Hi i have a strat and i would like to make it so when i plug in the cord to the input jack a led light in the pickgaurd turns on how would i do this

Install your LED and just splice in the wires to the + and - terminals or wires of the input jack. You may loose a little signal strength though. You COULD just install a small battery with a hidden or low profile switch !

Hi weaselax,

You will need a new input jack like this one that has an isolated switch that can be used to turn on an LED circuit when you plug in the cable (link below). Of course you have to come up with a circuit and battery and find a place in the guitar for them.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Switchcraft/13/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMv0W4pxf2HiV3fTUvSc3cBdvOEfM2YoEl0%3d

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+1 on requiring that kind of switched output jack.

I don't know much about simple LED circuits. Can they run on a small watch battery?

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My other guitar is a Strat.

I like the way you think, and an LED across the jack sounds like a simple and easy solution, but in actuality it probably won't work. For one, the LED won't light up when you plug in the cable. The LED might light up only if you are constantly strumming the guitar at full volume and maybe not even then. But, if the LED does conduct and lights up, it will clip half of the guitar signal, probably resulting in a horrible noise when plugged into an amp. You are on the right track with the battery idea though.

orvilleowner,

Yes, a 1.5V or 3V watch battery or coin type battery might work well, with the milliamp-hour (mAh) rating of the battery being the limiting factor. Batteries will deliver a certain mA of current for a certain amount of hours, and the mAh rating will tell you how long it will last under any specific current load. Estimating 200 mAh for a watch battery, and using about 20 mA for an LED, the battery would last about 10 hrs of constant use. If you only need 10 mA for the LED, then the same battery would last twice as long, or 20 hours of constant use. Some other types of batteries such as a 9 volt battery will have much higher mAh rating for longer life. These numbers are just estimates, but using the right LED, resistor and watch battery combination might be the simplest, and easiest way to do it. Good idea!

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Or you could go this route:

http://www.simscustom.com/html/00leds.htm

Steve Vai's LED guitars amongst others are done for him by those people. I have no idea what power source he's using for his hair, though.



Cheers - C

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Obviously, its hot air Ceri... thats right, I'm here all week folks...

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Thanks guys!!!

Haha from what I heard, Steve Vai never performs without his most prized posession: an electric fan The guy is pretty amazing though, and has great character.

Wish I had long hair that could flow freely as I play...

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