple guitar electronics, and the rest of the sound palette comes from pedals & amp.
That's why my 'prewired YJM pickguard' suggestion on page 1: very little soldering to do, and there are real many alternatives. The forum will surely help you choose, if you give some (player/band) hints.

Can't wait to see the final instrument. And (if you take suggestions), IMHO the Speedocaster requires a redneck... :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:41 pm
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I use Dropbox. Yeah, Photobucket went downhill a couple years ago.

I like so many bands it's really hard to say. My mother worked at Columbia Records. You remember those guys that sent you 20 CD's for a penny, then two more for a dollar more? Well, when you sent all those back I got to go buy them all for next to nothing. So I would grab a CD not even knowing who it was just to try something new. I always left their sales with arm loads of music.

But Metal is probably my main go to music. I like all of it. Old Metallica, Megadeth, Nine Inch Nails, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Dokken, Dope, etc. My favorite guitar player is Mark Knopfler. I also like Billy Gibbons. Neither of which are metal I know. But I could listen to either of them play guitar and be just fine with that about any time of any day. But when I am playing I will bounce around between a couple guitars. Usually ending up in some weird tuning playing crunchy power chords.

I like the way Rammstein's guitar sounds. Lets see, other songs. Pepper Keenan has a distinct sound, like on "Clean my Wounds" when he was with Corrosion of Conformity. The guitar in that song caught my attention. I didn't know he was playing with Down when I first heard them, but I immediately knew who it was playing. I'm not a big fan of anybody really. Mick Mars is another guitar player I like. I could write a book here.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:17 am
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Hmm... You may still need two guitars - combining metal/weird tunings and knopflerism may prove a bit challenging otherwise. The Spidocaster could be the metal flagship - maybe consider an SD Hot Rails set , also available as a preloaded pg unit.

Sorry for the photo confusion, I guess my fear&loathing of PB sometimes makes me see things.
On Dropbox, change the last part of the pic address ?dl=0 to ?raw=1 like this:

Image


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 11:28 am
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Hey there, IndyRocker:

I had to drop in to my local L&M store yesterday and, after showing the Spidey guitar and your son, that was for discussion of possible guitars (necks) for the young ‘uns, it was consensus amongst some better experience staff that said the Squire Mini and Ibanez MiKro were about the only two axes known to be available that would suit the purposes. That’s if quality is a concern.

They liked your project. :D
FSB

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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 11:11 am
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Thanks jmattis for the photo fix and the tips on a setup. I like that one. Maybe I should send some info to SD and see what they recommend. I have Seymour's pickups in my sons Ibanez. They sound amazing.

Fender Strat Brat- I think that Ibanez may be the way to go. I could build him a miniature Jem :D I found one for $109. Thanks for the tip.

I got the output jack design finalized and printed. It doesn't look that good in black. But this will be painted to match the guitar.
Image
Image


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 1:32 pm
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IndyRocker: You’re welcome for the tip. Anything to help out a young promising Rock Star. :wink:
Thanks, for the updates on your project. Looking good. :D
FSB

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Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:16 pm
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Progress from here will be a little slower as I recoup from the holidays. I need all the hardware and electronics now. I think I have everything printed. The rear cover is going to be carbon fiber, and the neck plate a standard Fender item. Oh yeah, the knobs and switch button. I am doing a themed version of those as well. I have to print some test parts first to make sure they fit correctly. I will update with more info as soon as I have something else to report. I think I have the electronics kit figured out thanks to you guys. So thanks again guys for all the help!

Stay tunedImage


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 6:04 am
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I have the knobs designed. I may make a different one for the tone. But I think I am just going to use the same knobs for all pots. If you have any ideas for the other knobs feel free to share. If you would like any of the 3D models for any of this just ask Image

ImageImage


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 4:32 pm
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Knice work on the knobs, IndyRocker. They look good.

If I may suggest, I think you are right about some continuity with the knobs. The one with the web is very nice, the other is a looker too; but, I see it as being more Star Wars like R2-D2.

Since you have a majority of a web theme (which is beautifully done I might add), maybe a spider would look good as an addition for the knob. You can never have too many of those, and one might just do the trick.

Thanks a lot for keeping us posted, it’s a fine project to follow.

Cheers!
FSB

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Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.


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Post subject: Re: Need help setting up 3D printed guitar
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:17 am
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They are both the Spider-man. The second pic is just looking at it from the bottom :D

Here is what they will look like when finished.
Image


Last edited by IndyRocker on Thu Jan 11, 2018 7:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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