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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:08 am
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Andy,

Unbelievable switching combinations. Many years ago I worked with electronic switching devices for nuclear weapons and I can tell you they were less complicated. (The boxes that is) I have this uncomfortable feeling that with the right combination of switches on the strat, you could inadvertently activate something you hadn't planned on :0)

Sweet - can't wait to hear the sound.


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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:16 am
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Cambo wrote:
Andy,

Unbelievable switching combinations. Many years ago I worked with electronic switching devices for nuclear weapons and I can tell you they were less complicated. (The boxes that is) I have this uncomfortable feeling that with the right combination of switches on the strat, you could inadvertently activate something you hadn't planned on :0)

Sweet - can't wait to hear the sound.

With that kinda help maybe Andy can make his guitar to shoot some rockets too in some sort of combination on the super switch! :lol:


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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:22 am
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Ceri....there's your long lost drinking buddy at last. :idea:

Reminds me of my dearly departed cat "Baby".

She'd be lying quietly snoozing and I would get close to her ear and in my softest "Barry White" mellow voice would say...."Is there anything I can do for you??".....and Baby would roll over and assume that position, with all four legs stretched out wide. Priceless. :wink:

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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:44 am
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joaokorb wrote:
That strat has put the Variax on completly utter shame!
Congratulations! Custom Shop must got a look on this guy!
I have NO WORDS to describe what this dude has done! Are you from this world ? 8)

That reminded me that oldschool game "Out of this World"
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Free demo of that game for PC
http://www.anotherworld.fr/anotherworld_uk/telechargement.htm

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:16 am
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Howdy!

joaokorb wrote:
Cambo wrote:
Andy,
Unbelievable switching combinations. Many years ago I worked with electronic switching devices for nuclear weapons and I can tell you they were less complicated. (The boxes that is) I have this uncomfortable feeling that with the right combination of switches on the strat, you could inadvertently activate something you hadn't planned on :0)

Sweet - can't wait to hear the sound.

With that kinda help maybe Andy can make his guitar to shoot some rockets too in some sort of combination on the super switch! :lol:

Thanks guys. Well, I haven't received any call form Fylingdales telling me to keep the noise down yet!

ripitup555 wrote:
Patience Ceri our time will come, seems the Borg have been busy with Andy of late, we'll all be assimilated soon enough, hope their all Gilmour fans :lol:

Quality post mate! :lol:

Ceri wrote:
Care to pick a couple of fave settings from that lot, Andy? Enquiring minds need to know.

Well I've had a bit of a play and the following are my Top 5 combos.... at the moment! :wink:

Image

From left to right:

Neck Pickup - The Blue Sensor in the neck just does it for me. If I had to choose one position that would be it. Love it!

Neck Parallel with the Top Bridge Coil – One word “Twang”!

Neck (Parallel with Specials Cap) with the Middle in Series and the Top Bridge Coil in Parralel – Really nice tone. Fat bottom end and very funky “Straty” sounding mids and highs. Having the middle pup in series makes for a slightly louder output. I find myself using this one quite a lot.

Bridge Dually (Parrallel with Specials Cap) with the Middle in Series – Not too sure how to describe this one... “Spanky” maybe? Its quite loud. Good tone for the fingers and playing near the nut. Boost it, and it makes for a very nice solo tone .

Bridge Dually – OMG! What a feck'in beast! High output for sure. Slap the boost on and to quote forum user Martian “It pukes mid-range”! Really good for those harmonic squeals.

So many to choose from! :D

BTW Ceri, Thats such a cool pic of your cat. What a little sweetie! Love those grandad slippers too! 8)

Ceri wrote:
Still. Easy and intuitive switching, huh?

I have to say I can totally see why this sort of wiring scheme would turn a lot of players off. I can't see this number of combos being a great deal of help to anyone who plays live, bar the Mid Boost (quite frankly, everybody needs one of those in their Strat!). Too many component parts that “could” stop working makes this a “potentially” unreliable No.1 to use. That and is feck'in heavy!

But, I have spent a seriously long time trying to make the wiring as usable as possible. Unless you know about them, the S-1 switches are well hidden and act just like normal pots. If you don't push a button, you can quite happily play along with the 5 standard Strat tones we all know and love just as you would on any Strat. Ceri's pretty much spot on I'm a home studio player and love the fact I can get such a wide range of tones without having to fiddle with the POD or an amp.

I'm a bit Bi-polar with my switching schemes. I want all the normal Strat tones where you'd normally find them.... and 27 others without it looking like those Wolf wired Strats covered in switches.

I think I may have peeked with the Big Hairy Switching System. Maybe next time I'll squeeze a Variax in there too! :D

Thanks again for all the kind words. You guys Rock! 8)

Enjoy!

Andy & Randel the Cat

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:32 am
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Thank you for that faves selection. On my S1 equiped HSS Strat the three pickup options, with and without the humbucker split, are genuinely worthwhile alternatives to the five "legit" Strat positions. One of those is very similar (maybe identical?) to the layout of your (A/SC) + B/C, above.

Good sound.

Andybighair wrote:
I'm a bit Bi-polar with my switching schemes.

I had a friend who was manic-depressive. He visited the arctic - and was attacked by a bi-polar bear.

I'm here all week, folks.

Andybighair wrote:
I think I may have peeked with the Big Hairy Switching System. Maybe next time I'll squeeze a Variax in there too! :D

"Now hold on there, Bald Eagle." You interest me strangely.

If we're into baroque wiring rather than Leo Fenderish simplicity, whadayathink about the issue of putting FX straight into guitars? On-board drive or delay, for example? And can you think of other options that might have realworld uses, rather than just gimmick appeal?

New build possibilities pass before my eyes...

Cheers - C


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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:37 am
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Hmmm. Interesting that 2 of the 5 are "traditional" HSS Strat settings. I'd be interested in a few follow-ups on your favourites, I'm sure they will evolve over the years. 8) Keep us posted!
Also it would take me a decade to try out all those possibilities. Which is good. Keeps things interesting.
I agree on the studio qualities. Every studio should have one!

Next time why not make the pick-ups slideable, a feature I have been longing to build for a long time now. Imagine the tonal possibs! :shock:

Anyhow, cool post mate!

-Nutter


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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:41 am
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Ceri wrote:
I had a friend who was manic-depressive. He visited the arctic - and was attacked by a bi-polar bear.

I'm here all week, folks.


haha! Quality! :lol:

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:53 am
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Ceri wrote:
"Now hold on there, Bald Eagle." You interest me strangely.

Wow! That triggered a flash back to my youth!

Image

Can't for the life if me remeber what they tasted like!

Ceri wrote:
If we're into baroque wiring rather than Leo Fenderish simplicity, whadayathink about the issue of putting FX straight into guitars? On-board drive or delay, for example? And can you think of other options that might have realworld uses, rather than just gimmick appeal?

Well being the sad sucker for on board gimmicks that I am, I've put the following into this guitar:

Image

Andybighair's Big Hairy Custom Built "Huxley 501" (above)

3 way coil split taps for each humbucker
3 way standard switching
Onboard 5 way distortion (Artec QDD)
Onboard tone booster with high/low gain switch (Artec VTC)
Onboard EQ Boost with Push pull bypass (Artec EXP)

All sounds great BUT... would have be nice to be able to use those effects on all my other guitars. Probably better to have Nick put them into one of those nice boxes he's been making. I reckon delay effects and the like belong in pedals. A Variax or Graph-Tech's Ghost Pickup System on the other hand is seriously on the cards at the moment. :wink:

Humm... What are you up to Mr C? New build on the way?

The_Nutter wrote:
Next time why not make the pick-ups slideable, a feature I have been longing to build for a long time now. Imagine the tonal possibs! :shock:

Cool idea man!

You could call them "P-Rails"... D'oh! :lol:

Cheers chaps.

Andy & Randel the Cat

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:46 am
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Andybighair wrote:
Ceri wrote:
"Now hold on there, Bald Eagle." You interest me strangely.

Wow! That triggered a flash back to my youth!
Image

Blimey - you knew it!
Andybighair wrote:
Can't for the life if me remeber what they tasted like!

Chewy.
Ceri wrote:
Andybighair wrote:
If we're into baroque wiring rather than Leo Fenderish simplicity, whadayathink about the issue of putting FX straight into guitars?

Well being the sad sucker for on board gimmicks that I am, I've put the following into this guitar:

Image

Andybighair's Big Hairy Custom Built "Huxley 501" (above)

3 way coil split taps for each humbucker
3 way standard switching
Onboard 5 way distortion (Artec QDD)
Onboard tone booster with high/low gain switch (Artec VTC)
Onboard EQ Boost with Push pull bypass (Artec EXP)

All sounds great BUT...

Wow! Question asked, question answered. 8)

Well: howabout this? Rather than the boring old kill-switch you see so much these days what about a feedbacker, perhaps triggered by a touch sensitive button of some kind, so the harder you pushed the more OTT the feedback?

My old Boss GT-3 multi-FX has a feedbacker that you can assign to the "control" footswitch. It has various parameters including attack, so you can set it to come straight in or rise from nothing over a second or two while you keep the button pressed. I have absolutely not the faintest idea how the circuit works, but it has always surprised me you don't see them around as stand alone stomp boxes, cos it is silly amounts of fun.

Design me one of those into a small cavity in a guitar - and we're in business.

Now. Tell us more about that fascinating looking guitar's story, please.

Cheers - C


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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:58 am
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Ceri wrote:
Well: howabout this? Rather than the boring old kill-switch you see so much these days what about a feedbacker, perhaps triggered by a touch sensitive button of some kind, so the harder you pushed the more OTT the feedback?

My old Boss GT-3 multi-FX has a feedbacker that you can assign to the "control" footswitch. It has various parameters including attack, so you can set it to come straight in or rise from nothing over a second or two while you keep the button pressed. I have absolutely not the faintest idea how the circuit works, but it has always surprised me you don't see them around as stand alone stomp boxes, cos it is silly amounts of fun.

Design me one of those into a small cavity in a guitar - and we're in business.

Sounds like a very cool plan Mr C. “Sustainers” and “Feedbackers” Defiantly fall into Big Hairy territory! I'll have to have a peek at what info there is online regarding your Boss GT-3 multi-fx and see what the score is there.

There's some similar stuff on the market that I'm sure your probably aware of but for those who aren't.... I very nearly bought a Sustainiac kit. Satch has a couple of his personal JS guitars fitted with one.

Image

Steve Via, Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp use a Fernandes Sustainer in some of their guitars.

Image

Crimson guitars make Fripp's stuff at the moment. Great custom guitars made here in the UK.

Crimson Guitars

Worth a look. I want to work there!

But then Mrs Bighair bought me one of these...

Image

… and now I can have all my guitars sustain. I do like Ebows. I've got quite good a flicking the little switch on the back to change in to the octave harmonic and back again. Only problem is they only sustain one string at a time, So a Sustaining Kit of some sort is still being considered.

Ceri wrote:
Now. Tell us more about that fascinating looking guitar's story, please.


The Huxley 501

That guitar was my first playable home made job. I was badly morning the loss of Randel's brother Huxley the Cat back in 2005 (there's some pics of him earlier in the thread) and decided to build a guitar in his name.

Image Image Image Image

Man, I still miss Huxley....

Its a one piece mahogany body with a Greg Bennett neck (that's the neck that came with a fake skunk stripe stuck on the back!). Its got a very thin poly varnish and wax finish. Its was also the first of my Big Hairy Wiring schemes. It was built pretty much the same way as the Tone-caster but I made my own custom body shape based on one of my Godins.

Enjoy!

Andy & Randel the Cat

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:20 am
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Two things:

- welcome back striped towel!
- very nice optical "bend" of grain there, Andy, you know I like that! 8)

Late condolences for your loss, Andy. I know how it feels. My cat had a brother who one day didn't turn up and it was not easy.
Very nice move making a guitar in Huxley's name. I'm sure he's smiling down at you! (when he has the time between sleeping and chasing this never-ending supply of mice in cat-heaven).

Cheers to a great craftsman!

-Nutter


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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 12:33 pm
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Andybighair wrote:
Sounds like a very cool plan Mr C. “Sustainers” and “Feedbackers” Defiantly fall into Big Hairy territory! I'll have to have a peek at what info there is online regarding your Boss GT-3 multi-fx and see what the score is there.

I just hauled out the manual for the GT-3. Huh - no schematic. Almost as if they don't want us to steal their ideas. Blue meanies. For the almost nothing it's worth the manual appears to be available online, here: http://media.rolandus.com/manuals/GT-3_OM.pdf (4.37 Megs...). The feedbacker and its parameters and stuff is discussed on pages 39-40. Not that it helps you muchly.

Sustain is all very nice, but it's the howling, shrieking sounds of that feedbacker I want at my fingertip. Squeal, piggy; squeal!

Now then. The Huxley 501 (with buttons rather than a zip fly, obviously). We've glimpsed that geet before, haven't we? Thank you for the extra pictures: I like it a lot. Very nice body shape, and deeply admirable for a first build. Respect! 8)

I hadn't noticed the recessed neck plate before: that's a very nice touch. Again, very cool for a first (or twenty-first) time around. What did you make the control cover out of, please? Very pro shielding in that cavity, from what we can see in the pics. Wow, Mr Grande-Barnet: I think Crimson Guitars need to employ you quick - or suffer the competition!

High five - C


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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:05 pm
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Ceri wrote:
Sustain is all very nice, but it's the howling, shrieking sounds of that feedbacker I want at my fingertip. Squeal, piggy; squeal!

I like you style Mr C. 8)

After a quick look at the manual its clear I need some kind of Feedbacker in my life! I reckon the best bet is to try and find an analogue pedal that does the same sort of thing though it looks like it might well be a digital wonder.

Might have to have a word with the Ninja and see if its possible to make an on board Fuzz Sustainer. Humm... Pending Awesome-ness! :D

Ceri wrote:
Now then. The Huxley 501 (with buttons rather than a zip fly, obviously). We've glimpsed that geet before, haven't we? Thank you for the extra pictures: I like it a lot. Very nice body shape, and deeply admirable for a first build. Respect! 8)

I hadn't noticed the recessed neck plate before: that's a very nice touch. Again, very cool for a first (or twenty-first) time around. What did you make the control cover out of, please? Very pro shielding in that cavity, from what we can see in the pics. Wow, Mr Grande-Barnet: I think Crimson Guitars need to employ you quick - or suffer the competition!


Thanks Mr C. The control cavity cover was made from a pickguard blank, nothing special. The shielding isn't that convenient self adhesive stuff. Its proper copper foil and was a real pig to get in there! Shredded my hands to pieces!

All this building talk has me itching to start another one. Might have to give Sykes a call next week and see what they have for me!

Thanks again mate!

Andy & Randel the Cat

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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:10 pm
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Andybighair wrote:
All this building talk has me itching to start another one. Might have to give Sykes a call next week and see what they have for me!

That's the spirit! 8)

-Nutter


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