tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25341959634888023192024-03-13T12:55:38.914-07:00DIY Strat (and other guitar & audio projects)stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-59219537697316582502015-07-30T00:10:00.000-07:002015-08-02T23:48:54.199-07:00Fixing the pots on a Maxon OD808<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo91CnCRa-IahNEeXKW__4kYsTgF9HFawgpmhyphenhyphenJdzM0q6pZW6487TIw_yOysgN-muK0vym_AC2kqAuiC48D5f51lwt9IH8LNtM1bBABbQmBdtV7iTzJyvX0aKI5c7fdO-09NKeNAcGnpz/s1600/Maxon-OD808-pot-repair-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo91CnCRa-IahNEeXKW__4kYsTgF9HFawgpmhyphenhyphenJdzM0q6pZW6487TIw_yOysgN-muK0vym_AC2kqAuiC48D5f51lwt9IH8LNtM1bBABbQmBdtV7iTzJyvX0aKI5c7fdO-09NKeNAcGnpz/s320/Maxon-OD808-pot-repair-001.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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I was recently gifted the pedal pictured above. If you don’t know what a Maxon OD808 is, then you should have a look here: <a href="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/distortion-overdrive-effects-pedals/maxon-od808-guitar-overdrive-pedal">http://www.musiciansfriend.com/distortion-overdrive-effects-pedals/maxon-od808-guitar-overdrive-pedal</a><br />
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From the above link: “<i>Originally released in 1979, the Maxon OD808 pedal was one of the first tube-amp overdrive simulators to hit the market. Its smooth, creamy crunch tone caught on quickly, and helped to launch a long line of imitators. Today, the OD808 design is without a doubt the most used, most imitated and most lauded overdrive circuit of all time. The reason for this is simple--tone. Simply put, the OD808 provides the natural, mild overdrive of a tube amp without sacrificing your guitar's original tone. In addition, it can be used as a clean booster to provide increased gain without compromising the sound of your amplifier.</i>”<br />
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In short, it’s basically the original overdrive pedal that eventually got rebranded as the Ibanez Tubescreamer.<br />
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Unfortunately this particular one had a few issues. At first it looked like it was just missing a knob, but it turned out that all three pots were able to rotate freely (through 360 degrees) without affecting the sound at all. The pot shafts could also move in and out by about 6 mm, which really shouldn’t be the case.<br />
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So I took the back cover off to access the circuit board.<br />
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Removing the two screws at the bottom end of the board revealed a second board that houses the pots and status LED.<br />
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Removing that revealed exactly what I was expecting, which was that all three pots had fallen apart (evidently someone has tried to hold one together at some time in the past with a cable tie).<br />
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In fact you can see the top parts of the pots still attached to the enclosure:<br />
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<a href="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/what-sounds-like-a-maxon-od-808-but-is-more-reliable.1152754/page-2">Sadly this pedal has made a bit of a (bad) name for itself because of this exact issue</a>. Not only are the pots prone to mechanical failure in this way, but it is also quite hard to find exact replacements, which in case anyone ever needs this information are as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>Overdrive: A500K (ALPS brand, part number RK09L1140-F12-C0-A504)</li>
<li>Tone: A20K (ALPS brand, part number RK09L1140-F12-C0-A203)</li>
<li>Balance: B100K (ALPS brand, part number RK09L1140-F12-C0-B104)</li>
</ul>
And here's the specs document for these ALPS pots for those that may want it: <a href="http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0f4c/0900766b80f4c570.pdf">http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0f4c/0900766b80f4c570.pdf</a><br />
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Having had little initial luck locating replacements, I decided to see if I could just put the pots back together. This was surprisingly easy to do and the fix feels pretty strong.<br />
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This worked for the Overdrive and Balance pots, but unfortunately the Tone one was still very spotty, even with a squirt of contact cleaner.<br />
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So this time I decided to completely remove and disassemble that pot. It breaks down into several parts, but on the plus side, it's surprisingly serviceable.<br />
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From top to bottom you can see the securing nut, the shaft collar, the shaft, the carbon strip/legs, the wiper, the back cover and the securing clip (which both holds the enclosure together and also secures it to the board).<br />
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So first I gave the carbon strip a good clean with contact cleaner and a cloth:<br />
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Then checked the wiper to make sure it was in shape and clean.<br />
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Then started putting the whole thing back together.<br />
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First the wiper is placed against the carbon strip, making sure that it is in a suitable position (i.e. not outside if its usual rotation range—I put it in what would be its middle position):<br />
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Then the back cover is replaced:<br />
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Now the shaft is located so that it sits correctly in the wiper part (the shaft has a little key so that it will only sit correctly in one position).<br />
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The collar is slid over the shaft and pushed solidly against the rest of the pot.<br />
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Before putting the clip back on, I slowly and carefully bent the ends so that they were close to straight:<br />
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And then bent the whole legs so that they were a little tighter than parallel.<br />
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This was so that they wouldn’t have a tendency to open after putting the pot all back together.<br />
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Finally, the ends were pressed back into a 90 degree angle:<br />
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The pot was tested and passed with flying colours:<br />
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And re-soldered to the board:<br />
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Finally the whole thing was put back together and correct replacement knobs were put on too.<br />
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I tried it out (it works fine) and have to say this pedal sounds great and is definitely a keeper.stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-81606308475921782452015-05-10T21:41:00.000-07:002015-05-12T23:50:01.618-07:00How to set up a Fender Telecaster-style guitarToday I’m going to show you how to set up a Fender Telecaster-style guitar. We are only going to do a basic setup, which is enough most of the time, but occasionally more is required, such as filing the nut, or doing some fretwork.<br />
<br />
If you're setting up a Stratocaster-style guitar, you might prefer to have a look at this blog post: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-set-up-electric-guitar.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-set-up-electric-guitar.html</a><br />
Alternatively, if you're setting up a Les-Paul-style guitar, you should have a look here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-set-up-gibson-les-paul-style.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-set-up-gibson-les-paul-style.html</a><br />
So what does a basic setup involve? Let me break it down for you, as follows:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Checking and adjusting neck bow (how straight the neck is)</li>
<li>Checking and adjusting saddle height</li>
<li>Checking and adjusting the intonation (how far back or forward the saddles need to sit at the bridge to keep your guitar as in tune as possible no matter what fret you’re playing)</li>
</ol>
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Those three steps will have a dramatic effect on your guitar and none of them are very difficult, or require particularly specialized or expensive tools. Here's today's patient:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RAs5Dd6K4FiedyuTVevpPiD88rO8AcEDGulkwKcbrkFElMJtbKKSbfiAJ3DKv_p57KTPw2NTmn4hzp7qh9eJBH8MyA37RaqR3cKlGA8FeSlaOJc_qv_v4aJia12e5wWlc-zTGh86Iu02/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RAs5Dd6K4FiedyuTVevpPiD88rO8AcEDGulkwKcbrkFElMJtbKKSbfiAJ3DKv_p57KTPw2NTmn4hzp7qh9eJBH8MyA37RaqR3cKlGA8FeSlaOJc_qv_v4aJia12e5wWlc-zTGh86Iu02/s400/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Check and adjust neck bow (how straight the neck is)</b></span><br />
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Since we only want to check how straight the neck is, we need to isolate this aspect of the guitar. In other words we don’t want the height of the nut or the placement of the saddles to confuse us, so we take them out of the equation. Don’t worry; we’re not going to remove any of these components, just circumvent them.<br />
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I use a ruler to do this, but you can do it using only strings. I’ll describe both methods below.<br />
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<i><b>Method A:</b></i> Using a ruler<br />
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Get a ruler (or straightedge if you want to be all fancy) that is at least as long as the neck, but not so long that it reaches all the way from the nut to the saddles. If you can’t get one between these lengths, and are willing to sacrifice a ruler, get one that’s too long and cut it to length. Alternatively, you can just cut a little out of one edge so that you can still make full use of the other edge of the ruler.<br />
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Now lay the edge of the ruler along the frets (don’t rest it on top of the nut or the saddles).<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCD9x3fodcIr2FMGquHvphUlXnp5AqhLP2KBbVV1bor5AY9mtl6-_jMKIOA151s5OiakNM46s_zVEep9DBsP-O_k0Ro3PNQuSdVvooIc7Nf97fsrtHi1dam7IMlBdwOiG_yHhcrwSolL5/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCD9x3fodcIr2FMGquHvphUlXnp5AqhLP2KBbVV1bor5AY9mtl6-_jMKIOA151s5OiakNM46s_zVEep9DBsP-O_k0Ro3PNQuSdVvooIc7Nf97fsrtHi1dam7IMlBdwOiG_yHhcrwSolL5/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<i><b>Method B: </b></i>Using the strings<br />
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First, put a capo on the first fret. This stops the nut from having any influence, say from being too high/low.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoxA50cIo0qQWhI3LVZN4t7h5Ugd-kMza0jQHCPuTHNyLs-vQ7gYmjhX1puBsAyfOKehqrQEv6mkAMYFAFubQ-3hbMcfgeBWPIMAeR8nycHIrsNnrnltKHd0dSSKCWiEmvMrwIf2_ywZ1/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoxA50cIo0qQWhI3LVZN4t7h5Ugd-kMza0jQHCPuTHNyLs-vQ7gYmjhX1puBsAyfOKehqrQEv6mkAMYFAFubQ-3hbMcfgeBWPIMAeR8nycHIrsNnrnltKHd0dSSKCWiEmvMrwIf2_ywZ1/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Next, hold down the low (thick) E string on the bridge side of the highest fret. This stops the saddles from having any influence.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTokLF12zCgC8K4K928CdVngOmV3zBH1uzk0gCs8yGNBEBktrKKrnAsaFRyox3-T-Ax7hunbu57mCNsqjaK-FbCBeb6LZLFMKSBJDAXYwUSkGuw5Ltqq7Q9xyMmUtEF2lDQkDI7H_oXXHb/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTokLF12zCgC8K4K928CdVngOmV3zBH1uzk0gCs8yGNBEBktrKKrnAsaFRyox3-T-Ax7hunbu57mCNsqjaK-FbCBeb6LZLFMKSBJDAXYwUSkGuw5Ltqq7Q9xyMmUtEF2lDQkDI7H_oXXHb/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-016.jpg" width="320" /></a></span> </div>
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No matter whether you used method A or B, you can now go about measuring the neck bow. This is done by measuring the string height (the gap between the ruler/string and the top of the fret) at about the 8th fret. There is a lot of debate over how straight a neck should be, and in fact it really is personal choice, but a height roughly the same as the thickness of a B string is a good starting point. Personally, I use a 0.012” feeler gauge to do this, but you could use a B string. Simply slide the feeler gauge/B string into the gap to see if it is too big/small. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui4M6SKlPWk31UsI4he39TKapKb9MX0baYhw-LSQiD_WP4Qs29kZ9CzkY1RnHAW2EivWM1tdzPYpUAPLKdBcFg7o9RwCU5nIK5rL9jSsdt_Ce0dO8ARtlhVN7Arqt3OVIW1A912dVOmhA/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui4M6SKlPWk31UsI4he39TKapKb9MX0baYhw-LSQiD_WP4Qs29kZ9CzkY1RnHAW2EivWM1tdzPYpUAPLKdBcFg7o9RwCU5nIK5rL9jSsdt_Ce0dO8ARtlhVN7Arqt3OVIW1A912dVOmhA/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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If the gap is perfect, congratulations – you may now move on to step 2. <br />
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If the gap is too large, then you need to tighten the truss rod a little (similarly, if the gap is too small, you need to loosen the truss rod). Locate the adjustable end of the truss rod. On this guitar it is at the head of the guitar and requires a 4 mm Allen key, though your guitar may be different.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj7q6CxKo0stO07xKffZRQ4PeHQ3MifA0HSl8A6a6VrrW80cy7f7-F8q9O3qpsHUnIrA6Mpia7dvmD6mVxoM9UViDo_V847QsrdPGw8Ylpu8QGJ8Duuz7HFq0byYK6JgjEpI3wsTnesMr/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj7q6CxKo0stO07xKffZRQ4PeHQ3MifA0HSl8A6a6VrrW80cy7f7-F8q9O3qpsHUnIrA6Mpia7dvmD6mVxoM9UViDo_V847QsrdPGw8Ylpu8QGJ8Duuz7HFq0byYK6JgjEpI3wsTnesMr/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-022.jpg" width="180" /></a></span> </div>
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On some Teles, it is located at the other end of the neck. This is a pain, because every time you want to make an adjustment to the truss rod, you will need to loosen the strings, remove (or partially remove) the neck, adjust the truss rod, re-attach the neck and tighten up the strings again to check the neck bow.<br />
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Anyway, here’s how you adjust the truss rod. This must be done with the strings tuned to whatever pitch you usually use. If your neck is too bowed (the gap you just measured is too big), you tighten the truss rod by turning the Allen key (Allen wrench), screwdriver, or socket (the tool required depends on your guitar) clockwise. It is recommended that you only turn the tool a quarter turn (or even an eighth turn) at a time and then give the neck some time to settle. You will also need to make sure the strings are still properly tuned after each adjustment.<br />
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<i><b>CAUTION</b>: If you find that the truss rod is very difficult to turn, then stop now and take your guitar to the guitar shop. It may be that there is a problem with the neck or the truss rod and you may damage the guitar by forcing it. Believe me, you do not want to damage the truss rod.</i><br />
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If, instead of tightening the truss rod, you need to loosen it, do so by turning it anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise). Again, a quarter turn at a time. Once you have got the gap to 0.012” (or whatever gap you prefer), you will have finished this step. Feel free to remove the capo at this stage if it is attached.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Check and adjust the saddle height</span></b><br />
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Firstly check and, if necessary, adjust the low (thick) E string height. Do this by adjusting the height of the saddle on the bridge (on this guitar, a 1.5 mm Allen key is required, though your guitar may require something else). Then this is done by screwing the outermost screw in or out. Since Telecaster’s generally have three saddles (each supporting two strings), rather than six individual ones, you will probably end up with them being at a bit of an angle, rather than parallel to the guitar. This is fine (if you happen to have six individual saddles, then for each one, I recommend that you try to keep the two screws at the same height as each other, although some people would disagree with me).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVe5F3FMTKDAOtwfzmLWuIxiXWspd661xmjoCv8PpNXCC-_zbyPR6TK9fVAoz1lhBmOLmAjO7CPc6raczElZgjFSSA26W-TENkx_QEIcymp_j4G9l8uKeQYvrdqdddCKlIymGXdxzMO_P/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVe5F3FMTKDAOtwfzmLWuIxiXWspd661xmjoCv8PpNXCC-_zbyPR6TK9fVAoz1lhBmOLmAjO7CPc6raczElZgjFSSA26W-TENkx_QEIcymp_j4G9l8uKeQYvrdqdddCKlIymGXdxzMO_P/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-011.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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The question here is how high to make the saddle. Well, this is personal choice. Find somewhere were the string doesn’t buzz on any fret from being too low, but low enough that you can play up and down the neck easily. There’s usually a sweet spot where you can just start to detect some buzzing and you can leave it just a tiny bit higher than that.<br />
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Now do the exact same procedure for the high (thin) E string.<br />
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There are two ways that you can go about adjusting the other strings.<br />
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<b><i>Method one:</i></b> Adjust each string the same way as you just adjusted the two E strings.<br />
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<b><i>Method two:</i></b> Use a radius gauge, as follows:<br />
<br />
Lay a radius gauge across your strings, close to, but not touching, the saddles. Adjust the remaining strings only (A, D, G &amp; B) until every string is just touching the radius gauge. Radius gauges can be bought from numerous sources ( I got mine from <a href="http://www.stewmac.com/">http://www.stewmac.com</a>), or you can make your own. Feel free to use Google at this point if you don’t know about radius gauges. Just make sure that you use a radius gauge that matches the neck of your guitar. Not all Teles have the same neck radius, so the best way is to rest a radius gauge on the neck of your guitar (with the strings removed if necessary) to find out which radius you should be using, as follows:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5okT0YHJMn95vUJW8kQCVf5_oOSLz77lvbcRb76mQ2XeCL2XAT_Xn_9nv_kILibg-Grwtv0SUl4SJkly1s4OVdFjwZf4R74wGYik_tfAtbG4hb2nG1BSsdXodmzsTZ6ez1yXgTFCEzYy/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5okT0YHJMn95vUJW8kQCVf5_oOSLz77lvbcRb76mQ2XeCL2XAT_Xn_9nv_kILibg-Grwtv0SUl4SJkly1s4OVdFjwZf4R74wGYik_tfAtbG4hb2nG1BSsdXodmzsTZ6ez1yXgTFCEzYy/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-020.jpg" width="180" /></a></span> </div>
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Incidentally, I use these snazzy radius gauges that can go either above or below the strings (below gives a slightly more accurate result, although the difference is arguable).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP5FJqEdxPNjhO6FojDg3xMKMFBuyZFqgNvtNriZhmO02t5lCrMXM45MnQ4U7qnRbYIMT-_AXyGghY2l2iHutb1dGrzIHOXW_bnMTB7bsoBp6d5hDGQ6nhhf1bL4Yo2BMuwhugwY4-auv/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP5FJqEdxPNjhO6FojDg3xMKMFBuyZFqgNvtNriZhmO02t5lCrMXM45MnQ4U7qnRbYIMT-_AXyGghY2l2iHutb1dGrzIHOXW_bnMTB7bsoBp6d5hDGQ6nhhf1bL4Yo2BMuwhugwY4-auv/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-017.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9eJmSX7slIXOVU7n9bwELZFa4lK_C0g3fzUOMiwg1qgdxTda8mCrFib6PtfLHMxEwjqoPkI8pPWW3AQdTpwEWaupb6LNZRWx-X-seW8NsQYqGhJ-0PvmmZ8VQZCJ3_JxTdby2cBCW7Du/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9eJmSX7slIXOVU7n9bwELZFa4lK_C0g3fzUOMiwg1qgdxTda8mCrFib6PtfLHMxEwjqoPkI8pPWW3AQdTpwEWaupb6LNZRWx-X-seW8NsQYqGhJ-0PvmmZ8VQZCJ3_JxTdby2cBCW7Du/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-019.jpg" width="180" /></a></span> </div>
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Please don’t take these measurements as the absolute final string height, but more as a good estimate. You can adjust them a little to your own personal tastes after this.<br />
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OK, that’s step 2 finished. Your guitar should be nice and playable now. However, it may not seem to stay in tune very well. That’s because the intonation might be off.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Check and adjust the intonation</span></b><br />
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The intonation here refers to the forward/backward position of the individual string saddles. By moving the saddles forwards or backwards, we are actually adjusting the length of the strings. Without going into too much detail, if the string is the wrong length, the positions of the frets will not be correct and the guitar will be out of tune on some of them. Adjusting the intonation is not difficult. All you need is a guitar tuner and a tool to move the saddles forwards or backwards.<br />
<br />
Play an open low E string and make sure it is in tune (using the guitar tuner).<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLNeJGqZpFIt571J4qj9TWT86-XHuFfD0dfx86NNY2h4tzyc2V9CkBXER-y0n074rcp1_GJ575rSPYkl8gGcdUJk6gcPoGyeWjHF4uif64k_hUcmvR_OrCRP0PwYzX3XEx-b-I0DdBq4W/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLNeJGqZpFIt571J4qj9TWT86-XHuFfD0dfx86NNY2h4tzyc2V9CkBXER-y0n074rcp1_GJ575rSPYkl8gGcdUJk6gcPoGyeWjHF4uif64k_hUcmvR_OrCRP0PwYzX3XEx-b-I0DdBq4W/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-014.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Now play the 12th fret of the low E string.<br />
It should also be in tune. If it is too high, then you need to move the saddle back. This increases the length of the string. If the note is too low, then you need to move the saddle forwards. This decreases the length of the string.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2sV5_PiUyheJOB6f7_JcC6t0cUSLY-crbMbOp0CsyySju3w_40LrLy6GuFWhPUDXgP3_H81hGLNTvN9QLZi1AuLgA1n06mes1nR0FaX1pWjL2M02Gq4RPrM5Zbu-Oot31-c9fpcBfKAc/s1600/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2sV5_PiUyheJOB6f7_JcC6t0cUSLY-crbMbOp0CsyySju3w_40LrLy6GuFWhPUDXgP3_H81hGLNTvN9QLZi1AuLgA1n06mes1nR0FaX1pWjL2M02Gq4RPrM5Zbu-Oot31-c9fpcBfKAc/s320/diystrat-blogspot-com-fender-telecaster-setup-021.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Now check both the open and the 12th fret notes again. You’ll have to tune the open string again because by moving the saddle, the tension of the string will have changed and so will need to be retuned.<br />
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Once you have correctly moved the saddle so that both the open string and the 12th fret are in tune, you can move on to the A string. Ordinarily, you would repeat this step until all of the strings have been done. However, if you have three saddles rather than six, you may have to compromise a little and find the position where the pair of strings passing over each saddle are as well intonated as possible. One may end up being a mm too short and the other a mm too long. You will notice that I use “staggered” saddles on this particular Tele. They help minimize the compromise you will have to make, and if you’re lucky you’ll end up with something close to perfect.<br />
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That’s a basic setup done. Hopefully your guitar will now be easy to play and appear to be in tune no matter where you play the note.<br />
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Also, if you want to change the neck pickup height on your Tele, check out this post: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/09/adjusting-neck-pickup-on-fender.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/09/adjusting-neck-pickup-on-fender.html</a>stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-61176547066957204662015-04-21T23:12:00.002-07:002015-11-25T13:32:10.529-08:00Making a reverse/inverse RIAA attenuator<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ginzg2ofbtMtR_9dypJW-PMo8jbvx9mRRC7BINLyUWUmYAwn4_AjcKdM29gnVwrs-M5YTRUkNvL0n_WBivPfpYxyhVRHkcI3XmFb5V9Y3_Gu6Ua_pUS57TJMTMUUK2ZD00Yc5lueOSax/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ginzg2ofbtMtR_9dypJW-PMo8jbvx9mRRC7BINLyUWUmYAwn4_AjcKdM29gnVwrs-M5YTRUkNvL0n_WBivPfpYxyhVRHkcI3XmFb5V9Y3_Gu6Ua_pUS57TJMTMUUK2ZD00Yc5lueOSax/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A couple of blog posts ago, we made an RIAA preamplifier (<a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2015/03/making-riaaphono-preamp.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2015/03/making-riaaphono-preamp.html</a>). Hopefully you understand what that is now, but if you don’t, maybe have a look at that post now.<br />
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As part of the process of making that preamp, I found it useful for testing purposes to have an inverse RIAA attenuator on-hand. Wait, a what? An inverse RIAA attenuator. It's basically the opposite of an RIAA pre-amp. <br />
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If we refer back to the RIAA Equalization Curve graph that we used on the RIAA preamp post, you'll see that it has two lines (see below). One is called the recording curve (dotted blue line) and one is the playback curve. The RIAA preamp follows the red curve. The Inverse RIAA attenuator follows the dotted blue one. If you were to put one after the other, you would end up with a flat horizontal line running right across the middle of the graph at 0dB.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy2c7Zu4g2mGaMAjZUp42sFdghGvtM_PRN5AKV1TdrrcxOfX1k0PTvgP7nsBXuWhhKTzJ9YFupZnJfTJjGuvmwfcu9tKwirD5jz2JCxDEJzZ_rDf_kAzZjZvUJ6M6gJ1xsyXLK41JquuG/s1600/RIAA-EQ-Curve_rec_play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy2c7Zu4g2mGaMAjZUp42sFdghGvtM_PRN5AKV1TdrrcxOfX1k0PTvgP7nsBXuWhhKTzJ9YFupZnJfTJjGuvmwfcu9tKwirD5jz2JCxDEJzZ_rDf_kAzZjZvUJ6M6gJ1xsyXLK41JquuG/s1600/RIAA-EQ-Curve_rec_play.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So why would you want one of THOSE? Well in my case, it made it possible for me to take the line-out of any device, send the signal through the attenuator, and then feed its output into the RIAA preamp I was building at the time. If the output was back to line level, then I knew the preamp had no major problems (though I would still test it later with a record player for sound quality, etc.)<br />
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Now I understand that most people would not be in this situation, and therefore this attenuator would seem to be of little use. However, it does have one other fantastic use, and I wish I’d had one when I encountered this exact problem a few years ago. Imagine the situation—you have an amplifier with just a few inputs. One of those inputs is labelled “phono”, but you don’t have a record player, so it’s basically wasted. Well, with a reverse RIAA attenuator, you can plug just about any device with a line-out connection into the phono input using this attenuator as a go-between. In fact you’d probably get away with the headphone output of many devices, though you may have to play with the device’s volume levels to get a decent sound quality/frequency response—in fact I tested this with an iPod and it worked just fine.<br />
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Now, as I'm sure you know, an attenuator is the opposite of an amplifier. Since we’re not actually amplifying anything, we can do this circuit completely passively (no power supply required). In fact, it’s an incredibly simple circuit once you’ve worked out which resistor/capacitor values you need. This is no mean feat, but luckily there’s almost always someone else on the Internet that has already worked this kind of thing out. In my case I used this circuit, which I got from here: <a href="http://sound.westhost.com/project80.htm">http://sound.westhost.com/project80.htm</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllumuSmjqWeWR-WrU6bj4EOksb_YuiRO0g-GRYbgvZFDw5_48sqKqi1YM9AVh73KBFJPXrOhd006VnCoP3N7SdSaI5h5SgLhBsZm5TY69vKuBg9FeAsoichA9Vc0PPce3QGjGLfwJCfFq/s1600/p80-f1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllumuSmjqWeWR-WrU6bj4EOksb_YuiRO0g-GRYbgvZFDw5_48sqKqi1YM9AVh73KBFJPXrOhd006VnCoP3N7SdSaI5h5SgLhBsZm5TY69vKuBg9FeAsoichA9Vc0PPce3QGjGLfwJCfFq/s1600/p80-f1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
I highly recommend visiting that site if you want a little more information about the circuit and how it does what it does.<br />
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The schematic is extremely simple, requiring only four (or even three--see below) capacitors and three resistors for each channel. So simple in fact, that you don’t require a circuit board.<br />
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These are the values I ended up using:<br />
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R1 = 909k<br />
R2 = 75k<br />
R3 = 1.5k<br />
C1 = 3.3nF<br />
C2 = 270pF<br />
C3 = 1nF<br />
No need for C4<br />
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I boxed them in a fairly small project box with a couple of RCA jacks at each end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZgnte2SaTO6S4mdrMq826mzMC5f1gkvMfgoGv5ZvqVKz93iBGQITG6kMEO_N9IyUpXCrwNvjEVFxlKNyrpO0t7GmMasJziE6XVnFnK0RMD89-FnhKFfOjVspVn6RkFt5Xo2ko3ak72Ez/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZgnte2SaTO6S4mdrMq826mzMC5f1gkvMfgoGv5ZvqVKz93iBGQITG6kMEO_N9IyUpXCrwNvjEVFxlKNyrpO0t7GmMasJziE6XVnFnK0RMD89-FnhKFfOjVspVn6RkFt5Xo2ko3ak72Ez/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then covered it up and marked which end was which (don’t mix this up).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ginzg2ofbtMtR_9dypJW-PMo8jbvx9mRRC7BINLyUWUmYAwn4_AjcKdM29gnVwrs-M5YTRUkNvL0n_WBivPfpYxyhVRHkcI3XmFb5V9Y3_Gu6Ua_pUS57TJMTMUUK2ZD00Yc5lueOSax/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ginzg2ofbtMtR_9dypJW-PMo8jbvx9mRRC7BINLyUWUmYAwn4_AjcKdM29gnVwrs-M5YTRUkNvL0n_WBivPfpYxyhVRHkcI3XmFb5V9Y3_Gu6Ua_pUS57TJMTMUUK2ZD00Yc5lueOSax/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here’s an action shot of me using it to test out the RIAA preamp I made in the previous post:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5d-1AooKZVGNhCQOsSjXgIrV30hI11OexFzfLAPlxpLpsU3iwFZXFJsfQfPhl9fuYY_6UUx0WT7tf_DaCAFMw3OYTNt8njoxj_pNUfWJXKtfFgr8B1zmtYwmT7hxV2j09SFSKYmYv-f7/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5d-1AooKZVGNhCQOsSjXgIrV30hI11OexFzfLAPlxpLpsU3iwFZXFJsfQfPhl9fuYY_6UUx0WT7tf_DaCAFMw3OYTNt8njoxj_pNUfWJXKtfFgr8B1zmtYwmT7hxV2j09SFSKYmYv-f7/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-010.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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This ended up being a simple, cheap and fun project and I ended up with a very handy little device.stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-62792211809251290822015-04-15T02:30:00.000-07:002015-08-31T02:43:29.191-07:00Building a Bazz Fuss fuzz pedal<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ38xN75lZ2ybGsbXcFqfolXf107pKHAqgz9cDzUwkN80WqxrMtb7Yg8fVqZ7aJfCkaNHd67kVU2WHb2MSoQHREHKhRPq8-AdgoFZW2Cbh8CVJ9CoQiBeOHUb1bMwBypRkA0V2ylVyj2-x/s1600/small-fuss-title-image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ38xN75lZ2ybGsbXcFqfolXf107pKHAqgz9cDzUwkN80WqxrMtb7Yg8fVqZ7aJfCkaNHd67kVU2WHb2MSoQHREHKhRPq8-AdgoFZW2Cbh8CVJ9CoQiBeOHUb1bMwBypRkA0V2ylVyj2-x/s1600/small-fuss-title-image.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hey, what should we do today? How about making a fuzz pedal?</div>
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Cool, I knew you were up for it.</div>
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As you may be aware, I’ve recently been helping my friend Adam with a few guitar projects and he was keen to get started on pedal making (specifically a fuzz pedal). I suggested the Bazz Fuss as an easy starter project. It’s only 5 components (and a pot) and it sounds good too. It's designed primarily for a bass guitar, but it sounds great with a normal guitar too.</div>
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Here it is (note that I laid mine out slightly differently, and I eventually swapped the 10k resistor for a 100k one):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaI_1WJn2SUysEwcqcXYdJzKNDNVslZ5ecw-Wf0-1-WXUVswj8JxMueeY64dq5ylz7yWwC32E05skFjNlQDanXrkTjnxmev34Wh9u254916mhtDdAr6Ensp2BWcEQNs2-uqASfNF0uMgX/s1600/2078940970.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaI_1WJn2SUysEwcqcXYdJzKNDNVslZ5ecw-Wf0-1-WXUVswj8JxMueeY64dq5ylz7yWwC32E05skFjNlQDanXrkTjnxmev34Wh9u254916mhtDdAr6Ensp2BWcEQNs2-uqASfNF0uMgX/s1600/2078940970.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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[from <a href="http://diyyoguitare.hautetfort.com/archive/2010/07/13/bazz-fuss.html">http://diyyoguitare.hautetfort.com/archive/2010/07/13/bazz-fuss.html</a>] </div>
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And here's my very professional layout:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQf_Ti0CgjtHLxxOU3PZ9xIw7sHIzelF7ySZaWOBTZ_eB00t2OM3Ja2Rxkr24Qg-dOu5cnCntSSEMpdN71HmZqoseEul5zAT1EJEKURkSDTrCdsoLJ58g8nv4y0sYepM8Vs-cBuwlNXRw/s1600/small-fuss-layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQf_Ti0CgjtHLxxOU3PZ9xIw7sHIzelF7ySZaWOBTZ_eB00t2OM3Ja2Rxkr24Qg-dOu5cnCntSSEMpdN71HmZqoseEul5zAT1EJEKURkSDTrCdsoLJ58g8nv4y0sYepM8Vs-cBuwlNXRw/s320/small-fuss-layout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since I hadn’t already made a Bazz Fuss myself, I decided it might be fun to do so. Apart from having one for myself, it would be handy to have one to refer to if Adam ran into any issues while he made his.<br />
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I decided to challenge myself a bit and see if I could fit it into a Hammond 1590A enclosure. They’re pretty hard to find round these parts, but I did manage to find an enclosure that had almost the same dimensions. In fact it’s slightly tighter than a 1590A, but hey, that’s just part of the fun, amirite?</div>
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Just for reference, a Hammond 1590A enclosure measures 93 mm x 39 mm x 27 mm. Mine measures 90 mm x 36 mm x 30 mm. The walls are a bit thicker and there are some extra bits inside which will make it even more cramped.</div>
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Here’s the enclosure in question: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdotKhT1-g3P8v9ptnSEtJk5R0fIsMCmmbwYkP94bYMV6q9l4h9EMiuywh_UXDod7HDwBhf9DUUG3JwTEKOOA5jjZqVNA1D0Bntr_5WXwrXRHdliGgg2nsnHwDFTgP70COHNy2RHCCrm3K/s1600/small-fuss-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdotKhT1-g3P8v9ptnSEtJk5R0fIsMCmmbwYkP94bYMV6q9l4h9EMiuywh_UXDod7HDwBhf9DUUG3JwTEKOOA5jjZqVNA1D0Bntr_5WXwrXRHdliGgg2nsnHwDFTgP70COHNy2RHCCrm3K/s1600/small-fuss-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here’s the inside. You can see some additional metal in there that you would ordinarily screw a ground screw into, as well as some circuit board slots (which I won’t be using).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNS_Hkx0c1aehrFebZhyqccgpdeKBZQWRsKSgDVPOA16TYeocvl4boMPNyxjWTL8e2PlA5ZmLMNZ9wDXxl7RHWLKK12Wdylnb6aI9JfDyerHJF1I8g18QwMO2_1mtuO1EZag6IvN5rbPE/s1600/small-fuss-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNS_Hkx0c1aehrFebZhyqccgpdeKBZQWRsKSgDVPOA16TYeocvl4boMPNyxjWTL8e2PlA5ZmLMNZ9wDXxl7RHWLKK12Wdylnb6aI9JfDyerHJF1I8g18QwMO2_1mtuO1EZag6IvN5rbPE/s1600/small-fuss-004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s a bit of a test fitting just to see if I can even get the main mechanical parts in there:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdxAo8HBJcsivI2G8Pj0qUaS8Zj3h9kNDgJLX6u7McOXAjsm5kUflfj9LmW0CaIHraDVAID9uRg8LIoLOt3Tm-9zfx-KHzgFyN-BsJp2duMqrB2hB9OUTX62uOvcG8LbjYjtQWc8bFR8r/s1600/small-fuss-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdxAo8HBJcsivI2G8Pj0qUaS8Zj3h9kNDgJLX6u7McOXAjsm5kUflfj9LmW0CaIHraDVAID9uRg8LIoLOt3Tm-9zfx-KHzgFyN-BsJp2duMqrB2hB9OUTX62uOvcG8LbjYjtQWc8bFR8r/s1600/small-fuss-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The answer is “just about”. So we start drilling very carefully.</div>
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First the switch:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhCnaK3psN1qC8VisBf7SZICMsaEJ5_fN4fhyBsE4JvnLsFk-5Z_jb1Ww-P6VtquoRFuy_xZFDP0ZPxlz34h0lxQW_kEyqxiOqKbwEo9OWEfEXRYiEmWEJclNcNS5nTCc9E46q0WZzc4c/s1600/small-fuss-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhCnaK3psN1qC8VisBf7SZICMsaEJ5_fN4fhyBsE4JvnLsFk-5Z_jb1Ww-P6VtquoRFuy_xZFDP0ZPxlz34h0lxQW_kEyqxiOqKbwEo9OWEfEXRYiEmWEJclNcNS5nTCc9E46q0WZzc4c/s1600/small-fuss-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then the first jack:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0rIE6ayRqvBdOi-jSfJiWSIUpg6T2IllCXW0eRHLrk2iHBE91MHlJAcEBsxYACb_uG1TePIwJZCvQae8bqBfoP-wfIBh6BPE9oV7no1mcj-h6ecFIhg6bQpzo41WD7KzVt9C7zfVkP48/s1600/small-fuss-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0rIE6ayRqvBdOi-jSfJiWSIUpg6T2IllCXW0eRHLrk2iHBE91MHlJAcEBsxYACb_uG1TePIwJZCvQae8bqBfoP-wfIBh6BPE9oV7no1mcj-h6ecFIhg6bQpzo41WD7KzVt9C7zfVkP48/s1600/small-fuss-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Second jack in place:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIvJupM99dRhB3VF_-y36KSD3_Qnh43Wr4JHw8kqNxQM0MLLbQqGI8XwLvGK_Oj53FEPeM847IeeaVWLR8-oEvoyQ9zYP2dFlSxpejWKZTbO5ggIbs6Vu4sOay-Q_uesGFKJGDJVa21Im/s1600/small-fuss-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIvJupM99dRhB3VF_-y36KSD3_Qnh43Wr4JHw8kqNxQM0MLLbQqGI8XwLvGK_Oj53FEPeM847IeeaVWLR8-oEvoyQ9zYP2dFlSxpejWKZTbO5ggIbs6Vu4sOay-Q_uesGFKJGDJVa21Im/s1600/small-fuss-010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’m testing the jacks with something plugged in, just to make sure I can still do that without any contacts banging up against anything they shouldn’t. In a normal-sized enclosure this would be less of an issue, but things are very close together in here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzIj97-7poK3OtjeHxgLBDtLT5_fkUUEAXZQYnvbvF9jfqxqJsEHGfm4YZ8fzMk2mDVv5iq7gmw5MVRbatSEvOW9v2C8L2g1H5m3dPp2ILYThJxX2RI3em_-P0L_MqHpRVFFW232AqzeC/s1600/small-fuss-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzIj97-7poK3OtjeHxgLBDtLT5_fkUUEAXZQYnvbvF9jfqxqJsEHGfm4YZ8fzMk2mDVv5iq7gmw5MVRbatSEvOW9v2C8L2g1H5m3dPp2ILYThJxX2RI3em_-P0L_MqHpRVFFW232AqzeC/s1600/small-fuss-011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next to go in is the DC-in jack, since there’s really not much flexibility there. Once that’s done we’ll be able to see what space is left for the pot and the circuit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1N0tERRsB53QCQLYP9o7w7sVrjQvvL7UIfkqNvpjCwg0X0ISwYZs4DXLVyoI-pDou2ziudhNO_SqOOCCVUAZk0rMRuTp4-otlokH27uIKbHp7Egb5itxAPJDc7SY8IbkgVKMIy1jvP8z/s1600/small-fuss-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1N0tERRsB53QCQLYP9o7w7sVrjQvvL7UIfkqNvpjCwg0X0ISwYZs4DXLVyoI-pDou2ziudhNO_SqOOCCVUAZk0rMRuTp4-otlokH27uIKbHp7Egb5itxAPJDc7SY8IbkgVKMIy1jvP8z/s1600/small-fuss-012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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OK, the pot can just about fit in here, with the legs bent up (in fact I ended up cutting off parts of the legs to help them fit).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePgPd0eSGpGEwTYRqT1lfC9B8C4PoDY53WgGNt-6AppADBoqJv1qFVYoa06opYsaeuvc7FBYWsgAU4BM4jyiq-_EYX0JcoP1u4RpIViiIw5wFJv6V2ggVlGUcGcQhSLJ_SdQbCfXe1Fjd/s1600/small-fuss-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePgPd0eSGpGEwTYRqT1lfC9B8C4PoDY53WgGNt-6AppADBoqJv1qFVYoa06opYsaeuvc7FBYWsgAU4BM4jyiq-_EYX0JcoP1u4RpIViiIw5wFJv6V2ggVlGUcGcQhSLJ_SdQbCfXe1Fjd/s1600/small-fuss-014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just one more item and that’s the LED. I decided to go with a smaller 3 mm LED. And I also decided to make use of one of the little grounding threaded holes I mentioned earlier. </div>
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This (little) one, which I drill all the way through so the LED can sit in it: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNWNNkDa3hyphenhyphen_dsUrtSyNoPgtUP7c55JJSd333uft6g9usnF4CGMQLhyphenhyphenxDDf1JpLZq31hRnCMyl912ZsQNw8xLjzuAUOOn0ZSGoxz4VGPnNyBEGGMLMiKFXv_kB_5rDHrGXeHRTkdRjQM/s1600/small-fuss-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNWNNkDa3hyphenhyphen_dsUrtSyNoPgtUP7c55JJSd333uft6g9usnF4CGMQLhyphenhyphenxDDf1JpLZq31hRnCMyl912ZsQNw8xLjzuAUOOn0ZSGoxz4VGPnNyBEGGMLMiKFXv_kB_5rDHrGXeHRTkdRjQM/s1600/small-fuss-015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s how that looks from the front:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ziyQ1t5FV2VLDdWL_wrXL-3D9zFuXgr4gFHgjnJv6HTIcyXWOjh6bEWfgf2pOmuklUbDl9BdKya1mFPodzXjaeJMQkXgnyZNiwZ-9BtTvQqGxLDUJNYB1x2WzoB5nTT4AjGrmdg7gXFO/s1600/small-fuss-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ziyQ1t5FV2VLDdWL_wrXL-3D9zFuXgr4gFHgjnJv6HTIcyXWOjh6bEWfgf2pOmuklUbDl9BdKya1mFPodzXjaeJMQkXgnyZNiwZ-9BtTvQqGxLDUJNYB1x2WzoB5nTT4AjGrmdg7gXFO/s1600/small-fuss-017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And we’re done (apart from the circuit and wiring of course):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmsH-vgi-B5E0_AP-x2UWQTFlAh549yeKCEN6A7EQCG36Qk1lBhTWx41AjSC9VEknf5Gi82hB0-jAL9ERwRtnz4utkdNHA2SdLCd2o3dwngkONSj4bEVwJGhaUX0jjOXgwpE_-hu6aEpj/s1600/small-fuss-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmsH-vgi-B5E0_AP-x2UWQTFlAh549yeKCEN6A7EQCG36Qk1lBhTWx41AjSC9VEknf5Gi82hB0-jAL9ERwRtnz4utkdNHA2SdLCd2o3dwngkONSj4bEVwJGhaUX0jjOXgwpE_-hu6aEpj/s1600/small-fuss-018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s how THAT looks from the outside:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DExa_0gLeC34a34BqSGfR50NZFIoflNJIm_2XM9D3C5CtLzujaOGM5xfX7IhoO8HZu4HXme8HktwIEQ6YosnEZOtu2A_OmAoj85NwNiaoWEClkdvtb723ZaL49vKhY05boYvn2MDwhNr/s1600/small-fuss-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DExa_0gLeC34a34BqSGfR50NZFIoflNJIm_2XM9D3C5CtLzujaOGM5xfX7IhoO8HZu4HXme8HktwIEQ6YosnEZOtu2A_OmAoj85NwNiaoWEClkdvtb723ZaL49vKhY05boYvn2MDwhNr/s1600/small-fuss-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When you’re trying to fit a circuit into something this small you really have to think about how big your circuit board can be and still physically fit. Not only that, but things like whether the capacitors can sit vertically without hitting the back of the enclosure (they couldn’t, which is why they’re lying flat).</div>
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Anyway here’s the board done, and wired to the pot:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nNWWavwmtO5Cr6MJtkugWLIUQxvMsZAicDXD_Ljd7Qqcxsn4IiuFXzWq66yQZX9XBD9emU-mnwnXfHEBgvdpJGOkBlfCt0NlBe9wL0qQipAB_QijsBayTysJYSoHiEbz7g4vXT1sFC6F/s1600/small-fuss-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nNWWavwmtO5Cr6MJtkugWLIUQxvMsZAicDXD_Ljd7Qqcxsn4IiuFXzWq66yQZX9XBD9emU-mnwnXfHEBgvdpJGOkBlfCt0NlBe9wL0qQipAB_QijsBayTysJYSoHiEbz7g4vXT1sFC6F/s1600/small-fuss-020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn7BXWGsbe3WXEucLG1S6in_Ia4tREzMCPxuIUodBIRLJvJGaQo_rzqq7mIwulfU1heArETBZj1S1uNP9QCyT5w8VgQw9G_Qog_SRvFRGWkoYAsOtaguP5NW6CA7fLCZjXUwT_Svtjjcl/s1600/small-fuss-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn7BXWGsbe3WXEucLG1S6in_Ia4tREzMCPxuIUodBIRLJvJGaQo_rzqq7mIwulfU1heArETBZj1S1uNP9QCyT5w8VgQw9G_Qog_SRvFRGWkoYAsOtaguP5NW6CA7fLCZjXUwT_Svtjjcl/s1600/small-fuss-021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I stick some insulating material between the pot and the board so there are no short-circuits:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdO8YAyugAHq4Mh8hMieD4hgLg3ob1wFdwPvtk9_S__pEWCSkpmq4FN1-wpsnLVYUNHZvsHF4nndLBNIZwyOFMY0YZy6ZlLOhQk1YRlsK7oQJP2EPfcnM36yXa1_9vbMu0hoZBsWIqPOm/s1600/small-fuss-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdO8YAyugAHq4Mh8hMieD4hgLg3ob1wFdwPvtk9_S__pEWCSkpmq4FN1-wpsnLVYUNHZvsHF4nndLBNIZwyOFMY0YZy6ZlLOhQk1YRlsK7oQJP2EPfcnM36yXa1_9vbMu0hoZBsWIqPOm/s1600/small-fuss-022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Before we wire this up, I’m going to paint the enclosure. How about blue?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNlK8opY0WO9YduqAwrmkb36ljNvh4Zlibqw1sMzagWShaYotzHjjzCQh9J36pRVUJsvRplpXgyGCFi6QC1Ixz1DGAmL4znBwqBvK_ydDGyyTi6-ixomXa5gPkBkOgPxqEkU5HENPhRwj/s1600/small-fuss-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNlK8opY0WO9YduqAwrmkb36ljNvh4Zlibqw1sMzagWShaYotzHjjzCQh9J36pRVUJsvRplpXgyGCFi6QC1Ixz1DGAmL4znBwqBvK_ydDGyyTi6-ixomXa5gPkBkOgPxqEkU5HENPhRwj/s1600/small-fuss-024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here it is wired up. Not the easiest pedal wiring job I’ve ever done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuocYcAQWVcJsRKWtis44asTbHalpHrnbP1KzjK9RDbuTx3KXApBlwKJE8qsDz9qFlAz2_FYEh_MhLAkYHBeG1NZ1j6nFSm8Nx_khNUwCy58vLiMqJsBDfPb09-YDXxIdZkGrGy4crwalj/s1600/small-fuss-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuocYcAQWVcJsRKWtis44asTbHalpHrnbP1KzjK9RDbuTx3KXApBlwKJE8qsDz9qFlAz2_FYEh_MhLAkYHBeG1NZ1j6nFSm8Nx_khNUwCy58vLiMqJsBDfPb09-YDXxIdZkGrGy4crwalj/s1600/small-fuss-028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’ve put some insulating tape anywhere where there was a danger that something might touch something it shouldn’t, and that included the inside of the back cover.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthzFZ0edq6hTIrpJ26R2evv60inoqFUFWpyZkqguo3qtLWdZ-lKbonmezVmy-OTLn12CQuAeVSaYhjmfBTT5u_iJNV6mHvsarEn8znfTQhyUMEta8HZUp4nP5sd_1za9LhgszMTujw7Ff/s1600/small-fuss-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthzFZ0edq6hTIrpJ26R2evv60inoqFUFWpyZkqguo3qtLWdZ-lKbonmezVmy-OTLn12CQuAeVSaYhjmfBTT5u_iJNV6mHvsarEn8znfTQhyUMEta8HZUp4nP5sd_1za9LhgszMTujw7Ff/s1600/small-fuss-029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally it’s time to put it together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBhY3OulY1hb2VSk6EBSfqqLpzxD5KsJonsJ_y3YX6OSBeHRW3U6g5ncJeebmWZnO6QGh9Xw21QcST-sOmn6ZUye32VgODWB2G1PrqwAxKSgKeqzXF_LYPg6MF2T8wTtKPt0b57xk6xgy/s1600/small-fuss-032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBhY3OulY1hb2VSk6EBSfqqLpzxD5KsJonsJ_y3YX6OSBeHRW3U6g5ncJeebmWZnO6QGh9Xw21QcST-sOmn6ZUye32VgODWB2G1PrqwAxKSgKeqzXF_LYPg6MF2T8wTtKPt0b57xk6xgy/s1600/small-fuss-032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see above, my "Sharpie" decal didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, so I made something up in Illustrator, printed it out on normal paper, stuck some Scotch tape on top to make it look laminated, and then put double-sided sticky tape on the bottom. Et voilà, a cheapskate decal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsYZQhJzSdbGFUCDs2x4p7YX8Z1cXAyCFAuibg34r1o-mFH2UevuacIEp_kt3O8Ub8hzXz2DlX5pJzVAXZVJZPQ1o0hLj6eepQYMFhPLkKbx-ThbZtyUyEMY7_87EhFicIqhLAWk-cvz7/s1600/small-fuss-with-decal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsYZQhJzSdbGFUCDs2x4p7YX8Z1cXAyCFAuibg34r1o-mFH2UevuacIEp_kt3O8Ub8hzXz2DlX5pJzVAXZVJZPQ1o0hLj6eepQYMFhPLkKbx-ThbZtyUyEMY7_87EhFicIqhLAWk-cvz7/s1600/small-fuss-with-decal.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first time I tried it out, it sounded bad. It worked, but not well. I replaced the 10k resistor with a 100k one and it sounds great now. You may want to do the same.</div>
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Here's a quick and dirty (see what I did there?) demo of the pedal:<br />
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stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-73874708689821635752015-03-13T02:55:00.003-07:002015-04-01T02:25:47.150-07:00Making an RIAA/phono preamp<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Before we start today's blog post, I think I really need to clarify what
we’re discussing. I’ve recently got back into vinyl in a big way. Part of the
reason for this is the fantastic “Vinyl Decision” in Taipei, run by a couple of very fine gentlemen by the names of Mark and Terry (<cite class="_Rm"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/VinylDecision">https://www.facebook.com/VinylDecision</a><b> / </b><a href="http://www.vinyldecision.com/">http://www.vinyldecision.com/</a></cite>). If you're in Taipei, and like music, pay them a visit. A recent purchase from there brought back memories of trying again, and again (and again) to
play guitar like my guitar heroes as a teenager in the 1980s.</div>
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In fact, vinyl is making quite a comeback worldwide. A lot of people are realizing that digital versions just lack some
of the personality that vinyl can provide. Many of them are buying old record
players/turntables and wiring them up to their modern amps. However, they are often disappointed to find that the output audio is very quiet and lacking
bass. This is because records are/were recorded using a very specific frequency
response. The output of a record player is much lower than “line level”, but it
is also much heavier on the treble and lighter on the bass. This frequency
curve is what is known as the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)
equalization curve. This was necessary primarily because heavy bass would have
the needle jumping around too much on the record, affecting sound quality, and,
I’d imagine, increasing wear and tear. Additionally it allowed the grooves to be
thinner, hence allowing more grooves (and therefore longer playing time) per
record.</div>
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The RIAA Equalisation Curve:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC8XHJE-eeGTRTnXGAtuzkZPHJpDZV5mpNv3FUBfeLZSbQeIB5CX99EP7woHUki6bYUDvPQpv90rYKa-IpIMh_x2Ia4fkeqqRome0vEAqoDKf6oQGoeY0vXRyDRgnXT3AUrGbfeFgGquS/s1600/RIAA-EQ-Curve_rec_play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC8XHJE-eeGTRTnXGAtuzkZPHJpDZV5mpNv3FUBfeLZSbQeIB5CX99EP7woHUki6bYUDvPQpv90rYKa-IpIMh_x2Ia4fkeqqRome0vEAqoDKf6oQGoeY0vXRyDRgnXT3AUrGbfeFgGquS/s1600/RIAA-EQ-Curve_rec_play.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Older amps had a specific input labelled “phono”, which
specifically catered to record players. This input would be wired to a built-in
preamp which would not only amplify the signal to line level, but would also
correct the frequency curve, hence enabling the amp to output the sound as it
was originally intended. Many newer amplifiers do not have a phono input and
therefore an external preamp is required between the record player and the amp
to enable the use of one of the line-level inputs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s where today’s project comes in. We’re going to
make an RIAA/phono preamp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many, many preamp schematics out there—some
simple, and some insanely complex. I wanted to find one which was relatively
simple, while still accurately correcting the RIAA recording frequency curve. I
finally settled on this one: <a href="http://phonoclone.com/diy-pho5.html">http://phonoclone.com/diy-pho5.html</a> (“The Very
Simple Phono Stage”). I highly recommend you go to that page and read through
it if you decide to tackle this project. It’s very well explained and highly
educational.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR3V7Xy01xeGquugeJRN67e6P3j3UvMAH3FIZIwhDJQeR8eX2RyQpANrghHnLe9LuB30gbTgVZQw3Y3LaaWa-SPXtYxdveofypGw6jM8yhUQ2eOA12MJdHJrt7S1c9OE3RBwVCXgDP9hm/s1600/vsps_cir.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR3V7Xy01xeGquugeJRN67e6P3j3UvMAH3FIZIwhDJQeR8eX2RyQpANrghHnLe9LuB30gbTgVZQw3Y3LaaWa-SPXtYxdveofypGw6jM8yhUQ2eOA12MJdHJrt7S1c9OE3RBwVCXgDP9hm/s1600/vsps_cir.gif" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather than build a power supply, I decided to buy a 30V DC
one ready-made, and then split it so that it would have +15V, OV and -15V. To
do that, I made a simple voltage splitter like so:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_SYgddUVjUsabaiaL4SM1jLYf0RzraIIIOxvEmbGjwj4z-Y3KmESZUNSEEWoShWZm0oX6sP1A0mlufslw0SgsFTdu7x5ksZcyvnEdjW5l4mAKTNBB6fT_QaZexbXT3bqFE8ZyKyH_aGA/s1600/voltage-splitter-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_SYgddUVjUsabaiaL4SM1jLYf0RzraIIIOxvEmbGjwj4z-Y3KmESZUNSEEWoShWZm0oX6sP1A0mlufslw0SgsFTdu7x5ksZcyvnEdjW5l4mAKTNBB6fT_QaZexbXT3bqFE8ZyKyH_aGA/s1600/voltage-splitter-01.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
And a filter where the power plugs in to remove any unwanted
hum from the power supply, like so:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItMQBk41jg5bNpH8iJnzzNErBzHIiB-gLsma6y1LRN57i96B4-bEUF4O-bjsPpe9eNY29uHqILH66X4fFRu8SUgUFjvXqQiShKr8-BD-mpgkeynb0SoeRha5mCqTCRdjNGm_Ij2AUYQHo/s1600/hum-filter-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItMQBk41jg5bNpH8iJnzzNErBzHIiB-gLsma6y1LRN57i96B4-bEUF4O-bjsPpe9eNY29uHqILH66X4fFRu8SUgUFjvXqQiShKr8-BD-mpgkeynb0SoeRha5mCqTCRdjNGm_Ij2AUYQHo/s1600/hum-filter-01.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additionally, I added a diode right where the 30V meets the
board to protect the circuit in case anyone ever plugs the power supply in the
wrong way around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also decided to add some small 100nF capacitors at the +15V and
-15V legs of the chips to reduce any picked up noise to a minimum.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, let's get going. We're going to need an enclosure. Here’s the box I’m going to use with
my markings for where to put the connectors:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd9nENzG3MLOftg5y1ZsDQseCNJ9JanlHmZvV9kn98sZuSE5hfIm5_UDucnxuj0blS7vIIMi7FiE4Rm56PeMlzV9nOwHMQktt7brF2KwuIqW7L4p44e7GIQqimMRz6LEHztoS_y44LuRx/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd9nENzG3MLOftg5y1ZsDQseCNJ9JanlHmZvV9kn98sZuSE5hfIm5_UDucnxuj0blS7vIIMi7FiE4Rm56PeMlzV9nOwHMQktt7brF2KwuIqW7L4p44e7GIQqimMRz6LEHztoS_y44LuRx/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-036.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From left to right, it’s going to
have a grounding connector (which may or may not be needed depending on whether
there is a humming noise – note that the humming noise can sometimes be removed
by unplugging your record player, turning the plug around and then plugging it
back in [assuming it’s symmetrical]), left output RCA jack, right output RCA
jack, left input RCA jack, right input RCA jack, and finally the power input
(30V DC negative sleeve [it is imperative that the 0V from the power supply is electrically
isolated from the enclosure, so don’t be using any metal connectors that might
join them]).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here it is with the holes drilled and the connectors,
erm, connected:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3cCf-r62y8_ms9bgvQDNMRLDFxo8uH-bwu4umdtK9TIpW8W2IJa97FwSbrcZaWdgfqtFVlStozPA_ZRk4y9HDdEcTv0srelgnXidH-_pp3fO4I7iMSyB0U9caaenct8cCqMXcNqT0mmT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3cCf-r62y8_ms9bgvQDNMRLDFxo8uH-bwu4umdtK9TIpW8W2IJa97FwSbrcZaWdgfqtFVlStozPA_ZRk4y9HDdEcTv0srelgnXidH-_pp3fO4I7iMSyB0U9caaenct8cCqMXcNqT0mmT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-049.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a good idea to test stuff like this out on breadboard
before you switch your soldering iron on. Here’s an early version of mine: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHtJN6geL0PWEvKy-VbHpcApSf6QcVYRiQhURWGU2NYbh0DXhoV-diiY1hlr_MKZXLspC-l6Kes975uRm2x850TKt2FhCQ-iwEJGk5tR3iBUuHjeq8G9U4xHRWXyTSSBm1FQASFiXOtgT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHtJN6geL0PWEvKy-VbHpcApSf6QcVYRiQhURWGU2NYbh0DXhoV-diiY1hlr_MKZXLspC-l6Kes975uRm2x850TKt2FhCQ-iwEJGk5tR3iBUuHjeq8G9U4xHRWXyTSSBm1FQASFiXOtgT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-081.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once the circuit design is more or less finalized, it’s
time to lay it out for veroboard, like so. Yes, this is how I do it: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4o8J3vURxT38RabTgnp8aE1YqN9ztVTPGJUHX7JTkllUkdSvrN-8woNikqhpbKkPPcNtk5p6VYFGr-Meu4r8uZ1raPENZHIa4MLOGVOaT6LfxuLQqwJzLRuEdnSoAWUSsIuFCyVDbAzZ/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4o8J3vURxT38RabTgnp8aE1YqN9ztVTPGJUHX7JTkllUkdSvrN-8woNikqhpbKkPPcNtk5p6VYFGr-Meu4r8uZ1raPENZHIa4MLOGVOaT6LfxuLQqwJzLRuEdnSoAWUSsIuFCyVDbAzZ/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-001.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And just for you, here it is done properly on the computer. You
may notice a few small changes between the initial pencil sketch and the final
layout. As with all images, you can click to enlarge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQIqvcd8uHtjTJRkhdD57OVPN7Gu9_65MtMj850fBcBzKjQ5vg1hUC8jJcnm9kZXYlq_wvFvXo6PwsoHyppFxtBwwGeMwVQFGp_m4Orji29rf_Y1kj8aCUThOvmMUjvHLLmbJKczYsKm8/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-Vero-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQIqvcd8uHtjTJRkhdD57OVPN7Gu9_65MtMj850fBcBzKjQ5vg1hUC8jJcnm9kZXYlq_wvFvXo6PwsoHyppFxtBwwGeMwVQFGp_m4Orji29rf_Y1kj8aCUThOvmMUjvHLLmbJKczYsKm8/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-Vero-01.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here we have the components mounted on the board:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZTztERrNmpI4rB3rzIu_z2aRbf2DVYVuZhjp7GsJb2j9lQ6hivWfZCFC9uzYsyJveAqPpG5UbecX9gxwBn4yiLxRPDs90cE5meudfEipUrvNrsAi8BDcp9FFaR50rLPXJ5ZIrlb09JQ0/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZTztERrNmpI4rB3rzIu_z2aRbf2DVYVuZhjp7GsJb2j9lQ6hivWfZCFC9uzYsyJveAqPpG5UbecX9gxwBn4yiLxRPDs90cE5meudfEipUrvNrsAi8BDcp9FFaR50rLPXJ5ZIrlb09JQ0/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-048.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it’s time to think about mounting the board in the box. It’s pretty
important to secure the board in such a way that it doesn’t move around and touch
something it shouldn’t. You can see here
that I’ve drilled a couple of holes through the board:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTbJZjfc1Tt4y9BxToUIKbzWcCAXowNc_gOlBoxZpkmbkPk08isZ-XLKfCXtURBxBc_jY9JD2_eBU1keuGrnlxwwkBzpDUnDZb8pcaZ7j-g4ZteU2YpDNlGQbJv2k8gDIE1j2IBE1yVcT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTbJZjfc1Tt4y9BxToUIKbzWcCAXowNc_gOlBoxZpkmbkPk08isZ-XLKfCXtURBxBc_jY9JD2_eBU1keuGrnlxwwkBzpDUnDZb8pcaZ7j-g4ZteU2YpDNlGQbJv2k8gDIE1j2IBE1yVcT/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-062.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now we drill a couple of holes in the enclosure that match up with the hole
positions on the board. I’ll eventually use plastic mounts to hold the board securely in
place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2VgqMlNnMgGBPErzuhE4Yt-PquLK3638QbvxDaIHHA_hfeiLWjRvzkXf9tD3Ynxhsv2_ZVT0pUNvdjWkoN53nQLIVt8k8eMatCuj3hKs55bfHseMfVG1odz3JWqYxuE4mZtLsgIxIlb4/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2VgqMlNnMgGBPErzuhE4Yt-PquLK3638QbvxDaIHHA_hfeiLWjRvzkXf9tD3Ynxhsv2_ZVT0pUNvdjWkoN53nQLIVt8k8eMatCuj3hKs55bfHseMfVG1odz3JWqYxuE4mZtLsgIxIlb4/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-067.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjSVqyzoA1Dh3XZucVhex8RE1qYtCytF2g5mACnZpO_jd6LpnKNXHMJf4B0e83zZP6ah1C3-a6sH9BJD3HbmUpDiEdOrVrWLzsKIGnBnHug7tW3CK0Dk7mCF698NQKqJL46hEQc0Hpp2q/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjSVqyzoA1Dh3XZucVhex8RE1qYtCytF2g5mACnZpO_jd6LpnKNXHMJf4B0e83zZP6ah1C3-a6sH9BJD3HbmUpDiEdOrVrWLzsKIGnBnHug7tW3CK0Dk7mCF698NQKqJL46hEQc0Hpp2q/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-069.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before placing the board in the box, we add the wires (apologies for the overexposed photo):</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-pHq86Upf-GPM1zlgwSCLVL5v8iAK8WYJe1d5BweAHd02Fh8peBGnT0K1ehO9QCOUuKQ29yKs91GaCemziAVOqtQx2gv44Lr9ZPu_Tog0yiNUX4RVewfUFmByR1h5ymhnB8a1qbPdU8h/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-pHq86Upf-GPM1zlgwSCLVL5v8iAK8WYJe1d5BweAHd02Fh8peBGnT0K1ehO9QCOUuKQ29yKs91GaCemziAVOqtQx2gv44Lr9ZPu_Tog0yiNUX4RVewfUFmByR1h5ymhnB8a1qbPdU8h/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-073.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that the board’s in place, we can connect the wires to
the connectors, like so:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyZjJpStt01PdsbFjWJRsf6RlKgFyWcbGPPhDSzmQB9ZAjvra2psgUNOf_6NDXZBAaX0MLQB1naijLvcmMVndmzTFPS7-nEiZxOGCkwup0T7Db11ny5oAMjJdjPU7oVrRCV3QpsngcLZi/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyZjJpStt01PdsbFjWJRsf6RlKgFyWcbGPPhDSzmQB9ZAjvra2psgUNOf_6NDXZBAaX0MLQB1naijLvcmMVndmzTFPS7-nEiZxOGCkwup0T7Db11ny5oAMjJdjPU7oVrRCV3QpsngcLZi/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-078.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once we're happy that the circuit’s done, we secure the
connectors in place with thread lock:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2u5GQ9BTpnSARpwrxybd83BbWMCmtP8bX9o2uq9lo72JjLDmGMfLk8zsop4K_R58-dMGOg30Iys5OH5xIez6M12K0-1V3jHyDwuw0MtEGBBYbxNasPASbjRPRRaR7J3ho2Xv0esKKMsV/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2u5GQ9BTpnSARpwrxybd83BbWMCmtP8bX9o2uq9lo72JjLDmGMfLk8zsop4K_R58-dMGOg30Iys5OH5xIez6M12K0-1V3jHyDwuw0MtEGBBYbxNasPASbjRPRRaR7J3ho2Xv0esKKMsV/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-079.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's how it looks after that:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDk0hEOYfRehlSN6CypxEfgTaXbeyusoKstN1I1ajh5bF8FGun6Dfl4UCgbSZ-o-9Z21TjRCNP91YCPvETF0eFIMbWpYFqvJ3GqlnAr4IR0conB7NcLttZTpgMXs84PCGwNHDUmS13pcem/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDk0hEOYfRehlSN6CypxEfgTaXbeyusoKstN1I1ajh5bF8FGun6Dfl4UCgbSZ-o-9Z21TjRCNP91YCPvETF0eFIMbWpYFqvJ3GqlnAr4IR0conB7NcLttZTpgMXs84PCGwNHDUmS13pcem/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-072.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, a little bit of the old in and out so we don’t
mix up the cables:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2nADcgiI5fvl9DT1WAJmVM15D-JMMOyZL9FvL2-Aqao0Y6e3lUym3aIIWxoDigW0ZkrgyPikUfq9XspwysmDa5PWFMS0iD1C-T5grvMajiGOGzgg5_3VBgBCQAHk3iZYdaE3cLKVY0m4/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2nADcgiI5fvl9DT1WAJmVM15D-JMMOyZL9FvL2-Aqao0Y6e3lUym3aIIWxoDigW0ZkrgyPikUfq9XspwysmDa5PWFMS0iD1C-T5grvMajiGOGzgg5_3VBgBCQAHk3iZYdaE3cLKVY0m4/s1600/RIAA-phono-preamp-080.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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And we're done. I'm happy to be able to verify that “The Very Simple Phono Stage” sounds
fantastic.</div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-76639268666005703082015-01-28T21:06:00.000-08:002015-01-29T17:36:52.519-08:00Shielding and upgrading the electronics on a Stratocaster-style guitar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcwrZr7LCcHN2DcCpy6p8-YFwNYHY-evKa7sGCggxgVZvlnPNS5VREhyzjWU_GHj5WhIZfyg7swGPUPCY3_uNTPypjrshtO0Vq7qZhJneAoyh8XLCVExNA6Q2N6NhfPb6she5V1z44aNR/s1600/Scarlet+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcwrZr7LCcHN2DcCpy6p8-YFwNYHY-evKa7sGCggxgVZvlnPNS5VREhyzjWU_GHj5WhIZfyg7swGPUPCY3_uNTPypjrshtO0Vq7qZhJneAoyh8XLCVExNA6Q2N6NhfPb6she5V1z44aNR/s1600/Scarlet+25.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></div>
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Today we have a guest post by my good friend Adam. I gave him some advice and tips, but he did all of the work himself.<br />
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I’ll let Adam take it from here:<br />
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<i>“I found this guitar at the bottom of my in-laws’ stairwell. It was being thrown out. When I touched the gig bag it was in, my fingers came away black with dust and grime yet inside was this near perfectly clean guitar. I did a bit of a quick clean and initial set up but now it’s time to get serious and get her playing and looking right. She’s an Epiphone Strat copy. I’d expect Scarlet to be getting on for 18-20 years old too. Further search reveals it to be an Epiphone S310 Batwing Stratocaster.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xMTJY2TpbWEMecaC0JCRAZe3JBYSY0ap8xKlCEjP5lbAwhhaD_clGWlbVwlMqIgT63hVxhDm3w63W4cK7_6EXhOxhgfWngVU-urCCKU3R3RK5pH7uN_udJbe_I5YXVH25sXsVsMiJDzw/s1600/Scarlet+01+Full+shot+of+guitar+before+the+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xMTJY2TpbWEMecaC0JCRAZe3JBYSY0ap8xKlCEjP5lbAwhhaD_clGWlbVwlMqIgT63hVxhDm3w63W4cK7_6EXhOxhgfWngVU-urCCKU3R3RK5pH7uN_udJbe_I5YXVH25sXsVsMiJDzw/s1600/Scarlet+01+Full+shot+of+guitar+before+the+work.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>This large cavity was what I was hoping for rather than the intricately routed ones on Fenders and Squires. It will make coating the cavity easier with copper sheeting. It also means I may be able to buy a Fender tortoiseshell guard. The pickups were set in different positions to a Fender and I was worried that if the cavity was shaped like a Fender I wouldn’t be able to fit pick ups in different positions.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcbZzs3b6FG3GHphSwKy6x4mAEI54xb1oqA8ZQC7lc9_BpVfSAQ3d7_2ezCwqdttoDTL6YASkGDPhYOSmcowYcsohfVWXQxJee5yUvD6q00-22XSR5eOW722xH9trRW5QREdqULSN8YB_/s1600/Scarlet+03+Cavity+before+shielding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcbZzs3b6FG3GHphSwKy6x4mAEI54xb1oqA8ZQC7lc9_BpVfSAQ3d7_2ezCwqdttoDTL6YASkGDPhYOSmcowYcsohfVWXQxJee5yUvD6q00-22XSR5eOW722xH9trRW5QREdqULSN8YB_/s1600/Scarlet+03+Cavity+before+shielding.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Back of the pick guard. Just this little sliver of shielding behind the pots.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP43oLl7SabNr5yeOQ1Ldw9z6XvryyuQWrw8EBV7MXL1_Ctnq_0v-cszjJ645Cl8XVgk06A44GgT5fH8oIFqbyXkTwAHVPD6BBbAOX2vzMHZFxLWXv3NdI1ayPi9B_o6lUFSMxWmmlNOw/s1600/Scarlet+04+Back+of+pickguard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP43oLl7SabNr5yeOQ1Ldw9z6XvryyuQWrw8EBV7MXL1_Ctnq_0v-cszjJ645Cl8XVgk06A44GgT5fH8oIFqbyXkTwAHVPD6BBbAOX2vzMHZFxLWXv3NdI1ayPi9B_o6lUFSMxWmmlNOw/s1600/Scarlet+04+Back+of+pickguard.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Taking the neck off to make the body easier to work with. Note the nice plate on the back of the neck – pretty cool.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8UUxVh-UddPK1GBlSj4snajriq2-U6U3TroNUq9_hmPSyF8O5ItyhNMfYzkB1i9einusONha_T8Ti2RJ7HoIKJgg1pgONDn_Wnfj6tESGmmhyEAT6izppZmAb-DlHm9gLq2nH5RaTUsa/s1600/Scarlet+05+Taking+the+neck+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8UUxVh-UddPK1GBlSj4snajriq2-U6U3TroNUq9_hmPSyF8O5ItyhNMfYzkB1i9einusONha_T8Ti2RJ7HoIKJgg1pgONDn_Wnfj6tESGmmhyEAT6izppZmAb-DlHm9gLq2nH5RaTUsa/s1600/Scarlet+05+Taking+the+neck+off.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Taking the bridge apart. It’s good to have a tin handy to chuck all those screws and bits and pieces into so they don’t get lost.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZw-1xLNYokCAT2PkJ08Nl2uhUEgegEGRr4Rs0KZJMxyByp7s8gMHoWnAvCjOshZpnfyoSdeFlZoz7I2uC0kKkVBcopbmb2TOxWwa8YfkwD0DFa5Cc3mZR8Q-PxsK-MtwLfoNuEaEgNqL/s1600/Scarlet+06+Taking+the+bridge+off+the+body+and+taking+it+apart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZw-1xLNYokCAT2PkJ08Nl2uhUEgegEGRr4Rs0KZJMxyByp7s8gMHoWnAvCjOshZpnfyoSdeFlZoz7I2uC0kKkVBcopbmb2TOxWwa8YfkwD0DFa5Cc3mZR8Q-PxsK-MtwLfoNuEaEgNqL/s1600/Scarlet+06+Taking+the+bridge+off+the+body+and+taking+it+apart.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Voila! Some rust and gunk on the bridge. Surprised it’s not more after almost 20 years of use (or non-use). We’ll see what we can do about that.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpvOSDC3qDDn6tyJG_yAh8Sdj6mIqO5UbqdA8g_NtCetTbXhItwLYF1CgCgbAR94AMoYfpMxrdxPTFY2OwTqqI0MiHQOn6ernCXjuWOVen_Dn_3LCIIDTvbtFwe3LshyphenhyphenWvzDbuOXld2uK/s1600/Scarlet+07+Gunk+and+rust+on+the+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpvOSDC3qDDn6tyJG_yAh8Sdj6mIqO5UbqdA8g_NtCetTbXhItwLYF1CgCgbAR94AMoYfpMxrdxPTFY2OwTqqI0MiHQOn6ernCXjuWOVen_Dn_3LCIIDTvbtFwe3LshyphenhyphenWvzDbuOXld2uK/s1600/Scarlet+07+Gunk+and+rust+on+the+bridge.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>All the hardware is off the body. Ready for the copper sheeting now. Maybe it wasn’t necessary to take everything off but I wanted to get a proper look at everything. When I put it all back together I’ll know it’s right. At this stage I tried to fit a Fender pick guard I had lying around to the body with the idea of buying a tortoiseshell one (I’ve seen one about town with an HSS layout) but unfortunately the shape of the pick guard was just out enough for it not to be possible.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9FHFv3H5M39NQFJ85EE888XHlqwuH8nBhWyw8JxC0YQJInHi5BwxehA-2Wvuxo3o81_fnUIcn21RU1q6slef7w71gAlzZg9qK42PjMz4RdvvtFnV_nzn2eTeCIlERwcFyumxqZMFEp2t/s1600/Scarlet+08+All+the+hardware+is+off+the+body.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9FHFv3H5M39NQFJ85EE888XHlqwuH8nBhWyw8JxC0YQJInHi5BwxehA-2Wvuxo3o81_fnUIcn21RU1q6slef7w71gAlzZg9qK42PjMz4RdvvtFnV_nzn2eTeCIlERwcFyumxqZMFEp2t/s1600/Scarlet+08+All+the+hardware+is+off+the+body.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Yeah, this job is going to be so much quicker than lining a Fender. This stretch is one strip of sheet.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ_w66EHeGkfXRbkIfoqvdUjrlfIIinPc0rHzN_R32Qh364Q2FMUk-6TAGKiN5FrR78MBeW50AVY5ZoYhhUVVWuwgweD_V9hin8_qmETUuUXoIwYVqwC-43KAcvJWPZuKYGosjjMtaHH_/s1600/Scarlet+09+Beginning+lining+the+cavity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ_w66EHeGkfXRbkIfoqvdUjrlfIIinPc0rHzN_R32Qh364Q2FMUk-6TAGKiN5FrR78MBeW50AVY5ZoYhhUVVWuwgweD_V9hin8_qmETUuUXoIwYVqwC-43KAcvJWPZuKYGosjjMtaHH_/s1600/Scarlet+09+Beginning+lining+the+cavity.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Yes, a much quicker job than a Squier and many more big strips were laid down rather than little pieces.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQcWOLlOwcDONRMdkZnxaR6n5Sbhk6ijt_4laPYTmAs2X6daQLO2EWYV45TGUSUzKoMExUWhec1nFmzhCThFi7MHD1ZKZuRPrHn0vDCIsiLNtlZJS8cnhUu_ExQMQqVZRZcAMCWl9yr64/s1600/Scarlet+10+Cavity+lining+is+finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQcWOLlOwcDONRMdkZnxaR6n5Sbhk6ijt_4laPYTmAs2X6daQLO2EWYV45TGUSUzKoMExUWhec1nFmzhCThFi7MHD1ZKZuRPrHn0vDCIsiLNtlZJS8cnhUu_ExQMQqVZRZcAMCWl9yr64/s1600/Scarlet+10+Cavity+lining+is+finished.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>I’ve left the electrics soldered together for now. It looks like the factory did a nice job on the solder and I’m not too deft with the stuff so I want to keep my clumsy work to a minimum. I did make sure to mark the parts I could confuse easily with some tape. Yellow tape on a pickup or pot means it’s nearest the neck. Black tape means it’s nearest the bridge. There is no confusing the humbucker!</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvdtnic2zneBFhx-dx7h9extAr2gB4rmefc8x4SR8Cf7PsPhG0wzl343o0XQYa08pk97zLkE0gTPOKdbJdaCB5LjEYrurjZmOQbTr9hu84KDYQ3cyfyUkq6ofdIaZhErtwU29pSkgxMfK/s1600/Scarlet+12+Pickups+and+switches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvdtnic2zneBFhx-dx7h9extAr2gB4rmefc8x4SR8Cf7PsPhG0wzl343o0XQYa08pk97zLkE0gTPOKdbJdaCB5LjEYrurjZmOQbTr9hu84KDYQ3cyfyUkq6ofdIaZhErtwU29pSkgxMfK/s1600/Scarlet+12+Pickups+and+switches.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>I don’t think I will replace these pots. They look pretty good quality. I will try to clean them up a little though.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjHRBYJOSYBRQFtgv_85bGbBCiftSEV12IRkgkGpaYO1Mv5I6jdoPp-XX2zJHwxRr4VCPaex0zG8KdcYfKxP62dtybu6XcFEv0U7eZL_LpDUJ0njqzr4OkNNewuSSpMZqz6uqum8LWdAu/s1600/Scarlet+13+Closeup+of+a+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjHRBYJOSYBRQFtgv_85bGbBCiftSEV12IRkgkGpaYO1Mv5I6jdoPp-XX2zJHwxRr4VCPaex0zG8KdcYfKxP62dtybu6XcFEv0U7eZL_LpDUJ0njqzr4OkNNewuSSpMZqz6uqum8LWdAu/s1600/Scarlet+13+Closeup+of+a+pot.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Again, although this is an import style switch I don’t think I will
change it for a Fender. This one seems to be working OK for now and if
it goes wrong in the future, it is an easy fix</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJiiZ0dFfs06SVzPJjwB0U2SfywqqJFXlhIgGqoY_XHs6kFczaAo5U1zrpoy2fgLi0tnv4YfmNjxK7Cb05Pmfwrsk04u_jv9itWikK8QIlUM_58SEdNEfBAjSr9IYkU-nrTcGlzUqZgbe/s1600/Scarlet+14+Import+style+switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJiiZ0dFfs06SVzPJjwB0U2SfywqqJFXlhIgGqoY_XHs6kFczaAo5U1zrpoy2fgLi0tnv4YfmNjxK7Cb05Pmfwrsk04u_jv9itWikK8QIlUM_58SEdNEfBAjSr9IYkU-nrTcGlzUqZgbe/s1600/Scarlet+14+Import+style+switch.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>The copper has been applied to the rear of the pickguard. I almost got it on in one piece!</i><br />
<i>Fitting the pickups to the back of the pickguard. I’ve found that one of the holes on the middle pickup has been shorn of its thread somehow. This means that the pickup cannot be fitted securely or have its height adjusted. (Note: I solved the problem by simply finding an old screw that was a slightly larger diameter thread than the original.)</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZtO3-k3y47wIndmx4qmMOtpLGdAR-3wVoITk6PZKMf3hw_yA_fNDZrQrfXLLdU1tMD6s84fbSa3O8Cgf2fuw2U_9yP65tj-LTe5wZevJulRkqzg6F9HbXuz_kjlexPJ3vTyDeauh5kNn/s1600/Scarlet+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZtO3-k3y47wIndmx4qmMOtpLGdAR-3wVoITk6PZKMf3hw_yA_fNDZrQrfXLLdU1tMD6s84fbSa3O8Cgf2fuw2U_9yP65tj-LTe5wZevJulRkqzg6F9HbXuz_kjlexPJ3vTyDeauh5kNn/s1600/Scarlet+22.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Remounting the parts on the copper covered pickguard.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcwrZr7LCcHN2DcCpy6p8-YFwNYHY-evKa7sGCggxgVZvlnPNS5VREhyzjWU_GHj5WhIZfyg7swGPUPCY3_uNTPypjrshtO0Vq7qZhJneAoyh8XLCVExNA6Q2N6NhfPb6she5V1z44aNR/s1600/Scarlet+25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcwrZr7LCcHN2DcCpy6p8-YFwNYHY-evKa7sGCggxgVZvlnPNS5VREhyzjWU_GHj5WhIZfyg7swGPUPCY3_uNTPypjrshtO0Vq7qZhJneAoyh8XLCVExNA6Q2N6NhfPb6she5V1z44aNR/s1600/Scarlet+25.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></i> </div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Now it’s time to resolder according to this diagram:</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy3PnVjZWfdPN6TNq4Isl6KXIyTdyWrvDqr1GT25S6Zo90M_AlYCydxo5cAiwvANrMktKqfSjv0UyhqUg4L2OlAg3Swm_ERWpIr_TEveI2OLS-TAhUzKs5fKFw5Bk6il_F4xqS2WKYnH6/s1600/2-vols-1-tone-wiring-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy3PnVjZWfdPN6TNq4Isl6KXIyTdyWrvDqr1GT25S6Zo90M_AlYCydxo5cAiwvANrMktKqfSjv0UyhqUg4L2OlAg3Swm_ERWpIr_TEveI2OLS-TAhUzKs5fKFw5Bk6il_F4xqS2WKYnH6/s1600/2-vols-1-tone-wiring-01.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>I’ve soldered the ground to the back of the pickguard. I will solder the ground to the tremolo unit to the copper lining in the cavity. Don’t worry, I didn’t leave the soldering looking as bad as this! I’ve also covered the selector switch with tape to reduce the chance of anything touching the copper lining and sending the pickup signal to ground.</i><br />
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<i>The bridge cleans up pretty well with some polish:</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQYFvg9UOjYTBPUT4QVC45vfGBV41nFvdtFgqRbZnURWSttszHOm3iS68bSVf86lKr-agO22B8VLd8RXw2XtraKypxL3fh1IKNmOxcFA7z5ixUt6fKtusDNe2v22-zubT9s5jPsK7y9EP/s1600/Scarlet+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQYFvg9UOjYTBPUT4QVC45vfGBV41nFvdtFgqRbZnURWSttszHOm3iS68bSVf86lKr-agO22B8VLd8RXw2XtraKypxL3fh1IKNmOxcFA7z5ixUt6fKtusDNe2v22-zubT9s5jPsK7y9EP/s1600/Scarlet+27.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>When I’d put the whole thing back together again I found that the import type switch was really scratchy and horrible sounding so I decided to go out and get a good quality switch.</i><br />
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<i>In the end I decided to go for black replacement knobs and tremolo end. I also decided to replace the pots.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BzL71KoWF2kk_eWgaNxzdWy7yq1aUSb_cGH2G2is-O2zfXa6dZpBSTHOHeJLwSR00rt0j24CQ-HV9FNG6gr9H9W4B8K8WNkhS1maRuZfuJ-TwPH1p9pkCcLQE2XFqg0bRaO1Fuf1VgkI/s1600/Scarlet+29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BzL71KoWF2kk_eWgaNxzdWy7yq1aUSb_cGH2G2is-O2zfXa6dZpBSTHOHeJLwSR00rt0j24CQ-HV9FNG6gr9H9W4B8K8WNkhS1maRuZfuJ-TwPH1p9pkCcLQE2XFqg0bRaO1Fuf1VgkI/s1600/Scarlet+29.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i>I have some Fender pick up covers lying around. One of them is black and I think that will make a nice touch. Had to file down the pick guard because the Fender pick up covers are 1mm longer than the Epiphone ones! It’s not completely even but you’ll never notice when the pickups are mounted.</i><br />
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<i>When I strung the whole thing up I found that the tremolo bridge was rising up far too much. The tremolo springs are clearly to blame so I got a new set. I didn’t notice it before because I had the tremolo blocked off. Because the tremolo unit isn’t great I decided to have it flush to the body rather than floating to help the guitar stay in tune better. I also needed to file the nut a little on D and G string grooves. I had to use all five strings in this pack to get the bridge flush!</i><br />
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<i>The finished article. Took her for a test drive with the boys. Even though she isn’t a patch on my American Fender and isn’t as nice as the Squire I worked on recently, she did the job well enough. I think I’ll just play her at home to save wear and tear on my nicer guitars. Hey, but pretty nice for something found on the stairs! I’m happy she has a home. I have a nephew who seems interested in guitar. I might sort him out an acoustic and if he gets into that let him have Scarlet."</i><br />
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<br />stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-26410181218039026972014-11-19T21:11:00.003-08:002014-11-23T18:22:47.529-08:00Wiring a Stratocaster for Two Volumes and One Tone<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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My friend Adam was recently upgrading an Epiphone Strat copy
(which we’ll be covering in the next blog post) and asked if I could help him
with a somewhat unorthodox wiring idea. So, continuing on somewhat from the
previous post about the Stratocaster 5-way switch, today we’re going to look at
how to wire up a Strat so that it has two volume controls and one tone control.</div>
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<br /></div>
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To quote Adam: <i>"I want to rewire my Strat so that I have two volume controls and only one tone control. I want the knob nearest the strings to control the volume for the bridge and middle pickups, the middle knob to control the volume for the neck pick up and the knob furthest away from the strings to be a master tone control. "</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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I couldn’t find much on Google about anyone else doing this,
at least not without using a super switch, but I was pretty sure it could be
done.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this is what I came up with. Click on the image to
enlarge it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip99C8XzJpxxE8Y7UsfFVwzQEK-MHQk38cEJQcP5GJF10Ake1GsiJ9jyhI2jIBj2EzUBhUdVniA0Scx8FmTR_owttweFtlMhk6Kz6mDSy3YbutXlKKloap_nX7u3SX954N6QWhMyoDd8xy/s1600/2-vols-1-tone-wiring-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip99C8XzJpxxE8Y7UsfFVwzQEK-MHQk38cEJQcP5GJF10Ake1GsiJ9jyhI2jIBj2EzUBhUdVniA0Scx8FmTR_owttweFtlMhk6Kz6mDSy3YbutXlKKloap_nX7u3SX954N6QWhMyoDd8xy/s1600/2-vols-1-tone-wiring-01.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here’s how it works:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>In the bridge position</b>, pin 1 (bridge) is connected to pin 0
(common) on both sides. The yellow wire from the bridge pickup goes to pin 1
and the signal then continues to pin 0 on the left side of the switch. This
then connects to the bridge/middle volume control via the blue wire.
Additionally, the purple wire from that volume control comes back to pins 3 and
1 on the right side of the switch and this then passes to pin 0 on that side
since it is currently connected to pin 1. Pin 0 then connects to the tone
control through the red wire and continues to the output jack.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>In the middle position</b>, pin 3 (middle) is connected to pin 0
(common) on both sides. The green wire from the middle pickup goes to pin 3 and
the signal then continues to pin 0 on the left side of the switch. This then
connects to the bridge/middle volume control via the blue wire as before.
Additionally, the purple wire from the volume control comes back to pins 3 and
1 on the right side of the switch and this then passes to pin 0 on that side
since it is currently connected to pin 3. Pin 0 then connects to the tone
control through the red wire and continues to the output jack.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>In the neck position</b>, pin 5 (neck) is connected to pin 0 (common)
on both sides. However, the neck pickup wiring is quite different from the
other two pickups. The grey wire from the neck pickup goes directly to the neck
volume control. It connects there no matter what position the switch is in, so
you may wonder how that doesn’t affect the output even in the other switch
positions, well, that’s because the pink wire coming OUT of the volume control
connects to pin 5 of the switch and that doesn’t connect to anything unless the
switch is in the neck position, at which time the signal can now continue to
pin 0 on the right side of the switch. This then connects to the tone control
through the red wire and continues to the output jack.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-44047436921150078732014-10-29T01:02:00.002-07:002014-10-30T20:42:53.420-07:00The Stratocaster 5-way Switch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBKlhkL5ijz5YIjdS_bmf1rM_d44xiXrgE0KAJmuJpcRq9-kWABfpfrCjZqR9vrzZCiBTp7-Fu2zGD2L9qRJOT6J3Y7U0-EdVz_TCF02XsdMMCSZwFrEEY4k5QdFrFKtd-crYDPBka_dQ/s1600/fe0991367000-xl-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBKlhkL5ijz5YIjdS_bmf1rM_d44xiXrgE0KAJmuJpcRq9-kWABfpfrCjZqR9vrzZCiBTp7-Fu2zGD2L9qRJOT6J3Y7U0-EdVz_TCF02XsdMMCSZwFrEEY4k5QdFrFKtd-crYDPBka_dQ/s1600/fe0991367000-xl-03.jpg" height="320" width="292" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Today we’re going to talk about the standard 5-way switch
used in Fender Strat-style guitars—how it works, how to wire it up and
variations of the switch itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back when Strats were first made, they came with a 3-way
switch (one position for each pickup), but some savvy guitarists soon realized
that if they moved the switch into a position midway between two of the
“official” positions, they could get two of the pickups to turn on at the same
time, resulting in new sound options. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This happened because the switch was what is
known as a “make before break” switch, which means it touches the next contact
before disconnecting from the previous one. It wasn’t easy to keep the switches
in these in-between positions and guitarists often resorted to sticking
matchsticks, etc., into the switch slot to hold them in position.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s how the switch looks as more of an electrical
diagram. As with all images, click to enlarge.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEI_VDQjQ3UGWnMTuXBanUOEwlHFN6myQC5JL0WNdo0xM95_LIkiSvryeSToA5Y0WC1cG0N71-kiUQJAOhhQFmGVXd3lxEsvxEZ8t_CreO9n92FbIwVxGms9AxbCSBmVSQAtTMEl1-1M3/s1600/3-way-shorting-selector-switch-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEI_VDQjQ3UGWnMTuXBanUOEwlHFN6myQC5JL0WNdo0xM95_LIkiSvryeSToA5Y0WC1cG0N71-kiUQJAOhhQFmGVXd3lxEsvxEZ8t_CreO9n92FbIwVxGms9AxbCSBmVSQAtTMEl1-1M3/s1600/3-way-shorting-selector-switch-01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seeing how customers were doing this, Fender eventually
started installing 5-position switches. Note that these were still really 3-way
switches, just with a couple of in-between positions added on so that matches
were no longer required to hold the switch in those positions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also of note is that the switch is “dual pole”, which means
that it is basically two switches in parallel that move at exactly the same
time, without being electrically connected to each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you take a good look at the switch below,
you will see that there is a second row of contacts on the other side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5NW52zuoFYapX4MnrgW9M2ugHhdJvB-l3I8MlN1vg4I7U3XZdJdiRezV7Tt4FH-P8jcHBVsGc35NQWGNEpDsRi87T_lZaxbd7L9UvyfPhTdphCbXXINaO3YAAW11K1i0m3JRAuB13E2y/s1600/d_6247.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5NW52zuoFYapX4MnrgW9M2ugHhdJvB-l3I8MlN1vg4I7U3XZdJdiRezV7Tt4FH-P8jcHBVsGc35NQWGNEpDsRi87T_lZaxbd7L9UvyfPhTdphCbXXINaO3YAAW11K1i0m3JRAuB13E2y/s1600/d_6247.gif" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s how THAT looks as more of an electrical diagram:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RQpMyOUaWBS2Df9VRWVWig-LBl8QwiKnoTnXmLR0V8UMZBLm6NKihoFHjeYBP9Jng4cqsdU_OJTM1cFOgKQmdWHyxRNus-w8pjC6Oz3OhaiqkVJorGEEwSAuegSer5daO4qnCH9DS5BH/s1600/2x3-way-shorting-selector-switch-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RQpMyOUaWBS2Df9VRWVWig-LBl8QwiKnoTnXmLR0V8UMZBLm6NKihoFHjeYBP9Jng4cqsdU_OJTM1cFOgKQmdWHyxRNus-w8pjC6Oz3OhaiqkVJorGEEwSAuegSer5daO4qnCH9DS5BH/s1600/2x3-way-shorting-selector-switch-01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This allows for more wiring possibilities, which we’ll
discuss later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking at the photo of the switch a couple of images back, you can see that there are
four contacts on the side facing us (and four on the other side that aren’t so
easy to see). Of the four on this side, the left-most one is the “common”
contact, which is to say that it is always connected. The three contacts to the
right correspond with the three main switch positions (with the additional two positions
being in-between 1 & 2 and 2 & 3 respectively). The other side of the
switch has a similar setup.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now given that there are only (normally) three pickups, and
the switch has three contacts on each side (in addition to the common contact),
you may be wondering why we need two sets of contacts in the first place. Well,
this is so that you can have a bit more freedom when it comes to choosing how
to control the volume and tone of each pickup. For example, with standard Strat
wiring, the volume pot controls all three pickups, whereas the two tone pots control
one pickup each (with the bridge pickup having no tone control at all). Older
Strat versions had one of the tone pots controlling two of the pickups at the
same time (and there are many more options too!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s how the switch
would look from below. Rather than numbering the pins--which I think can be
confusing given that there are 3 pins (not counting the common pins), but five
positions—I’ve named them B (for bridge), M (for middle), N (for neck) and C
(for common).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEXlJr7S28hR9af-BTGz8JO4FC2Aha6DuaBYbiGtbgnSrrWLN5EzoN4FVYOOdF1I1eFtbNEiZHUmOFsLGjVXdy49Kj1ugI3YdsSUDH-MPsBEx7hSg_nu5baQnZQcBkREnXJfoTPnBUTRF/s1600/switch-underside-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEXlJr7S28hR9af-BTGz8JO4FC2Aha6DuaBYbiGtbgnSrrWLN5EzoN4FVYOOdF1I1eFtbNEiZHUmOFsLGjVXdy49Kj1ugI3YdsSUDH-MPsBEx7hSg_nu5baQnZQcBkREnXJfoTPnBUTRF/s1600/switch-underside-01.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, remember that you also have two additional positions,
as mentioned previously, in-between bridge and middle (so pins B and M would
both be connected to C at the same time), and in-between middle and neck (so
pins M and N would both be connected to C at the same time).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the other side of the switch, despite the fact that the
pins appear to be in a different order, they still work the same way, so when the
switch is in the Bridge position, the left-hand pin B is connected to the left-hand
pin C, and the right-hand pin B is connected to the right-hand pin C.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you’re still with us here. The above can be a bit of
a brain melter, but once it clicks it makes a lot of sense.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an effort to make this as simple as possible, here’s what
a standard Strat’s wiring looks like just around the switch itself (remember
that there are many, many ways to wire up a Strat and this is just one of the
more common ones): </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcCzS4XZFODQdHJe7lTewkEmostj8dio-8z6CfNizNRRCTBFEfZTobZAZQvYTKKX2wnBSTLQMtaxwJJQew7t83F4tZrcOD7GUOiUTh452GLZqM2VXE5fLP0F7ruBe87OyivmADhiJpSxA/s1600/switch-underside-with-wiring-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcCzS4XZFODQdHJe7lTewkEmostj8dio-8z6CfNizNRRCTBFEfZTobZAZQvYTKKX2wnBSTLQMtaxwJJQew7t83F4tZrcOD7GUOiUTh452GLZqM2VXE5fLP0F7ruBe87OyivmADhiJpSxA/s1600/switch-underside-with-wiring-01.jpg" height="116" width="320" /></a></div>
Without going into too much detail about how the tone controls
actually work (that’s for another day), I’ll try to walk through how the switch
works as clearly as I can.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the switch is in the neck position, left-hand pin N
(neck) is connected to left-hand pin C (common). This allows the signal from
the neck pickup to pass to the common pin on this side of the switch. Since left-hand
pin C is shorted to right-hand pin C, the signal from the neck pickup continues
to right-hand pin C, where it then goes to the volume control. Additionally, right-hand
pin C is currently connected to right-hand pin N, allowing the signal from the
neck pickup to ALSO travel to the neck tone control.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the switch is in the middle position, left-hand pin M
(middle) is connected to left-hand pin C (common). This allows the signal from
the middle pickup to pass to the common pin on this side of the switch. Since
left-hand pin C is shorted to right-hand pin C, the signal from the middle
pickup continues to right-hand pin C, where it then goes to the volume control.
Additionally, right-hand pin C is currently connected to right-hand pin M,
allowing the signal from the middle pickup to ALSO travel to the middle tone
control.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the switch is in the bridge position, left-hand pin B
(bridge) is connected to left-hand pin C (common). This allows the signal from
the bridge pickup to pass to the common pin on this side of the switch. Since
left-hand pin C is shorted to right-hand pin C, the signal from the bridge
pickup continues to right-hand pin C, where it then goes to the volume control.
Additionally, right-hand pin C is currently connected to right-hand pin N, but right-hand
pin N is not connected to anything else, the sound is unaffected by any tone
control.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember that we also have those two additional in-between
positions, but all that happens there is that everything is true for both
positions either side of it, so for example in the in-between position between
the neck and the middle pickup, everything I wrote about the neck position AND
everything I wrote about the middle position is true.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, in addition to a standard Stratocaster 5-way
switch, you can also get import types, which look more like this:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8wn59MkhnZhkymaZjyuA7_i8_5mrxDdmj5nEq4AnfdnYYloTRz_fYXKQ2ybRvoBH99bbUaKdnyXbbqafhvdivvh6Ml_1hMLqC5iE5O1GC3T7zOa625pC95pPKZ-wGFuU-omXayVF7xAl/s1600/EP-4476-000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8wn59MkhnZhkymaZjyuA7_i8_5mrxDdmj5nEq4AnfdnYYloTRz_fYXKQ2ybRvoBH99bbUaKdnyXbbqafhvdivvh6Ml_1hMLqC5iE5O1GC3T7zOa625pC95pPKZ-wGFuU-omXayVF7xAl/s1600/EP-4476-000.jpg" height="283" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note that these are just wired up in the same way as the
switch that I’ve already been describing, except that the pins are laid out a
bit differently. In the above image, the pins are numbered (left to right)
3,2,1,0,0,3,2,1. These represent the following positions:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 – Bridge</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 – Middle</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 – Neck</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0 – Common</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0 – Common</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 – Bridge<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 – Middle</div>
1 – Neck</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, if you want to get all fancy with your wiring, you
can get “super switches”, which have many more contacts, allowing you a much greater
range of wiring options. Here’s an example of one below:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQDdn2K7Rop6oRrOQCtGQwDxhG9qb8LUgGNH6A0Lg8VIkrwwkYJaUZfiPr-YyWntQRMjmhtc-LrQ1uJcISUfvNeSUytAdlgbE-jmI6UD2hHzFFWNe-5yEXol162gQDmwJnizqIWfbpKBB/s1600/d_6248.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQDdn2K7Rop6oRrOQCtGQwDxhG9qb8LUgGNH6A0Lg8VIkrwwkYJaUZfiPr-YyWntQRMjmhtc-LrQ1uJcISUfvNeSUytAdlgbE-jmI6UD2hHzFFWNe-5yEXol162gQDmwJnizqIWfbpKBB/s1600/d_6248.gif" height="285" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-62438725992527650132014-08-07T23:55:00.003-07:002015-01-20T01:12:58.264-08:00Cheap and easy DIY guitar nut lubricant<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyKnh6Axf3ZFAwNyYxe8y77KNz73xr0Qsr5LtRlvad0YygHLqSRYkWaw7JWmZ1A-l6IScWLG3H92eEDNEaq9CROZCsKiz2r0b-Cf5T_L1m1mmgWuwQ9M7jsQBR78wxiURJyt5CseZNKZo/s1600/nut-lubricant-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyKnh6Axf3ZFAwNyYxe8y77KNz73xr0Qsr5LtRlvad0YygHLqSRYkWaw7JWmZ1A-l6IScWLG3H92eEDNEaq9CROZCsKiz2r0b-Cf5T_L1m1mmgWuwQ9M7jsQBR78wxiURJyt5CseZNKZo/s1600/nut-lubricant-011.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah, that’s right, “nut lubricant” (sometimes known as nut sauce). Get all your giggling
out of the way before we continue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you know how sometimes you’re tuning up your guitar and
you hear this pinging noise and the string suddenly “jumps” up in pitch? That’s
caused by the string getting stuck (sometimes known as "binding") in the nut slots. You can also encounter it
when using a tremolo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My usual fix for this is to widen the nut slots slightly
using nut files. However, today I’m going to show you another solution that can
often work instead. We’re going to make a lubricant to put in the nut slots. This
is especially useful for tremolo-equipped guitars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's our patient for today. It's a late 80's Fernandes "Limited Edition" Strat. Beautiful guitar, but a terrible case of "pinging" at the nut.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnZUv9qkU1lfPT2EROT09Wd43hWEKUs8mZmf2FjeeFZnYVcicvIj2MomoHbnEwMx6lSubvPdTtVpCak7Iht1Gkmot70purElLz2XErnF1POFT_y5_8_PBKNxByXHU8HtDZxQx16PnclMT/s1600/nut-lubricant-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnZUv9qkU1lfPT2EROT09Wd43hWEKUs8mZmf2FjeeFZnYVcicvIj2MomoHbnEwMx6lSubvPdTtVpCak7Iht1Gkmot70purElLz2XErnF1POFT_y5_8_PBKNxByXHU8HtDZxQx16PnclMT/s1600/nut-lubricant-012.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t need much for this, just some graphite (courtesy of
a pencil lead) and something to hold the powder together (petroleum jelly).
Some sandpaper and a little plastic knife or similar will be the only required
tools.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScl08jIPEhV1ljDMzJusgqlsyd9MwKmLLhB3fwjn_7uxaPz_Rmmo7iKI5Pma2reTzV8cyArbZXyagtiQvWOdYar97hqrdkWb97osNjLOgcyhX0ymhelI8HPbeX9_Vh1To8Z6XYhysG5QS/s1600/nut-lubricant-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScl08jIPEhV1ljDMzJusgqlsyd9MwKmLLhB3fwjn_7uxaPz_Rmmo7iKI5Pma2reTzV8cyArbZXyagtiQvWOdYar97hqrdkWb97osNjLOgcyhX0ymhelI8HPbeX9_Vh1To8Z6XYhysG5QS/s1600/nut-lubricant-002.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, start rubbing the pencil lead on fine sandpaper. Be careful
not to start sanding away any wood, as we don’t really want this to get into
the mix too. As it happens the pencil I’m using circumvents this issue anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJb54TJPckMQWPH4r5mvdwe1S0RmJ9CtymukQmLU8cHLKOeFjtMiBJqEfpOoUU2dDyw5JfL4Np1nndDcnGnQBA-FmLROTmdo8yJw-jt5XKrcoGSJnUuHMRk3vMC0tB4ZefrvG6-SmXTOw/s1600/nut-lubricant-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJb54TJPckMQWPH4r5mvdwe1S0RmJ9CtymukQmLU8cHLKOeFjtMiBJqEfpOoUU2dDyw5JfL4Np1nndDcnGnQBA-FmLROTmdo8yJw-jt5XKrcoGSJnUuHMRk3vMC0tB4ZefrvG6-SmXTOw/s1600/nut-lubricant-003.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeSSDgyBzoftWKVVnHDC0GJAXkp1JRs2edg2lQcfUgPI-Fm-LlF5Q6d8s-gIPnufsQu95NsfxYcM9KGPl2Eukj_m3HlQU1Q3agI6a_9seDX90jSM4ioxDwBrr0y6-GXnSKmT_ayWlgk8Z/s1600/nut-lubricant-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeSSDgyBzoftWKVVnHDC0GJAXkp1JRs2edg2lQcfUgPI-Fm-LlF5Q6d8s-gIPnufsQu95NsfxYcM9KGPl2Eukj_m3HlQU1Q3agI6a_9seDX90jSM4ioxDwBrr0y6-GXnSKmT_ayWlgk8Z/s1600/nut-lubricant-005.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you’ve got a decent quantity of lead on there, take a
small amount of petroleum jelly and dollop it right on top of the lead powder. Try to
use as little as possible, while still being enough to “absorb” the pencil lead
powder. Just keep mixing it around with the plastic knife until you feel that
it’s mixed as well as it can be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViQgHeSqDZVLe-1RzxWg3Q5P4TnBITtd_PkvaNVRDCXnA6dVaDD2Wx00UggGgurhIWJXGfnta8VGxuNS4ipaHI6rJcnAYp75wtxJywXhyphenhyphenDUgIzYXhe4fJRooPOuw1YpwmuxKh32BY9zel/s1600/nut-lubricant-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViQgHeSqDZVLe-1RzxWg3Q5P4TnBITtd_PkvaNVRDCXnA6dVaDD2Wx00UggGgurhIWJXGfnta8VGxuNS4ipaHI6rJcnAYp75wtxJywXhyphenhyphenDUgIzYXhe4fJRooPOuw1YpwmuxKh32BY9zel/s1600/nut-lubricant-007.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZxzi-Sk4LeynFwPLCUQS0q6Vr03GSmE9KOGV4xtxx6pYeikHSM5SpaTwuKv6RCp9CYxWYpr9Lc5e98dr8uX1WgwuDmJ9eixaoaoV5SH_mbC3g4cU5pxwSPofQvtJpcWPCGQrcGLY1gIZ/s1600/nut-lubricant-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZxzi-Sk4LeynFwPLCUQS0q6Vr03GSmE9KOGV4xtxx6pYeikHSM5SpaTwuKv6RCp9CYxWYpr9Lc5e98dr8uX1WgwuDmJ9eixaoaoV5SH_mbC3g4cU5pxwSPofQvtJpcWPCGQrcGLY1gIZ/s1600/nut-lubricant-008.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see from the following image, that's some pretty nasty black greasy-looking stuff you've ended up with. Be careful not to get it on your clothing (or anything else you care about that's hard to clean for that matter).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GLc45wKSwfd8MAiXj-99jc5jCo52oy2olh4LTa3HxtOgMsj-zZAMpnFLxTGgT-J7epnl_TLyo0LnfEfL1kF-b7Mx8EhKFNPVd-_-f-HEmyG0DsNkS_bzSPlAJQtM_yVWQCYdJlKLU0RN/s1600/nut-lubricant-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GLc45wKSwfd8MAiXj-99jc5jCo52oy2olh4LTa3HxtOgMsj-zZAMpnFLxTGgT-J7epnl_TLyo0LnfEfL1kF-b7Mx8EhKFNPVd-_-f-HEmyG0DsNkS_bzSPlAJQtM_yVWQCYdJlKLU0RN/s1600/nut-lubricant-010.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now move one of the strings to the side of its nut slot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLqDH4UXKiuS0Xyz6X_d4s5oasdbquK8jmYrXZLyubMUJitnL6Z1XDdX_j8Ck83aJQYIHe1uK_DikqGmFcYPE3LOpdP8YdwtPA57ODBMgVMCi0QPUlZxaSb2S6bmiE4TjnF3W-lPOsj_1/s1600/nut-lubricant-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLqDH4UXKiuS0Xyz6X_d4s5oasdbquK8jmYrXZLyubMUJitnL6Z1XDdX_j8Ck83aJQYIHe1uK_DikqGmFcYPE3LOpdP8YdwtPA57ODBMgVMCi0QPUlZxaSb2S6bmiE4TjnF3W-lPOsj_1/s1600/nut-lubricant-013.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Carefully place a small amount of nut lubricant into the
slot, then repeat for the next string.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_KM-gGSs4rx000N2-9r-sJ25rEdqOJNCIZyL5fxuIcOnS0AWbBKC4UChht5Axt1jOn7LniulWvhnSSvmDtc5kp6DBc5In5d54fq4zY6JLcsETJf1Ze3rKDwPN5pW7ac7x1iy-u2MNbg0/s1600/nut-lubricant-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_KM-gGSs4rx000N2-9r-sJ25rEdqOJNCIZyL5fxuIcOnS0AWbBKC4UChht5Axt1jOn7LniulWvhnSSvmDtc5kp6DBc5In5d54fq4zY6JLcsETJf1Ze3rKDwPN5pW7ac7x1iy-u2MNbg0/s1600/nut-lubricant-016.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Once all six string slots are done, place the strings back into position (you can use the strings to help scoop the lubricant into the slots).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXWlFa1iQwmtOKiaAkEbTxDyUR0NAtuXDkykyh7FV9nQsbKYX_KFklOMMcOL-HxU5pqBk7n2kzPwcfMohe7tbOpTdcf2IXQ8A0TEeLcOsVFHuG-ZMZqorkUQMAC0JNb6JCfvXN7qoEJol/s1600/nut-lubricant-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXWlFa1iQwmtOKiaAkEbTxDyUR0NAtuXDkykyh7FV9nQsbKYX_KFklOMMcOL-HxU5pqBk7n2kzPwcfMohe7tbOpTdcf2IXQ8A0TEeLcOsVFHuG-ZMZqorkUQMAC0JNb6JCfvXN7qoEJol/s1600/nut-lubricant-017.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now wipe away as much
surplus lubricant as you can (I’ve found that any surplus, especially extending
past the fretboard end of the nut can deaden the sound of the string a little
bit).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI98AiO9EopjN1koZFzTyQ95KP-dMBjVpx4KsDjWXeLavIwp18enTXqK_pj5o6RinLO023OXxrFoZNRyJHR_9dYwfDEdjKlCEYytAbLCuTkb_C3kkBeTvb0nY4OfBD30sP5XIn5-Im1ibL/s1600/nut-lubricant-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI98AiO9EopjN1koZFzTyQ95KP-dMBjVpx4KsDjWXeLavIwp18enTXqK_pj5o6RinLO023OXxrFoZNRyJHR_9dYwfDEdjKlCEYytAbLCuTkb_C3kkBeTvb0nY4OfBD30sP5XIn5-Im1ibL/s1600/nut-lubricant-018.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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And we’re done. As mentioned at the start of the article, this particular guitar suffered from pretty severe pinging beforehand, but the lubricant completely cured it.</div>
<br />stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-67604874368520213922014-03-30T23:23:00.001-07:002014-12-09T04:50:30.757-08:00Building a Noisy Cricket Mk II Amp and Mini Speaker Cabinet<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7NsG0SwhLIBjJcQTxBow9G8-00EkpO3zV9XFAsCfA9VIZcID3qdG-wPVwLAHZ5Y-E4dc_C02UMSGnWTC0mJ1ciFf8sc1mYHvP5R-SIsr9Bq6V1ApuZ8Zu7ilCE47rJBbn-UjEVsEIRs1/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7NsG0SwhLIBjJcQTxBow9G8-00EkpO3zV9XFAsCfA9VIZcID3qdG-wPVwLAHZ5Y-E4dc_C02UMSGnWTC0mJ1ciFf8sc1mYHvP5R-SIsr9Bq6V1ApuZ8Zu7ilCE47rJBbn-UjEVsEIRs1/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-109.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I quite like the look of the Noisy Cricket Mk II amp from Beavis Audio (<a href="http://www.beavisaudio.com/projects/NoisyCricket/">http://www.beavisaudio.com/projects/NoisyCricket/</a>), and I happened to have a wooden box lying around that looked like it would work great as a 6” speaker cabinet, hence today’s project. (EDIT: Actually it turns out the Mk I and the MK II are the same. The only difference is the PCB design, and since I'm using veroboard, that's irrelevant.)</span> <br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Noisy Cricket is a little 1/2 Watt guitar amplifier that fits into a standard Hammond-like enclosure (such as the one I used here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/04/building-modified-ea-tremolo-pedal-on.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/04/building-modified-ea-tremolo-pedal-on.html</a>). It uses a MPF102 or a 2N5951 transistor as a preamp channel and an </span><span lang="EN-GB">LM386 as the power amp. It’s also powered from a standard 9v guitar pedal power supply (or even a battery). What’s not to like?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As I usually do, I’m going to use Veroboard for this. A few people have already done layouts for it, and I decided to go with this one:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsyFQRBq3GPYJvaFVYN_CU9a3DUsspIIPE4UF6IQ0zMM17iBdoiiqwNoKA7s_Y6flY0wBBbS6O_fm5wqFsLrCPLHJovCCuLwZJHsARUI3BveEj9y4wurY8dze7BglJ543xdQJohzuwHdJ/s1600/Noisy+Cricket+MkII.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsyFQRBq3GPYJvaFVYN_CU9a3DUsspIIPE4UF6IQ0zMM17iBdoiiqwNoKA7s_Y6flY0wBBbS6O_fm5wqFsLrCPLHJovCCuLwZJHsARUI3BveEj9y4wurY8dze7BglJ543xdQJohzuwHdJ/s1600/Noisy+Cricket+MkII.png" height="320" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Which can be found here: <a href="http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.tw/2012/04/noisy-cricket-mkii.html">http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.tw/2012/04/noisy-cricket-mkii.html</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In addition to the Veroboard layout, this one has an additional tone switch, which lets you choose between the original 47nF tone capacitor, or the “improved bass” 100nF capacitor. In the end, I didn’t use a switch, electing instead to try both caps and choose whichever one I thought sounded best (in my case the 100nF).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Anyway, let’s get started. First we cut the veroboard to size:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHVZlTwku4DgFehrU9EzhM6KpklfMuFj2w2NioHgsikmRXqoNL63IRIvy-7zhQ9H0ompCaCEvMCtFcIavDB2EBI3QDLyHUiNQM_fvJW3uarpydF4UnTOJW_1ATJHLGrR3NvbhRGlXHCw9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHVZlTwku4DgFehrU9EzhM6KpklfMuFj2w2NioHgsikmRXqoNL63IRIvy-7zhQ9H0ompCaCEvMCtFcIavDB2EBI3QDLyHUiNQM_fvJW3uarpydF4UnTOJW_1ATJHLGrR3NvbhRGlXHCw9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-070.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">You can see above that I have drilled a hole in the bottom right corner to match the one in the top left. That’s because I’m going to secure it inside the box (more on that later).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now I cut the tracks in the appropriate locations:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39HS6wUh6n0dVRg5wFskc3eY8HWPHQ7uroFfciUzxduVnb-CAyhfCC99Wa-XFMcN-u1QgNnpR2Tvdv3whIim9oi3uTVgZ7j6bZT3f8Gb0oEmFjtH0tnLMclPKDpz84BGyZFR7zP9ghMvv/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39HS6wUh6n0dVRg5wFskc3eY8HWPHQ7uroFfciUzxduVnb-CAyhfCC99Wa-XFMcN-u1QgNnpR2Tvdv3whIim9oi3uTVgZ7j6bZT3f8Gb0oEmFjtH0tnLMclPKDpz84BGyZFR7zP9ghMvv/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-072.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And then give the copper a clean with a wire brush. This is to remove any tarnish from the copper, making it easier to solder.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3KSUgHKQMamjodNuAeJqxtlwltcRHolSYApP7tdA3Re2rQCFsVQxFuTkzG_9QoOUHIJK7Wn_jkT3uYhUlm41TpNGXFl0ltiuJR7PzkixkJCzd6FYIfgYNtw_XiaqGoH9qaakDMUTIzVc/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3KSUgHKQMamjodNuAeJqxtlwltcRHolSYApP7tdA3Re2rQCFsVQxFuTkzG_9QoOUHIJK7Wn_jkT3uYhUlm41TpNGXFl0ltiuJR7PzkixkJCzd6FYIfgYNtw_XiaqGoH9qaakDMUTIzVc/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-074.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Meanwhile, I’m also working on the box. First I work out where all of the controls/jacks will go:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcz2C7ixHZRV1mS9dxVh_lU2pfMMCq0cyv9m6RJuhPcv5Tf0cSHAAhsBwqLqs_6SFpQx4PpNZeJL2ejvYc0-m10ecHj156Siy76kbXw1X2cJImx9hTbzgXNtPvSp3pHU1mDKCQOINDTu8b/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcz2C7ixHZRV1mS9dxVh_lU2pfMMCq0cyv9m6RJuhPcv5Tf0cSHAAhsBwqLqs_6SFpQx4PpNZeJL2ejvYc0-m10ecHj156Siy76kbXw1X2cJImx9hTbzgXNtPvSp3pHU1mDKCQOINDTu8b/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-041.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Then I drill them out using a stepping drill bit:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBHR_KJVEM2HrQTJpAqo98nzFxMN-WWy9aucZMa0wbmipBjkfc4-1Bh6aXEGlrn7Unx2U4qC8h1Czc2uCl11hXHU57mB5cFCRrKpxQSzvglEi-cL6xLylzowA7zxxvldS3Ev5v7e4o-QQ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBHR_KJVEM2HrQTJpAqo98nzFxMN-WWy9aucZMa0wbmipBjkfc4-1Bh6aXEGlrn7Unx2U4qC8h1Czc2uCl11hXHU57mB5cFCRrKpxQSzvglEi-cL6xLylzowA7zxxvldS3Ev5v7e4o-QQ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-044.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">After that I do a quick layout check to make sure everything is going to fit like I’d hoped:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4H2qVZ5VoqxDEEugadP-OQADaOJq7kqx8RVyqHtNaIp8DsEg93-Np21_22FQJGly8NUDiIksAXQRJs2OER2t9QnlRVjboikAXogjo7TxIHFcxj446_21e8R4LuhLsXg1S_4o4WzdOqgp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4H2qVZ5VoqxDEEugadP-OQADaOJq7kqx8RVyqHtNaIp8DsEg93-Np21_22FQJGly8NUDiIksAXQRJs2OER2t9QnlRVjboikAXogjo7TxIHFcxj446_21e8R4LuhLsXg1S_4o4WzdOqgp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-049.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I also glue in a couple of clips to hold the board in place once it’s done.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr5nC3H9sX6NpBXj_gXJTNjudomaQlLt54OfhBEC2dhSgqA4f_NOzwtZIAGf4LugDjhiYAIAYc9yTZV4eSsbmKP64995uJlyUVw4qPpKTfjKPCwgi-ujV7Q8ehVfdj7oXHIEjGK23F9V3/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr5nC3H9sX6NpBXj_gXJTNjudomaQlLt54OfhBEC2dhSgqA4f_NOzwtZIAGf4LugDjhiYAIAYc9yTZV4eSsbmKP64995uJlyUVw4qPpKTfjKPCwgi-ujV7Q8ehVfdj7oXHIEjGK23F9V3/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-081.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">OK, let’s get soldering:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLl7wYdBQNMTDrZoQ_4H8zrAB1JQ_kwmM1acwv53Zg_S8bp3BqyhZmyKQzJkve2yX3pGqX7VnNjVgdgIA_Vr-nDG7nqtrdhF0RIcXzOZz1sxiAXSVwmeBLoQRlP1LIj_bslBbx16bRP3x/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLl7wYdBQNMTDrZoQ_4H8zrAB1JQ_kwmM1acwv53Zg_S8bp3BqyhZmyKQzJkve2yX3pGqX7VnNjVgdgIA_Vr-nDG7nqtrdhF0RIcXzOZz1sxiAXSVwmeBLoQRlP1LIj_bslBbx16bRP3x/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-084.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Here are all of the components in place (except for the chip itself, which I'll do as a last step):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDwwXqKMGeVdTJnPXwl_Ee8L0I6Ua7yCs6TFKTFku3nSR3dynwgcIBREz6HLv-jtI1vA9g_vkf20gfVzOv-vmiZilH8XLG3ProKgEYLlAV0GoQl1vMQcR7zUajEvFAE5YnbzOWzhDtfQ5/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDwwXqKMGeVdTJnPXwl_Ee8L0I6Ua7yCs6TFKTFku3nSR3dynwgcIBREz6HLv-jtI1vA9g_vkf20gfVzOv-vmiZilH8XLG3ProKgEYLlAV0GoQl1vMQcR7zUajEvFAE5YnbzOWzhDtfQ5/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-086.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Then the wires:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSVkGEEDVQA8vJR3lLRijhGIe__OM13HWzBuM8DDGlyZUHNBzegJnJozOAfZeKaMwN_spVl5PXyCI8d1Nt5K9hhEoSsALjliEI57URMjXUK0yoUzeDGlJj57dgOy1NGnqxYy2eOGg7C5-/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSVkGEEDVQA8vJR3lLRijhGIe__OM13HWzBuM8DDGlyZUHNBzegJnJozOAfZeKaMwN_spVl5PXyCI8d1Nt5K9hhEoSsALjliEI57URMjXUK0yoUzeDGlJj57dgOy1NGnqxYy2eOGg7C5-/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-088.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And then finally wired up to the pots, switches and jacks:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiYrsoyGt5TUrmEvndEXEiN9ICZm3dtlUnAKkiL0WrgIQdIXRBXJRy1x0XpZxwBnDrNdc3fxuZ6szgBka8gibaWIT4efwZcNPv41XJgWbPnT_c3GvA-dnucHobXr2qQ93rAhZ2eJNYoo9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiYrsoyGt5TUrmEvndEXEiN9ICZm3dtlUnAKkiL0WrgIQdIXRBXJRy1x0XpZxwBnDrNdc3fxuZ6szgBka8gibaWIT4efwZcNPv41XJgWbPnT_c3GvA-dnucHobXr2qQ93rAhZ2eJNYoo9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-108.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">EDIT: I'm adding some extra information below about wiring up the box, since a couple of commenters so far have asked if I could share more details.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">First, let’s look at the power switch. You need to connect the positive wire coming from your DC-in jack to one leg of the power switch (let’s go with the middle pin). The bottom leg of the switch connects to the 9V wire on the board. Make sure the negative pin of the DC-in jack connects to “ground”.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Here's a close-up of the power switch:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB76-CfmZEthimA9nP1Wv0TAc6FLjSU0wGWkJiY-BmDgfGbOqjNdC-CyAe9ETJESNM-fXyMFpRzAnfOEEgTPmocNbIPLZg6lnBFgvR1WbuW3pkToXhv_hwwuZzoAP3hBkkRu6Q3-fg_pu-/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB76-CfmZEthimA9nP1Wv0TAc6FLjSU0wGWkJiY-BmDgfGbOqjNdC-CyAe9ETJESNM-fXyMFpRzAnfOEEgTPmocNbIPLZg6lnBFgvR1WbuW3pkToXhv_hwwuZzoAP3hBkkRu6Q3-fg_pu-/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-025.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Actually, a point about “ground”. What I usually end up doing is choosing a fairly solid patch of metal to connect all the grounds to. In this case, I used one of the ground tabs on one of the ¼” jacks (doesn’t matter which jack since they’re connected electrically through the metal enclosure [this approach won’t work if it’s not in a metal enclosure, but simply hooking up the other 1/4" jack's ground to this same point too will keep you right]).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">You can see that there are a few ground wires all connecting the right-hand jack in the image below.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJjhQ9rBlLT7aJsH0BRqrT-F7Kd5oP0sBlrBR_K5bZkSzVNUqGBqioBxSE1RIUVGQq4OaWOS7UI4N2VJVpIY68Z7wB1kMMmTqgDotfi-uMhhOW9tM-f2ZGqv0A_RLo6DIf0S0KBEch949/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJjhQ9rBlLT7aJsH0BRqrT-F7Kd5oP0sBlrBR_K5bZkSzVNUqGBqioBxSE1RIUVGQq4OaWOS7UI4N2VJVpIY68Z7wB1kMMmTqgDotfi-uMhhOW9tM-f2ZGqv0A_RLo6DIf0S0KBEch949/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-005.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
The wire labeled “LED+” goes to the long leg of the power LED (the other leg should then also be connected to ground.<br />
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“Grit 1” and “Grit 2” connect to the middle leg and bottom leg of the grit switch (doesn’t matter which way around). If you buy a DPDT switch (six legs), then you can use the other column of pins to give power to an LED that will indicate when the grit switch is turned on. To do so, connect the middle leg in the other column of that switch to ground. Connect the end leg of the switch in that column to a 1k resistor and connect the other end of the resistor to the short leg of the grit LED. Finally connect the long leg of the LED to 9V ON THE BOARD (not straight to the DC-in jack).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Here's how my switch looks:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEssppdnVNVOP5al78APl4X9G8T3MWHYqXv3zBGfRKiG4YwilKRhl9ReMEFfZSSH3IAh-oSSxRvnbe-o2EhKik6ifbjx4p0Tqm80tD_JSjXYMdcIl8NlZ059B9Ci2J4e4GTMUhwJa1UyM/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEssppdnVNVOP5al78APl4X9G8T3MWHYqXv3zBGfRKiG4YwilKRhl9ReMEFfZSSH3IAh-oSSxRvnbe-o2EhKik6ifbjx4p0Tqm80tD_JSjXYMdcIl8NlZ059B9Ci2J4e4GTMUhwJa1UyM/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-028.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
OK, that’s the switches and LEDs. Now let's look at the pots.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve attached a photo that sort of shows the pot wiring. Basically as you look at that picture, the pin on the right of each pot is pin one, middle is pin two, and the left one is pin 3. Same for all three pots. If you mix up pins one and three, it’ll still work, but everything will work in reverse (turning up will actually reduce the volume, for example). <br />
</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeLekXpDfw86P3m4VdzwxP9fyAtpaOawNMZqSeKHTq58Y06GI6OF1sN_gPaX2aEoQdk7yVQ0RIfdOPvdv7gqbcoMX0hzJHDJbPcQoXg5k9qz8M96V5XeLGZ6v2j9NTwYPeW3G5fchjaL7/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeLekXpDfw86P3m4VdzwxP9fyAtpaOawNMZqSeKHTq58Y06GI6OF1sN_gPaX2aEoQdk7yVQ0RIfdOPvdv7gqbcoMX0hzJHDJbPcQoXg5k9qz8M96V5XeLGZ6v2j9NTwYPeW3G5fchjaL7/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-extra-photos-014.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">So, for example, “Vol 3” refers to pin 3 on the volume pot.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some more points:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Gain pins 1 and 2 are connected together. You can’t really see it in the photo, unfortunately.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Tone pins 2 and 3 are connected together too.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Output” goes to the tip pin of the output/speaker jack (the other pin goes to ground of course). </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many speakers will be marked + and -. Theoretically, “-“ should go to ground, but it doesn’t really matter that much.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Here’s how it looks all closed up:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVnCQ6hxiv1Fu_KzlyuPZzMZhxBlkwV-j5yLIUyK1Fi-lIGPPF_7U5GTEQouTbOQiGGHTsQh5xknlY6MVwAy2aZpbdlJDCVcHxSgkePs_4PMSJjoCCEZPxWCK2MDnHJ29e6CBdaIRGGfp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVnCQ6hxiv1Fu_KzlyuPZzMZhxBlkwV-j5yLIUyK1Fi-lIGPPF_7U5GTEQouTbOQiGGHTsQh5xknlY6MVwAy2aZpbdlJDCVcHxSgkePs_4PMSJjoCCEZPxWCK2MDnHJ29e6CBdaIRGGfp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-115.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now remember I mentioned that box? Well here it is beside a lovely 6” speaker I picked up:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCAg2aYanugWRV3vygrXQsFSA0IVCsKo9jTvsybkZAE-Vu0cQCtt8Bw_mMDicuFliXRV1Wn6KfHDbeH2keHKvxhZBnrXl1mAbKZ5DUcpgl0xPMEajB-xlZSetAYl1YCj11hyICuTdFBZE/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCAg2aYanugWRV3vygrXQsFSA0IVCsKo9jTvsybkZAE-Vu0cQCtt8Bw_mMDicuFliXRV1Wn6KfHDbeH2keHKvxhZBnrXl1mAbKZ5DUcpgl0xPMEajB-xlZSetAYl1YCj11hyICuTdFBZE/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We’ll need to cut a big circular hole, so let’s make sure we get the centre in the right place:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J8VFat9EdH49omWrTk3BkFoH13m2AoOGuAVJ-MUGDxNg84hyphenhyphenrYbA1I47Fv7XdghFXyZZjn4ByE4coI035epZHKs6n_8nedgyy6kqtZR3IGtGqpEOSJDqfiU5g7VLnFiVgI840rwxaFOp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J8VFat9EdH49omWrTk3BkFoH13m2AoOGuAVJ-MUGDxNg84hyphenhyphenrYbA1I47Fv7XdghFXyZZjn4ByE4coI035epZHKs6n_8nedgyy6kqtZR3IGtGqpEOSJDqfiU5g7VLnFiVgI840rwxaFOp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Then we measure the diameter of the speaker:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtV3NH3F75PHsG5EjXaYtX1XeMU7nN_MOaaeWm_rOv2bHyA8W9cGzDSIf1NQL_UPIJHQX7Cey3Xs8AVRlMdx_utsQdNLUx2q6DyqrSSWZ22KPK2U-5qaGBJnwEtU_QNdQ6wSIj1Q2clGc/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtV3NH3F75PHsG5EjXaYtX1XeMU7nN_MOaaeWm_rOv2bHyA8W9cGzDSIf1NQL_UPIJHQX7Cey3Xs8AVRlMdx_utsQdNLUx2q6DyqrSSWZ22KPK2U-5qaGBJnwEtU_QNdQ6wSIj1Q2clGc/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-017.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I’m using this adjustable spinning blade of death to cut the hole. Believe me when I tell you that this particular tool deserves all of your respect and then some. It will happily remove some of your body parts if you are not careful.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVBQEBTyplHRtcV-VMhSvZVnmph7Y8N8isTOPrjp2a1iQDJtC76pdYv1VmwJUW7D0dEMt3Rye45xTkMFFfspd5ngbUIJX68YTaDG138y5ngKSt2Sc6D9GdjqrFkhr-qMOpyKYP1GR9NoJ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVBQEBTyplHRtcV-VMhSvZVnmph7Y8N8isTOPrjp2a1iQDJtC76pdYv1VmwJUW7D0dEMt3Rye45xTkMFFfspd5ngbUIJX68YTaDG138y5ngKSt2Sc6D9GdjqrFkhr-qMOpyKYP1GR9NoJ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">But for all of its scariness, it does do a great job:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQe0jSTPLzwwwD8frEbfmJHFq2M22hPC0TGso6SBq4O7yBCWFafZac0-ZrJHSnbUhe_drCnqbi_OgzOFFw6zzhz21T9G9SMT8O57fv7aaLgJNLuuol-ioY_TySCGyc_6VDoO1iJC2jSOC/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQe0jSTPLzwwwD8frEbfmJHFq2M22hPC0TGso6SBq4O7yBCWFafZac0-ZrJHSnbUhe_drCnqbi_OgzOFFw6zzhz21T9G9SMT8O57fv7aaLgJNLuuol-ioY_TySCGyc_6VDoO1iJC2jSOC/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-021.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">A few more small holes for the securing screws and here’s the speaker attached (I'll add a grill to this later):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbs8m_dnO1EADVh9oNWoQ_fFhjWcpsSSmZBY1Kmu6dyMjksXTXPuogFjc-Bt1kKVGLkHDv2qBMx5qDl4RFnH5meMGguEmNMNAgjTTPARBVZA0jVJ5V_8lq6pWZypuH_WabtkhfucSqium/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbs8m_dnO1EADVh9oNWoQ_fFhjWcpsSSmZBY1Kmu6dyMjksXTXPuogFjc-Bt1kKVGLkHDv2qBMx5qDl4RFnH5meMGguEmNMNAgjTTPARBVZA0jVJ5V_8lq6pWZypuH_WabtkhfucSqium/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-026.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now we need to wire up a jack. Unfortunately the thickness of the wood is more than the length of the thread on the jack, so I’m having to get a little creative with the solution.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I use another boring bit to scribe a line a few mm down into the wood. This will act as a guide for the next step, both for the depth and the outer diameter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMduh3GHQdTQuDtXMHFRE9LzbZl8lmlrxO_rg0yQs8zGwLvargk5mq8irk3M1nhJKojpE_CaUwMOkSCq2vOZDkYeNrjs9qa93Oi59ZnH4O9klkt6IThqCWm31v27lv6aOzy6LhGzKC6Lig/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMduh3GHQdTQuDtXMHFRE9LzbZl8lmlrxO_rg0yQs8zGwLvargk5mq8irk3M1nhJKojpE_CaUwMOkSCq2vOZDkYeNrjs9qa93Oi59ZnH4O9klkt6IThqCWm31v27lv6aOzy6LhGzKC6Lig/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-029.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF4_r7G4JJOOLQWN4Ettiywr0PlFRoFVkJw9812tA-6FMCLAnH62Ptxp2XIa3r6y3gTBXkXzJSu3g2OUktntd4YQFurVWWNUyu52Nu4ec4wb6Fx-ijTWGu-BuOduhZXLxOAY9-Ui4Gi3h/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF4_r7G4JJOOLQWN4Ettiywr0PlFRoFVkJw9812tA-6FMCLAnH62Ptxp2XIa3r6y3gTBXkXzJSu3g2OUktntd4YQFurVWWNUyu52Nu4ec4wb6Fx-ijTWGu-BuOduhZXLxOAY9-Ui4Gi3h/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-030.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I then use a flat-bottomed drill bit (really, it’s a routing bit) and very carefully lower the depth of the wood within the confines of the outer circle I’ve just cut:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtljiTTkUeas0c0xOo4mkBANyk9jp297xvZDX60Hvvp9CnM-knTe1lVTCTxEfiqcDobSouUNCcBFwbaikdmGdR9WIgQZX3SC1svFn6XiF4KRSeIQmHeUPTg4vwKY-tcjF6Hia-isgLsb7W/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtljiTTkUeas0c0xOo4mkBANyk9jp297xvZDX60Hvvp9CnM-knTe1lVTCTxEfiqcDobSouUNCcBFwbaikdmGdR9WIgQZX3SC1svFn6XiF4KRSeIQmHeUPTg4vwKY-tcjF6Hia-isgLsb7W/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-032.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I also cut a little lip in there to match the lip that’s on the jack itself:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlsJMzWiXUSm0Y4fRkutRr5USxgfY-cMya04xEjtfH6MVCtGusVKk8Xz1VKy9Z6zdPxdIF1wbmPGayrScK5MtHfb_kmwVcIFtwbag5eXEZVtRMJXiAid-qnjmHD-T2DGA6xElfJfvopW2/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlsJMzWiXUSm0Y4fRkutRr5USxgfY-cMya04xEjtfH6MVCtGusVKk8Xz1VKy9Z6zdPxdIF1wbmPGayrScK5MtHfb_kmwVcIFtwbag5eXEZVtRMJXiAid-qnjmHD-T2DGA6xElfJfvopW2/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-035.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgKsYi9b9JruL0HYzMQUpt1k6L_tS1cXbnKq_iMVb-KktaBYsm00rMqOyo4FeS0GetHfIhj2UatfakMIjki090TWmq8rgWIWieApfLoUoaP8IYn7oyUgE45HJI4ZWRr4QpMMe_wsDXaFp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgKsYi9b9JruL0HYzMQUpt1k6L_tS1cXbnKq_iMVb-KktaBYsm00rMqOyo4FeS0GetHfIhj2UatfakMIjki090TWmq8rgWIWieApfLoUoaP8IYn7oyUgE45HJI4ZWRr4QpMMe_wsDXaFp/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-034.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Here’s the jack in place:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuNMfhTUiqVfqkCx8Fhp1GDiRXjZfD2ijfFisaWvZgvRPORsgaMXoDs5qWdj42looXiLDF5_5FDUk2fpTj2lu2Th0nSMjDPbuWvPEW2tYRPmb6DmPG2ob70B_-GOr9x3QF9Y385O4tOm4/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuNMfhTUiqVfqkCx8Fhp1GDiRXjZfD2ijfFisaWvZgvRPORsgaMXoDs5qWdj42looXiLDF5_5FDUk2fpTj2lu2Th0nSMjDPbuWvPEW2tYRPmb6DmPG2ob70B_-GOr9x3QF9Y385O4tOm4/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-037.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoHeufvSWS8satBqj4QyvPb70x029CGR-CNuVK9P7EihE3NX8N9mBgMBu2on-YKhX3xitR6b2Gvmmsl8iJoei2z7rXZw6bkqEcOj9MiHqnL6nEGX6TwJteS0iJR6Zkw3f8U2ojFE1x6ZB/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoHeufvSWS8satBqj4QyvPb70x029CGR-CNuVK9P7EihE3NX8N9mBgMBu2on-YKhX3xitR6b2Gvmmsl8iJoei2z7rXZw6bkqEcOj9MiHqnL6nEGX6TwJteS0iJR6Zkw3f8U2ojFE1x6ZB/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-036.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I wanted to make some sort of handle, but also use the handle to hold the amp in place. However, I’d like to be able to remove the amp at any stage to use with a different speaker, or even use a different amp with THIS speaker.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">So I attached a piece of leather like so:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQmQc5P8kyHdIJDDb21XtJpmzaTIInpaLkA_qzhCisy586WoPQdMG7N20OT977DXGIqBCGK3NGJMC9G3tOjTF5ygVa-127wBDwOT40Nv1rIL1U-0Ko2hA1nrYS5a_RHjl-pJfE5pnCaRj/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQmQc5P8kyHdIJDDb21XtJpmzaTIInpaLkA_qzhCisy586WoPQdMG7N20OT977DXGIqBCGK3NGJMC9G3tOjTF5ygVa-127wBDwOT40Nv1rIL1U-0Ko2hA1nrYS5a_RHjl-pJfE5pnCaRj/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-059.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFgQ3q4yEUndT2taRx0YQ6Ul3m7OS2NZRrXcNlQhlZ0ukZROcrXy5srUoGdZlRGvGAZmIjWmCPE2nHqbDU-YPdPT5dm6iD1OLCXDKl-k-TbUWBisNkSYF8rTRovL_75uUhisKqAGK2aG/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFgQ3q4yEUndT2taRx0YQ6Ul3m7OS2NZRrXcNlQhlZ0ukZROcrXy5srUoGdZlRGvGAZmIjWmCPE2nHqbDU-YPdPT5dm6iD1OLCXDKl-k-TbUWBisNkSYF8rTRovL_75uUhisKqAGK2aG/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-060.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now the jack gets wired up to the speaker:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0d64s5xz4ilPrAZcINnVkJUzH8ZmEEui8OTgZEu-Ywss5K5lpjKgUprHP5UtkGYnSBd6BbEvlhvSo7azdBWoH2GieT5kBo7CG0TXBbNG8xE66bhqOvjVBNyb6pS6C2nMGEp9N8yGXmce/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0d64s5xz4ilPrAZcINnVkJUzH8ZmEEui8OTgZEu-Ywss5K5lpjKgUprHP5UtkGYnSBd6BbEvlhvSo7azdBWoH2GieT5kBo7CG0TXBbNG8xE66bhqOvjVBNyb6pS6C2nMGEp9N8yGXmce/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-064.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And I used a couple of metal fasteners to hold the back cover on:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmwCpz-Q9uoBEfWkFROPNLGIIn5M9A1uMqA_jnmB5FJmpyhgB_-C9NC_rnRfg6jJ_qzk05dwFV8VfP296NcxDa6gmJNXoxoh6CjYUeQalCk7f8WE1HOyCGhDjyPH9ALzkTtRV9cNstTxZ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmwCpz-Q9uoBEfWkFROPNLGIIn5M9A1uMqA_jnmB5FJmpyhgB_-C9NC_rnRfg6jJ_qzk05dwFV8VfP296NcxDa6gmJNXoxoh6CjYUeQalCk7f8WE1HOyCGhDjyPH9ALzkTtRV9cNstTxZ/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-066.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">After a bit of a search, I found a suitably-sized grill to protect the speaker:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWkW7x_7jGKcWid2sC3mTjmQTa8fx4JlpQzkeMWV83l0spHV5qnUihuSpga1a-Ie7PTC9RvrVefD1YktjVNVu0iwUu-tmowWIEr7ml7Sl7sufEeQTYyrdW3rmkN8CnXxgzF1bNwWNID7o/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWkW7x_7jGKcWid2sC3mTjmQTa8fx4JlpQzkeMWV83l0spHV5qnUihuSpga1a-Ie7PTC9RvrVefD1YktjVNVu0iwUu-tmowWIEr7ml7Sl7sufEeQTYyrdW3rmkN8CnXxgzF1bNwWNID7o/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-075.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And here it is holding the Noisy Cricket in place:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvrJeYCtal6-zDR4X1kTKeua2S4tr9nGBtw_wvlhy-0EslTCV-vsBC8s4z8uy6k9STdi9f8HEdj7PLsOTD9nBxeZE87D-xqQaYiHyEC6nKQQ0JYtoVHQKV7mD_ogdyfTEaBDasS1M9evR/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvrJeYCtal6-zDR4X1kTKeua2S4tr9nGBtw_wvlhy-0EslTCV-vsBC8s4z8uy6k9STdi9f8HEdj7PLsOTD9nBxeZE87D-xqQaYiHyEC6nKQQ0JYtoVHQKV7mD_ogdyfTEaBDasS1M9evR/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-104.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS9XrKiS2RP4pkxkhnr3KZFgNmmJAsAsCW6mCDdt18Y-nVwik2qjcUKqA1Y5HPhEtq2V9c6ZwULOvUZOm-dyODP4bYxzRx3EoKNctiWuQT2gTW_JHl-oje7BFwMx7qddqpmhHG9ekcan9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS9XrKiS2RP4pkxkhnr3KZFgNmmJAsAsCW6mCDdt18Y-nVwik2qjcUKqA1Y5HPhEtq2V9c6ZwULOvUZOm-dyODP4bYxzRx3EoKNctiWuQT2gTW_JHl-oje7BFwMx7qddqpmhHG9ekcan9/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-105.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevaXF5p0y-jDU7FNAo3giY4RJ3dDgOvYXudiMkvN94ov-jqBB90zVA9bTjY3YHgYe-ba80YOGQZmhcdb8fikIC0507zmGL1_1TxKn-1_xgtijejrCLlnHB_SHQ02Pcjcw8XiVg6jbxr63/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevaXF5p0y-jDU7FNAo3giY4RJ3dDgOvYXudiMkvN94ov-jqBB90zVA9bTjY3YHgYe-ba80YOGQZmhcdb8fikIC0507zmGL1_1TxKn-1_xgtijejrCLlnHB_SHQ02Pcjcw8XiVg6jbxr63/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-106.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDp6zxHrgnCwHbhApKGGG2ybUUh2UN3IDIt8C6uNBMXH-8X-Inm13sZTNiU3uiFvCh670GJdH1Pl0D_65aoUVxPtvM7LcCkBj3yJtobgXkhn45whyphenhyphenL0tXWgUwG0nNjNQ-TGSLJuIJko2gS/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDp6zxHrgnCwHbhApKGGG2ybUUh2UN3IDIt8C6uNBMXH-8X-Inm13sZTNiU3uiFvCh670GJdH1Pl0D_65aoUVxPtvM7LcCkBj3yJtobgXkhn45whyphenhyphenL0tXWgUwG0nNjNQ-TGSLJuIJko2gS/s1600/Noisy-Cricket-Mk-II-build-107.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Finally here is a quick, dirty and extremely amateur demo of the amp. I probably should have planned what I was going to play before I started the camera rolling, but hopefully it will at the very least give you an idea what the amp sounds like.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/07dmUjyPju0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-30249185052649439462014-03-17T02:38:00.001-07:002014-03-20T19:46:11.634-07:00Cleaning up a Strat after being in long-term (humid) storage<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This very cool American Standard Stratocaster came in for a clean and a restring—normally a very straightforward job. However, it had been in storage for several years in a fairly humid environment and a lot of the metalwork, including the electrics, had become somewhat corroded. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zOqUm17CwESnsMfq7yOJWABwe_ondpe911n-1vfQnkCVeR_n3EuS43oSPZSEa0AP2iB1JfqgXWkdS70mNOfHsLqqoUHWFLsVngE-kuXqDIaC5ZwwssoACxqdOEsS4pfVZR6Kj8UfXNWa/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zOqUm17CwESnsMfq7yOJWABwe_ondpe911n-1vfQnkCVeR_n3EuS43oSPZSEa0AP2iB1JfqgXWkdS70mNOfHsLqqoUHWFLsVngE-kuXqDIaC5ZwwssoACxqdOEsS4pfVZR6Kj8UfXNWa/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It actually looks OK from that distance. Here are a few close-ups.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqTi-sNAll18wOmeFJU9Jmqazx3ClhQiBZvsKWft9U82Bsk19xoDbX2HuVPQ1PdLvRFW-FxdF7UCxBDYGFidurwnZGyGP5PwE_2wz9KswazkBE-9wniS666ppmYgTMRRkJCcOzB1p2lp_/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqTi-sNAll18wOmeFJU9Jmqazx3ClhQiBZvsKWft9U82Bsk19xoDbX2HuVPQ1PdLvRFW-FxdF7UCxBDYGFidurwnZGyGP5PwE_2wz9KswazkBE-9wniS666ppmYgTMRRkJCcOzB1p2lp_/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-006.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRFVEKA4UUi1f7xtRTJlLjsAnhc5BsWH1IIKFYjvTaHxRe_gpiFegtGAKyBM-49YEyURF7naxw4NxOaNFTNosw0LlRMClafHRgnbqyy2YH4qELZ0M20LTU_MmRAzi-TeFl6l9a6BtMCQ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRFVEKA4UUi1f7xtRTJlLjsAnhc5BsWH1IIKFYjvTaHxRe_gpiFegtGAKyBM-49YEyURF7naxw4NxOaNFTNosw0LlRMClafHRgnbqyy2YH4qELZ0M20LTU_MmRAzi-TeFl6l9a6BtMCQ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYb5mrPX4oK0zXmxFyzo51P4DChczm8n4Vjj7zlM-4qWXxKq289xUIz8gfqz0DCL7tC9hP70ljcHaOaG1VApkufaqnCZ3nFygRcgwKUVErp-dge4rYcP91ovqCft_aZSxnaIfyvBkW79-/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYb5mrPX4oK0zXmxFyzo51P4DChczm8n4Vjj7zlM-4qWXxKq289xUIz8gfqz0DCL7tC9hP70ljcHaOaG1VApkufaqnCZ3nFygRcgwKUVErp-dge4rYcP91ovqCft_aZSxnaIfyvBkW79-/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-021.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In addition to the dirt and grime, you can see that many of the screws have rusted quite badly. A quick test also revealed that the pots were scratchy, the switch was not working correctly and the output jack was making a lot of crackling noises.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A look down the neck shows corrosion on the frets, so these will need a bit of a clean and polish too.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oh and... is that… blood?</span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOK1ISQOzfH4tTc65YlAVK6aUxmTXOnhLZzXce4wGRlSa4Maxq0aYEGv6y3jcmeJWdXxpALVIS3DX0mbwkvMs5Z83w-vZJ64TBTF4ckI5bokZQlh68Bmo48ojNHRG_6hRrdymhRZFfDqW/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOK1ISQOzfH4tTc65YlAVK6aUxmTXOnhLZzXce4wGRlSa4Maxq0aYEGv6y3jcmeJWdXxpALVIS3DX0mbwkvMs5Z83w-vZJ64TBTF4ckI5bokZQlh68Bmo48ojNHRG_6hRrdymhRZFfDqW/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-024.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The only way to deal with this is to dismantle it, but before I do that I’m going to take some measurements since it was actually playing pretty nice and I don’t want to change that if I can help it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Measuring the saddle positions:</span> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV1-JRUg_MpdntIK8EhGxE9_vNSOgqeNKZ8UhlyroNOFJ_fzvDfW8AQWyjOEF8NcTVLdZ4l0n2280Uw7c7c2aNqBHLjRT3lMZvtS-sEqjIRotAr73WA4TiKxO3m0vO1uNUVnqfpLv1QRQ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV1-JRUg_MpdntIK8EhGxE9_vNSOgqeNKZ8UhlyroNOFJ_fzvDfW8AQWyjOEF8NcTVLdZ4l0n2280Uw7c7c2aNqBHLjRT3lMZvtS-sEqjIRotAr73WA4TiKxO3m0vO1uNUVnqfpLv1QRQ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-033.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And the pickup heights:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOrQYCDXFbFgNKaBvjqLI3c5PUz993CDMaHuGOYknhSg9yYKY4grj64K59NuxWb-PTtYqzwixhEchcdMDx3VHsx5JD7efy3EG-wAnTwLnF_G3E1uz7FVzBZ1BISZN28nET9_duJO4siaI/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOrQYCDXFbFgNKaBvjqLI3c5PUz993CDMaHuGOYknhSg9yYKY4grj64K59NuxWb-PTtYqzwixhEchcdMDx3VHsx5JD7efy3EG-wAnTwLnF_G3E1uz7FVzBZ1BISZN28nET9_duJO4siaI/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-034.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">First we remove the strings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfap3st1ZpYt4rhJuh6Ur8oaizsgFxK55tuzhGqZP684TRt3mmjR5cxHFg2ws_xhPSDWCiAo10Uesr7pd-A20eaGSHYJt9q75ZRNHKWE3p75wmATTUwMAJSWyTh-paPSsUP0deGScQqni/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfap3st1ZpYt4rhJuh6Ur8oaizsgFxK55tuzhGqZP684TRt3mmjR5cxHFg2ws_xhPSDWCiAo10Uesr7pd-A20eaGSHYJt9q75ZRNHKWE3p75wmATTUwMAJSWyTh-paPSsUP0deGScQqni/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-035.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Let's deal with the tremolo next. First we remove the rear tremolo cover.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Mm8fNviFszR3NetsAp9eognPseosa6W2Nlz24NHcY2G4-0r1qkmikUoPeieOS9VVaG8DcNLVCpt0_o3ZOJ58BZ3yFUTIJvoHzNE-W1ueaSXhN2e5Y8if3eNdVko1kTyJDHM5Z1JqQ7IS/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Mm8fNviFszR3NetsAp9eognPseosa6W2Nlz24NHcY2G4-0r1qkmikUoPeieOS9VVaG8DcNLVCpt0_o3ZOJ58BZ3yFUTIJvoHzNE-W1ueaSXhN2e5Y8if3eNdVko1kTyJDHM5Z1JqQ7IS/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-036.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE9te9SLYYqLnW-DJUlqMifgqCUpDm61nnSSNOisdfGLdnCLoR9A8MqyPp7jvl3vPF0DSRnuSonz6p_Ckkt0GvfkuepC2_BQXVicRG2Abr0IG54rBimETmYzJKJWbYxwIFHd_Ps_Ej9Va/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE9te9SLYYqLnW-DJUlqMifgqCUpDm61nnSSNOisdfGLdnCLoR9A8MqyPp7jvl3vPF0DSRnuSonz6p_Ckkt0GvfkuepC2_BQXVicRG2Abr0IG54rBimETmYzJKJWbYxwIFHd_Ps_Ej9Va/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-037.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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See the mould? Not the first time I've seen that on a guitar here in Taiwan. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqPrPCPe5A3AYeSe4lrl5Fb3ziyTYSomCIFR-cp4ysA8WpVg6zwq62M2IPejNLypjIK1rRBQOQFXRUHvOAowxWp1WJzYSgAQ6953MZZi4Iq-QOSWsX5BhSp-VxmJQiSWpVi-bVrVSGHo0/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqPrPCPe5A3AYeSe4lrl5Fb3ziyTYSomCIFR-cp4ysA8WpVg6zwq62M2IPejNLypjIK1rRBQOQFXRUHvOAowxWp1WJzYSgAQ6953MZZi4Iq-QOSWsX5BhSp-VxmJQiSWpVi-bVrVSGHo0/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-038.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We can lift out the tremolo springs by hand since the strings have already been removed (note the rust on the end of the spring).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakWoHLlPP7V_5fTn604l7AZUbu1qIE3A-f3CTmnChr6IBR-Hu97MDuaRjju6h7xVGmLsLISb-y82dhk2Pjg6YSaRR_0aTPgFyjYUdVTG8YZLL6rL8kQH47ly7nAsjy_EJg4RNhALAySfu/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakWoHLlPP7V_5fTn604l7AZUbu1qIE3A-f3CTmnChr6IBR-Hu97MDuaRjju6h7xVGmLsLISb-y82dhk2Pjg6YSaRR_0aTPgFyjYUdVTG8YZLL6rL8kQH47ly7nAsjy_EJg4RNhALAySfu/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-039.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then we carefully lift up the guitar, leaving the tremolo unit sitting on the bench since there is no longer anything holding it in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSGtPsb0Ou7dMd8N1Csd3Tz3NPN3i2dNcKMty5wIOBWlOrerJKRr6J-jpBpxxOWUcwcRRiwwCZwizFzFa3QXIZGb-pXsgBiPpNk0gbVIV0QHIBDmsYD9psskXKeyOshbXLIIYbOLsIToq/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSGtPsb0Ou7dMd8N1Csd3Tz3NPN3i2dNcKMty5wIOBWlOrerJKRr6J-jpBpxxOWUcwcRRiwwCZwizFzFa3QXIZGb-pXsgBiPpNk0gbVIV0QHIBDmsYD9psskXKeyOshbXLIIYbOLsIToq/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-041.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Finally (as far as the tremolo goes), we remove the studs—these were just screwed all the way in so no need to take measurements in this case).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy4m8PbleDn7_GR8t1cTMKABywoqmlKmkAcedN3TlxN___kek8F4i9RwHr5qdtguNHvXiQGYO-QKQS1jH9XeqZVUemBv-7xa2IuImA8c5M8jg5zqGj6I3Rabj7fIpYodBNNRWWVYqyOcT/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy4m8PbleDn7_GR8t1cTMKABywoqmlKmkAcedN3TlxN___kek8F4i9RwHr5qdtguNHvXiQGYO-QKQS1jH9XeqZVUemBv-7xa2IuImA8c5M8jg5zqGj6I3Rabj7fIpYodBNNRWWVYqyOcT/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-042.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSz0YDpVYZ5l1it9RLvCjRxk50ZCVZjyz3UzSeItDhnLvgEuH-yvP6FW1ZnsBSTlaioo0wNVQ_fSJxxGduL1NIadofdyerfR76HFI-bE2E1j8umePfROoOInoB8-SlwNFbVMBf9ilf-IH/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSz0YDpVYZ5l1it9RLvCjRxk50ZCVZjyz3UzSeItDhnLvgEuH-yvP6FW1ZnsBSTlaioo0wNVQ_fSJxxGduL1NIadofdyerfR76HFI-bE2E1j8umePfROoOInoB8-SlwNFbVMBf9ilf-IH/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-043.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now it’s time to remove the scratchplate/pickguard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj9UamvWyMtojz1jUWBp4baXoJ4JCIy1UdQhgVIXFbzYKLE_UFnAnNNHiI4DESsHUHjBheReS1hcmBca84yQTjAqKimjcJanlcdhnZPL35sqeycAuWaY0SecbqdGUL9aMF-8yG7-9iCbm/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj9UamvWyMtojz1jUWBp4baXoJ4JCIy1UdQhgVIXFbzYKLE_UFnAnNNHiI4DESsHUHjBheReS1hcmBca84yQTjAqKimjcJanlcdhnZPL35sqeycAuWaY0SecbqdGUL9aMF-8yG7-9iCbm/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-044.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZS4UEDXi3CvxXZm3xic5TW0U9LkRDBpz91QzjtaQiWavVHSXg6nAmvEnYqZGVoEF4QlLilOqEdOGbyHbnPM_ibzbZXQlIntpaQmFStDEGZbKNcZDOulRtGusbxpgQEbT4juvxubpowoP/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZS4UEDXi3CvxXZm3xic5TW0U9LkRDBpz91QzjtaQiWavVHSXg6nAmvEnYqZGVoEF4QlLilOqEdOGbyHbnPM_ibzbZXQlIntpaQmFStDEGZbKNcZDOulRtGusbxpgQEbT4juvxubpowoP/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-049.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Some of those screws were awfully rusty. We’ll deal with that later.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGmGLAE1ml0vEMlhroB9A-My5YY7cccShvm8PWzPniXm1I46sfLNLHTDIRSN9zCJwNnH2dA-UiALTvx0R3D_h5yeImeITO396Skl9UCpE_3UbnOhNRE5hHDYO_28t4nq_NtZv4cQnOI1l/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGmGLAE1ml0vEMlhroB9A-My5YY7cccShvm8PWzPniXm1I46sfLNLHTDIRSN9zCJwNnH2dA-UiALTvx0R3D_h5yeImeITO396Skl9UCpE_3UbnOhNRE5hHDYO_28t4nq_NtZv4cQnOI1l/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-046.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now the neck. Four screws and off it comes:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVj45kHdHAgj9UDHhYiI9jkKPaZ2AF7kLaGNg7tOWQekP6TzD5V5y-otwX7jQkiJ9oFM6JOayRoMktVeSrJBWg4Honn1MtwGsuof92B3I5cmOdSP1dfQkC_ZCX8O8IeEzcJGlo7c6cEdI/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVj45kHdHAgj9UDHhYiI9jkKPaZ2AF7kLaGNg7tOWQekP6TzD5V5y-otwX7jQkiJ9oFM6JOayRoMktVeSrJBWg4Honn1MtwGsuof92B3I5cmOdSP1dfQkC_ZCX8O8IeEzcJGlo7c6cEdI/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-050.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Both the neck stamp and the body stamp confirm what the serial number suggests—that the guitar was made in 1989.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96IkORRjAWNYMA91vUEx5KnXDwstBK2Kr6THVhFi1docnuvXTZqb92oHcA6Z6MRCAUDVQZLf3CuHaoByKcxkRzycalOGTYZ_q_dxqCnPs0F-oW6PbWhMpBazfQ0OBu2QcODcp0_OXUagv/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96IkORRjAWNYMA91vUEx5KnXDwstBK2Kr6THVhFi1docnuvXTZqb92oHcA6Z6MRCAUDVQZLf3CuHaoByKcxkRzycalOGTYZ_q_dxqCnPs0F-oW6PbWhMpBazfQ0OBu2QcODcp0_OXUagv/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-051.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTDCGQP1y6SWni9A8RNw4Zrs6ApCLYKAxZffnBD1vEEAtQidgpj2eUUoCHmQbp7qAnsmdjIfplqUGYF50MjqVfbERKBCPYch286TVNk48orzPkxGGWPrKQlj6lhEZT1pKE86_J1QLxpN5/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTDCGQP1y6SWni9A8RNw4Zrs6ApCLYKAxZffnBD1vEEAtQidgpj2eUUoCHmQbp7qAnsmdjIfplqUGYF50MjqVfbERKBCPYch286TVNk48orzPkxGGWPrKQlj6lhEZT1pKE86_J1QLxpN5/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-054.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Check out the corrosion on those frets.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQcAH6Il-xuv_eiHmCnv6eTFKp_eHsXvgfL1RQvqPJiHN_yrZd7BNP8mpS7xWpX6vYwm9kHtyxKHoU-peGSvVfRvGsJVx8P4uV0vtW4JkPB36nk9DGNOe-nct9MLsmgRggqnhlzfOE2th/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-053.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQcAH6Il-xuv_eiHmCnv6eTFKp_eHsXvgfL1RQvqPJiHN_yrZd7BNP8mpS7xWpX6vYwm9kHtyxKHoU-peGSvVfRvGsJVx8P4uV0vtW4JkPB36nk9DGNOe-nct9MLsmgRggqnhlzfOE2th/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-053.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The jack socket plate needs removing too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zm_P56ep0QjXXJ1wQGbsiBaK5_ZWVYztqVkVGmdWvol5aR0Lt3norA6B8jUGYzmAjFDQ4ft-1LY83sCTQ5kblmumAF9VvZSNpXeIEHEAZjM6_gSwrVW27pVq0leJIsSwmjgNPyGh5RDB/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zm_P56ep0QjXXJ1wQGbsiBaK5_ZWVYztqVkVGmdWvol5aR0Lt3norA6B8jUGYzmAjFDQ4ft-1LY83sCTQ5kblmumAF9VvZSNpXeIEHEAZjM6_gSwrVW27pVq0leJIsSwmjgNPyGh5RDB/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-055.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCV9qlfMyM-3P5kabknp-talCu99EM_xn0xRQI9inyyCJ2H4ac2QAFWwueBjOTFhinYLs8cqZv866GNj5ZSviaRg3NA8xxf30HfsuQwGMYrmhPSfQxZq05KC5K05gUvmgtXeXW4IYsN7s/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCV9qlfMyM-3P5kabknp-talCu99EM_xn0xRQI9inyyCJ2H4ac2QAFWwueBjOTFhinYLs8cqZv866GNj5ZSviaRg3NA8xxf30HfsuQwGMYrmhPSfQxZq05KC5K05gUvmgtXeXW4IYsN7s/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-057.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">You can see above how tarnished the jack is., I’m going to try to clean this with contact cleaner, but experience tells me that it’s not going to be enough and that I’m going to end up replacing it anyway (and guess what, I did).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Let’s have a look under the scratchplate.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArFoajOP3oTnHzjzqtwcch36Rkhy-wIE97PNfjV6QygYKrsU5eEVy8RyHyEJisc0TW_rZln0-paqVZaXNzTf-2tLwsE-HSTBULjPtgzC626NLX3Z38TNw1Iaucj6KXtwxYyVLmo1HqYR5/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArFoajOP3oTnHzjzqtwcch36Rkhy-wIE97PNfjV6QygYKrsU5eEVy8RyHyEJisc0TW_rZln0-paqVZaXNzTf-2tLwsE-HSTBULjPtgzC626NLX3Z38TNw1Iaucj6KXtwxYyVLmo1HqYR5/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-060.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> It looks OK till you have a closer look at the switch. As you can see, it’s also suffered from corrosion. No wonder it was cutting out.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfqrKJfUSj5_pw7aHKmSP9uaEO9HGS9yTQTMhnvocn7b8TAEZtXKeKwajgm_CvYzG1E1LXUCbgqZGkLmi4LPvFi3s-oA7BClLHVxP5ausa2Y45Peb-1COkUF3YUVJd9Smi1y5jUJ5Lav6/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfqrKJfUSj5_pw7aHKmSP9uaEO9HGS9yTQTMhnvocn7b8TAEZtXKeKwajgm_CvYzG1E1LXUCbgqZGkLmi4LPvFi3s-oA7BClLHVxP5ausa2Y45Peb-1COkUF3YUVJd9Smi1y5jUJ5Lav6/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-063.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Both the pots and the switch get some attention with the contact cleaner.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabBm0JtzOQzH0QJy3BDbMDbGstNbPt3eGINdtgoWJz05o3YE-xD6-i5RVqK9Fqnof7LCIFK4maRsKcYrP1XFTsK6j4vq_vk6eQ7m_sAmS7OwM46va8gJRIuAd7g2n68xwl943t1vQshL/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirabBm0JtzOQzH0QJy3BDbMDbGstNbPt3eGINdtgoWJz05o3YE-xD6-i5RVqK9Fqnof7LCIFK4maRsKcYrP1XFTsK6j4vq_vk6eQ7m_sAmS7OwM46va8gJRIuAd7g2n68xwl943t1vQshL/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-073.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QAqwNeAmlSkk_awnwkGxgN4etRBfCiNBriyD146wKoG51-n_oi7_6O-KUH5uW5a80cb00IFIKTuk_afW3wDEgs1x9iQHCBqYF7XDSiZMCJA8zWCTCBpFXg7xxJ3FmpEgl3t2IoVNdaiD/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QAqwNeAmlSkk_awnwkGxgN4etRBfCiNBriyD146wKoG51-n_oi7_6O-KUH5uW5a80cb00IFIKTuk_afW3wDEgs1x9iQHCBqYF7XDSiZMCJA8zWCTCBpFXg7xxJ3FmpEgl3t2IoVNdaiD/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-074.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After applying that, I make sure to twist all three pots back and forth several times and move the switch between positions repeatedly in order to let the clearer do its work before it dries out too much.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AqaQqi7kZI92f9zTPFO04kwQINucfP5CYmSvltffGNS7zOCSEcoFKcVLQ3D70Jb0iSETdP2xf9aWDRiOKHEdtMm3E9J0oBDLcSdCcJRb_GO-32-bo_8fnUa9tnp_GUYgLOq0rZHW0Ayn/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AqaQqi7kZI92f9zTPFO04kwQINucfP5CYmSvltffGNS7zOCSEcoFKcVLQ3D70Jb0iSETdP2xf9aWDRiOKHEdtMm3E9J0oBDLcSdCcJRb_GO-32-bo_8fnUa9tnp_GUYgLOq0rZHW0Ayn/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-075.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Back to the body finish for a moment, I tried naptha first, but some of this grime is just too stubborn (most of it actually), so I switched to Pledge. Pledge did a great job. Just remember that this stuff leaves a wax residue, so never spray it directly onto strings, for example.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJTPmhgMow4fg7iOOEnkzciia5PX-QR4y4fONEQonIFVLr_-wNCTr7d1OzJjcOJaMbqMObodwM8bdplM5eI9aY7_PCxH0hKf_n41o3hDbGflpfTT72oTt8S6dV-QqUO8Khz47hC1c3Y7Z/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJTPmhgMow4fg7iOOEnkzciia5PX-QR4y4fONEQonIFVLr_-wNCTr7d1OzJjcOJaMbqMObodwM8bdplM5eI9aY7_PCxH0hKf_n41o3hDbGflpfTT72oTt8S6dV-QqUO8Khz47hC1c3Y7Z/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-071.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As for the scratchplate, let’s get those knobs and switch tip off first. I was able to pull these off by hand, though there are tricks for if these just won’t budge (such as wrapping a shoelace around the bottom of them and pulling up). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyb1X1QT8uRBUqPJvCrEQHhIkLpSTTwFN7Sxw_pnSR_WrIv4dhP7YvRCIlJZDjJIAdmY5dNKYsd-wMc2M3yhSr1XeT-6uJBXnzI0YZb7VHYfuv0TJ5ubeBztQRMIvv7svZ3sxjXKloNhC/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyb1X1QT8uRBUqPJvCrEQHhIkLpSTTwFN7Sxw_pnSR_WrIv4dhP7YvRCIlJZDjJIAdmY5dNKYsd-wMc2M3yhSr1XeT-6uJBXnzI0YZb7VHYfuv0TJ5ubeBztQRMIvv7svZ3sxjXKloNhC/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-078.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBNBUVdrTcf6qLuMuU3yDEMmS42JsWwXXGazuzCcJtWdI2kShshwel0HZMsyEkMxzlmrfvZT7hR092QtbVblTHUj_30MWq798b3LJn0j13N2eGldLFxPP00T_Y68kxmJ9HOOT0BcDyzne/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBNBUVdrTcf6qLuMuU3yDEMmS42JsWwXXGazuzCcJtWdI2kShshwel0HZMsyEkMxzlmrfvZT7hR092QtbVblTHUj_30MWq798b3LJn0j13N2eGldLFxPP00T_Y68kxmJ9HOOT0BcDyzne/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-077.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I don’t want to remove the switch if I can help it, so I take off one screw at a time to clean them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC8YXkbdUzti8QeRiWs4wCWX_M07aVUspA3AmItc2ewnYRb1AMVqDg2itrt6KHUpVq9wz7FxONnrbri6NNvs9URC30EUHst7Dnuxm0QULqYOUeqO_vtpGf1H80s78q1c_VkKGY9mDuU6Y/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC8YXkbdUzti8QeRiWs4wCWX_M07aVUspA3AmItc2ewnYRb1AMVqDg2itrt6KHUpVq9wz7FxONnrbri6NNvs9URC30EUHst7Dnuxm0QULqYOUeqO_vtpGf1H80s78q1c_VkKGY9mDuU6Y/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-079.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While the screw's off, I take the opportunity to clean that area of the scratchplate.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO8KdO9neYUD-iHWqLK-bmUFsmeP2ZkXEDRHrwZaIMWHG_6bu8xkFtVNBJHQSHuUXtEkHf61t8ynWKelXiMHOFCOiQZe7-J8W-WdNSfMBwwpD85uu0ghB1RGnX1vPxNzS4KLHVeqDhwAX/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO8KdO9neYUD-iHWqLK-bmUFsmeP2ZkXEDRHrwZaIMWHG_6bu8xkFtVNBJHQSHuUXtEkHf61t8ynWKelXiMHOFCOiQZe7-J8W-WdNSfMBwwpD85uu0ghB1RGnX1vPxNzS4KLHVeqDhwAX/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-082.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">These (and all of the other screws) are held in a vice and cleaned with a wire brush one by one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKjaIfm561bQ9m96qTelbU4OYQmXjn9oA_RzsP3hvpClo_ypXT2oWk7oQ40rLjuZoaznclZLqNsO9z5uV0Ooow2NS0OeKpLX6zlu-P8ObMfmes2GU3wFb4d71X4QK6ZgDheJpn_weATYL/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKjaIfm561bQ9m96qTelbU4OYQmXjn9oA_RzsP3hvpClo_ypXT2oWk7oQ40rLjuZoaznclZLqNsO9z5uV0Ooow2NS0OeKpLX6zlu-P8ObMfmes2GU3wFb4d71X4QK6ZgDheJpn_weATYL/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-087.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The scratchplate itself is cleaned with Pledge. Most of it cleaned up pretty easily except a stubborn red mark (wait, was that blood too?), but that too came off eventually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gAyt7W-ek7maZC98cE9S1bKhi8EpKyS4crwrU8c6RLOX9YloIiQwABzKVSyoSlAnnYwCDAk7kqEvrtrljIDqBqfP4Oa-XLOkPD9Kdu6cQXMT6UAmtfWap2yDKAuPZ2Bg0wi_MECCvDTO/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gAyt7W-ek7maZC98cE9S1bKhi8EpKyS4crwrU8c6RLOX9YloIiQwABzKVSyoSlAnnYwCDAk7kqEvrtrljIDqBqfP4Oa-XLOkPD9Kdu6cQXMT6UAmtfWap2yDKAuPZ2Bg0wi_MECCvDTO/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-083.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The scratchplate is screwed back on at this point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhMo_IpFbApuq0uCYoAusZSISgXclwKtW1iMaXPXBDiwODkRF48CsIbvtBeePz5pZL8UEbYSl3jAFpKZzfkL3WHtB1ff2aeALz6ILu7V-J54d5IAUhxVRiUg7od6Wo-eX6vEpZUCeaXv8/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhMo_IpFbApuq0uCYoAusZSISgXclwKtW1iMaXPXBDiwODkRF48CsIbvtBeePz5pZL8UEbYSl3jAFpKZzfkL3WHtB1ff2aeALz6ILu7V-J54d5IAUhxVRiUg7od6Wo-eX6vEpZUCeaXv8/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-085.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The knobs and switch tip are cleaned in soapy water with a toothbrush.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uGuaTsqp1AJNCA3l5e_5f9iBAVOnN05QdVjyJze_bgaUx7x2JDpOXYve1uuS2RLYxabNuwKLUf0-dP_HphOx1DKuXr87LoJcJU3H5n_7hWYMUzS8MteQZxQnbJO8SSTQH5eXcN0l-B-9/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uGuaTsqp1AJNCA3l5e_5f9iBAVOnN05QdVjyJze_bgaUx7x2JDpOXYve1uuS2RLYxabNuwKLUf0-dP_HphOx1DKuXr87LoJcJU3H5n_7hWYMUzS8MteQZxQnbJO8SSTQH5eXcN0l-B-9/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-089.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And there they are back in place looking lovely, I’m sure you’ll agree. (I guess at some stage in this guitar’s life someone replaced the lower TONE knob.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWfa3t4Tyt2pz853H-_Qaw1YgLOmwaXSkLgYUq8bgopssUT3N5wg8mndi1aG2_YWYoCNi_L_Rk-zqxKrg6FljpRr456fOjrvbyhMCyip-zIIQIyEnRpHdEbLsooS0cfMJSexNtLxe7IuV/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWfa3t4Tyt2pz853H-_Qaw1YgLOmwaXSkLgYUq8bgopssUT3N5wg8mndi1aG2_YWYoCNi_L_Rk-zqxKrg6FljpRr456fOjrvbyhMCyip-zIIQIyEnRpHdEbLsooS0cfMJSexNtLxe7IuV/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-090.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The jack plate is replaced after having been cleaned with Autosol metal polish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRu1G61kKMagLXrKbbAR8hK-gAw69ITzP7wsHPOlqwzZZ3imCA4hCLyUrQ0IZKac6-50uukb0flC74PTXAy4eGoegjSIudzefLt92F7lVb-hoUeRdp55G1hx9rKW3zmE4HCHb1Xe_sRWmS/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRu1G61kKMagLXrKbbAR8hK-gAw69ITzP7wsHPOlqwzZZ3imCA4hCLyUrQ0IZKac6-50uukb0flC74PTXAy4eGoegjSIudzefLt92F7lVb-hoUeRdp55G1hx9rKW3zmE4HCHb1Xe_sRWmS/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-093.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now we need to deal with the tremolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_wYVpZb8UxUD2PoKno7J9zPBMEo1gtRyqFmOzKt7jb68l4jS35osLWlMlGMUy6rheMjRMmb7O42G_8iQIpC5yHvdp6zkQUVUuunttiCxXaw4LVfnE2Y28BLdA_Y3c9xgo0qfOEg00tDA/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_wYVpZb8UxUD2PoKno7J9zPBMEo1gtRyqFmOzKt7jb68l4jS35osLWlMlGMUy6rheMjRMmb7O42G_8iQIpC5yHvdp6zkQUVUuunttiCxXaw4LVfnE2Y28BLdA_Y3c9xgo0qfOEg00tDA/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-094.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I don’t want to change the heights of the saddles, so I set them aside in order.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9IOaguQVzzrXsVLU3aXRERSKq2VZDECNiYc2Itw6REncjNZ5MohUCiAFalrFmF_G-JXYpFNwX0Ee5Lxu4H2AYlw3AhPeY6OeliTbGftiiqQMb4EUYEU4aOxB-miT2mfbbbSzFwNkUgDU/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9IOaguQVzzrXsVLU3aXRERSKq2VZDECNiYc2Itw6REncjNZ5MohUCiAFalrFmF_G-JXYpFNwX0Ee5Lxu4H2AYlw3AhPeY6OeliTbGftiiqQMb4EUYEU4aOxB-miT2mfbbbSzFwNkUgDU/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-096.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The screws and springs go in a dish of oil.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsan22ZfWEevZPN7RoE9gbwhEC-P3iS3Z04_ZYAaf0cp2mO50kjpaYFBYg_Pxy8u98sZbz1CYAT7ME6Hl43hIeup12K3sa27btWWiUzLwDnv8CC4-lHcsxy6gQ3RbW_YKEf7-Xu9GfVmy/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsan22ZfWEevZPN7RoE9gbwhEC-P3iS3Z04_ZYAaf0cp2mO50kjpaYFBYg_Pxy8u98sZbz1CYAT7ME6Hl43hIeup12K3sa27btWWiUzLwDnv8CC4-lHcsxy6gQ3RbW_YKEf7-Xu9GfVmy/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-099.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Meanwhile it’s a lot easier to tackle the tremolo base plate now that it's dismantled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Before:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxGVuZvCGU284OQ17shvTlsEKs0NzxE_QwuRSYt8H5PVhgzaf6mVyC6qqibV_3HWgUCYmUttRXnPS2wOd_s9oyW8uWZ1qu8ABpNNZTEkR6ZoWQqnSqsc_65Aw7YSGj5PzMPThpFs3e4Ev/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxGVuZvCGU284OQ17shvTlsEKs0NzxE_QwuRSYt8H5PVhgzaf6mVyC6qqibV_3HWgUCYmUttRXnPS2wOd_s9oyW8uWZ1qu8ABpNNZTEkR6ZoWQqnSqsc_65Aw7YSGj5PzMPThpFs3e4Ev/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-097.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhO5DnEmhSJvLMwBQtn0GfgtPlbhc_JitYpz1jo0nWkB3lTNRTW_HeYAF9JffNyWHupdidAZOVTyYnPbcSGGde8Zdwxps7794RilP_E232o9fDVbEn_0UycaFNWgLCuTworj3rIFZjeW-/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhO5DnEmhSJvLMwBQtn0GfgtPlbhc_JitYpz1jo0nWkB3lTNRTW_HeYAF9JffNyWHupdidAZOVTyYnPbcSGGde8Zdwxps7794RilP_E232o9fDVbEn_0UycaFNWgLCuTworj3rIFZjeW-/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-098.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The saddles themselves are simply brushed with a soft brush. I don’t want to change the saddle heights if I can help it and the saddles are in pretty good condition anyway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHD7LrhBc__kbctaE3uAO6nR_Uzt10YSAle6Wp9JV4eJTkIRZef5Hf9BQV-vvAc6mzgnvE3GFBXHK9zBayxtiRp3aLhCgfYoD_7wgjimyGnTjT-1R0PQ3NoTuaWNYlUWzg3UMV9pDm2-w/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHD7LrhBc__kbctaE3uAO6nR_Uzt10YSAle6Wp9JV4eJTkIRZef5Hf9BQV-vvAc6mzgnvE3GFBXHK9zBayxtiRp3aLhCgfYoD_7wgjimyGnTjT-1R0PQ3NoTuaWNYlUWzg3UMV9pDm2-w/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-100.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The screws and springs are given a quick scrub with a toothbrush.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJlkpVQY7ri2HjLKXVu9BZe7XSdwt007ubHfLLJ8Nits81Q0-eXo-60U7om7eKlQlPdMl7oxMsaeKZdTirOZHDga2fdMo1iU5Mbn9lARg6oNWVmNn2hOYCgu4UGFNrDBbqQRuqnR5O9QK/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJlkpVQY7ri2HjLKXVu9BZe7XSdwt007ubHfLLJ8Nits81Q0-eXo-60U7om7eKlQlPdMl7oxMsaeKZdTirOZHDga2fdMo1iU5Mbn9lARg6oNWVmNn2hOYCgu4UGFNrDBbqQRuqnR5O9QK/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-102.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And the tremolo unit is put back together with the saddles put in their original positions as measured at the beginning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE6fLnyonX8NYON3aBJFSXblbJlzvuR4nsdwWR9CZ9qz6P823G4yaY7mdobFbamWIGMKb3b85f_gQkKF1Znj5ZHwdVsnda2Fpi26NNlClKmbEHP_gDvRjbZ7B7gx3kbw-IqXrnSgDgtS0/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE6fLnyonX8NYON3aBJFSXblbJlzvuR4nsdwWR9CZ9qz6P823G4yaY7mdobFbamWIGMKb3b85f_gQkKF1Znj5ZHwdVsnda2Fpi26NNlClKmbEHP_gDvRjbZ7B7gx3kbw-IqXrnSgDgtS0/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-103.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Before putting the tremolo studs back on the guitar, some petroleum jelly is placed on the threads and also on the little collar where the tremolo unit will lean against. This will act as a lubricant and help stop any undesirable creaking noises, etc when using the tremolo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE8XvkqCx08rFJlKCRqTdFMaqekHFznkrdUUKSxDdIC8dYNWHzuI1d8RU2QR1XgQcY3mLo_KAHqpOGObmpWP3WrdaiD3h7Rqzrvr8l8iTpL8ThegRkbBqEeO6t3gwpnGrpnl71EaYEUBc/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE8XvkqCx08rFJlKCRqTdFMaqekHFznkrdUUKSxDdIC8dYNWHzuI1d8RU2QR1XgQcY3mLo_KAHqpOGObmpWP3WrdaiD3h7Rqzrvr8l8iTpL8ThegRkbBqEeO6t3gwpnGrpnl71EaYEUBc/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-104.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The studs and the tremolo are placed back into the guitar and it is carefully flipped over (remember there’s nothing holding the tremolo unit in place at this stage).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvhbnXIbiqn7LO4mGfP5uBGc7oFRYAd39GarsZiUhvoUkzNJwtKzNdeOWAdyoPWJe3pXcHVBUYeWO7YC8zawqsxleizPqfeGQg9-qJn-IoBi8S-r0bPTAF4OcjvsCgwaUTZfXf0ZIBFO1/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvhbnXIbiqn7LO4mGfP5uBGc7oFRYAd39GarsZiUhvoUkzNJwtKzNdeOWAdyoPWJe3pXcHVBUYeWO7YC8zawqsxleizPqfeGQg9-qJn-IoBi8S-r0bPTAF4OcjvsCgwaUTZfXf0ZIBFO1/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-105.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Before putting the tremolo springs back on, they get a quick clean and are then also given some petroleum jelly at both ends for the same reasons as outlined above.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73qZENETTkrFf3r3w4956MTRZz0zZYSmnSrbKtwmg8ZC5tGp29e_WeF_WMCSmWHpQdnas_0njvXdNIVVZr-SjxHDPvy-VdIP7u7C0iEO3YxyozsmQs51xAGUmBUa7OjHxuq0d3lIb-XoZ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73qZENETTkrFf3r3w4956MTRZz0zZYSmnSrbKtwmg8ZC5tGp29e_WeF_WMCSmWHpQdnas_0njvXdNIVVZr-SjxHDPvy-VdIP7u7C0iEO3YxyozsmQs51xAGUmBUa7OjHxuq0d3lIb-XoZ/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-107.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0PAja_Y30lQGkBsOAPyF61EbfpAsdL4SyzrQNhs3eH2QFX7pco_wBdMrkmEdGmEWgI_kCo7LNV1CLOYGZkNZ7tAA7ZLZ3ZXuiv15DfWSJ-JXdUvcCxx-gK0YZaE_Fpxzscgv3yjZlcEl/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0PAja_Y30lQGkBsOAPyF61EbfpAsdL4SyzrQNhs3eH2QFX7pco_wBdMrkmEdGmEWgI_kCo7LNV1CLOYGZkNZ7tAA7ZLZ3ZXuiv15DfWSJ-JXdUvcCxx-gK0YZaE_Fpxzscgv3yjZlcEl/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-108.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Next, we clean up the neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After an initial clean with Pledge, each fret is cleaned with 0000 steel wool, using a fretboard protector to, well, protect the fretboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7cjZK9AEqbSEeC9auFLGNiQFAAZQGozwZ3BCg_QIp2EphVu0M2bYpqBAIlqnwtKlrSu5_mvWJmk0GLt7A-Iphc6uUhO_c78EQUyRhpoycsI1i3swH39sO75wQZSb28RFDH_FGod_kJ8A/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7cjZK9AEqbSEeC9auFLGNiQFAAZQGozwZ3BCg_QIp2EphVu0M2bYpqBAIlqnwtKlrSu5_mvWJmk0GLt7A-Iphc6uUhO_c78EQUyRhpoycsI1i3swH39sO75wQZSb28RFDH_FGod_kJ8A/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-111.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Polishing compound is then used on both the frets and the fretboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE47mS7y6bbkJSJi3E9ywYiCaCuvroRnsSYrOR_e28YK5TjEzdyE-0epZfqOlL53Ia1eItoSKavzT3alJdimfUYc2KvzbE_APtZ1H-nnGEqJxNlSOa9KrWZ4aP6Kh12EmPdT0rW3c4RSyF/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE47mS7y6bbkJSJi3E9ywYiCaCuvroRnsSYrOR_e28YK5TjEzdyE-0epZfqOlL53Ia1eItoSKavzT3alJdimfUYc2KvzbE_APtZ1H-nnGEqJxNlSOa9KrWZ4aP6Kh12EmPdT0rW3c4RSyF/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-112.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> The nut slots are cleaned out with a dental floss thing. I’m really not sure what they’re called.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd3Q33BBkoTEY8lNf4TCntUJzf0tGkIaxsS9oM4vhXI_KUKonqH3Iwmkab4EKkOcGnyaK6c8LwmXR2r2k9BbjtzFMIVUfvdN5StBsZP8x4G5Z1y57rGxmWyDxI_Bus3CpDUArZ3frNJiH/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd3Q33BBkoTEY8lNf4TCntUJzf0tGkIaxsS9oM4vhXI_KUKonqH3Iwmkab4EKkOcGnyaK6c8LwmXR2r2k9BbjtzFMIVUfvdN5StBsZP8x4G5Z1y57rGxmWyDxI_Bus3CpDUArZ3frNJiH/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-110.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The neck is placed back on the guitar (the neck plate was cleaned with Autosol and the screw heads were cleaned with a steel brush), and the guitar is strung up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdYiurgqRw1WfBXb2fOoxXGIvoT4j2-c4KIq63FH0Hc9f8sIrk1nm3f_W2hVErRrKZoEaO40NrneetuTjdDx6TPnxz68EjuS8J9cwyLFUVKGHqWVef5qx4eijONStq3w6wx7mbbdIV5sM/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdYiurgqRw1WfBXb2fOoxXGIvoT4j2-c4KIq63FH0Hc9f8sIrk1nm3f_W2hVErRrKZoEaO40NrneetuTjdDx6TPnxz68EjuS8J9cwyLFUVKGHqWVef5qx4eijONStq3w6wx7mbbdIV5sM/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-113.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A tremolo arm is added since the old one was lost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE1kn89-f1v3GWsQRVVc5oo-iNqRF9LZmpzlZEF-w30BZLw4jS8K385BI77dJzEskL7JSCoP6BWj_wcSfTdzazUQy7NgFzs94Dp7jJ2oMoG_13fRLs16_9G5kLpscKRvWIIYA1NYakz0R/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE1kn89-f1v3GWsQRVVc5oo-iNqRF9LZmpzlZEF-w30BZLw4jS8K385BI77dJzEskL7JSCoP6BWj_wcSfTdzazUQy7NgFzs94Dp7jJ2oMoG_13fRLs16_9G5kLpscKRvWIIYA1NYakz0R/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-129.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And we’re done.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIr2dNHbTtdA1sKKNKNBprcNkDxisezOXuYTil3dP12jHjhishGpi4qMNT3kIYdp82ODjoK_Yg29VF03QVihiCIj3X9U_q8rwYMGSZN8BU48O6hpWSCvc6PZZyrqtXFZ5gVMhB6jFHR2o/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIr2dNHbTtdA1sKKNKNBprcNkDxisezOXuYTil3dP12jHjhishGpi4qMNT3kIYdp82ODjoK_Yg29VF03QVihiCIj3X9U_q8rwYMGSZN8BU48O6hpWSCvc6PZZyrqtXFZ5gVMhB6jFHR2o/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-128.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1MyNu6E5-Lk33KX2ruAMvm127gCYPesT-z3JqmMAmfgs84IyQSJMEXBNb-gswtcN5kPtbbd1JQlHA6CX0UvXOZ3WQA5wWUJ7-3_QfiShsfgj79A65wM3ZgjGlph4kfz65Di1m79KL_4s/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1MyNu6E5-Lk33KX2ruAMvm127gCYPesT-z3JqmMAmfgs84IyQSJMEXBNb-gswtcN5kPtbbd1JQlHA6CX0UvXOZ3WQA5wWUJ7-3_QfiShsfgj79A65wM3ZgjGlph4kfz65Di1m79KL_4s/s1600/Stratocaster-clean-up-130.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-61235596570540577362014-03-09T21:33:00.001-07:002014-03-09T22:17:08.504-07:00Fender Stratocaster pickup height adjustment and specifications<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bUAHmYhtMEQkzy9R3UbLQpXaG2cfmfr7sl13-l7u4Xn8CiwxIQofNyuWjTdm1ikiBJbBPwXtvUgTcIyU2iYL5lF4eG-DjIXCetarAQuvbZV71vAJ5HgSYozXj-3QeD_XuL8bAy9Ro3iB/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bUAHmYhtMEQkzy9R3UbLQpXaG2cfmfr7sl13-l7u4Xn8CiwxIQofNyuWjTdm1ikiBJbBPwXtvUgTcIyU2iYL5lF4eG-DjIXCetarAQuvbZV71vAJ5HgSYozXj-3QeD_XuL8bAy9Ro3iB/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-018.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today we’re going to have a very quick
look at pickup setup for a Fender Stratocaster-style guitar. Adjusting the pickups
on a Strat couldn’t be much easier and the only thing that really requires
much consideration is what height to set them at. You’ll need two tools
for this: a Phillips screwdriver and a ruler (ideally one that measures right
to the end).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Before measuring any pickup heights, press down on the low E string at the highest fret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHLtF4SmjomgAYAXYCAFyCdlzmELM5fi-EQkHfDt-UteUORc1Ag_05bj1qLFg9d5ZQTy1SKXo7XNK3_yamZ7gBawR6hvPeJXP3dnSRcemhO3g8k8H_d3s3JqZuWTrWcwV5kIjNGN40717/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHLtF4SmjomgAYAXYCAFyCdlzmELM5fi-EQkHfDt-UteUORc1Ag_05bj1qLFg9d5ZQTy1SKXo7XNK3_yamZ7gBawR6hvPeJXP3dnSRcemhO3g8k8H_d3s3JqZuWTrWcwV5kIjNGN40717/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-020.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With your finger still pressing down on the string, measure the distance from the bottom of the E string to the top of the pole piece (pickup magnet) directly under that string.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3zQMGJeiRpMzAHk6_5n4ksxqBXKk94UopKc_grHwR71zEDCoaXugt9fWitaboYv41e2x4fsEdMOtGRgmI5COC5P5zZrXDlLbp8YUMIygGoN9f2goGvFMXNykJOS0l00i9zIyQmnMuqyJ/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3zQMGJeiRpMzAHk6_5n4ksxqBXKk94UopKc_grHwR71zEDCoaXugt9fWitaboYv41e2x4fsEdMOtGRgmI5COC5P5zZrXDlLbp8YUMIygGoN9f2goGvFMXNykJOS0l00i9zIyQmnMuqyJ/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-023.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fender recommends the following distances from the thick E string to the pole pieces for all three pickups, depending on the type of pickup you have:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Texas Specials: 8/64" (3.2 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Vintage style: 6/64" (2.4 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Noiseless™ Series: 8/64" (3.2 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Standard Single-Coil: 5/64" (2 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Humbuckers: 4/64" (1.6 mm)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you need to adjust any of the pickup heights, then to raise the pickup
(thus reducing the distance from the pickup to the string), turn the
screwdriver clockwise. Similarly, to lower the pickup, turn it anti-clockwise
(counterclockwise).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSMnLpHVn0pXI_q1hNKLQUO-xCuVsmIAA_s7H4h8Ol0ukTluCUpb8jW4yZB4d2Qc5So37ihnaY6n02-IthTo-mVeZ1bLPfmsi9MLi8xVcbVtteTIT6vLwF4f7SW6xEU1-P_VA_yznIsa5/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSMnLpHVn0pXI_q1hNKLQUO-xCuVsmIAA_s7H4h8Ol0ukTluCUpb8jW4yZB4d2Qc5So37ihnaY6n02-IthTo-mVeZ1bLPfmsi9MLi8xVcbVtteTIT6vLwF4f7SW6xEU1-P_VA_yznIsa5/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-019.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now repeat for the thin E string, remembering to press down on it at the highest fret before measuring. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi27vmkt_mTf1lYPk9deXkVdZkaFS2PV9JVtnDB3s2gEwiUZlI-M1TEWbX6OqYtAplEoIaUbszKLN4cv7knCW0h4BbuQyLOP-ZBx3LPp9gV6O8ge6dpcYKlgWeMLEnMlSksO-Vusnh5oj/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi27vmkt_mTf1lYPk9deXkVdZkaFS2PV9JVtnDB3s2gEwiUZlI-M1TEWbX6OqYtAplEoIaUbszKLN4cv7knCW0h4BbuQyLOP-ZBx3LPp9gV6O8ge6dpcYKlgWeMLEnMlSksO-Vusnh5oj/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Note that pickup height specifications for this string (again, for all three pickups) are different from the thick E string, as follows: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Texas Specials: 6/64" (2.4 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Vintage style: 5/64" (2 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Noiseless™ Series: 6/64" (2.4 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Standard Single-Coil: 4/64" (1.6 mm)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Humbuckers: 4/64" (1.6 mm) </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtnUH41sy_ZJz1Z4fkorSOJo8p43nsGhs6RwkGq6OWNPPSQDB8CscNha_T268HYEqK8vtM3fAuRBmVfyjRIJ15jlTmkceTP_MLXuIcsy_2rCaDQjh9-4W-BNNVXVL9BB_8Tikw1HS7Uav/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtnUH41sy_ZJz1Z4fkorSOJo8p43nsGhs6RwkGq6OWNPPSQDB8CscNha_T268HYEqK8vtM3fAuRBmVfyjRIJ15jlTmkceTP_MLXuIcsy_2rCaDQjh9-4W-BNNVXVL9BB_8Tikw1HS7Uav/s1600/Stratocaster-pickup-height-014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
And we're done. Remember that these specifications are merely guidelines, and you should<br />
feel free to adjust slightly to your own tastes. However, note that adjusting the pickups so that they are too close to the strings can be problematic, as the magnetic fields produced by the pickup start to pull on the strings. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-12847083564812037922013-11-25T00:10:00.000-08:002013-11-25T00:32:27.693-08:00Filling fret end holes after a refret<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This post is a bit of a
follow-up to the post about installing frets in an acoustic guitar (<a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/06/refretting-acoustic-guitar.html">here: http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/06/refretting-acoustic-guitar.html</a>).
You see, in this post, we’ll be covering filling the little holes left at
either end of the fret slots after you install new frets. This isn’t an
entirely necessary job and a lot of people would probably be happy to stop
after installing the new frets. Playability won’t be affected at all, but it
certainly makes things look a bit tidier if you do this after a refret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Firstly, let me show
you what I’m talking about. These frets have just been installed. As you can
see, there’s a little gap in the wood at each end of the fret slot now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGymR9xzerLWe40sZ2iqZWHTS4R_WuijXEMDulywz15wMwhqpyXuarDUX4h6DD4zrhHDpLEQGh-SilNglalC-xnzFj0k1-RleD3n2F5EdtD76xxBW3uQkPmKAMVOAIbJXhH8j67LTGUynQ/s1600/fret-end-filler-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGymR9xzerLWe40sZ2iqZWHTS4R_WuijXEMDulywz15wMwhqpyXuarDUX4h6DD4zrhHDpLEQGh-SilNglalC-xnzFj0k1-RleD3n2F5EdtD76xxBW3uQkPmKAMVOAIbJXhH8j67LTGUynQ/s320/fret-end-filler-023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When we sanded the
fretboard down while doing the refret, we made sure to save the rosewood dust.
This (and some super glue) is what we’ll use to refill the holes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81Wf8Xy_ftuyYh8iwdFtrhqf-aSXjOJAp3oTWu40Nuz0dQMUXnySTQFMfhVKgfS2t8lavoeeLNOOoxgZOKd8Tl14XuJQozLrGxADQ6bdqjEO2Ts1_PAJMS00NN446ZS7-p5tPUxXSmd0z/s1600/fret-end-filler-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81Wf8Xy_ftuyYh8iwdFtrhqf-aSXjOJAp3oTWu40Nuz0dQMUXnySTQFMfhVKgfS2t8lavoeeLNOOoxgZOKd8Tl14XuJQozLrGxADQ6bdqjEO2Ts1_PAJMS00NN446ZS7-p5tPUxXSmd0z/s320/fret-end-filler-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After removing the
strings, we mask off the neck so that the glue doesn’t go anywhere it
shouldn’t. I’ve used painter’s tape here, but I’d recommend using electricians
tape usually, as it’s a lot less likely to be affected by super glue (more on
that later). You will see that we have masked one side only. This was a time
thing, the details of which I won’t go into, but normally you’d want to mask
both sides at the same time, just for the sake of efficiency.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5_1uzrSesEwMotgQ9zPwwip0nyyuZKZ0iman71cTE0GSHvVl34oaFnh69qkKSxctO81qKQ1hwHH3fhtyKoQAsfAfjm0wenUx9Pfd1HdcL7STCnLRf_JAqgU5Dl5vJGjpXptWCaqxoyf/s1600/fret-end-filler-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5_1uzrSesEwMotgQ9zPwwip0nyyuZKZ0iman71cTE0GSHvVl34oaFnh69qkKSxctO81qKQ1hwHH3fhtyKoQAsfAfjm0wenUx9Pfd1HdcL7STCnLRf_JAqgU5Dl5vJGjpXptWCaqxoyf/s320/fret-end-filler-026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With the holes angled
up the way, we pick up some of the rosewood dust and pack it into the hole.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG8vv2gqi0FTqcOmZ3OTulbb34qLU3PjBrEmu5teoPGU4FMfMEwWTXFHWqoBkAP2-5RSuk7mNq26l-qDw6THi6SRmXUhkMDAwA0l1OiY2HU95jzKAUmGQYw0Gh0oIRpC8t1dA9vlspUWU/s1600/fret-end-filler-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG8vv2gqi0FTqcOmZ3OTulbb34qLU3PjBrEmu5teoPGU4FMfMEwWTXFHWqoBkAP2-5RSuk7mNq26l-qDw6THi6SRmXUhkMDAwA0l1OiY2HU95jzKAUmGQYw0Gh0oIRpC8t1dA9vlspUWU/s320/fret-end-filler-028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsG6fyelSm4rXbwjP5TfoPPZCDdQTSJNV15S1P3f0RShWpBYItw0UyOWLClGId_U9Jvb25klifMTBloH9laXD1_1bztFGxowc5a9bvb8QZkcjD2tG_mPWA4zFnJvNYQUzzsSwutBlbase4/s1600/fret-end-filler-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsG6fyelSm4rXbwjP5TfoPPZCDdQTSJNV15S1P3f0RShWpBYItw0UyOWLClGId_U9Jvb25klifMTBloH9laXD1_1bztFGxowc5a9bvb8QZkcjD2tG_mPWA4zFnJvNYQUzzsSwutBlbase4/s320/fret-end-filler-029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhBI1oyh2oCLGp1Ls6lJVfEwIiW1-RnB5psNrEYzH-tQ5oNhKXXyEqqidFafDdwr1OJtaeN0D1Ury43PEGdgm7NenrthZUXO9GGbYVpztm0HR2MiG7Acd8fKHxEnSKa4JTUCBe-z-EpuS/s1600/fret-end-filler-030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhBI1oyh2oCLGp1Ls6lJVfEwIiW1-RnB5psNrEYzH-tQ5oNhKXXyEqqidFafDdwr1OJtaeN0D1Ury43PEGdgm7NenrthZUXO9GGbYVpztm0HR2MiG7Acd8fKHxEnSKa4JTUCBe-z-EpuS/s320/fret-end-filler-030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBQsARRzYJyNlFjH6rZhveO7cLBTxspAOiClJQMzf7TRK7uQjAkbgmc2kPHpV3wZqZqz0rxd7pEoUpMcuwbn8YLi72znFQtz05-d5_EcMgcFNFHDRBFFezXRXhet2elPkGQ4MPqjg2Jx-/s1600/fret-end-filler-031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBQsARRzYJyNlFjH6rZhveO7cLBTxspAOiClJQMzf7TRK7uQjAkbgmc2kPHpV3wZqZqz0rxd7pEoUpMcuwbn8YLi72znFQtz05-d5_EcMgcFNFHDRBFFezXRXhet2elPkGQ4MPqjg2Jx-/s320/fret-end-filler-031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After brushing off any
excess powder (ideally you can put this excess powder back into your store of
rosewood powder), we saturate the
remaining powder with super glue. Be careful not to add so much that it starts
running down your guitar neck. At the same time, make sure it’s enough to
saturate the rosewood dust and not just sit on top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-9DUUAPJhQK_rUjqUPTfFFz8ftKJ0As7w501OsQ0u25rr5kV3COJFsphF-rHRWWcfAi_8kjv9tyw7DHtWjfVodJbs478gI2y7iE58Ao8wIGA8jMU_8HrWUeoB8vW9DqxYwnWFeF_6cAe/s1600/fret-end-filler-033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-9DUUAPJhQK_rUjqUPTfFFz8ftKJ0As7w501OsQ0u25rr5kV3COJFsphF-rHRWWcfAi_8kjv9tyw7DHtWjfVodJbs478gI2y7iE58Ao8wIGA8jMU_8HrWUeoB8vW9DqxYwnWFeF_6cAe/s320/fret-end-filler-033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now, it’s not the end
of the world if you let the super glue dry completely, but I’d highly recommend
that you (carefully) remove the masking tape while the super glue is still
tacky. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to deal with stuck-down tape
in places (as alluded to earlier, electrician’s tape is a bit more forgiving
here).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKAmIcXroJ0VFLF-ePCRtFHoWRreaR49sFYPM9y02fqARj2FV9iOLP4Ea2Q-jK-hpUYd1M2sqscy5O5xonRcGu9Xl0z5WLcYGXJuTpjx6nYxjcham1AxX8utPsaTSqRb16IGfFTseTysO/s1600/fret-end-filler-034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKAmIcXroJ0VFLF-ePCRtFHoWRreaR49sFYPM9y02fqARj2FV9iOLP4Ea2Q-jK-hpUYd1M2sqscy5O5xonRcGu9Xl0z5WLcYGXJuTpjx6nYxjcham1AxX8utPsaTSqRb16IGfFTseTysO/s320/fret-end-filler-034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Once the glue has
completely dried, it’s time to file off any excess. Make sure you file away from
the fret ends when doing this, otherwise you might inadvertently lift a fret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pdVhOAtWQIFPKx7PhlnuupT6KNtPMM1R3ng5XxlIfmNSb8Tk7_F82GVazHxgY5c8OGR5FJasFPxm9TXv8qhQEP7bfWOWQz2QYMBSn0CT1DU4D84uIzp2Lj6ikt5XnwCEmVqOWWUil7Wx/s1600/fret-end-filler-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pdVhOAtWQIFPKx7PhlnuupT6KNtPMM1R3ng5XxlIfmNSb8Tk7_F82GVazHxgY5c8OGR5FJasFPxm9TXv8qhQEP7bfWOWQz2QYMBSn0CT1DU4D84uIzp2Lj6ikt5XnwCEmVqOWWUil7Wx/s320/fret-end-filler-036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On this particular guitar I’ve decided to remove any and all lacquer from the rosewood
along the sides of the fretboard (which would match the exposed rosewood on the face of the fretboard), although you could always re-lacquer it if
you were so inclined.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzvoTCA2rYyQch-yjr2iIr2UjqJCeOyaoWoW5Edp52TmJ_IVblazfguDQkmalvsGE2thZkLfmJHJQ7gjZN89jCnpFJNUsrFVdcitZKrBTjfQnYCjgbJxUKaLxFQIC-eMXCfttuSCjUdp3/s1600/fret-end-filler-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzvoTCA2rYyQch-yjr2iIr2UjqJCeOyaoWoW5Edp52TmJ_IVblazfguDQkmalvsGE2thZkLfmJHJQ7gjZN89jCnpFJNUsrFVdcitZKrBTjfQnYCjgbJxUKaLxFQIC-eMXCfttuSCjUdp3/s320/fret-end-filler-037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’m adding a little
bit of lemon oil here to give the rosewood a bit of a shine, but will leave it
there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlTmbKrnK7Zr3Mjav-mQ_UbTZUjXbQ0PaK7irdrik13iGtNmCRezLx73AMp3TC7wDB2DvygxEWNjHWm_3hpcbPiPXwpqknaKzuJ14IOeR7TkebX93DjLEmiwVClRYHw5Lokx-xrRi163G/s1600/fret-end-filler-039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlTmbKrnK7Zr3Mjav-mQ_UbTZUjXbQ0PaK7irdrik13iGtNmCRezLx73AMp3TC7wDB2DvygxEWNjHWm_3hpcbPiPXwpqknaKzuJ14IOeR7TkebX93DjLEmiwVClRYHw5Lokx-xrRi163G/s320/fret-end-filler-039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And here’s the end result:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoc9NbhphS_MS4oBLLA8hGnDU27J816BzUzi2_hhcYL8YI3T1svNzDqxDtU0ab4RVt0bR9DkLbKjY_3aORAGC05ODnCUtK0iMOQlu2Jy695PgtY1YARR9S0ANyJFwonyVNt-3BaiAy-xK/s1600/fret-end-filler-041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoc9NbhphS_MS4oBLLA8hGnDU27J816BzUzi2_hhcYL8YI3T1svNzDqxDtU0ab4RVt0bR9DkLbKjY_3aORAGC05ODnCUtK0iMOQlu2Jy695PgtY1YARR9S0ANyJFwonyVNt-3BaiAy-xK/s320/fret-end-filler-041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-31839388651324206342013-08-13T23:45:00.000-07:002013-08-22T23:00:24.638-07:00DIY attenuators<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Muddy Basin Ramblers (<a href="http://www.muddybasin.com/">http://www.muddybasin.com</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/muddybasinramblers">https://www.facebook.com/muddybasinramblers</a>)<cite> </cite></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><cite></cite>recently recorded their new album at Soundkiss Studios (</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.soundkiss.tw/" title="blocked::http://www.soundkiss.tw/">www.soundkiss.tw</a> / </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/soundkiss" title="blocked::http://www.facebook.com/soundkiss"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">www.facebook.com/soundkiss</span></a>) </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">here in Taipei. Part of their gear consists of a vintage ribbon microphone fed into an old tube pre-amp, and unfortunately this was proving to be a bit difficult to control. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">According to Alex from Soundkiss, “</span><span lang="EN-GB">That OP 6 is a beast of a pre amp- it is always eager to distort and get dirty sounding. Without the attenuation, I have had to ride the gain control between 0 & 1 on the dial to get a usable tone, and a fraction of an adjustment can make a huge difference.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span lang="EN-GB">So today’s post is about how we made some attenuators to go between the mic and the pre-amp in order to calm things down a little bit.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Firstly a little definition may be in order. An attenuator is basically the opposite of an amplifier. Its purpose is to reduce the amplitude of an electronic signal, without distorting it. Since it is not adding any power to the signal, it is possible to make them without any power source. In fact the design we will use requires three resistors only. The trick is working out what values these resistors need to be.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Also note that in this post i will be using "impedance" and "resistance" pretty much interchangeably, even though there is technically a difference. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">This is the type of attenuator we’ll go with (known as a U-pad attenuator):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKctxCzkqucrIlY82XHLM46-GHzx3z_039DMvYb9xYu-bAQNPtfT-FLSUm0Gl4-NKJejffH7PRk1793nKw40CSAXOAX8YrxUEdPfZ-ZHRLOQkTCgGb6pu20nnaBCgj_wi5LHBqFCk-64D/s1600/U-pad-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKctxCzkqucrIlY82XHLM46-GHzx3z_039DMvYb9xYu-bAQNPtfT-FLSUm0Gl4-NKJejffH7PRk1793nKw40CSAXOAX8YrxUEdPfZ-ZHRLOQkTCgGb6pu20nnaBCgj_wi5LHBqFCk-64D/s320/U-pad-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And this is where we sourced most of our information from for making these attenuators: <a href="http://www.uneeda-audio.com/pads/">http://www.uneeda-audio.com/pads/</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Before working out the required resistor values, we need to know the output resistance of the microphone and the recommended input resistance of the pre-amp, both of which, in this case, were 250Ω.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The three resistors, incidentally, have names. The two that are listed as R1/2 are known as series resistors and the other one (R2) is known as a shunt resistor. The series resistors’ job is to reduce the signal (since this is a balanced signal, these two resistors should be the same). The shunt resistor’s job is to make sure that the output impedance is returned to something close to the recommended input impedance for the pre-amp (250Ω in this case). Note that simply sticking a 250Ω resistor in as a shunt resistor is an approximation, as the resistances of the series resistors and the original output impedance of the microphone can affect the overall resistance by working in parallel with the shunt resistor. However, as long as the series resistors are of a high enough value, the effect will be small enough that it does not cause a significant problem.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Using the link mentioned above (<a href="http://www.uneeda-audio.com/pads/">http://www.uneeda-audio.com/pads/</a>), I came up with the following list of values (we decided to try 10dB, 20dB, 30dB and 40dB only at first). Note that there are some compromises going on here, but since we weren’t sure exactly how much attenuation was required, it really didn’t matter. The main priority was to keep the output impedances about right and also to make sure that the resistors were well matched in order to reduce picking up noise, etc. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8SdGaAIRCNjx0vHdQXiPddjmR-B8sfV4XNsbpGhguEQ5cIHTzNDv8OUzP-Ob-EIoRrlm384gTOt5DTvJMMHIMCIdH1AU6xqSGz6XdmOgtXYfgU9LHzGpLt9PQlMi8QZHCxeDCR7GwXtq/s1600/Attentuators-009b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8SdGaAIRCNjx0vHdQXiPddjmR-B8sfV4XNsbpGhguEQ5cIHTzNDv8OUzP-Ob-EIoRrlm384gTOt5DTvJMMHIMCIdH1AU6xqSGz6XdmOgtXYfgU9LHzGpLt9PQlMi8QZHCxeDCR7GwXtq/s320/Attentuators-009b.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As an example, let’s say we want a 20dB drop. As previously stated, we would like an output impedance of 250Ω, so we’ll just go with a 250Ω resistor as the shunt resistor (R2). Again, this is an approximation, but it’s close enough in this case. Looking at the table at that link, we see that for a 20dB drop, the “k” value is 10. R1 is the shunt resistor value multiplied by the “k” value minus one, so in this case it would be 250*(10-1) = 2250Ω. Of course each series resistor is half of this, so we will require two 1125Ω resistors, or as close to this as we can find. Note that since the series resistors have to be as well-matched <b>to each other</b> as possible, it’s wise to buy 1% tolerance ones (the shunt resistor’s accuracy doesn’t matter as much).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">All right, let’s make an attenuator (I think the following photos might be from the 40dB one).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">First we locate one of these XLR Tubes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTJIguNjjH452foOF00VS6uz-GnneHH8c1RfhI-IJEX5WnA_lPA_KrHhYAQb7dqaveUBbLdEbkxj4kwxLTVHl5IERM3MuF_K4VfCfdclG7cCEqeOp6sbIdHP6TQI9e3EHO2on9XymvFom/s1600/Attentuators-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTJIguNjjH452foOF00VS6uz-GnneHH8c1RfhI-IJEX5WnA_lPA_KrHhYAQb7dqaveUBbLdEbkxj4kwxLTVHl5IERM3MuF_K4VfCfdclG7cCEqeOp6sbIdHP6TQI9e3EHO2on9XymvFom/s320/Attentuators-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Mine came already wired inside (I think its original purpose was to swap two of the signal paths):</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We remove one of the screws and open one end:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzYo61zo2c4hN0VnQnEbmgq8PBbEIHj5Sj2UK-PlymxEKe4MLar8P6vRHh0DYPK7s1lfpDrbKJCKrD6je70nozUJ7U_OlT_jSTDhL1-vVfZtIb96kyCoAwnUmPcV-Oe7_Msm61qHvrcwM/s1600/Attentuators-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzYo61zo2c4hN0VnQnEbmgq8PBbEIHj5Sj2UK-PlymxEKe4MLar8P6vRHh0DYPK7s1lfpDrbKJCKrD6je70nozUJ7U_OlT_jSTDhL1-vVfZtIb96kyCoAwnUmPcV-Oe7_Msm61qHvrcwM/s320/Attentuators-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRutSGUPPUMNQRXksaLL2XnALq4wTvn0wdAPtQBQgbQOoVUyrPkY08es3DKYENkG_hir2rvlWz1m2IKHMsE1PItkIeXnirNglk-xjO1tjLToc12h5XcH0gNPAkDPE4Lawl79YJwQGBORiJ/s1600/Attentuators-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRutSGUPPUMNQRXksaLL2XnALq4wTvn0wdAPtQBQgbQOoVUyrPkY08es3DKYENkG_hir2rvlWz1m2IKHMsE1PItkIeXnirNglk-xjO1tjLToc12h5XcH0gNPAkDPE4Lawl79YJwQGBORiJ/s320/Attentuators-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then we unsolder the wires:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDBP3I88p1XV-JCqnDLz4kn-Tf7mZtAP1WIRYXVBvuBTzRccNlLn9HmWyScJKvSset0e9JWkMnMwIPHceeE4zejnXfy-SUhhMyMZm_EMSwI_2djORqUiurWRnNsZ-l2FzxiyydFA5LNHc/s1600/Attentuators-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDBP3I88p1XV-JCqnDLz4kn-Tf7mZtAP1WIRYXVBvuBTzRccNlLn9HmWyScJKvSset0e9JWkMnMwIPHceeE4zejnXfy-SUhhMyMZm_EMSwI_2djORqUiurWRnNsZ-l2FzxiyydFA5LNHc/s320/Attentuators-010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then we remove the screw at the other end and open that:</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEtaj7RAigONt5D7c5Iw_EzVPIYT_Z__W8ocLcWdHjAVHxu15ImrG8Vm8itHbhCmpl8NGhqhBMHl36C4rl_rRYD6LZRAmP2R3k6VfWsubQn09_PeNy9tCKLpvBUM59furach-Z_XjVfyO/s1600/Attentuators-005b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEtaj7RAigONt5D7c5Iw_EzVPIYT_Z__W8ocLcWdHjAVHxu15ImrG8Vm8itHbhCmpl8NGhqhBMHl36C4rl_rRYD6LZRAmP2R3k6VfWsubQn09_PeNy9tCKLpvBUM59furach-Z_XjVfyO/s320/Attentuators-005b.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm38rAN92P-nN76zwtAAguyDMVJ9YyNvmzSnyJarvOq6PBS58EtmSX7JuPxsBdHiz1ZYpq4yDADDalKu0YMFG2scOCKexDzir8gFatWaZBwSi4jBFeFIGo7lYkv-vM994RcHP5-pq_40dI/s1600/Attentuators-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm38rAN92P-nN76zwtAAguyDMVJ9YyNvmzSnyJarvOq6PBS58EtmSX7JuPxsBdHiz1ZYpq4yDADDalKu0YMFG2scOCKexDzir8gFatWaZBwSi4jBFeFIGo7lYkv-vM994RcHP5-pq_40dI/s320/Attentuators-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We unsolder two of the wires but can leave the third one in place, since we’ll be keeping that:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg3sJsWfjgtp_FbXZZzXGXNzGVEz9R-2wH2RpZEI8uCLRKug7lKmBBCuYjNxHiYbxiy9PvvXK4KgKo_ATHru1i2KR5p3tG80DADVw8EPd4JLWXNl87esojmSQ6UIcobLRJrbxMSIW_gTn/s1600/Attentuators-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg3sJsWfjgtp_FbXZZzXGXNzGVEz9R-2wH2RpZEI8uCLRKug7lKmBBCuYjNxHiYbxiy9PvvXK4KgKo_ATHru1i2KR5p3tG80DADVw8EPd4JLWXNl87esojmSQ6UIcobLRJrbxMSIW_gTn/s320/Attentuators-012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then we join the three resistors like so (the shunt resistor is the one in the middle):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GiRpEmG_186jcSI_cDiVBEvlUunEaarjiBZxTWI6dbXScWImL5tzGXuH9zvsOl2Dfz59ottUtaYSWxdRkyOrs18EQytw-N7qNNBimxEh3hx1pAjYpmpNgymn2oxMi-Mo-4ajwoZqhQmH/s1600/Attentuators-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GiRpEmG_186jcSI_cDiVBEvlUunEaarjiBZxTWI6dbXScWImL5tzGXuH9zvsOl2Dfz59ottUtaYSWxdRkyOrs18EQytw-N7qNNBimxEh3hx1pAjYpmpNgymn2oxMi-Mo-4ajwoZqhQmH/s320/Attentuators-013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We add some solder:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsx4VyIYBIwfB8kWoOPadwIewxryKOXU7_eAowl7g3mJOVPgLpKJtw2mcsErh0u7UUdWTfji69VY5mfuSaVCwGCvjM5hUnMv-b0qlBCrQ1g1zbqIUByTmRi_wPBSQATa47_nCVu54glV8/s1600/Attentuators-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsx4VyIYBIwfB8kWoOPadwIewxryKOXU7_eAowl7g3mJOVPgLpKJtw2mcsErh0u7UUdWTfji69VY5mfuSaVCwGCvjM5hUnMv-b0qlBCrQ1g1zbqIUByTmRi_wPBSQATa47_nCVu54glV8/s320/Attentuators-014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then we solder them to the two remaining legs of the XLR connector:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosebxU6dcH67iyXDS1SKdKaBpo_U0mfSX0P3L28zVNZ2DfiPpLDS7wI7rJrH4XbnzewPjlazW586_B_rGvWS76tKD3e38mU_ca-fuiEPcXqIJ3BbefQAf_-rWPsuPKM7PvpmdzlK59pjB/s1600/Attentuators-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosebxU6dcH67iyXDS1SKdKaBpo_U0mfSX0P3L28zVNZ2DfiPpLDS7wI7rJrH4XbnzewPjlazW586_B_rGvWS76tKD3e38mU_ca-fuiEPcXqIJ3BbefQAf_-rWPsuPKM7PvpmdzlK59pjB/s320/Attentuators-015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVG_zubbrNVTLC9jrJy4XvxLz8UOHK8WEAwXSL7BFGnkZSERAcFivM6Z2dNvNQBfOBb1o72GFuze9brrxtFJ3v7QPK4bwL3NSm58pPE_dClkqMIAbH_fycYt_sYnme3LCcuWRWHaXBY7P/s1600/Attentuators-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVG_zubbrNVTLC9jrJy4XvxLz8UOHK8WEAwXSL7BFGnkZSERAcFivM6Z2dNvNQBfOBb1o72GFuze9brrxtFJ3v7QPK4bwL3NSm58pPE_dClkqMIAbH_fycYt_sYnme3LCcuWRWHaXBY7P/s320/Attentuators-016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Next we reconnect the two wires that we previously unsoldered to the ends of the series resistors (having slightly shortened them first):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf2PAD19IsAJP5A1fjt1hM4E-PO2tGRKMJP1iX2N3mBHnvts8E_LmeQhZAJ7SphqlCbGIRB8D3PnNa38_VHiwDRlNuEL6EVcXLV7wqxA0sE_18sv0NQZ6ZzFU1TEQDD32nkNXpMwTa8iG/s1600/Attentuators-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf2PAD19IsAJP5A1fjt1hM4E-PO2tGRKMJP1iX2N3mBHnvts8E_LmeQhZAJ7SphqlCbGIRB8D3PnNa38_VHiwDRlNuEL6EVcXLV7wqxA0sE_18sv0NQZ6ZzFU1TEQDD32nkNXpMwTa8iG/s320/Attentuators-017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Add some heat shrink to minimize the risk of short-circuits:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhfCQOcC74jM3NdqboxF30n0jRjS6R_WwmUJ7t4s7EcvOozEwk7x6vwr_Gu2F9BnpqN8Qv1tPfl0sHW_KmEPljgbb5wecrJjhdWtclbt_-eeZR9zWNCAC19UF0HgW-NzXsSwP5681M54w/s1600/Attentuators-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhfCQOcC74jM3NdqboxF30n0jRjS6R_WwmUJ7t4s7EcvOozEwk7x6vwr_Gu2F9BnpqN8Qv1tPfl0sHW_KmEPljgbb5wecrJjhdWtclbt_-eeZR9zWNCAC19UF0HgW-NzXsSwP5681M54w/s320/Attentuators-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9fnX68vLg1_Z-gi9mXx6SX4Z-IUl819hm-Nz5dshub_pPILAT9oJSS-aiPNGvcZA-reVa0QJq9G09o-iaCZRZjUlN45WCvx-3uXhPY2O4bnzEza5lG4AxyFaOY5AdVfpvId1QwQzP223/s1600/Attentuators-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9fnX68vLg1_Z-gi9mXx6SX4Z-IUl819hm-Nz5dshub_pPILAT9oJSS-aiPNGvcZA-reVa0QJq9G09o-iaCZRZjUlN45WCvx-3uXhPY2O4bnzEza5lG4AxyFaOY5AdVfpvId1QwQzP223/s320/Attentuators-020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Twist the two wires from the series resistors together:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1FMCLIjBdUA8MoTJ4XqKC35QRehh7vYzZOKhPgXyt56foV5foVNO2pUEe4GkHVaU6sktJfI8gs4ZfuaJ1MIh_AQuXBS3HHHufcdd5uH3h4h2P9aCqSGzuqwqpKaYAJ_MuZJ4rzhIHby5/s1600/Attentuators-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1FMCLIjBdUA8MoTJ4XqKC35QRehh7vYzZOKhPgXyt56foV5foVNO2pUEe4GkHVaU6sktJfI8gs4ZfuaJ1MIh_AQuXBS3HHHufcdd5uH3h4h2P9aCqSGzuqwqpKaYAJ_MuZJ4rzhIHby5/s320/Attentuators-021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Feed the sleeve back over the wires and s</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">ecure with a screw</span>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHXoIiimFq1sgquXF4RFk9FFSOeDCGQBapEZ0zBlOCTDfGv7Ayj31Uk2qZJHZEIOi67so5i83BegbeF9UsQeJGB7oN2J_OxRWBft8xtgAWBRrWbN-WTzuTKoT65CWl0gzJI6Q14_Z8Z_Q/s1600/Attentuators-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHXoIiimFq1sgquXF4RFk9FFSOeDCGQBapEZ0zBlOCTDfGv7Ayj31Uk2qZJHZEIOi67so5i83BegbeF9UsQeJGB7oN2J_OxRWBft8xtgAWBRrWbN-WTzuTKoT65CWl0gzJI6Q14_Z8Z_Q/s320/Attentuators-022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Solder the wires to the connector at the other end of the XLR tube (note that these wires did not go back in the same position that they were originally in, since, as previously mentioned, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">this</b> XRL tube’s original purpose was to swap two of the signal paths):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_9bxYGjcP4BrvJUhajAlGCWix-VhQiDb25mZySP-l3rhOwrHF337y8XCs5uRyE-GOzKGiYEg6JpSTx3su2_oetmQ7qvv4eOZKvKJSYbfMeoLED-iTPlMN6xUrcRKD68qjROZ-eQzbOrl/s1600/Attentuators-031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_9bxYGjcP4BrvJUhajAlGCWix-VhQiDb25mZySP-l3rhOwrHF337y8XCs5uRyE-GOzKGiYEg6JpSTx3su2_oetmQ7qvv4eOZKvKJSYbfMeoLED-iTPlMN6xUrcRKD68qjROZ-eQzbOrl/s320/Attentuators-031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLraIppOXQj03NRlhR9EXy_Lfx1NEeglgJ8s4PM7FojYeLhPbP-gwxtTd2FSBSVpAB9M3J9hsT_unuFfNPIBNIFM40l9eo7eQXneTcJI3O_Pn75z0fTWgfT6P4S0G5WIcKRp8Z4I2koERk/s1600/Attentuators-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Secure the second end of the XLR tube:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-yZaX4etEutc73dSeWBEnBpFi5hk-6PYA4PGsKHV-jBJvPvX3UTL40IP9D4h3nYTCp6-XhkoDpTVsJVvj7H_rZMYAWHONXNAK-tt4sEqG4nhXYwRvfexBETGv2iT20PcfBU6YWLoxVZk/s1600/Attentuators-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-yZaX4etEutc73dSeWBEnBpFi5hk-6PYA4PGsKHV-jBJvPvX3UTL40IP9D4h3nYTCp6-XhkoDpTVsJVvj7H_rZMYAWHONXNAK-tt4sEqG4nhXYwRvfexBETGv2iT20PcfBU6YWLoxVZk/s320/Attentuators-024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Test resistances to make sure everything is connected up as it should be (this one's actually measuring the 10dB attenuator):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqJ9i4CdiV3lusCeN2-q4eMxlgwLr4TPl8_A53M1WZTDcIbqnxbDFY2UoXZwmy589lxjIBrVAjvpsfJdmrocvJtRkXlDzt8LfyHBbJzaZMX4LhPLtJIPYE6736U-82VWQ-yZ34tUPLN2C/s1600/Attentuators-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqJ9i4CdiV3lusCeN2-q4eMxlgwLr4TPl8_A53M1WZTDcIbqnxbDFY2UoXZwmy589lxjIBrVAjvpsfJdmrocvJtRkXlDzt8LfyHBbJzaZMX4LhPLtJIPYE6736U-82VWQ-yZ34tUPLN2C/s320/Attentuators-028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then we make some labels up in Illustrator:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgky1Om-xqaUj5pnn0kgzsqTvpR27_o5u4f9zLy7YM25f3rPgCC058ZLQg4dgwIM6uwDdEWRsXNsFWLHaeNaWBKGsW_NSIsletYgIQ0lbzbssTeUMCKPzitQLaLbTcSarrHdS6uRqvk6fcx/s1600/attenuator-labels-3-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgky1Om-xqaUj5pnn0kgzsqTvpR27_o5u4f9zLy7YM25f3rPgCC058ZLQg4dgwIM6uwDdEWRsXNsFWLHaeNaWBKGsW_NSIsletYgIQ0lbzbssTeUMCKPzitQLaLbTcSarrHdS6uRqvk6fcx/s320/attenuator-labels-3-01.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Stick them on, et voila, some attenuators:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0daM1oTqEtysX2Hqre_51enkvle6vigfO0yEZc917jnbnTDee4pzTVIm6V2pUmL_I2R5c1NkCvHpqKIowutzqLIEFOzGCBc-UbQ7kk_sNdMEGP7ktoccFWOp-6ow7l0T6s8RTcdSVcunK/s1600/attenuators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0daM1oTqEtysX2Hqre_51enkvle6vigfO0yEZc917jnbnTDee4pzTVIm6V2pUmL_I2R5c1NkCvHpqKIowutzqLIEFOzGCBc-UbQ7kk_sNdMEGP7ktoccFWOp-6ow7l0T6s8RTcdSVcunK/s320/attenuators.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Here’s one in place:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hrOFZubtURF_Jnfh77_a8VoF6T9Re0VPoVryi5a-jGFEzSTPpwEA1YMrKFzXXWaJ_NwZSh3SldNmGa-nPHSc8HaNxh5Qx8bj2xtypzg4GH6B46aSzY3Es7HxVPvuOz1hTfPGSnqlNFGm/s1600/op-amp-with-attenuator.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hrOFZubtURF_Jnfh77_a8VoF6T9Re0VPoVryi5a-jGFEzSTPpwEA1YMrKFzXXWaJ_NwZSh3SldNmGa-nPHSc8HaNxh5Qx8bj2xtypzg4GH6B46aSzY3Es7HxVPvuOz1hTfPGSnqlNFGm/s320/op-amp-with-attenuator.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally some of the band recording (as with all images, click to enlarge):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1Km6gvk1ICo6TdHlSKe3kHtNedWSHX8FRWTJMq9CueDnBIiGBsOMnhDIOw3ijV8uxCuKjfhIIUg7b-6FFYrBBqxaWpQlsv_FCBgB_8M7Bde_Fbft3Mm8bbLAWmuh8MdOtEM1XafWQA7_/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1Km6gvk1ICo6TdHlSKe3kHtNedWSHX8FRWTJMq9CueDnBIiGBsOMnhDIOw3ijV8uxCuKjfhIIUg7b-6FFYrBBqxaWpQlsv_FCBgB_8M7Bde_Fbft3Mm8bbLAWmuh8MdOtEM1XafWQA7_/s320/IMG_2288.JPG" width="230" /> </a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Remember to buy their album when it comes out soon (possibly in October, according to their blog: <a href="http://muddybasinramblers.blogspot.tw/">http://muddybasinramblers.blogspot.tw/</a>)!</span></div>
</div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-18355203034947770662013-06-23T22:18:00.001-07:002013-07-03T00:28:25.438-07:00Refretting an acoustic guitar<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">OK folks. Hold on to your hats. Today we're
going to refret an acoustic guitar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Here's the patient:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1DEEvG5IcRwa67KFrbQndem8OWoq8XDekyqx5uNLmeU2SRYsO7WoQF6sA1gSb1NXDczNbSfrTpCA2tSFHcEwFRlFjDabVkTxZJVBpB5mqfwmjlBsLrdb3pLhrFCK1qJJ85CFyaR2WeZC/s1600/acoustic-refret-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1DEEvG5IcRwa67KFrbQndem8OWoq8XDekyqx5uNLmeU2SRYsO7WoQF6sA1gSb1NXDczNbSfrTpCA2tSFHcEwFRlFjDabVkTxZJVBpB5mqfwmjlBsLrdb3pLhrFCK1qJJ85CFyaR2WeZC/s320/acoustic-refret-002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And here's a close-up of the frets and
fretboard. As you can see, some of the frets have worn quite badly.
Additionally, there are some pretty serious divots in the rosewood board now
too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19SYwwmN8QZwIFtiONP5mn8KtyAYWtCihQY4hNFHOUFrKCtY_rA5rDUcAcPRH2yNkte3LCgKntYdm9gAXWSnjBlEyQ3OL1rs2moVLzSzRcuF5LCERTI0UdU6EJqiWtAmokc2H1OkGpOYG/s1600/acoustic-refret-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19SYwwmN8QZwIFtiONP5mn8KtyAYWtCihQY4hNFHOUFrKCtY_rA5rDUcAcPRH2yNkte3LCgKntYdm9gAXWSnjBlEyQ3OL1rs2moVLzSzRcuF5LCERTI0UdU6EJqiWtAmokc2H1OkGpOYG/s320/acoustic-refret-005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is going to be one of our main tools
for pulling the frets. It’s a fairly standard, and very cheap, end cutter. From
now on I’ll be referring to it as a “fret puller”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5YmftTwm0cdUd2zM8Kq9ttKtMPNHytKa7o5uBSntJSIkcifXIK0D9JXHdX-5_sJP7A64n1GRqPG0wVcFVrh6WhEK4IJZKJK9sZWXhGkpzfcUfHhkT-pmdOJRxV4QUWAeoNkwlFC6mNgD/s1600/acoustic-refret-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5YmftTwm0cdUd2zM8Kq9ttKtMPNHytKa7o5uBSntJSIkcifXIK0D9JXHdX-5_sJP7A64n1GRqPG0wVcFVrh6WhEK4IJZKJK9sZWXhGkpzfcUfHhkT-pmdOJRxV4QUWAeoNkwlFC6mNgD/s320/acoustic-refret-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">In order to help it get UNDER the frets,
we’re going to grind/file the surface flat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvk7gIK8V6P9JN-J2Z5h0rMuWNDjzPXKJef3UeEcy1hYrBGi6UTz-X8m7YImmGr6fpTdXX_k1TeM7C3J8EeqdQVIgQ94dtJ_0fydCX_ndcIaZ7uZz0iUt9Rz0XvFkvuPV7iUbM2mbrhA7/s1600/acoustic-refret-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvk7gIK8V6P9JN-J2Z5h0rMuWNDjzPXKJef3UeEcy1hYrBGi6UTz-X8m7YImmGr6fpTdXX_k1TeM7C3J8EeqdQVIgQ94dtJ_0fydCX_ndcIaZ7uZz0iUt9Rz0XvFkvuPV7iUbM2mbrhA7/s320/acoustic-refret-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I’m resting the neck of the
guitar on a huge rubber support, which I can easily move up and down so that
it’s directly under whichever fret I’m pulling (or later on, replacing).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RbbMT8yxKdIam-eiCeQ0Us8J9JbhJ9xHVug9GOJahXSyLHBhKJLJCCjDxdfOZjRPH-yk0ffX5GcMZGhZMrPWsl_6EJn-YUmAt95XDQuhm663iV5cLJGXFXw3yuHstv9_oJfNj8yIGpfF/s1600/acoustic-refret-010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RbbMT8yxKdIam-eiCeQ0Us8J9JbhJ9xHVug9GOJahXSyLHBhKJLJCCjDxdfOZjRPH-yk0ffX5GcMZGhZMrPWsl_6EJn-YUmAt95XDQuhm663iV5cLJGXFXw3yuHstv9_oJfNj8yIGpfF/s320/acoustic-refret-010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Before we actually start pulling the
frets up, we’re going to heat them up with a soldering iron. The one I’m using
is 60W with a flat tip on it. I’ll hold this near one end of the fret for about
30 seconds, moving it around a little, but keeping it towards that end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGe1hwi_wdTgXKRZDWoAmSnxTaVoOTAb89uq6euvWmLIRfKYkdlBABc2Vi0Gs6adpvZl28D1Iokg41fob6isG2xU1Dcv_SwfCrA4J6y-5sVB52-tGFiHvWchGtURXTDc44XEq-nkNhwItR/s1600/acoustic-refret-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGe1hwi_wdTgXKRZDWoAmSnxTaVoOTAb89uq6euvWmLIRfKYkdlBABc2Vi0Gs6adpvZl28D1Iokg41fob6isG2xU1Dcv_SwfCrA4J6y-5sVB52-tGFiHvWchGtURXTDc44XEq-nkNhwItR/s320/acoustic-refret-011.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Then we get the fret puller and get it
under that end of the fret and slowly encourage it to pull away from the wood.
Patience is a virtue at this stage; pull too fast and you’ll remove a chunk of
wood while you’re at it. I’d generally still have the soldering iron touching
the fret this whole time, by the way, but I had to put it down in order to take
this photo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttuffuM1MDmAdQoU0FWzqiLFlIBwjPbecjawKUeKDDL-MwNjTzMam0PJcFUNsjbZjj4VfqcbsDscO1alqzEG7RLayNg3OIrLdLaprU3rinmsUczaMt6dGnjAAnftPieuXvmGcIK1LCUNU/s1600/acoustic-refret-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttuffuM1MDmAdQoU0FWzqiLFlIBwjPbecjawKUeKDDL-MwNjTzMam0PJcFUNsjbZjj4VfqcbsDscO1alqzEG7RLayNg3OIrLdLaprU3rinmsUczaMt6dGnjAAnftPieuXvmGcIK1LCUNU/s320/acoustic-refret-012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">We then start to work our way along the
fret with the fret puller, keeping heat on the part we're about to pull up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ivx76q3FxZ7-drZhM2WVSHK0SWzjeARZK03x4ZRcR4EcB3XA9RYyW2xow1lhpHS2672JIBOLHlb2a949Wvruwz7udUQhu7E_021VQvnaOFhmOvbwxzZaqSn7d3yPJUE5uZZpB0ecksyX/s1600/acoustic-refret-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ivx76q3FxZ7-drZhM2WVSHK0SWzjeARZK03x4ZRcR4EcB3XA9RYyW2xow1lhpHS2672JIBOLHlb2a949Wvruwz7udUQhu7E_021VQvnaOFhmOvbwxzZaqSn7d3yPJUE5uZZpB0ecksyX/s320/acoustic-refret-013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX26y13Zpz0fthqyfnd-VKIZ26KBjG12qv0C5MevZMtBV37pK9rp_LxozsJgrgImy8t1xh7QN4POmMOi1Pm3kg_7M0lCqacIlXaj_wTWN549u3MgPwVLg86Sx9F-3jMwt-6f1MJroL8wL/s1600/acoustic-refret-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX26y13Zpz0fthqyfnd-VKIZ26KBjG12qv0C5MevZMtBV37pK9rp_LxozsJgrgImy8t1xh7QN4POmMOi1Pm3kg_7M0lCqacIlXaj_wTWN549u3MgPwVLg86Sx9F-3jMwt-6f1MJroL8wL/s320/acoustic-refret-014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">At the very end, take great care as this is
a likely place for wood to be pulled out by accident.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfyfLbWAYsl8hCvVnwIwX1cKni6O2aOfVVxhiHoZPsfcphPcIKWYEMhmW-dQANATIv9vGcZOcjphq5Od8QVJExs2ikZOHfwfSVGJ7arxKO58i5p2RO0ZLwsl-kV3Q5kre7PTupLaOpVZL/s1600/acoustic-refret-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfyfLbWAYsl8hCvVnwIwX1cKni6O2aOfVVxhiHoZPsfcphPcIKWYEMhmW-dQANATIv9vGcZOcjphq5Od8QVJExs2ikZOHfwfSVGJ7arxKO58i5p2RO0ZLwsl-kV3Q5kre7PTupLaOpVZL/s320/acoustic-refret-015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And there we have it. One down, 19 (in this
case) to go:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWgrj_oCmtF5ciW0XnOSvPztRX6MY0_T6YqSLAXUY4uWdYTNlnDTr6sEmy_raEvI_A1_NppdL9vmMYygl3YuRd95kYiaaWtGc1sx_N3xDWlbiQtNhUkn5HGYHsra-AO1VHgcPWXJ5-7le/s1600/acoustic-refret-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWgrj_oCmtF5ciW0XnOSvPztRX6MY0_T6YqSLAXUY4uWdYTNlnDTr6sEmy_raEvI_A1_NppdL9vmMYygl3YuRd95kYiaaWtGc1sx_N3xDWlbiQtNhUkn5HGYHsra-AO1VHgcPWXJ5-7le/s320/acoustic-refret-016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The same process is repeated for each fret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Here it is half done:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VZVqxLzZnLwNe3n2Xdc_XnctYe0gRBsyRAQVdrn6lgvDjPV5qwJeclXH86JTc55IJJcDU-pEdQzgfEgEz6Y473Lj0IKoEf2tbSHllN7t4160VmG-4OspBX0LG8Wr13HkghdjtBeyJdmt/s1600/acoustic-refret-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VZVqxLzZnLwNe3n2Xdc_XnctYe0gRBsyRAQVdrn6lgvDjPV5qwJeclXH86JTc55IJJcDU-pEdQzgfEgEz6Y473Lj0IKoEf2tbSHllN7t4160VmG-4OspBX0LG8Wr13HkghdjtBeyJdmt/s320/acoustic-refret-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And all done:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB8sSXO-0ftkaM5RssdoOhtKMI45HzarjpYrFptEQxH_fPwNdCjLdwTKRF0ioy0FuV-mgPLKFtN3YmISQ6zPg3dDdBFUh5HPAzvfam_e_ILy7d2LVkUzEbOPvsbrlN2izH8oKqtgv9Pow/s1600/acoustic-refret-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB8sSXO-0ftkaM5RssdoOhtKMI45HzarjpYrFptEQxH_fPwNdCjLdwTKRF0ioy0FuV-mgPLKFtN3YmISQ6zPg3dDdBFUh5HPAzvfam_e_ILy7d2LVkUzEbOPvsbrlN2izH8oKqtgv9Pow/s320/acoustic-refret-025.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Before putting new frets on, we’re going to
fix up the rosewood board itself, removing all those divots in the process. To
do this, we’ll use a radiused sanding block (somewhat surprisingly, this guitar
has a 12” radius, so we’ll stick with that), with fairly coarse sandpaper (in
this case 150 grade, though anything up to 400 or so would probably work fine).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkswqFuXkyk_wd8-hFZKo8VGXAbp3RpWbzbAw0wHKvSDkmQyvuI8jRtwCUGCYngEucBOROtp7rGQGNm4tM5x_JOqdqDfY1RWHIZaVSK8f8HJHhZABJSgjuMqrF2xrVf9ZgB2CEBqubB7F/s1600/acoustic-refret-027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkswqFuXkyk_wd8-hFZKo8VGXAbp3RpWbzbAw0wHKvSDkmQyvuI8jRtwCUGCYngEucBOROtp7rGQGNm4tM5x_JOqdqDfY1RWHIZaVSK8f8HJHhZABJSgjuMqrF2xrVf9ZgB2CEBqubB7F/s320/acoustic-refret-027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The fretboard is sanded down until the
divots are removed completely (luckily there’s plenty of material to work
with). Of course the same amount of material needs to be taken off all along
the fretboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI_UZtAJy-KSf-igu-7hgRdcFoCQN3LCKem1Ojf4SOoHGBN-DUsWbsMTkKv7ociC4bXxNFPG9xZwQPzlZpvc1jWbNgxhREap8lsfT8VwnujznWaMYTQBYQnSGYP_OEr7_6EPWWkfjHub2/s1600/acoustic-refret-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI_UZtAJy-KSf-igu-7hgRdcFoCQN3LCKem1Ojf4SOoHGBN-DUsWbsMTkKv7ociC4bXxNFPG9xZwQPzlZpvc1jWbNgxhREap8lsfT8VwnujznWaMYTQBYQnSGYP_OEr7_6EPWWkfjHub2/s320/acoustic-refret-028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I should add that we've taped off the soundhole so that the guitar doesn't end up getting filled with rosewood dust. In fact, this is a good way to collect the dust, which, mixed with super glue, can make a very good filler in the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPItQVQGllpKCKYsUYXDxg3XQsiOzUCfyY867nNk2R70PHwJpubP6u21l9vqjPTkL61zIvf1xW5738XDjgtPbryTqzTiPRtwEfrimGolVn3-FGaY8ObYwuvd0Ptp4kIfB1Ln8Wt_g4U27/s1600/acoustic-refret-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPItQVQGllpKCKYsUYXDxg3XQsiOzUCfyY867nNk2R70PHwJpubP6u21l9vqjPTkL61zIvf1xW5738XDjgtPbryTqzTiPRtwEfrimGolVn3-FGaY8ObYwuvd0Ptp4kIfB1Ln8Wt_g4U27/s320/acoustic-refret-029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">OK, the fretboard is now nicely sanded down:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8Lrm4NpEJ4TSrD9pgYGJNq0T-R3jP4m0qk69f0stq2TtgNb-K7u6gpsN9leueEi_LH5UR0Zz_u23dKXOekOmpigStabt0i1eG8-5wlfvdeavj3aUOnohDeCstuSNwlnXJjciQGce2u1b/s1600/acoustic-refret-030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8Lrm4NpEJ4TSrD9pgYGJNq0T-R3jP4m0qk69f0stq2TtgNb-K7u6gpsN9leueEi_LH5UR0Zz_u23dKXOekOmpigStabt0i1eG8-5wlfvdeavj3aUOnohDeCstuSNwlnXJjciQGce2u1b/s320/acoustic-refret-030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Let's brush the dust out:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LBl4i4zcwp7CBJohYIjzgF2XheBG88xe7IYK_UDcJe0j93z83YOMEJ0k3VlXteDOio9JGMqmV0mdeKY6eF76uBbI6RTuk_wP2LFRNskO_caj3ZbULgHlxON_ULhEjo7lW-3C54MQ5sl8/s1600/acoustic-refret-033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LBl4i4zcwp7CBJohYIjzgF2XheBG88xe7IYK_UDcJe0j93z83YOMEJ0k3VlXteDOio9JGMqmV0mdeKY6eF76uBbI6RTuk_wP2LFRNskO_caj3ZbULgHlxON_ULhEjo7lW-3C54MQ5sl8/s320/acoustic-refret-033.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Before installing any frets, the fret slot edges are bevelled with a triangular file. This will help minimise the risk of any wood lifting
when we hammer in the new frets (or widen the slots).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tadLiiZSsiCA9RYm_ivK05VXMzfCapel6ZOkcATgSCdZNpZgXdxXMETS8EeYEagPkwMVlTOErvtt88KG5LV9_DoPq8QZQO0O3dRdoc811kArr-HK_Ke_dqUXcvmXjV94SJoXg8ol-qxN/s1600/acoustic-refret-041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tadLiiZSsiCA9RYm_ivK05VXMzfCapel6ZOkcATgSCdZNpZgXdxXMETS8EeYEagPkwMVlTOErvtt88KG5LV9_DoPq8QZQO0O3dRdoc811kArr-HK_Ke_dqUXcvmXjV94SJoXg8ol-qxN/s320/acoustic-refret-041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now the fret installation begins. We’re using
pre-radiused, pre-cut-to-length frets for this. We used this method before when refretting the Hofner Colorama here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/11/re-fretting-guitar-neck.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/11/re-fretting-guitar-neck.html</a>, and it worked out great there.
However I think this will be the last time we use this method, as some of the
frets at the upper end of <b>this </b>fretboard (farthest from the nut) were cut a bit
shorter than I would’ve liked).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">As it happens, the fret tang width is just
a bit too much for the slots we already have on this guitar, so they're cut a bit
wider with a hacksaw. Luckily the blade on this saw cuts the slots at the perfect width for these frets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAmFxW7RD8vuWDdEo9JSI0aFvRRETyfdE0rX_FtA-k5PP45VhggC3d99tr0bB8uzakYxDPud_BFGXdmqR2IuzJqKZ18i4gnWezm6po518CEYh78Jvtrzh4nF7tcaQVTTw-GLDqsdy7-6r/s1600/acoustic-refret-051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAmFxW7RD8vuWDdEo9JSI0aFvRRETyfdE0rX_FtA-k5PP45VhggC3d99tr0bB8uzakYxDPud_BFGXdmqR2IuzJqKZ18i4gnWezm6po518CEYh78Jvtrzh4nF7tcaQVTTw-GLDqsdy7-6r/s320/acoustic-refret-051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I’m lucky enough to be able to fit a ruler
into the slots in order to check they are deep enough (in this case we need 2mm
depth), but if you find yourself doing this and can’t fit a ruler in there, you
can using something like an exacto knife blade marked at 2mm to test the depth
instead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlwui_j15ymradC_SKYyGH9g8x3KkNz9e65rFXxivWwKUEBTM3B9CsgKhw9W67ZCBigyAaD5WxAAWpMNyskOpV9m07nhggiIHVRVGq8zSQYgC9pCBnVULecgtVOLLrFE8C0JtiaLsJWZ4/s1600/acoustic-refret-044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlwui_j15ymradC_SKYyGH9g8x3KkNz9e65rFXxivWwKUEBTM3B9CsgKhw9W67ZCBigyAaD5WxAAWpMNyskOpV9m07nhggiIHVRVGq8zSQYgC9pCBnVULecgtVOLLrFE8C0JtiaLsJWZ4/s320/acoustic-refret-044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">OK, the slots are the right size now, so
let’s hammer in the first fret. We’ll use a plastic-faced hammer for this,
since it is less likely to damage the frets. First we hammer in one end:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTZWUuWinaqBg46d2xX8Oo9fD-3LTNfLaB8Ms20Z0Zpp5yYlPXLEu78g_7Z9yvsA2vCFwMdgM3ncpccGuu6u5sUiZ4XOejAfQ3phxpp7lXv6BJ7N-HAZfTx4jfcR9Y_ZJp5GwI7kJ3h-l/s1600/acoustic-refret-052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTZWUuWinaqBg46d2xX8Oo9fD-3LTNfLaB8Ms20Z0Zpp5yYlPXLEu78g_7Z9yvsA2vCFwMdgM3ncpccGuu6u5sUiZ4XOejAfQ3phxpp7lXv6BJ7N-HAZfTx4jfcR9Y_ZJp5GwI7kJ3h-l/s320/acoustic-refret-052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Then we can either hammer in the other end
before hammering in the middle, or we can just keep going along from one end to
the other. I tend to do both ends first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">OK, that’s one fret done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRBU_cMnDY_qL2IcTFlErmyLwq2L7EmNfnxNwCTZu94zb3dmVTNOQ3cGW3bbhR61xOyzWgN1ir6-nBDLEplMZt1GXANx4W0RGJWHJ6G21NfxPY9wAEHWG229P5NbhHdA_tdtfw_AmtMPN/s1600/acoustic-refret-054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRBU_cMnDY_qL2IcTFlErmyLwq2L7EmNfnxNwCTZu94zb3dmVTNOQ3cGW3bbhR61xOyzWgN1ir6-nBDLEplMZt1GXANx4W0RGJWHJ6G21NfxPY9wAEHWG229P5NbhHdA_tdtfw_AmtMPN/s320/acoustic-refret-054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Halfway done:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8cDmTEfHMVREMpNV5LnNB5HhbzhH7pVncw84opMRDLJSu7_HBbLkl9doqg5fkUT85Ngb9IuFn_7R5HzK-Bb6j4eS2zqv2VXXYVlOgQi3hiQQAy9JyTn12xJoqlufk6vVKoe2flgsSCTS/s1600/acoustic-refret-057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8cDmTEfHMVREMpNV5LnNB5HhbzhH7pVncw84opMRDLJSu7_HBbLkl9doqg5fkUT85Ngb9IuFn_7R5HzK-Bb6j4eS2zqv2VXXYVlOgQi3hiQQAy9JyTn12xJoqlufk6vVKoe2flgsSCTS/s320/acoustic-refret-057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The next few frets will go in the same as the others, but then we have to overcome a new problem, which is how to deal with the frets over the soundboard of the guitar. One solution I've seen is Frank Ford's lead ballast weight, which can be seen about halfway down here: <a href="http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Frets/D35Refret/D35refret4.html">http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Frets/D35Refret/D35refret4.html</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I figured I'd make a poor man's version, or rather, a man-that-doesn't-have-the-exact-same-resources' version. This dead blow hammer is filled with whatever the safe modern-day equivalent of lead shot is (for all I know, it actually <b>is </b>lead shot):</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xiULSJO_1K-thjzWQ2g28Pwve01HOA1q4-i5KLgUCSmf-iXsDFRuBeLyXFjM3IrMMXdmdjYHG48kjq0ziMiXL9jXuKYQgFsvy5d9TH8TrY8qGYvs6P1BH2hsw7nDOrlTnFLlwinEyly/s1600/acoustic-refret-058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xiULSJO_1K-thjzWQ2g28Pwve01HOA1q4-i5KLgUCSmf-iXsDFRuBeLyXFjM3IrMMXdmdjYHG48kjq0ziMiXL9jXuKYQgFsvy5d9TH8TrY8qGYvs6P1BH2hsw7nDOrlTnFLlwinEyly/s320/acoustic-refret-058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">You may notice that I've cut about an inch off the end of it. That's so that I can get it inside the soundhole of the guitar, like so:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACLVzVn4p6wyEddE1jTGbgmBayLmNbROU2bf9sMmV1jDn9Ec6Giz_zaqjnpXOLOQ-J6C3FZFxE4cZrOxrhL1alQ4Vx25OoJpMeKas5NxUF5w8hm2RI6WcLU_IZNRCOS4WQ7hjwACeSaGZ/s1600/acoustic-refret-063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACLVzVn4p6wyEddE1jTGbgmBayLmNbROU2bf9sMmV1jDn9Ec6Giz_zaqjnpXOLOQ-J6C3FZFxE4cZrOxrhL1alQ4Vx25OoJpMeKas5NxUF5w8hm2RI6WcLU_IZNRCOS4WQ7hjwACeSaGZ/s320/acoustic-refret-063.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I then lift up the hammer (making sure the head of the hammer is under the fret I'm about to deal with), raising the guitar itself into the air, and hammer the new fret into place:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOHduhsFSNYNnoYpxJIGDXLRQyQBqZySlUCqGKeTmaIPtfLc0RbMbJ3HfFCm85a_WFClHkk3-hEzZjywF_pTXiB4OSZkifH-SlYOV6LxIV8bG9FXMq4fC3N97Q7TQWPbfdHZGmA1LT48b/s1600/acoustic-refret-064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOHduhsFSNYNnoYpxJIGDXLRQyQBqZySlUCqGKeTmaIPtfLc0RbMbJ3HfFCm85a_WFClHkk3-hEzZjywF_pTXiB4OSZkifH-SlYOV6LxIV8bG9FXMq4fC3N97Q7TQWPbfdHZGmA1LT48b/s320/acoustic-refret-064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And finished:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ewrvXo9q7d8wxVmdrnDrygri-RKAzSU-EaXgPvpeQvDmAMqcp0r_5wuAh8llsEiGBXtMrpfUHeclg53FsDp7HxEEfTnsC6375Y0Z60bhldm3N-UWZ9MGzHUlROG4S6L7HsnwyTA3L03T/s1600/acoustic-refret-065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ewrvXo9q7d8wxVmdrnDrygri-RKAzSU-EaXgPvpeQvDmAMqcp0r_5wuAh8llsEiGBXtMrpfUHeclg53FsDp7HxEEfTnsC6375Y0Z60bhldm3N-UWZ9MGzHUlROG4S6L7HsnwyTA3L03T/s320/acoustic-refret-065.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Except of course we’re not finished at all.
Now we have to bevel the edges of the frets so we don’t rip our hand to bits
when we try to play the guitar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">You can do this one at a time:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cy9d3fkPHkQRcfqH_WoQjDpd3Fujbx7R3JwPK6OyBP8oiehjn1Zb07Z1SOUzANiErks-PW1HPd-wuatu1n-4URd3ZsP-ldk0LhjPpDuCDQOmwGN1yvLyvnYDk4xkFLqkV6cNkxgYaaV9/s1600/acoustic-refret-067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cy9d3fkPHkQRcfqH_WoQjDpd3Fujbx7R3JwPK6OyBP8oiehjn1Zb07Z1SOUzANiErks-PW1HPd-wuatu1n-4URd3ZsP-ldk0LhjPpDuCDQOmwGN1yvLyvnYDk4xkFLqkV6cNkxgYaaV9/s320/acoustic-refret-067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Or several at a time:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcBA9Igd4ZGPJJZbEBnj7Kx8gV64vuOA-qDivme8Uh9zk6JBU26dPi_GNS6ipUr2tEAWRqWeRKH45xbdDDivEsuSM0xMq7_5xi18Sn6iZPk5-HbkzRFHe-DUzcbXIVJ0uSb3vITemX8UG/s1600/acoustic-refret-069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcBA9Igd4ZGPJJZbEBnj7Kx8gV64vuOA-qDivme8Uh9zk6JBU26dPi_GNS6ipUr2tEAWRqWeRKH45xbdDDivEsuSM0xMq7_5xi18Sn6iZPk5-HbkzRFHe-DUzcbXIVJ0uSb3vITemX8UG/s320/acoustic-refret-069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Ending up with something like this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhrjbYmTy1R_xQOw1QFwEfiz0xDWvEnP0WOmi1hKDNNLmvb5Zl9jZw2_5Ff0v1jKqwyTqCTWRBgauGVhOJ8iPCSxj_Xb6GBTohyphenhyphenPlX4H1zM2sJWmpA9cyt4gfC3krPd8Ac_YT5MvqoYEg/s1600/acoustic-refret-070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhrjbYmTy1R_xQOw1QFwEfiz0xDWvEnP0WOmi1hKDNNLmvb5Zl9jZw2_5Ff0v1jKqwyTqCTWRBgauGVhOJ8iPCSxj_Xb6GBTohyphenhyphenPlX4H1zM2sJWmpA9cyt4gfC3krPd8Ac_YT5MvqoYEg/s320/acoustic-refret-070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB">After that, we need to level the frets,
which is to say that we need to make sure the frets are all the same height.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">First, let’s make sure the fretboard is
level and, if necessary, adjust the truss rod to make it so:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AYQtenpWG_7rEkenaFn6-01Xr3BFytZeRl2qp52tN2SfRwOTHNV05Jk9iZ8OlbU3mWZgWEjPgbko_OsTJWiHp_fuZBQK4pmlNQD7e7W31UO7UV7POvhYMhL-kGmf1gWBOLOIY2KznB_1/s1600/acoustic-refret-040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AYQtenpWG_7rEkenaFn6-01Xr3BFytZeRl2qp52tN2SfRwOTHNV05Jk9iZ8OlbU3mWZgWEjPgbko_OsTJWiHp_fuZBQK4pmlNQD7e7W31UO7UV7POvhYMhL-kGmf1gWBOLOIY2KznB_1/s320/acoustic-refret-040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Once it is, we colour in the frets with a Sharpie pen
or similar:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx_DdTz2CGp1axzVVhyphenhyphenTOxKrl9VYzno3UoaTmGIoOim6b11LUUpXhPXf_jJsdeBjmj2Fkw9gcHwJS5m2oUIJ9nVH5-pjMIvP05snlsmIY6unM9opDTRMqnRzzALnPKKHypLx1GjM4qRgu/s1600/acoustic-refret-073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx_DdTz2CGp1axzVVhyphenhyphenTOxKrl9VYzno3UoaTmGIoOim6b11LUUpXhPXf_jJsdeBjmj2Fkw9gcHwJS5m2oUIJ9nVH5-pjMIvP05snlsmIY6unM9opDTRMqnRzzALnPKKHypLx1GjM4qRgu/s320/acoustic-refret-073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Then we find something straight and flat
(in this case, a spirit level that has been confirmed as really being
dead straight/flat), and stick sandpaper to the bottom face:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0CG3qmS1IugRYCoGR06429ZFUDFlLbnyCOuk6Hu4VhvhYDwB5cADed9p9sFFz2SaM9UYD3Pcfktaa4mYUxcLCmW_Zislx_HUNIay3PeuYFNPIlbCOBdT-nahcdyz9bHGUKvuwszAtC_S/s1600/acoustic-refret-071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0CG3qmS1IugRYCoGR06429ZFUDFlLbnyCOuk6Hu4VhvhYDwB5cADed9p9sFFz2SaM9UYD3Pcfktaa4mYUxcLCmW_Zislx_HUNIay3PeuYFNPIlbCOBdT-nahcdyz9bHGUKvuwszAtC_S/s320/acoustic-refret-071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is then run <b>along</b> (not across) the fretboard, making
sure that the same amount of attention is given across the width of the
fretboard:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDUVU8GTe_lKDr0U3S3RlLIcj1Hv0XqA3580GQKVgrZWZjFld6cKSfc5NUNofRChHVZgsevjYX48sQjYaky1Qy8lJBl9f1wugiwQpRWVEQ4SUcjeuVofw4ZjYlD3vB4T9YyuYIWghOzJz/s1600/acoustic-refret-074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDUVU8GTe_lKDr0U3S3RlLIcj1Hv0XqA3580GQKVgrZWZjFld6cKSfc5NUNofRChHVZgsevjYX48sQjYaky1Qy8lJBl9f1wugiwQpRWVEQ4SUcjeuVofw4ZjYlD3vB4T9YyuYIWghOzJz/s320/acoustic-refret-074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Once the black marks have disappeared, the
frets should be level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The next step isn't STRICTLY necessary, but I like to do it just in case I've inadvertently affected the radius of the frets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">We mark the frets again, and then run the radiused sanding block up and down a few times until all of the black is gone. This should be a very quick process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxUBF8ptECq9urJG3zmLwP5lZZDIiG_Go2EhSKx_JUk_FuwoeZEdCo76aq97Mqiwpv_hN5KYdqoM1CiZdbjOnr6xeQo6iV_FCndrQYo6vXNgjb-74pe4d6R0OOPA_dcNf1pB7raolD2lQ/s1600/acoustic-refret-078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxUBF8ptECq9urJG3zmLwP5lZZDIiG_Go2EhSKx_JUk_FuwoeZEdCo76aq97Mqiwpv_hN5KYdqoM1CiZdbjOnr6xeQo6iV_FCndrQYo6vXNgjb-74pe4d6R0OOPA_dcNf1pB7raolD2lQ/s320/acoustic-refret-078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now we need to crown them, which is to say
that we need to re-shape them so that they are rounded on the top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So we mark them with a Sharpie again, and we file them to give them a kind of
bevelled/rounded edge. </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">You’ll notice that I am using fret protectors so
that I don’t damage any of the wood while doing this.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPVFYRbfDwjtgFy9JfF3iGRALB-7s9fw8uK4zjkSjqIRgnLoTRizNJG-J9ED-0tfpa9l9j0vL-8FI1n8ocFQ_Ptlz1xAyfrc7ZiGAUjHF4gJnN79ipEX4MUL2YY1wLOO9OHg2a0V9EXIP/s1600/acoustic-refret-079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPVFYRbfDwjtgFy9JfF3iGRALB-7s9fw8uK4zjkSjqIRgnLoTRizNJG-J9ED-0tfpa9l9j0vL-8FI1n8ocFQ_Ptlz1xAyfrc7ZiGAUjHF4gJnN79ipEX4MUL2YY1wLOO9OHg2a0V9EXIP/s320/acoustic-refret-079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">What we want to end up with is a thin black line still
showing along the centre of each fret. This way we know that we have not affected the
overall height of any of them. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOvY3MH-5Z0BKpLT-qvmENCANvBkBXUAeHSjgmnKEv9dxi31CmXOJhdMHPDruydxUi2YtDCE23jL7MN73P9NIeUJ6ghFXIoUh8zUmYeNBuJQiN0vhKyFu3hURGmu6UUF7Czx0wPgCHo4l/s1600/acoustic-refret-083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOvY3MH-5Z0BKpLT-qvmENCANvBkBXUAeHSjgmnKEv9dxi31CmXOJhdMHPDruydxUi2YtDCE23jL7MN73P9NIeUJ6ghFXIoUh8zUmYeNBuJQiN0vhKyFu3hURGmu6UUF7Czx0wPgCHo4l/s320/acoustic-refret-083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Finally we run some steel wool up and down each
fret to clean/polish/smooth them. We give each fret the same amount of attention
so that if we <b>are </b>removing any material, at least it will be the same for each
fret.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGUQMLorEJM5stWJr2bJpVVGTaGvjabkhvtcM3qIm0-iXSUkfKmJDv-yQKRXMqsEANH2eie1BTJhfHLCBvRUJvnkdr1McRPhZ_JByza0ILFBv5Tvz-SzRzfXXulWSwBkAjqs5amSzbQSz/s1600/acoustic-refret-084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGUQMLorEJM5stWJr2bJpVVGTaGvjabkhvtcM3qIm0-iXSUkfKmJDv-yQKRXMqsEANH2eie1BTJhfHLCBvRUJvnkdr1McRPhZ_JByza0ILFBv5Tvz-SzRzfXXulWSwBkAjqs5amSzbQSz/s320/acoustic-refret-084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And the fret job is done:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIKSAszjtEy9QWMmn-71925o2j4Mbmey1c_SwfO7zt055SACbTiuuDVGejZ8mvwHGeFLw07o445zlyLYE5whX3L0InvrY-Mcc5-iH3pCFbAgF2zIRh5n02426cUSd8em7fa_eOdsNkyQC/s1600/acoustic-refret-085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIKSAszjtEy9QWMmn-71925o2j4Mbmey1c_SwfO7zt055SACbTiuuDVGejZ8mvwHGeFLw07o445zlyLYE5whX3L0InvrY-Mcc5-iH3pCFbAgF2zIRh5n02426cUSd8em7fa_eOdsNkyQC/s320/acoustic-refret-085.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The guitar is stringed up and any final adjustments are made:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6ZuWV9Ki6LpSMjxsTpktZZCzQaR6SbRpRJ4N1kdQAjEzTNyKEMNLUBK-qLLSnkJ4QHOEb6Sya15tGUCvLKrT_mfTy4fEL010abHvpXQvp4exL2fh-TJ0C_gpbKsScv7xRG_xVn5ZzYkq/s1600/acoustic-refret-089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6ZuWV9Ki6LpSMjxsTpktZZCzQaR6SbRpRJ4N1kdQAjEzTNyKEMNLUBK-qLLSnkJ4QHOEb6Sya15tGUCvLKrT_mfTy4fEL010abHvpXQvp4exL2fh-TJ0C_gpbKsScv7xRG_xVn5ZzYkq/s320/acoustic-refret-089.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Note that after doing this, I had to adjust the truss rod and change
the height of the nut a little bit. This is to be expected, and in some cases
you might even need to install a new nut. For more information on making a new nut,
have a look here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2010/10/making-bone-nut-from-scratch.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2010/10/making-bone-nut-from-scratch.html</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-59133730973417113682013-06-09T22:17:00.002-07:002013-06-10T02:22:22.833-07:00How to make a guitar cable<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today we're going to do a quick run through of how to make a guitar cable. It’s a pretty
simple procedure, but if you’ve never made one before, it can be a little bit
daunting at first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To make a cable, you
will need to following items:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Some cable </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Two ¼” jack plugs</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And the following tools:</span><br />
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A soldering iron and some solder</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Wire cutters/strippers/pliers</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Here’s the cable we're going to use:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAxYu78BO1A8UVUGz1pWYYmkJ7QjfQaPsMTy8WJZwNIZGfXpJ6x64bLZzXKSnOeRzHRyAhPrKYX3Oe3QDvtX7CnTSaFQU4pV04axdtqGlZg-vlMa7z3LQMIXSB0b7a6Wx_tqJT7ej3wPu/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-001b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAxYu78BO1A8UVUGz1pWYYmkJ7QjfQaPsMTy8WJZwNIZGfXpJ6x64bLZzXKSnOeRzHRyAhPrKYX3Oe3QDvtX7CnTSaFQU4pV04axdtqGlZg-vlMa7z3LQMIXSB0b7a6Wx_tqJT7ej3wPu/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-001b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> And we're going to use
two of these jack plugs:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ286veBtAHjShn3lriUIBjsm6MsP-GXO7Q28mbYRMJFkDaq6Jm2QICVs42Xb5m21IxTtd_DRwEs2M95IgGH44_p1RDlXtnZ9dTVvS-IbbtfLHV4ydOOWT3FXcl6bg-u6is0r_ZQxl9SLs/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ286veBtAHjShn3lriUIBjsm6MsP-GXO7Q28mbYRMJFkDaq6Jm2QICVs42Xb5m21IxTtd_DRwEs2M95IgGH44_p1RDlXtnZ9dTVvS-IbbtfLHV4ydOOWT3FXcl6bg-u6is0r_ZQxl9SLs/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I really like this
design of plug (and I’ve used a tonne of different ones over the years). To open
it, you unscrew the end cap/cable relief:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqwQx4oZAP7RPGRVv8KCYrHdl02HYD6i1YlUQa57FYOXLyxAeMcjBgtp0Sf07PEqxbc_OxGmzZpz82ag-vop2_sDoA978uXs_Tm1bRfWXJZGvlFnECWDQVFJdqtOHYpDdwHFLEVT71K0U/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqwQx4oZAP7RPGRVv8KCYrHdl02HYD6i1YlUQa57FYOXLyxAeMcjBgtp0Sf07PEqxbc_OxGmzZpz82ag-vop2_sDoA978uXs_Tm1bRfWXJZGvlFnECWDQVFJdqtOHYpDdwHFLEVT71K0U/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then lift up the
cover:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LRTW8wiJRk9xEaTuRl7YpY53VRdTDmNwpQdoDXKls8j7skXNR5efFUJJmERpVaRE2myQ0uSJPK9G8Qo3xQ44WYi8Sw4vuXz3JKjgjovezT-GPrf-7QqDuMGPF5ThGUSgD5kYGu3qLl6G/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LRTW8wiJRk9xEaTuRl7YpY53VRdTDmNwpQdoDXKls8j7skXNR5efFUJJmERpVaRE2myQ0uSJPK9G8Qo3xQ44WYi8Sw4vuXz3JKjgjovezT-GPrf-7QqDuMGPF5ThGUSgD5kYGu3qLl6G/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Which reveals the
following:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXSHVPC7FKUGJmHjsQGQmavEd-6b2TWtUCGZ8xW_dPxgIIC-wQXj3v-4vaulqccFZY6g9X2lCrE1TJ2Ztj13t8Yac7QRDwdRZGNUq23nniK0MqR-brvbZe3tQy0HzbZJKUA2OPMHseZ6P/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXSHVPC7FKUGJmHjsQGQmavEd-6b2TWtUCGZ8xW_dPxgIIC-wQXj3v-4vaulqccFZY6g9X2lCrE1TJ2Ztj13t8Yac7QRDwdRZGNUq23nniK0MqR-brvbZe3tQy0HzbZJKUA2OPMHseZ6P/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Obviously you can use
a different design if you like.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today we're making a short
cable that will go between effects pedals. There’s nothing different between
this sort of cable and a standard guitar cable, apart from the length.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This one, we're going to
cut to 20cm (8”):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw05nMALFeA_CAYPfqnpRTJMfKQmvIzFD13WNjmUhK-KqrVIBhZe98qmDNvbTn92UUkHlk35vO7zvcPOd66QqX89LpcBsEOQ6cQjm6Kjb9KRWEiGRxmddvr8Y9p8RE1uWVEW-NQDu29XPH/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw05nMALFeA_CAYPfqnpRTJMfKQmvIzFD13WNjmUhK-KqrVIBhZe98qmDNvbTn92UUkHlk35vO7zvcPOd66QqX89LpcBsEOQ6cQjm6Kjb9KRWEiGRxmddvr8Y9p8RE1uWVEW-NQDu29XPH/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then trim the outer
sleeve back by 15mm (a little under 5/8”):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jefofZwTxvNEOgqZzfGhatfT7K2htbWrZVnvKm4Tdi1aDYDxooHO4u17_n0xjs1HCPMg_XzcD70dHj4MoQkwxa05t2rbYQCM7KXSFADvoNS8pjDjNnXo2vkzJyj3W_IFZuJ6xmDP3m6/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jefofZwTxvNEOgqZzfGhatfT7K2htbWrZVnvKm4Tdi1aDYDxooHO4u17_n0xjs1HCPMg_XzcD70dHj4MoQkwxa05t2rbYQCM7KXSFADvoNS8pjDjNnXo2vkzJyj3W_IFZuJ6xmDP3m6/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We trim the inner wire
insulation back by a few mm and then twist the end of the wire together. The outer
shielding wiring is also gathered and twisted together:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNsOMIutOW1YNQtT2ITSd4Kb-CtrpJwzTyLGsPVza2KsWc5Tpl-sCEadiddd5q4gWrbziX511ruN72mDhd04947rIGpM0VZl0RSNvluBi5arekYXmV1H4rDb7K3Dp6rkHz8qaZBP8H8j7/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNsOMIutOW1YNQtT2ITSd4Kb-CtrpJwzTyLGsPVza2KsWc5Tpl-sCEadiddd5q4gWrbziX511ruN72mDhd04947rIGpM0VZl0RSNvluBi5arekYXmV1H4rDb7K3Dp6rkHz8qaZBP8H8j7/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">All of this is done at
both ends, leaving us with this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy_7yGCLuUNIHOHzuHnuwayd8oAW4jFvwF65Yj0Zluv06w7-1WpgMFrMymw9BisaqHmSwg86x7JwQgW3_x-vOPqcD3_4w866PU7Ys1tbQ0eLaj-cxaU0f_W5UdWujrOvpjn75dY9st8oi/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy_7yGCLuUNIHOHzuHnuwayd8oAW4jFvwF65Yj0Zluv06w7-1WpgMFrMymw9BisaqHmSwg86x7JwQgW3_x-vOPqcD3_4w866PU7Ys1tbQ0eLaj-cxaU0f_W5UdWujrOvpjn75dY9st8oi/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We then slide any
necessary items over the cable before doing any soldering. You’ll get away with
forgetting this for the first plug, since you can always slide it on from the
other end after soldering. However, for the second plug, it’ll be too late and
you’ll have to unsolder something to fix it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SjMXx_chlUhTgD2v1r2eUiuGEIvRJwP-tUhNZzO0EK2T7yjFgSXRV3Fi2OZxWHuSg84mURsPgltT49S0ht3wPIX-OAewqUxon0PE0VkOTrSgzn8D_p65y7zwFvVNwl15nCR8auMfJ9EU/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SjMXx_chlUhTgD2v1r2eUiuGEIvRJwP-tUhNZzO0EK2T7yjFgSXRV3Fi2OZxWHuSg84mURsPgltT49S0ht3wPIX-OAewqUxon0PE0VkOTrSgzn8D_p65y7zwFvVNwl15nCR8auMfJ9EU/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Next step is to melt a
couple of healthy blobs of solder onto the two positions where we intend to
attach wires.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pg_j3qr9N8_LHSozrZR6483SgNKmiVnvmZ2jG9o_UMvW9u4ejA__5M_9K-wgYODe1i0voW1nz46dumMP-SJO_rv6o8vFapzFd31tTAOFC6EMUNsBwq2II2gYxiYcVeX3ehh-QmwjmmPO/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pg_j3qr9N8_LHSozrZR6483SgNKmiVnvmZ2jG9o_UMvW9u4ejA__5M_9K-wgYODe1i0voW1nz46dumMP-SJO_rv6o8vFapzFd31tTAOFC6EMUNsBwq2II2gYxiYcVeX3ehh-QmwjmmPO/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then we “tin” the
wires, which is to say, we melt a little bit of solder onto them:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPtyijn2143w-pMOGlCXkRnQuPgQbdnBHsxEWuuASyyvTuQ9l4g_oG4J8zLA8optyM6q4fh3sERV9eE-NdLgIeqNoFS03glN-BjG7MII_965BPP57C2ni6eTSWWHyMuTQYP2HeYt1EdOy/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPtyijn2143w-pMOGlCXkRnQuPgQbdnBHsxEWuuASyyvTuQ9l4g_oG4J8zLA8optyM6q4fh3sERV9eE-NdLgIeqNoFS03glN-BjG7MII_965BPP57C2ni6eTSWWHyMuTQYP2HeYt1EdOy/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We're also going to cut the
outer ground wire a little shorter, so that it fits its position on the plug
better:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8CW-49hSgEdH86g7EfDNrE7ibDYikTYqqFlks8KjnPjcwyFCnHbojnWQipQiR1yWVNpyFSyfaDQPC2fKQh0Z3UeJQOu9awNY97v8wuS-ouhs-iJVNYkE0ZV0p_rkZF1ZPcbwcnJ_VcLc/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8CW-49hSgEdH86g7EfDNrE7ibDYikTYqqFlks8KjnPjcwyFCnHbojnWQipQiR1yWVNpyFSyfaDQPC2fKQh0Z3UeJQOu9awNY97v8wuS-ouhs-iJVNYkE0ZV0p_rkZF1ZPcbwcnJ_VcLc/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now we solder the
wires on. When doing this, try not to keep the soldering iron on the plug for
an extended amount of time, as some of them can be ruined very easily.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Firstly, the ground
wire:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZXRRCrO2rXUbfGN_2X4sofezm-gi7JcVMIRMjss4Jlx-Va93brbLXLjohWFC-CqtWokyqzAW2eFbzD0YRDD4ZneGu67br3DUvvK5kQbHgZtlhiUsAiUR1TutF3N5iGAfLhWgJ6shEM72/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZXRRCrO2rXUbfGN_2X4sofezm-gi7JcVMIRMjss4Jlx-Va93brbLXLjohWFC-CqtWokyqzAW2eFbzD0YRDD4ZneGu67br3DUvvK5kQbHgZtlhiUsAiUR1TutF3N5iGAfLhWgJ6shEM72/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then the
positive/tip wire:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XJAW8LGsnIV78Yia7wdCluCjqazXHYYaUlku6pBCbbxuZpepG6W2quMmVVU-k2Zm-0pdf1KI4br1zBAUQT1eq2_flm-i9DtAxsL934LNs09xNHNi5qI8llhYaWSxhCF4FaZDwNyd8AaG/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-020b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XJAW8LGsnIV78Yia7wdCluCjqazXHYYaUlku6pBCbbxuZpepG6W2quMmVVU-k2Zm-0pdf1KI4br1zBAUQT1eq2_flm-i9DtAxsL934LNs09xNHNi5qI8llhYaWSxhCF4FaZDwNyd8AaG/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-020b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Before closing up, we
need to secure the cable by tightening the metal clamp as follows:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJhA1XM0fFTvU036uReHVO4He4jDD8fkk-kSSAuXgXVhJNtB4sXYp3AXWW9lnqEPgRIGBo6sTnQ3NMhnB4LoP5fBkU7iSbUXzAXimzYR_UI0-L1t7YN518zb0j115XwwRRfvq1SKWIvq-/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJhA1XM0fFTvU036uReHVO4He4jDD8fkk-kSSAuXgXVhJNtB4sXYp3AXWW9lnqEPgRIGBo6sTnQ3NMhnB4LoP5fBkU7iSbUXzAXimzYR_UI0-L1t7YN518zb0j115XwwRRfvq1SKWIvq-/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then we place the
cover back in place:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNMdGUsUV0MUNW9njBDKr3BLYqqK2CKBVcBIF8h4DV1Wdd4HRcYcodf1I-Pb4SzodpMMQkEaiqyxQi9klsqcPKpObgnpmgftVKPG7i1aSlWvBHLD1SSPs7Ox_9Z5ZP-AlS9zLjJ2UhDXg/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNMdGUsUV0MUNW9njBDKr3BLYqqK2CKBVcBIF8h4DV1Wdd4HRcYcodf1I-Pb4SzodpMMQkEaiqyxQi9klsqcPKpObgnpmgftVKPG7i1aSlWvBHLD1SSPs7Ox_9Z5ZP-AlS9zLjJ2UhDXg/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And tighten the end
plug/cable relief:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij94yjktmi9IeWcT7U9LMMT2l71dmsIEEeGofyhoZ6xA10auypamAL277qhhryuxPdGOTbXh_dleaScdSFjETJ2Ehkj8tt3W1gF_DuEg1aTIJUSyqIBSilngYRKS7lXCK7zcr75cyZm1-n/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-024b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij94yjktmi9IeWcT7U9LMMT2l71dmsIEEeGofyhoZ6xA10auypamAL277qhhryuxPdGOTbXh_dleaScdSFjETJ2Ehkj8tt3W1gF_DuEg1aTIJUSyqIBSilngYRKS7lXCK7zcr75cyZm1-n/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-024b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We do the same for the
other end of the cable:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKygu8DDY4yNc9aCES9Su1CkK43KQPeOfT1sCtctFH8Ni0G07n_wfCgkpVxYlV_QgTu5LEig0F9JeSAsKgnNk3vOVws3NUHWGqSQzfKDFymIAX0gC7l6qJjV-dK19GIBj0XLoEMi-FJBni/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-026b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKygu8DDY4yNc9aCES9Su1CkK43KQPeOfT1sCtctFH8Ni0G07n_wfCgkpVxYlV_QgTu5LEig0F9JeSAsKgnNk3vOVws3NUHWGqSQzfKDFymIAX0gC7l6qJjV-dK19GIBj0XLoEMi-FJBni/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-026b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And here’s the end
result:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM78rCwP2bE1VApfdA2CI7u1VCbrflBrsuGn4k-HP1SOFa9Z82ofgdWQEgKY1NcdXRfKJivsLR8DMCEEzo2lHD6W_fbTMsZ2_DcfoB3KbmUT_ACo_dMCeuYlRLt1IaT9HxauN_I0R8f6jX/s1600/DIY-guitar-cable-027b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM78rCwP2bE1VApfdA2CI7u1VCbrflBrsuGn4k-HP1SOFa9Z82ofgdWQEgKY1NcdXRfKJivsLR8DMCEEzo2lHD6W_fbTMsZ2_DcfoB3KbmUT_ACo_dMCeuYlRLt1IaT9HxauN_I0R8f6jX/s320/DIY-guitar-cable-027b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-77250812072559376442013-05-28T23:00:00.004-07:002014-11-28T01:17:54.175-08:00The Volumizer (II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh959RV01sKKAolI1OqOofi4OCbGfMkqom3oeYzgWzPcCKNCdh2c3h9sWpM7hnDaxazpDIjlglQH2NB6bTpOgB4MENr_nrQ_qPyO61ZQKfq5-mAi_LMbSwukbifWoaGhNuwY_aM1t9BTnLi/s1600/Volumizer-2-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh959RV01sKKAolI1OqOofi4OCbGfMkqom3oeYzgWzPcCKNCdh2c3h9sWpM7hnDaxazpDIjlglQH2NB6bTpOgB4MENr_nrQ_qPyO61ZQKfq5-mAi_LMbSwukbifWoaGhNuwY_aM1t9BTnLi/s320/Volumizer-2-022.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I don’t often build more than one of the same pedal. In fact, I think the only one I’ve ever built twice was the Minimixer (<a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2008/08/two-channel-mini-mixer.htmlhttp://">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2008/08/two-channel-mini-mixer.html</a>), but I don’t think that even <b>counts</b> as a pedal.<br />
<br />
Christian over at <a href="http://blacksunshinemedia.com/">Black Sunshine Media</a> was so enamoured with the Volumizer, however, that I offered to build one for him too. I also took the opportunity to do a better blog post about it, since at the time of doing the original one, I kind of skimmed over some important points.<br />
<br />
Firstly, some background. The Volumizer is my clone of an MXR Micro Amp, the schematic of which can be found at <a href="https://www.generalguitargadgets.com/">General Guitar Gadgets</a>. There is basically no difference between my circuit and the one shown there, apart from the layout and possibly a couple of very slightly different parts (due to a lack of local availability). This pedal is a great little pre-amp, which boosts volume and nothing else. It’s nice and clean and only provides distortion if you use it to drive something else (which would be what actually distorts, not the pedal itself). Christian’s found it to be extremely useful as a pre-amp stage before going into his mixer, which was a use that I hadn’t even considered when first making it.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this time around I’ve taken the time to draw up a veroboard layout in Illustrator (you’re welcome). The layout is the same as last time, with the exception of how I wired the switch. There’s really no significant difference in how it’s wired up; it’s just more in line with the standard way I wire up switches these days. Here it is (as usual, click to enlarge):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMP6A7iIF-kNnjKBXx-m2FGI4dTWZdWCDWRUVQ5IcHcBwrZD3FNsFT_Xgeejku4Qnv_R1f76OdSzud78dRt6pqOVR33VdciCp_Jr9pdBn8-n8bkBSWvMzWjGfaaimbCLzaleei-1abtf0/s1600/Volumizer-Vero-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMP6A7iIF-kNnjKBXx-m2FGI4dTWZdWCDWRUVQ5IcHcBwrZD3FNsFT_Xgeejku4Qnv_R1f76OdSzud78dRt6pqOVR33VdciCp_Jr9pdBn8-n8bkBSWvMzWjGfaaimbCLzaleei-1abtf0/s320/Volumizer-Vero-01.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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<br />
Also, this time around I managed to source a more standard-sized enclosure, since I <b>really </b>had to cram the other one into the slightly smaller box.<br />
<br />
OK, let’s build this thing.<br />
<br />
First we need some veroboard cut out to 15 x 8 (you may want to make it a little longer to allow for more capacitor space – explained later).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3FCVSGrMzzLyaosI3M0aneHYpxlf4evdAo4jbZbVjBd2Xa_fILsSu7goh4_WdTFi_jFFlszXna3OAuyoQuUz6zzm_Wo12HeAeqEvysQaOafyHzCuynhmehUIQ6q_ymqJtz9M6sFQKZS7/s1600/Volumizer-2-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3FCVSGrMzzLyaosI3M0aneHYpxlf4evdAo4jbZbVjBd2Xa_fILsSu7goh4_WdTFi_jFFlszXna3OAuyoQuUz6zzm_Wo12HeAeqEvysQaOafyHzCuynhmehUIQ6q_ymqJtz9M6sFQKZS7/s320/Volumizer-2-003.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Then we cut the tracks as noted by the red X’s on the verobard layout. Just remember that you’re cutting these on the back, and the veroboard layout is as seen from the front.<br />
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Here’s mine after cutting the tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZtue4v42PF_AIVOULnXq1FN6-N7ahAZ2h1-VgQ8bUjGsWuY201UM2X4yuGpAJEsQ330y7oDeLgSmSfvsSql3g-wZ_-ADROT9lQ2Uy8fteKTCJtJ9oWLlHUbpImD12LTT_QPLMlzMdTVq/s1600/Volumizer-2-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZtue4v42PF_AIVOULnXq1FN6-N7ahAZ2h1-VgQ8bUjGsWuY201UM2X4yuGpAJEsQ330y7oDeLgSmSfvsSql3g-wZ_-ADROT9lQ2Uy8fteKTCJtJ9oWLlHUbpImD12LTT_QPLMlzMdTVq/s320/Volumizer-2-009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Incidentally, if you’ve been following my posts, you’ll have noticed that I’ve been trying different methods for cutting veroboard tracks. I finally came up with a solution that I’m happy with. This is a pin vice with a 3mm drill bit. It works really well for cutting the veroboard tracks. This is going to be my go-to tool from now on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvetPXEbRqjjJSxZIAo114D9_3RPoU6ToCDuyqYJEl7oQhzUSX26MSazbOwjb2EiE0XISN4ILfOOn88QzddZEpkATLmlF7lLbina0cfFhjs7hVAjn7l8SjNVne1J4l4C0oBA1lX99NcNp/s1600/Volumizer-2-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvetPXEbRqjjJSxZIAo114D9_3RPoU6ToCDuyqYJEl7oQhzUSX26MSazbOwjb2EiE0XISN4ILfOOn88QzddZEpkATLmlF7lLbina0cfFhjs7hVAjn7l8SjNVne1J4l4C0oBA1lX99NcNp/s320/Volumizer-2-001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here it is in action:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EOwcjv6IFLcILdwK_QNpniBccKbaa0XqJe3RYtLgV6dLYgXzPFbZ3U4G2tTJhhJzdCgGh4OC3xOP5ZyLFvme1rMFLTJ7Mnkip67ddOz3DRBY1EjuF70Cc5NX37CtGZdc9q43QPHUkW2u/s1600/Volumizer-2-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EOwcjv6IFLcILdwK_QNpniBccKbaa0XqJe3RYtLgV6dLYgXzPFbZ3U4G2tTJhhJzdCgGh4OC3xOP5ZyLFvme1rMFLTJ7Mnkip67ddOz3DRBY1EjuF70Cc5NX37CtGZdc9q43QPHUkW2u/s320/Volumizer-2-007.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
All right, the veroboard’s ready to receive components, but before I do that. I’m going to give it a scrub with a steel brush, since it’s a bit tarnished (a brass brush, sandpaper, etc, would do this job just as well). I’m doing this because it will make it much easier for the solder to take hold.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPab-2FIr-_HZwOii-8PXD6jXPySZowxYp2qQZ7gzY3Oz8If4ZcJ3lI1IrhdqCL8y1o0nFkY-eeOVdyTXuEFTTOkMHF8UoQaNoFss_UP2C8ZXC8CVn5xsGYoDFVnFreYN3iwZ4Kvf4YFb1/s1600/Volumizer-2-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPab-2FIr-_HZwOii-8PXD6jXPySZowxYp2qQZ7gzY3Oz8If4ZcJ3lI1IrhdqCL8y1o0nFkY-eeOVdyTXuEFTTOkMHF8UoQaNoFss_UP2C8ZXC8CVn5xsGYoDFVnFreYN3iwZ4Kvf4YFb1/s320/Volumizer-2-017.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
You can hopefully see which bit I've scrubbed so far on the right of this image:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQEueJANRJF9xV1phC-6ES1VVuKneNJwmGsMi6oWDKLxLxy9SrrRE-ieH9MxutNe6Yl373uloqLj2HTm3DjiCtLvGnEokELuOsNWFNhEg9rPrKiFDLHhnu68FGd9yc2NWkFl4EXz7ANwX/s1600/Volumizer-2-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQEueJANRJF9xV1phC-6ES1VVuKneNJwmGsMi6oWDKLxLxy9SrrRE-ieH9MxutNe6Yl373uloqLj2HTm3DjiCtLvGnEokELuOsNWFNhEg9rPrKiFDLHhnu68FGd9yc2NWkFl4EXz7ANwX/s320/Volumizer-2-019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Here are the parts soldered in place. You may notice an additional capacitor sitting at a funny angle to the top right. That’s because I couldn’t source a 15µF one, so used a 10µF and a 4.7µF one in parallel, giving me 14.7µF (close enough). <b>That</b>’s why you might want to leave a bit of extra space when you initially cut out the veroboard (or you can just cram it in there like I did). Also to the lower left, you might notice that I have two resistors soldered together,. These are a 2MΩ and a 200KΩ resistor soldered in series to make the total value 2.2MΩ.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehY3CdHE8mrN8vq0TpQI-YGQVYRQSUd_t93pMWC1AQ-tnKKFQSbrZPahPa4-KkF1wZ79b4Gl7M_MCZPUjM6cmEmcuVmZ5yY4pZwoyTaTXB_b58hOOK_43WvG_JApNUbHHP2AZ_CHuiCUt/s1600/Volumizer-2-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehY3CdHE8mrN8vq0TpQI-YGQVYRQSUd_t93pMWC1AQ-tnKKFQSbrZPahPa4-KkF1wZ79b4Gl7M_MCZPUjM6cmEmcuVmZ5yY4pZwoyTaTXB_b58hOOK_43WvG_JApNUbHHP2AZ_CHuiCUt/s320/Volumizer-2-023.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now we deal with the box. I mark the holes on the plastic wrapping (which saves a bit of cleanup), and stamp the centres with a hole punch. After that, I drill the holes with a stepping drill bit. If I feel that the
drill bit is hitting the back of the enclosure, then I wait till that’s
off before finishing the hole.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWx2iriNnXWRhRX9LM6X5vX2XMVTZ_LkJcEKPGQmVQkFyBLBKpfKwQnUMp5_6JEvmbvEAzp-OsekortMxZGGU6EWgUDs5BiCxyaaIgekUMM0K3yk6CUWKo9fuzu4C2g923RtYW6oe7_w0/s1600/Volumizer-2-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWx2iriNnXWRhRX9LM6X5vX2XMVTZ_LkJcEKPGQmVQkFyBLBKpfKwQnUMp5_6JEvmbvEAzp-OsekortMxZGGU6EWgUDs5BiCxyaaIgekUMM0K3yk6CUWKo9fuzu4C2g923RtYW6oe7_w0/s320/Volumizer-2-011.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The DC-in jack hole is a tad wider than 12mm, so I drill to 12mm and then ream it out just a little more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW1d91EC3BxOd8mhlE62sEXPr_tW4YJ1bRv1-02UATWW3Ag2cpDT5anyuIVA_vM5Ztdirluot_moAfbp_v0fXU3bliDqvwtOwIdyCXpNhjzq9NdI4Q1FLcJ7Q9lne_8QYO5aLJOa3s_vo/s1600/Volumizer-2-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW1d91EC3BxOd8mhlE62sEXPr_tW4YJ1bRv1-02UATWW3Ag2cpDT5anyuIVA_vM5Ztdirluot_moAfbp_v0fXU3bliDqvwtOwIdyCXpNhjzq9NdI4Q1FLcJ7Q9lne_8QYO5aLJOa3s_vo/s320/Volumizer-2-012.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
I do a test fitting with all the parts before taking this any further. I was still waiting for some new 9-pin stomp switches to arrive when I took this, so had to settle for a 6-pin one in its place temporarily.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9osHGKIqUvNQTS_HICahRPAzyqU3dGRZZrL4wSWbp1TsQXx4D4zfp0QEWwAlkb6hR33qIAUS6xP2UGXTG-JMkyxAHF23G9KFAksyH0Cs7kBrQiKlvhvyiIJLAvle92XAluyUFdlpLfMzW/s1600/Volumizer-2-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9osHGKIqUvNQTS_HICahRPAzyqU3dGRZZrL4wSWbp1TsQXx4D4zfp0QEWwAlkb6hR33qIAUS6xP2UGXTG-JMkyxAHF23G9KFAksyH0Cs7kBrQiKlvhvyiIJLAvle92XAluyUFdlpLfMzW/s320/Volumizer-2-016.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlSDX15ZHOVdI2oM2vkqcEx3COvs73o98MCXdGTPZ_nHLxci5Es49K-zzx-e-nSo-PLJg31q7igHN-_MQyf1sAlBgK_GtOOQ1Fip5gD5UrGDX5cBY94W5FDYghc6wWJ8kxsvXvuNGdncS/s1600/Volumizer-2-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlSDX15ZHOVdI2oM2vkqcEx3COvs73o98MCXdGTPZ_nHLxci5Es49K-zzx-e-nSo-PLJg31q7igHN-_MQyf1sAlBgK_GtOOQ1Fip5gD5UrGDX5cBY94W5FDYghc6wWJ8kxsvXvuNGdncS/s320/Volumizer-2-026.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Once I’m happy with the layout, I remove everything and then paint the box. This one’s getting flat black with no decals.<br />
<br />
Wait, what the…? I thought I took some photos at this stage. I guess I just got so excited I forgot.<br />
<br />
OK, hold on...<br />
<br />
<br />
Picture this: That box I just drilled holes in is sitting on a newspaper. To the right, I am spraying black paint out of a rattle can. Said black paint is landing on the enclosure and turning it... black. OK, now imagine I took a photo of that and you’re looking at that photo right now. <br />
<br />
<br />
All right, now that the box is painted, as shown above [ahem], I place all the hardware back<br />
inside and wire it up (you’ll see the 9-pin switches had arrived by this stage – hooray!) You will also note, no doubt, that I have also put some insulation in there so that the circuit board does not touch the metal enclosure, causing a short.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFa-1Qp4zZacmcSJAHfTgbB3086Kl2NwD06cgGF6iS2d8gX648QVvVKuPBbqWhdKIxYNNLl2TWTjCQMwFJr_Um9iclTtIxgpWamKfDg1fTyu0z4H6NMysy9kUWL2LFVqaACx2yNN4-_mIG/s1600/Volumizer-2-099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFa-1Qp4zZacmcSJAHfTgbB3086Kl2NwD06cgGF6iS2d8gX648QVvVKuPBbqWhdKIxYNNLl2TWTjCQMwFJr_Um9iclTtIxgpWamKfDg1fTyu0z4H6NMysy9kUWL2LFVqaACx2yNN4-_mIG/s320/Volumizer-2-099.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I do a quick sound comparison with the original Volumizer and confirm that they sound the same (they do).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBvSLu6MmeBggnU6G-h8LEyzMeLmBDkKeq4g2xqJTKXqKS1R6d6UO-bAfVh1hmULK1Yb1zN7lrmvS4vf6Qb8oTS8u5q_hOajJiXXKHM44dE2XO3wqPZmBai7aedhNETfVX0prIWF8FGxB/s1600/Volumizer-2-098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBvSLu6MmeBggnU6G-h8LEyzMeLmBDkKeq4g2xqJTKXqKS1R6d6UO-bAfVh1hmULK1Yb1zN7lrmvS4vf6Qb8oTS8u5q_hOajJiXXKHM44dE2XO3wqPZmBai7aedhNETfVX0prIWF8FGxB/s320/Volumizer-2-098.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And we’re done. Here’s a nice pic:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_8WfAd59sbz8y0DP7ER2Zi9xA7eX2qAXHpue84BN-OOk_4bAXAW9wSFaF_5UqstoHUYDB-BxxrWVpzMx4jD69Kt1wGuFFVzCLOz52vL7Vy3p0wPqs0oGQvt7J6mHjAH1T-Cd8x747cAV/s1600/Volumizer-2-097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_8WfAd59sbz8y0DP7ER2Zi9xA7eX2qAXHpue84BN-OOk_4bAXAW9wSFaF_5UqstoHUYDB-BxxrWVpzMx4jD69Kt1wGuFFVzCLOz52vL7Vy3p0wPqs0oGQvt7J6mHjAH1T-Cd8x747cAV/s320/Volumizer-2-097.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Oh wait, that’s upside down. How about this?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jrQpoPX50Vc_M3qF1K1-9AXfL4NgwEOurlpN32ibr8jPV12GN6uTDUIdfhyphenhyphen1HZEXtiC6tv-d-F7wauZjGu_cOH4Zftqd8dfSVhC6JoDcge-sUeSFiyaghzHAHBNbdZwF31hp4Dn-WJwW/s1600/Volumizer-2-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jrQpoPX50Vc_M3qF1K1-9AXfL4NgwEOurlpN32ibr8jPV12GN6uTDUIdfhyphenhyphen1HZEXtiC6tv-d-F7wauZjGu_cOH4Zftqd8dfSVhC6JoDcge-sUeSFiyaghzHAHBNbdZwF31hp4Dn-WJwW/s320/Volumizer-2-100.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Enjoy, Christian. stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-76970431934842629192013-05-20T23:27:00.000-07:002013-05-22T19:30:46.135-07:00Doing a 3-wire mains cable conversion on a vintage Silvertone 1481 guitar amp<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhjz0yzetZhyhLZCrOQ9nLGt6TvGH2YW30oObMv-lJ-0s60II0NsYM31DDoqXHxgm1CXPSBhz2Zi7pedlqY-_arFzrwjuYCFNeusgOf1fSHjZo9bqWXOIdv3fblbltE44-1Yz6aKVxXJa/s1600/Silvertone-1481-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhjz0yzetZhyhLZCrOQ9nLGt6TvGH2YW30oObMv-lJ-0s60II0NsYM31DDoqXHxgm1CXPSBhz2Zi7pedlqY-_arFzrwjuYCFNeusgOf1fSHjZo9bqWXOIdv3fblbltE44-1Yz6aKVxXJa/s320/Silvertone-1481-015.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Today’s patient is a lovely old Silvertone 1481 tube amp. As with many old amps, it still has its original 2-wire mains cable. Not only is the lack of an earth/ground wire risky, but there is an additional danger in the form of what is commonly known as a “death cap”. “What’s a death cap?” I hear you say. Well, in an effort to combat hum, a capacitor was wired into these old amps between the live/hot wire and the chassis. The problem is that if this capacitor fails in any way, the chassis starts becoming live too. Of course it wasn’t originally called this (it was probably called a filtering capacitor or something), but it soon earned its name.<br />
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This particular amp behaves itself if you plug the mains plug in in one direction, but in the other direction, you get quite a shock if you touch the chassis, the power switch, or even any metal parts on your guitar.<br />
<br />
Anyway, there’s no question that this amp should get a 3-wire conversion. It’s a fairly straightforward job, doesn’t affect vintage value, and could save your life.<br />
<br />
This particular amp is missing the back cover, so I’ll skip the step where we remove it (a simple case of unscrewing the four screws that hold it on). I'll also skip the step where I unplugged the amp. Just to be clear, THE AMP SHOULD BE UNPLUGGED.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkS1XzSe0wCVsaz5dAsFESX_7kYRrOhQ84VjLZepOKzWCN8jF0P9b_S0dveL291w9MGtrjQ09HnfoHOuZTbn_FX8xWWVp92IXGu_MHNKA7nD-9sCnLZiMBV9gZdMpM1vIHD26GPTtLX_w/s1600/Silvertone-1481-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkS1XzSe0wCVsaz5dAsFESX_7kYRrOhQ84VjLZepOKzWCN8jF0P9b_S0dveL291w9MGtrjQ09HnfoHOuZTbn_FX8xWWVp92IXGu_MHNKA7nD-9sCnLZiMBV9gZdMpM1vIHD26GPTtLX_w/s320/Silvertone-1481-002.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Next step is to remove the metal enclosure from the wooden case. To do this we remove four screws.<br />
<br />
One here:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcmfkZbAvxyfSe6vKs_Mc1eZJr8LiH-7XcPkpo3uOFqPjxbYBBNAjwPPHYifL7YlnX2kX3VJxU1j_B6G97Mna0mTL7FhhiFAmUig2PG3H0aUAFymLJnFXdTBtTfE1xx2YnwmmTWTgP6CP/s1600/Silvertone-1481-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcmfkZbAvxyfSe6vKs_Mc1eZJr8LiH-7XcPkpo3uOFqPjxbYBBNAjwPPHYifL7YlnX2kX3VJxU1j_B6G97Mna0mTL7FhhiFAmUig2PG3H0aUAFymLJnFXdTBtTfE1xx2YnwmmTWTgP6CP/s320/Silvertone-1481-003.jpg" /></a></center><br />
One here:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsHlfiJiAuwipbaUjehXRQHMn8tobSXvZTwFekkUkJUklaJiffRoNLDycE9oUAyfLzXfiEOQO-XouorivvS4Q1SHjsiuWAYs1G3rX6r2TWY4FHNrULlCmDRb8P_0H8RlN4fVwBy_z725s/s1600/Silvertone-1481-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsHlfiJiAuwipbaUjehXRQHMn8tobSXvZTwFekkUkJUklaJiffRoNLDycE9oUAyfLzXfiEOQO-XouorivvS4Q1SHjsiuWAYs1G3rX6r2TWY4FHNrULlCmDRb8P_0H8RlN4fVwBy_z725s/s320/Silvertone-1481-004.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And then the same two screws at the other end.<br />
<br />
Note that the two wires that run from the metal enclosure to the speaker are somewhat fragile. There’s just enough slack to let you lift out the metal enclosure very gently and rest it on the wooden supports that the back cover would normally be screwed onto, but do take care if you ever do this.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnWFqk53rDGyfdnf_JL_3b86kG1XXvn9g1YOrmOVcAzGK4IbCypEaG1oKZdVhT697T30KwlV5uE2Oflw5C6SiWyu-olaD9p1Ry_RlPba4bJfYaOBk7nAjXZhJll-MpwIH8AA9fHVxdSho/s1600/Silvertone-1481-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnWFqk53rDGyfdnf_JL_3b86kG1XXvn9g1YOrmOVcAzGK4IbCypEaG1oKZdVhT697T30KwlV5uE2Oflw5C6SiWyu-olaD9p1Ry_RlPba4bJfYaOBk7nAjXZhJll-MpwIH8AA9fHVxdSho/s320/Silvertone-1481-006.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzyf8mybDRqAkCzqCq5SuwDi-uhzxzWxCSMrTSZB90HsE8XQQ2T9Tv2wDSdV7Ph2wLMTkFWpQ362Gcpv0x2s1B_9vzosNlgvAr1vUS6vUPUcNUx81Zlck-TR-CwCm5R7PRebjWDqrYeYp/s1600/Silvertone-1481-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzyf8mybDRqAkCzqCq5SuwDi-uhzxzWxCSMrTSZB90HsE8XQQ2T9Tv2wDSdV7Ph2wLMTkFWpQ362Gcpv0x2s1B_9vzosNlgvAr1vUS6vUPUcNUx81Zlck-TR-CwCm5R7PRebjWDqrYeYp/s320/Silvertone-1481-007.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dgoMxRMqv5ti0Nl0AxtYH4PiAXYEey81Hyp89B43_WgF3m5ut923KTW3BPMHhyphenhyphenzSmdh3SBSNGFDLzEdNvrK2ItSJEmxnZyOX_A_63v_rlsL0fgZPAd5z3P9rAyDkzUAVZ7KJX421R800/s1600/Silvertone-1481-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dgoMxRMqv5ti0Nl0AxtYH4PiAXYEey81Hyp89B43_WgF3m5ut923KTW3BPMHhyphenhyphenzSmdh3SBSNGFDLzEdNvrK2ItSJEmxnZyOX_A_63v_rlsL0fgZPAd5z3P9rAyDkzUAVZ7KJX421R800/s320/Silvertone-1481-008.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Now we need to open up the metal enclosure. To do this we need to remove six screws.<br />
<br />
One here:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAysF0wYsd9UFg68YIIq3C_GEZ3RsKZM8OEJSTAYVPNl6tmdVHK5FFxFE0930NQr0oCCHKkJNNhtStkui8gUE5gvrOh3z3A_vu8hrD9gHAVThHHcwvZjulk6-ki9lMI1Ipo5HUrDKKPxbO/s1600/Silvertone-1481-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAysF0wYsd9UFg68YIIq3C_GEZ3RsKZM8OEJSTAYVPNl6tmdVHK5FFxFE0930NQr0oCCHKkJNNhtStkui8gUE5gvrOh3z3A_vu8hrD9gHAVThHHcwvZjulk6-ki9lMI1Ipo5HUrDKKPxbO/s320/Silvertone-1481-009.jpg" /></a></center><br />
One here:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1Ppgf4XtoO3KKmUy931EE8RrAGYPDrDgC4gFNcIKy0sqZzxN39hhgZ9gLApkOdlmUu8vHqhhlufRXFj5zw3pT9IzywNDyyUsz6d6_CG8uynx807ysZA_FOouB_7oFezlCwLGXdTQRyrm/s1600/Silvertone-1481-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1Ppgf4XtoO3KKmUy931EE8RrAGYPDrDgC4gFNcIKy0sqZzxN39hhgZ9gLApkOdlmUu8vHqhhlufRXFj5zw3pT9IzywNDyyUsz6d6_CG8uynx807ysZA_FOouB_7oFezlCwLGXdTQRyrm/s320/Silvertone-1481-010.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And then similarly-placed screws halfway along and at the other end of the chassis.<br />
<br />
The metal cover can then be slid out (careful, its edges are kinda sharp). <br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cnUaemNGh9xJbsFR98knEVzFyN4C2IroCMImz7ypDpClmVyOnI3UM_y4032CoEB5gpOUWSJQx157Cm4ydAOg0vQNRqKwhynsLvcqp3CFOvwn8FBs87j1qmH7UkBA7dK4kaWUL2MR9IFm/s1600/Silvertone-1481-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cnUaemNGh9xJbsFR98knEVzFyN4C2IroCMImz7ypDpClmVyOnI3UM_y4032CoEB5gpOUWSJQx157Cm4ydAOg0vQNRqKwhynsLvcqp3CFOvwn8FBs87j1qmH7UkBA7dK4kaWUL2MR9IFm/s320/Silvertone-1481-012.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuOy-dyzvI4sZswgaiKhk1iHZk1bUaHznZzn1LMpYn4_L8FmrmUpywugXI1RaVGUHLh9xrS7CEEptbqvp117MZDhWRu0jwBJG8eHqoYjKggTJjUzwq-FuuLABkePDZsuobgINOm56VdaC/s1600/Silvertone-1481-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuOy-dyzvI4sZswgaiKhk1iHZk1bUaHznZzn1LMpYn4_L8FmrmUpywugXI1RaVGUHLh9xrS7CEEptbqvp117MZDhWRu0jwBJG8eHqoYjKggTJjUzwq-FuuLABkePDZsuobgINOm56VdaC/s320/Silvertone-1481-013.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Considering its age, the amp is in incredible shape inside. Just a little bit of dust towards the ends.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUoXXKiYlcru5uy4KdyITt7O-NCVc6003dNXrAVbhBagr0HmC_dgl2D7e0pZUFJvtQTSRXKPv3Fx34y7FHDwjmKlSyUB1P6A60SKHYi4AWgoxXZcD9B5WY0EQ1JdZ4X4Pnj7i-bvWv0Qx/s1600/Silvertone-1481-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUoXXKiYlcru5uy4KdyITt7O-NCVc6003dNXrAVbhBagr0HmC_dgl2D7e0pZUFJvtQTSRXKPv3Fx34y7FHDwjmKlSyUB1P6A60SKHYi4AWgoxXZcD9B5WY0EQ1JdZ4X4Pnj7i-bvWv0Qx/s320/Silvertone-1481-014.jpg" /></a></center><br />
If you ever do this job, be aware that there are some potentially big voltages inside if the capacitors have not discharged, so do not touch anything in here until you are sure there is no danger. I checked <b>all</b> of the capacitors with my multimeter first before continuing.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW0eawnCtMFBboJwNAzZ4h1brZROsPGU7Dd6LPAvXF2o9LosRlLvNcLQneNuxLlQSgwWurbk2_8HNN39Nl3ge_siIAKwlwEXaHP_n5TcIDMHJy-NMrHgpbbapYl_32TzTzFt4LKzQQMr3/s1600/Silvertone-1481-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW0eawnCtMFBboJwNAzZ4h1brZROsPGU7Dd6LPAvXF2o9LosRlLvNcLQneNuxLlQSgwWurbk2_8HNN39Nl3ge_siIAKwlwEXaHP_n5TcIDMHJy-NMrHgpbbapYl_32TzTzFt4LKzQQMr3/s320/Silvertone-1481-022.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgp2nsRBMS1mp8hYIwKUyZPmHnD3qRb-Fiw6oOpABd435yw-HqpIqfB4MxHRFSCbefGkYthGbx4JW4IcNPIjg5pl6XySsNb5Qu-q2Zw_hnaDkhFIPF7yUsRzQzhbb__rAzHxUJP2hIJBT/s1600/Silvertone-1481-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgp2nsRBMS1mp8hYIwKUyZPmHnD3qRb-Fiw6oOpABd435yw-HqpIqfB4MxHRFSCbefGkYthGbx4JW4IcNPIjg5pl6XySsNb5Qu-q2Zw_hnaDkhFIPF7yUsRzQzhbb__rAzHxUJP2hIJBT/s320/Silvertone-1481-025.jpg" /></a></center><br />
OK, let me try to explain what’s going on here. Firstly a link to the schematic for this amp: <a href="http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schematics/audio/silvertone1481.pdf"><br />
http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schematics/audio/silvertone1481.pdf</a><br />
<br />
We are only interested in the two mains wires (live/hot and neutral) coming in through the bottom of the chassis, the power switch, fuse and the “death cap” as mentioned previously.<br />
<br />
I’ve drawn what’s going on there below, as well as what I’m going to do to make it safer (as with all images here, click for a larger version):<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGzzzWR9nJqnxudDu8CT4Jl86HbnWU_UorScadErldjSkXeCODXZ3nc9TP6zi7OJVfmOjz7CQKkhG6_0eegfZjZo5bfeaifF8ag_q_v-8y9CVydN2jRSuqaEdeI9iLS9dPzoOZ1FYrIml/s1600/silvertone1481-3-prong-mod-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGzzzWR9nJqnxudDu8CT4Jl86HbnWU_UorScadErldjSkXeCODXZ3nc9TP6zi7OJVfmOjz7CQKkhG6_0eegfZjZo5bfeaifF8ag_q_v-8y9CVydN2jRSuqaEdeI9iLS9dPzoOZ1FYrIml/s320/silvertone1481-3-prong-mod-01.jpg" /></a></center><br />
As you can see from the left-hand image, one of the mains wires goes to the fuse, then on to the transformer. The other mains wire goes to the power switch, and then onto both the transformer and to the “death cap” which then joins to the chassis. Since the mains plug has two connectors, both of which are the same size and shape, the plug can be plugged in either way, so you never know which will be connected to the fuse and which will be connected to the switch/death cap.<br />
<br />
So step one is to remove the death cap (remember I’ve already checked that this is safe to touch). <br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FqlBQwA_eQNlD5D_JX8bb20msl_6hZUn86djADiPgGvc9rb3VajPT3S4V8f6MeYLrySWe7W8_hWeIR58nBHcGBtzmxfGH54UqHK3ZD87yqXw_onf1SaXFU523AohmJBpHHUNcrGSytUd/s1600/Silvertone-1481-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FqlBQwA_eQNlD5D_JX8bb20msl_6hZUn86djADiPgGvc9rb3VajPT3S4V8f6MeYLrySWe7W8_hWeIR58nBHcGBtzmxfGH54UqHK3ZD87yqXw_onf1SaXFU523AohmJBpHHUNcrGSytUd/s320/Silvertone-1481-028.jpg" /></a></center><br />
OK, that’s it out. Amazing to think this could quite literally kill you:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIifZU_x1R54ZDBndXh4j8V-0jQY3HtKWk_vVjKo2wXcNMqi_K-JgTnB-JY9g1G2-CKumiBhYY0sTcnhI3gSgUIOFFuWow6Lg6Io2LMNpmshKGExjSuxPMvWz8ZtjeCA91CuGYc2m_Z58/s1600/Silvertone-1481-031.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIifZU_x1R54ZDBndXh4j8V-0jQY3HtKWk_vVjKo2wXcNMqi_K-JgTnB-JY9g1G2-CKumiBhYY0sTcnhI3gSgUIOFFuWow6Lg6Io2LMNpmshKGExjSuxPMvWz8ZtjeCA91CuGYc2m_Z58/s320/Silvertone-1481-031.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Now we remove both wires of the mains cable (from the switch and the fuse):<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtdbZN43dCQrXtIFRX2e3gufX7BV9PuCGuaEBQGX5jA27kBWbSpEh9_mMb5a562AbMMxVl2HeRtC1bPbmaa9Jqj1LIi_ClS4Mh3FEInQUn1SvE9jyInTX1p0tvmvH6pFJiwv3fNLn_b4A/s1600/Silvertone-1481-032.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtdbZN43dCQrXtIFRX2e3gufX7BV9PuCGuaEBQGX5jA27kBWbSpEh9_mMb5a562AbMMxVl2HeRtC1bPbmaa9Jqj1LIi_ClS4Mh3FEInQUn1SvE9jyInTX1p0tvmvH6pFJiwv3fNLn_b4A/s320/Silvertone-1481-032.jpg" /></a></center><br />
We also remove the wire from the other end of the fuse to the transformer, since we are going to wire the switch and the fuse in series, rather than have them on separate wires.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoStrrpIysoMk3EARCzBzlVq64agEP76_l6HxvRDIFGOe0MBAwdP0Hs7CWLUEqNgjeBc0yxnop-pkGVNOsE4c4I4ayJxKOcDIqg8dxK6vUnTtVOhCHL1Af-qSiC49TeTQJ9c4c6VbPHYdg/s1600/Silvertone-1481-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoStrrpIysoMk3EARCzBzlVq64agEP76_l6HxvRDIFGOe0MBAwdP0Hs7CWLUEqNgjeBc0yxnop-pkGVNOsE4c4I4ayJxKOcDIqg8dxK6vUnTtVOhCHL1Af-qSiC49TeTQJ9c4c6VbPHYdg/s320/Silvertone-1481-036.jpg" /></a></center><br />
OK, that’s everything out. Now it’s time to put some new wiring in there.<br />
<br />
Firstly, we install a new cable grommet/gland. The old one is too small to fit the new 3-wire cable through, so I put a new (and better) one in.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eacmpCgfPgyq-skhI8lZxvOrzTo5vFVMNIlaPBB0vufQapIk4mCoNbnNy1yp44zXsJe_5QqJunJIG1-_wy0ek_NMxWbou7FFcvQRoBt1ioVxkYkR4cjH789ZFnRAZk-8O5SKOXqD0tkp/s1600/Silvertone-1481-039.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eacmpCgfPgyq-skhI8lZxvOrzTo5vFVMNIlaPBB0vufQapIk4mCoNbnNy1yp44zXsJe_5QqJunJIG1-_wy0ek_NMxWbou7FFcvQRoBt1ioVxkYkR4cjH789ZFnRAZk-8O5SKOXqD0tkp/s320/Silvertone-1481-039.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHzmGWSkJiZmxebPu3p3izjhqP6YxqjSr32YtxfllDR-tlHiLhxO12l6wzznN8Wex6JSxj_C2MyyYEx2GTv4NEwciX0ie7h5U2-trIkThQcHE6NnsvyGXKjjJPBMeM4mFhiBmJSoqynP0/s1600/Silvertone-1481-038.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHzmGWSkJiZmxebPu3p3izjhqP6YxqjSr32YtxfllDR-tlHiLhxO12l6wzznN8Wex6JSxj_C2MyyYEx2GTv4NEwciX0ie7h5U2-trIkThQcHE6NnsvyGXKjjJPBMeM4mFhiBmJSoqynP0/s320/Silvertone-1481-038.jpg" /></a></center><br />
We join the black live/hot wire to the end connector of the fuse.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kBKSK9XLFEncyfCKdUG4W0sSuCHPIpGZupuMSXcqNbFgTQcmcbaZRXNKdyj7bYRBBELAlToyo6izYTYabA-DXkTkfaTpgN2GXBDuCnofSyrD-oU5hG9w8iDvtd2hJEYS-1NTn3pz_HwR/s1600/Silvertone-1481-041.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kBKSK9XLFEncyfCKdUG4W0sSuCHPIpGZupuMSXcqNbFgTQcmcbaZRXNKdyj7bYRBBELAlToyo6izYTYabA-DXkTkfaTpgN2GXBDuCnofSyrD-oU5hG9w8iDvtd2hJEYS-1NTn3pz_HwR/s320/Silvertone-1481-041.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Then the other connector of the fuse is connected to the switch with a short wire. I'm talking about the wire to the bottom-right of the photo that's totally blurry (stupid auto-focus).<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiKlLNZ0Msrb38zHJtJlrGkvYEwcfNitU7BzHiKI3hLXks0Az_81wxmlS1K0lMjOxIDijBCmlGHzK0tI5kmR5HIByNgE0WO0bJRS0y3Ulo46QevFQxBLKYE7nMPuRa84J3RBSZs8v3Zqi/s1600/Silvertone-1481-042.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiKlLNZ0Msrb38zHJtJlrGkvYEwcfNitU7BzHiKI3hLXks0Az_81wxmlS1K0lMjOxIDijBCmlGHzK0tI5kmR5HIByNgE0WO0bJRS0y3Ulo46QevFQxBLKYE7nMPuRa84J3RBSZs8v3Zqi/s320/Silvertone-1481-042.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The white neutral wire is soldered to the remaining transformer wire (which has been stripped and prepped), and heatshrink is applied over the connection.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84CwiXrdmxlS7E1S8FT5R_RIdH-Bv4V8a51YXUGA-eJpctIcv7KGMUGHQrLt9GULPPqAxsBRwtsCtrIQaRn57jZ5I7a9loBgR21uu48X39aC62b3sk_skQpnItaQ48yEhSNtSSK0QwyOT/s1600/Silvertone-1481-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84CwiXrdmxlS7E1S8FT5R_RIdH-Bv4V8a51YXUGA-eJpctIcv7KGMUGHQrLt9GULPPqAxsBRwtsCtrIQaRn57jZ5I7a9loBgR21uu48X39aC62b3sk_skQpnItaQ48yEhSNtSSK0QwyOT/s320/Silvertone-1481-037.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMfMz6ybOx2cBAMhCCrJ8DEIl1xXpBr8ohaSIb7gilr7jcj7PceGJGxCGWUuKlLozeLvepBaXOtoqOYihJZd1g6FbVJAsHTZWwHpJ4KngnSZqiYXaR3No3GpgghAfgkK4TVij8VDHoYC0/s1600/Silvertone-1481-046.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMfMz6ybOx2cBAMhCCrJ8DEIl1xXpBr8ohaSIb7gilr7jcj7PceGJGxCGWUuKlLozeLvepBaXOtoqOYihJZd1g6FbVJAsHTZWwHpJ4KngnSZqiYXaR3No3GpgghAfgkK4TVij8VDHoYC0/s320/Silvertone-1481-046.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fVNANt0zisMVqrgveFs1ZOYvU5NcSaqDqlHZWbFqvQPM9HPSWbGtZhwGiEiPdSTerMrXe7P1xYViyJ7cxAKqnb6wKxej_KKubaTJ95yLvRJ3opN1MXcklkfU987dnthz4Bu8Fm0mzkL4/s1600/Silvertone-1481-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fVNANt0zisMVqrgveFs1ZOYvU5NcSaqDqlHZWbFqvQPM9HPSWbGtZhwGiEiPdSTerMrXe7P1xYViyJ7cxAKqnb6wKxej_KKubaTJ95yLvRJ3opN1MXcklkfU987dnthz4Bu8Fm0mzkL4/s320/Silvertone-1481-049.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The green earth/ground cable is soldered to a ring terminal, then fastened to one of the bolts holding the transformer to the chassis. You’ll notice the addition of a locking washer in there for added security.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DOK4a-rh0Vh0ZsSEiO-SkgDUjEF6cDr6ed7yS41TImi7T7yQr5HA4to42lGwjLdbq2j9s2GTIX85shAQ6IhokPVjxEzoW-Zj_jtqHjjKcGH5D2xLK1nWknfb56VGzbgGgkSfmczQbV1G/s1600/Silvertone-1481-040.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DOK4a-rh0Vh0ZsSEiO-SkgDUjEF6cDr6ed7yS41TImi7T7yQr5HA4to42lGwjLdbq2j9s2GTIX85shAQ6IhokPVjxEzoW-Zj_jtqHjjKcGH5D2xLK1nWknfb56VGzbgGgkSfmczQbV1G/s320/Silvertone-1481-040.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9Bl5lWU9B2bfaSQ0_8O-tjOsRg9UfNE66e0DodveuN782C7WXDQm2Wb1DPoTgwxVQ-_73rpZHfgy6SUORxxMZJ3W1iwRjwntGkAqYYGwWYEkT-OBG6R3PzY8nIuFhPRyLb9kmHVZwJTh/s1600/Silvertone-1481-043.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9Bl5lWU9B2bfaSQ0_8O-tjOsRg9UfNE66e0DodveuN782C7WXDQm2Wb1DPoTgwxVQ-_73rpZHfgy6SUORxxMZJ3W1iwRjwntGkAqYYGwWYEkT-OBG6R3PzY8nIuFhPRyLb9kmHVZwJTh/s320/Silvertone-1481-043.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOg4Wbmg69NPSUcwG5StXDK_N4Ii-SvXLWXdGY8VK6ejdAluQnWLHE7ji5XESXZ_EtXhdnYPGdkXMJKJkL_dGqogQPfowoRGBkqiD1RiO0R0DYlsA1MznlGBrLa03XmrDF1PiT3aZJ86FT/s1600/Silvertone-1481-044.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOg4Wbmg69NPSUcwG5StXDK_N4Ii-SvXLWXdGY8VK6ejdAluQnWLHE7ji5XESXZ_EtXhdnYPGdkXMJKJkL_dGqogQPfowoRGBkqiD1RiO0R0DYlsA1MznlGBrLa03XmrDF1PiT3aZJ86FT/s320/Silvertone-1481-044.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmB4JRd1PV8pbHbtkENOvv-Hj3p3PVe1W1Kv7oI4Bx0cj4I9ZIEY8RFd0cSBQqAvfOLJ_CoF0nc5K-S6YwQzQG0f4J2FGky6UtXMzLNrvi7yncd2_X2UfZdhmRbn2DcjFPbLuZJIlu1Os/s1600/Silvertone-1481-045.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmB4JRd1PV8pbHbtkENOvv-Hj3p3PVe1W1Kv7oI4Bx0cj4I9ZIEY8RFd0cSBQqAvfOLJ_CoF0nc5K-S6YwQzQG0f4J2FGky6UtXMzLNrvi7yncd2_X2UfZdhmRbn2DcjFPbLuZJIlu1Os/s320/Silvertone-1481-045.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Here’s how it all looks after that:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF_xCgc_Fx0bydT61Z1iSCYXKwCxXDU-fQmR_2WNweZgmZwW2uZ_zeVdtHC0sT3JeEhJOIipiO8DXunGLygJTew9Nk8k3AESBXG9A0gOrBGAxa0IKJbr_ex7x5bAP3Gnau2nBP5l7-43R/s1600/Silvertone-1481-050.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF_xCgc_Fx0bydT61Z1iSCYXKwCxXDU-fQmR_2WNweZgmZwW2uZ_zeVdtHC0sT3JeEhJOIipiO8DXunGLygJTew9Nk8k3AESBXG9A0gOrBGAxa0IKJbr_ex7x5bAP3Gnau2nBP5l7-43R/s320/Silvertone-1481-050.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The cover is then slid back on (again, remembering to watch the fingers on those sharp bits):<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz0P5X8gYW4WTJXyIlPXrRBO8S1ITtJW-Ahn9GIIP1ikkWJ__nYr5Sf14H8LuM3Ggm7kwZ3axNll2AaDHPwA7upj6IVOIm_-MpQPomiwcnBttLz8PvVbfFW3UmioLq1T-m3y0uCpoJp4I/s1600/Silvertone-1481-052.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz0P5X8gYW4WTJXyIlPXrRBO8S1ITtJW-Ahn9GIIP1ikkWJ__nYr5Sf14H8LuM3Ggm7kwZ3axNll2AaDHPwA7upj6IVOIm_-MpQPomiwcnBttLz8PvVbfFW3UmioLq1T-m3y0uCpoJp4I/s320/Silvertone-1481-052.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Screws are re-screwed-in:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERdeIhapd9m_tdlnBJYwHF8Bo0RW5pwC-3TAfysqxny9jQQr4vnCadPRcXClwDqf1ps2-pFrpbYJb2oT-yGJpyB65uYhGIJg2-3DRBTptoUkFEEbVncpZLB0BILWLR-kCz8m8RIhyphenhyphen3Dys/s1600/Silvertone-1481-053.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERdeIhapd9m_tdlnBJYwHF8Bo0RW5pwC-3TAfysqxny9jQQr4vnCadPRcXClwDqf1ps2-pFrpbYJb2oT-yGJpyB65uYhGIJg2-3DRBTptoUkFEEbVncpZLB0BILWLR-kCz8m8RIhyphenhyphen3Dys/s320/Silvertone-1481-053.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And the metal chassis is again screwed into its original location in the wooden case:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4nW5gKvYVJ9She7keJiZMfj01-EYFc6aD8QIv3Uhkmy3viZzGJWU-f27u0IwYR3QExShyphenhyphen67JMs8aVFodJJU0DgwuT5a9WIAkm5al1NJPa_SBxOywUqy2nMkBy9SoxI518_pNZLNL7MNu/s1600/Silvertone-1481-054.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4nW5gKvYVJ9She7keJiZMfj01-EYFc6aD8QIv3Uhkmy3viZzGJWU-f27u0IwYR3QExShyphenhyphen67JMs8aVFodJJU0DgwuT5a9WIAkm5al1NJPa_SBxOywUqy2nMkBy9SoxI518_pNZLNL7MNu/s320/Silvertone-1481-054.jpg" /></a></center><br />
A new wooden back cover is fabricated and installed.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hAPIz6Rd-XzJzc0QFjjJ3zt-yg_WoDK_NLWrNsITDnqvgroLdExD3dmdyZqSblDCM-_FZy2n7K0UIpCz01EYvRzXjDJ5ADk75ieKW-AFqfyO99G5cv9qF0p_NPwLxsGTsXnW14COCqIp/s1600/Silvertone-1481-058.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hAPIz6Rd-XzJzc0QFjjJ3zt-yg_WoDK_NLWrNsITDnqvgroLdExD3dmdyZqSblDCM-_FZy2n7K0UIpCz01EYvRzXjDJ5ADk75ieKW-AFqfyO99G5cv9qF0p_NPwLxsGTsXnW14COCqIp/s320/Silvertone-1481-058.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The amp is then fully tested (and works great). No hum either, even without the death cap.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7EXVV_pOqpn4QqWRJKDahQ8X8gqkaDq0QykHqtMLrKo8WHj8yC8fnve1fBiLrV0c3xsxQ7gRrpJgadMjTDtUQVTCnCnwQ_X3NN3IPpv9KdJ1CHkGnu1Zuc5ixQoBNMoB08vbIUuMplNT/s1600/Silvertone-1481-062.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7EXVV_pOqpn4QqWRJKDahQ8X8gqkaDq0QykHqtMLrKo8WHj8yC8fnve1fBiLrV0c3xsxQ7gRrpJgadMjTDtUQVTCnCnwQ_X3NN3IPpv9KdJ1CHkGnu1Zuc5ixQoBNMoB08vbIUuMplNT/s320/Silvertone-1481-062.jpg" /></a></center>stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-83875586253111490492013-05-01T20:38:00.000-07:002013-05-02T18:53:38.559-07:00Fixing an 80’s Tokai Z-II Overdrive Pedal with Volume Level Issues<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2D-4-IuoYOMaVnW9qQL1tuecjStg3FdIy1QDL2U0OzM5f16g9qeFLV5XgkzM9m5DKgx5xpuTkbAr7CFdiSHLfI0hlWT5wqFlHiwyyx2ic2bbrmA3Bc-DUBwQRr_jSPbRkSTAgeKIWY7o/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2D-4-IuoYOMaVnW9qQL1tuecjStg3FdIy1QDL2U0OzM5f16g9qeFLV5XgkzM9m5DKgx5xpuTkbAr7CFdiSHLfI0hlWT5wqFlHiwyyx2ic2bbrmA3Bc-DUBwQRr_jSPbRkSTAgeKIWY7o/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-001.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Here’s one for the books. This pedal had been exhibiting strange behaviour where it would work fine for ages, then suddenly the volume would drop to about 50% or so. It would stay this way for a while and then jump back up to 100%. Repeat ad infinitum.<br />
<br />
I wouldn’t really have jumped to a “dodgy jack” diagnosis, but decided to spray a little contact cleaner in there anyway, since it was cheap and easy to do so. <br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSVyAv6cOnkYrFaVPRVjlRQP5Jvbe-KIssOWXTeF_edzOx0ChDpgFt9nRKKBoKIRFT6f_pnL8Rlq0TJ4fNVIrtP5-fBz45-FHdeTP4ajSYyrS7Ih9IVQHBOenrQvIJ8tMlQjcICNTV65h/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-027.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSVyAv6cOnkYrFaVPRVjlRQP5Jvbe-KIssOWXTeF_edzOx0ChDpgFt9nRKKBoKIRFT6f_pnL8Rlq0TJ4fNVIrtP5-fBz45-FHdeTP4ajSYyrS7Ih9IVQHBOenrQvIJ8tMlQjcICNTV65h/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-027.jpg" /></a></center><br />
It didn’t fix the problem.<br />
<br />
The next thing I decided to try was to spray some contact cleaner in the pots (after that, it was going to be a case of checking the electronic components), but they could only be accessed by opening the box.<br />
<br />
So I removed the back cover:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR1FX-5yymlv3O45KrGFBdWjAJCTYTcWJLG-JMLn_ni1qoyfWdKhH4Bm0rIpcw11Mx90EWSCtUZn33c2VRKivbQec3Ow6geP5AEP9E8mGFuYVGZTo50GnbBJWcgSF1zUzjJ4HuVR2-Mo/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR1FX-5yymlv3O45KrGFBdWjAJCTYTcWJLG-JMLn_ni1qoyfWdKhH4Bm0rIpcw11Mx90EWSCtUZn33c2VRKivbQec3Ow6geP5AEP9E8mGFuYVGZTo50GnbBJWcgSF1zUzjJ4HuVR2-Mo/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-014.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDkPNTVIDjLJsLzYXo1EjaaN-6GrOGtKwpE6ASsuDwWoGT3MIPQAaWCjW4wsLAK6VgI2hVKEjrOApYBgIy7mr3D268GxwVtHwwp6LzRK71WPBe1cyOzI-gu5uMsf_y7J_FQdr7EZTlAg/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDkPNTVIDjLJsLzYXo1EjaaN-6GrOGtKwpE6ASsuDwWoGT3MIPQAaWCjW4wsLAK6VgI2hVKEjrOApYBgIy7mr3D268GxwVtHwwp6LzRK71WPBe1cyOzI-gu5uMsf_y7J_FQdr7EZTlAg/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-015.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Moved the insulating sheet to the side:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lNfRELaO3CEJ6s4NtKscRuQkZs2XFod0BF6SljJVCxf0VBU8t9CWBhKRnFqluxGtyDW192hIYmvp_ym0REdv9uW2BNAJX59bcbHR7vCTdSrzEdPM-36tFloOrKIlCsvmzj7MYR0d5Oc/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lNfRELaO3CEJ6s4NtKscRuQkZs2XFod0BF6SljJVCxf0VBU8t9CWBhKRnFqluxGtyDW192hIYmvp_ym0REdv9uW2BNAJX59bcbHR7vCTdSrzEdPM-36tFloOrKIlCsvmzj7MYR0d5Oc/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-016.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Lifted the board, and immediately saw the problem. You see it?<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU34TV8yO3ec-rtZ6BknNo9d6r50-KKGhvslO-kUYER3D4X2vRIWtztHNMB2pzvnmnpY6ttG5dnjcpLNi_uxdEXvdo3aNdlrLiGzSgPTTGTbFC9mU_jzQ8ifHh9YWhlzEBPRc5OUal8Ww/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU34TV8yO3ec-rtZ6BknNo9d6r50-KKGhvslO-kUYER3D4X2vRIWtztHNMB2pzvnmnpY6ttG5dnjcpLNi_uxdEXvdo3aNdlrLiGzSgPTTGTbFC9mU_jzQ8ifHh9YWhlzEBPRc5OUal8Ww/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-023.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Let me show you a close-up:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw9Z3c4t02KWw-PNtNCR-xTPJ_aHCyGEereKN7FSOOtPvMcaIc-uUzLWO5P1ciq3pUgtri39Ny7XhC7vPgc_X-VhTkRpXw7rRtIV3ODAcD1V2X-6cEAddPs10eNpqjFLGw1en91w1YWQ/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw9Z3c4t02KWw-PNtNCR-xTPJ_aHCyGEereKN7FSOOtPvMcaIc-uUzLWO5P1ciq3pUgtri39Ny7XhC7vPgc_X-VhTkRpXw7rRtIV3ODAcD1V2X-6cEAddPs10eNpqjFLGw1en91w1YWQ/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-024.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Yeah, you see it now, right? The jack on the right? The one that's supposed to be in one piece? Well here’s what it looked like:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfJcBx5SAxNMuBBmB4RqtuJA_v3_GBdGYRbL-3G9Nz4C34SvhFsk3wIX4rujK8ubihODznZbZlxqlCn8ZXoKpFLU4sUq2mId1dl2jw6KUbsdrA2ikaVnH5TqX1ICILWkYVbCnBjaAmKo/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfJcBx5SAxNMuBBmB4RqtuJA_v3_GBdGYRbL-3G9Nz4C34SvhFsk3wIX4rujK8ubihODznZbZlxqlCn8ZXoKpFLU4sUq2mId1dl2jw6KUbsdrA2ikaVnH5TqX1ICILWkYVbCnBjaAmKo/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-026.jpg" /></a></center><br />
I think we can quite safely call that a “dodgy jack”.<br />
<br />
I can hardly understand how the pedal managed to even “almost” work fine. I can see how the ground connection was fine, but the positive contact must’ve leaned against the tip of the jack plug with just enough force to make an electrical connection. Sometimes this was so weak that the volume actually dropped.<br />
<br />
I didn’t have one the exact same, but a standard jack fitted perfectly, so in it went:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRGwLI6F6NDy0VZAcgtXCu7gKXbV6SIVN06QAnaEzvjaAzOk8wo_-Tv8zcGEbT6hLC_Q2-8YwZCNdRnOI5iNVD9hO407B8Z00qJGDN-CVKpgs__tnTXlzrwMVvY_pDZdzfNsOFi9m6zs/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRGwLI6F6NDy0VZAcgtXCu7gKXbV6SIVN06QAnaEzvjaAzOk8wo_-Tv8zcGEbT6hLC_Q2-8YwZCNdRnOI5iNVD9hO407B8Z00qJGDN-CVKpgs__tnTXlzrwMVvY_pDZdzfNsOFi9m6zs/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-019.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The pedal was put back together, tested, and confirmed to be working fine:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUqGiwHxh-ZHPPVGiQsMNBIERrdVVLEZKa8VEY5fcXNWWwGVLhagBK7mQsg_S0nu442p-s77H3d_uyai_7VJlV9pIs6xpCPUNzMH37q6tZXxgclX38RjEqC5jWLHF3vBrpNM809fdfU4/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUqGiwHxh-ZHPPVGiQsMNBIERrdVVLEZKa8VEY5fcXNWWwGVLhagBK7mQsg_S0nu442p-s77H3d_uyai_7VJlV9pIs6xpCPUNzMH37q6tZXxgclX38RjEqC5jWLHF3vBrpNM809fdfU4/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-017.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciBdFPQGW4clGh36WGCpGzwwt2a2rD_iqsrOJ5Kts0tWMah_77QHz_0C5qpSki8o1r5CxwgkGYmC6YA9Qm-FxbMuRKLcjMFAbkD1l2MrwZ3cNDW5PU-2SwmocRCXXAT7yB_NBDODuUqw/s1600/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciBdFPQGW4clGh36WGCpGzwwt2a2rD_iqsrOJ5Kts0tWMah_77QHz_0C5qpSki8o1r5CxwgkGYmC6YA9Qm-FxbMuRKLcjMFAbkD1l2MrwZ3cNDW5PU-2SwmocRCXXAT7yB_NBDODuUqw/s320/Tokai-Overdrive-Repair-002.jpg" /></a></center>stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-12439791448617803452013-04-21T20:03:00.000-07:002015-07-30T18:49:00.060-07:00Building a Modified EA Tremolo Pedal on VeroboardGood morning, everyone. Who wants to build a tremolo pedal today? Well I know I do.<br />
<br />
The original EA Tremolo was published in “Electronics Australia”, an Australian (you don’t say!) electronics magazine, in November 1968 and later proved extremely popular among the DIY community. Since then, several modifications/improvements have been made.<br />
<br />
Here’s the one I’ve decided to try:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgEl9ZPGlfv6KZJh-NMSdnO6ksM1YVWF9rpi3VUGGQpwJAJH8lxhToesDf4gCkmj7ixX8xe25EHoQvJBQXq3mfo2DCnoYXb-sPe67K7OAigiGSgjO8xu1v8h6b-I7fHACCQBjkZ3ekTA/s1600/EAtremolo.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgEl9ZPGlfv6KZJh-NMSdnO6ksM1YVWF9rpi3VUGGQpwJAJH8lxhToesDf4gCkmj7ixX8xe25EHoQvJBQXq3mfo2DCnoYXb-sPe67K7OAigiGSgjO8xu1v8h6b-I7fHACCQBjkZ3ekTA/s320/EAtremolo.png" /></a></center>
<br />
A description of the circuit can be found here: <a href="http://www.home-wrecker.com/eatremolo.html">http://www.home-wrecker.com/eatremolo.html</a><br />
<br />
Helpfully, a Veroboard layout is already available. This one was laid out by Andrew Carrell, who asks that it not be reposted, so instead I will simply provide a link:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/album19/album145/EA_TREMOLO_VERO.gif.html">http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/album19/album145/EA_TREMOLO_VERO.gif.html</a><br />
<br />
[Note that the flashing LED appears to be wired in the wrong way around in that veroboard layout, so swap its polarity. See comments below for a bit more info.]<br />
<br />
As you may be aware, I’m a bit of a fan of Veroboard circuits, since they can be quite easy to build (assuming you choose a fairly basic circuit) and don’t require you to buy or make a specific circuit board for each project (here’s one I did earlier, for example: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/05/building-quick-brian-may-style-treble.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/05/building-quick-brian-may-style-treble.html</a>).<br />
<br />
I decided to try a few new techniques this time around, which I’ll mention as we go along.<br />
<br />
Let’s start with the Veroboard itself. We need a 26 x 9 grid (26 holes x 9 strips), so we cut that out first.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDTL-IBxIEntwx-xz3u1qqzIBq8Tw_tgv_4lq3-yz6KGsWe3HJ1vAShmLGwGOyerwbUIcjV4-BVNeihQO3_zRsaLcBGSAHutirXs5cYBpfOUB7_pxnF0DWP9rvdUBwBenJ-aeDga2Amk/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDTL-IBxIEntwx-xz3u1qqzIBq8Tw_tgv_4lq3-yz6KGsWe3HJ1vAShmLGwGOyerwbUIcjV4-BVNeihQO3_zRsaLcBGSAHutirXs5cYBpfOUB7_pxnF0DWP9rvdUBwBenJ-aeDga2Amk/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-001.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Then we need to cut the tracks in 17 specified places, as shown in Andrew Carrell’s layout. Previously I’ve used a number of different tools to do this, all of which have been a little more time-consuming than I would like, so this time I decided just to drill holes through the board at those specific points:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOl83p8lgtQOh1mSBEWnrF31Ls1WKRDw1htJIJAL_22s-fZv_6RJKTK5IbvLqJIzWYTiPZsPwV9iS7nkt8je9DUmcjvgs2aPlLDtoatLydRWRLEJe46VBgVgSLF0sBy9ZHrqfmb_FLfY/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-003.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOl83p8lgtQOh1mSBEWnrF31Ls1WKRDw1htJIJAL_22s-fZv_6RJKTK5IbvLqJIzWYTiPZsPwV9iS7nkt8je9DUmcjvgs2aPlLDtoatLydRWRLEJe46VBgVgSLF0sBy9ZHrqfmb_FLfY/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-003.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhAG6sW6QieTdtkPrkImrsZuCIbFml0wCur-8FK6iaDNsAw-mHM7Bmi8fBSoxZ2jA1fmaO12DIlWdx4nQxZkZvGYfI7gkBKz86v3Zy-HjLIhk3NG_RNNDvMcnnEcxej5PKRztlXvWWi8/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-005.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhAG6sW6QieTdtkPrkImrsZuCIbFml0wCur-8FK6iaDNsAw-mHM7Bmi8fBSoxZ2jA1fmaO12DIlWdx4nQxZkZvGYfI7gkBKz86v3Zy-HjLIhk3NG_RNNDvMcnnEcxej5PKRztlXvWWi8/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-005.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
I was hoping this would help avoid having to check each track to make sure it wasn’t touching the next one near the break, but I found I had to do just as much tidying up as with previous tools. Also, if you drill too many holes close to each other, you’re going to weaken the board (not really a problem in this case, but worth thinking about in future), so I don’t think I’ll be using this method again.<br />
<br />
I'd previously laid out all of the components I’m going to be using on a piece of paper. I haven’t really ever done this before, but found it a great way to stay organised and reduce errors.<br />
<br />
<center>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwXBF-FCnQFMKsGMtsi9C9OESKWuCPCavt51IBdM-lHxWqwivKo_qMUzl1tC4upiH3J6ePpexigCLi2k9Ue5P9j3a02S0olbyfA_EadHUHEcQqzeUXUBdMT4SIfuXs2ga8v_7NSFQJsG1/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwXBF-FCnQFMKsGMtsi9C9OESKWuCPCavt51IBdM-lHxWqwivKo_qMUzl1tC4upiH3J6ePpexigCLi2k9Ue5P9j3a02S0olbyfA_EadHUHEcQqzeUXUBdMT4SIfuXs2ga8v_7NSFQJsG1/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Note that due to a lack of local availability (story of my life) I had to substitute all three of the transistors for alternatives, as follows:<br />
<br />
BS170 - > 2N7000<br />
J201 -> 2N5457<br />
2N5088 -> 2N5089<br />
<br />
The components are soldered to the board:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TlE6SDLmVNqxUw2Y54FoRpI7gH_Tt4BkqEJC7KeR6BDTFa7tAF5chKCtNl2P_Lmyv_RfD4HpWgloS6WSfsOoYLJPS7VODI2Ne9xqqz2St0oh_i1rwqhaA5ajQqTmVrSU2327XDl6xa8/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-021.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TlE6SDLmVNqxUw2Y54FoRpI7gH_Tt4BkqEJC7KeR6BDTFa7tAF5chKCtNl2P_Lmyv_RfD4HpWgloS6WSfsOoYLJPS7VODI2Ne9xqqz2St0oh_i1rwqhaA5ajQqTmVrSU2327XDl6xa8/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-021.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
And the wires are added:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v0is-A-mX2pMQXZKJ_p-YsfjrdjgiQAtOnSt5wiP-442UfyBKHL4N1kZkDba-3tUiddTRtNqzOQNcmQw-f5rfPydULJ2f4IhnhpwKXD6blAWwFlKTsONlRFzUAFFNy9rs8Hup7DMPFs/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-026.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v0is-A-mX2pMQXZKJ_p-YsfjrdjgiQAtOnSt5wiP-442UfyBKHL4N1kZkDba-3tUiddTRtNqzOQNcmQw-f5rfPydULJ2f4IhnhpwKXD6blAWwFlKTsONlRFzUAFFNy9rs8Hup7DMPFs/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-026.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Now let’s deal with the enclosure.<br />
<br />
I decided to just mark the holes on top of the plastic protector that came on the box.<br />
These are the hole sizes I needed (careful – you might require a different size):<br />
<br />
Pots – 7mm<br />
Audio jacks – 9mm<br />
DC-in jack – 12.5mm (I drilled to 12mm then used a taper to enlarge it just a little more)<br />
LEDs – 8mm<br />
Switch – 12mm<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JJUFSmFdPoJVepnHTB5uIik4ez6O476y3DkYaVlIGFxbUjO7PzbVftbbgw8oKz2-hwbahEHCRGoD4bz1O5joBl5vwBx-bdqk2pXEjINgnh7DKJYlj09YPxcEkLRHE8SXTi5ah8WMBmc/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-012.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JJUFSmFdPoJVepnHTB5uIik4ez6O476y3DkYaVlIGFxbUjO7PzbVftbbgw8oKz2-hwbahEHCRGoD4bz1O5joBl5vwBx-bdqk2pXEjINgnh7DKJYlj09YPxcEkLRHE8SXTi5ah8WMBmc/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-012.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Then I punch dents to centre the holes:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29zb8TUCSvGaOIn6mfQUa65Ni_as4FQqYEZYOcwFJn3B9Ilz5ADqdqDZdQutkNYDvRbLV_kMNFwhvc6in8OxHmvUTkH-WhZZhnPXBFcznmlNJYJIk3MLPjI8jxhasaesLbH976HaKnOA/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-014.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29zb8TUCSvGaOIn6mfQUa65Ni_as4FQqYEZYOcwFJn3B9Ilz5ADqdqDZdQutkNYDvRbLV_kMNFwhvc6in8OxHmvUTkH-WhZZhnPXBFcznmlNJYJIk3MLPjI8jxhasaesLbH976HaKnOA/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-014.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
The holes are drilled using a stepping drill bit (of course standard drill bits will work too):<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHUsP1mWk3OdwwXh8kZUZIRqaz8MxqpeuK9N-5TobT0RX7NXQVaFTkWCZsHEHCSFTQrjmmaYSNEyq1qdNBNVtOLORvYh2l-0WT13qfuN9XxUCaaZvq3THRRsEWLsBNWgr4rT3-Wu1lZc/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-016.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHUsP1mWk3OdwwXh8kZUZIRqaz8MxqpeuK9N-5TobT0RX7NXQVaFTkWCZsHEHCSFTQrjmmaYSNEyq1qdNBNVtOLORvYh2l-0WT13qfuN9XxUCaaZvq3THRRsEWLsBNWgr4rT3-Wu1lZc/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-016.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
And here are the finished holes (I had to remove the back cover to finish the switch hole, since the stepping drill bit was hitting off the back cover):<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgDgA0mNlWXUaXHBBFNDCnDHE-zKZBJqU2TMPa_FdsTeBzMbmrROlqehZPRpMviBtW9YTltgsHykkxpcFB7IhBUUZECKAVD4hK8btKTyvvE8AQTK7dq9YKxIxoiMURBLk_qn0wy6Lkgc/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-017.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgDgA0mNlWXUaXHBBFNDCnDHE-zKZBJqU2TMPa_FdsTeBzMbmrROlqehZPRpMviBtW9YTltgsHykkxpcFB7IhBUUZECKAVD4hK8btKTyvvE8AQTK7dq9YKxIxoiMURBLk_qn0wy6Lkgc/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-017.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
You’ll notice that I haven’t drilled the LED hole(s) yet, as I wanted to check on a few things before committing to a position.<br />
<br />
OK, now we put everything we can in place. You may notice that I’ve not put the DC-in jack in (I decided to move its position and you’ll see it making an appearance later in this post).<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqzbr_N0MRsPmXZ2RxE_K0tEErMXRVuVVo5TtngZFzqhNYjTUZXJSoL-AaIixpHEO1ZWOEe_KQ0ZRdNDfEdJlD2V1yBUukfhuiOmdpubgRz6H0r4f__k9ZTlXTOnzoS6UlhuT1glb_nU/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-028.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqzbr_N0MRsPmXZ2RxE_K0tEErMXRVuVVo5TtngZFzqhNYjTUZXJSoL-AaIixpHEO1ZWOEe_KQ0ZRdNDfEdJlD2V1yBUukfhuiOmdpubgRz6H0r4f__k9ZTlXTOnzoS6UlhuT1glb_nU/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-028.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
I’m laying everything out to get an idea how long I need to make the wires. Some are cut a bit shorter and one or two might even be replaced with a longer wire if necessary.<br />
<br />
NOTE: If you need a hand wiring up the switch, jacks, DC-in, etc., have a look here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-wire-up-stomp-box-effects-pedal.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-wire-up-stomp-box-effects-pedal.html</a><br />
<br />
Once all the wires are cut and soldered in place, we have this (note the new DC-in jack position and the LEDs):<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyMD2le8m6dGYFfxXhoH7wwo_NVbqOMO4pPOTawjg10XjZ07Yktj7VpFp_elQaumCUoEjt779zRkqwnuzEzgJtKtNjrvF88X1qaQRNpvh9DMi0mKaCXoGGVrvnW8dfJ4jxw04OG8uuCs/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-036.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyMD2le8m6dGYFfxXhoH7wwo_NVbqOMO4pPOTawjg10XjZ07Yktj7VpFp_elQaumCUoEjt779zRkqwnuzEzgJtKtNjrvF88X1qaQRNpvh9DMi0mKaCXoGGVrvnW8dfJ4jxw04OG8uuCs/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-036.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
And here’s how it looks from the top. I haven’t decided how I’m going to finish the enclosure, so it’ll stay like this for the time being.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFwkTCv6h7hc11ijfNcSXY4Mejr5ujiDEefDpZY6RSs8CPrHubaNyav5YnHgdVvBH8Mg-P5faccsOTKhkZJh2YK0EX9F3cKkHGWwYppe40xE2cGmrGFTiZloDN4GKkufbWev7MWlVlac/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-032.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFwkTCv6h7hc11ijfNcSXY4Mejr5ujiDEefDpZY6RSs8CPrHubaNyav5YnHgdVvBH8Mg-P5faccsOTKhkZJh2YK0EX9F3cKkHGWwYppe40xE2cGmrGFTiZloDN4GKkufbWev7MWlVlac/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-032.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
So what about the hole left by the original DC-in jack position? Well, it turns out I had an old coin lying around (a Spanish one peseta coin) that fitted exactly in the hole. Here it is:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2jpwZxE-2Eyx-Vme8ONoUToCRSlso4tu90aRxVEZYGlyM4kEhYx2Q9B17Zj3N-IvqBSAc3F9P0ylGauC81AfIwaGNNdSdcbZ5t_H7hcwjHx4FdGraDxx7gEJSHHCbT-yiMU0yQ8vM58/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-034.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2jpwZxE-2Eyx-Vme8ONoUToCRSlso4tu90aRxVEZYGlyM4kEhYx2Q9B17Zj3N-IvqBSAc3F9P0ylGauC81AfIwaGNNdSdcbZ5t_H7hcwjHx4FdGraDxx7gEJSHHCbT-yiMU0yQ8vM58/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-034.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gO1ly3WMlh4esRVeBJI9sa_wiEbdUiZfMxZPyH2tlor09yAq1_2QuOC4G-pxJU-nRMjYYTNR7aIu401N2hGRaLjQSnzGtdmZptHeRW8CM2UOHnehRIyGUaoI9Nk_yzUzZLaTKFUzqB4/s1600/modified-EA-tremolo-033.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gO1ly3WMlh4esRVeBJI9sa_wiEbdUiZfMxZPyH2tlor09yAq1_2QuOC4G-pxJU-nRMjYYTNR7aIu401N2hGRaLjQSnzGtdmZptHeRW8CM2UOHnehRIyGUaoI9Nk_yzUzZLaTKFUzqB4/s320/modified-EA-tremolo-033.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
A couple of things I should point out before letting you hear the pedal. Firstly, in the Veroboard layout, there is a note that says: “Vol 2 goes to output”. This is basically the output of the CIRCUIT and should go to the appropriate pin on the stomp switch, not straight to the output jack.<br />
<br />
Secondly, the value of the 100k trim pot (TR1) is critical and it must be adjusted slowly and carefully while using the pedal in order to find the sweet spot (my pedal had NO OUTPUT AT ALL until I found the right position, at which point the output was suddenly perfect). Alternatively, you can measure the voltage at Q1 drain, and adjust until it reads between 4.5v and 5v.<br />
<br />
There's nothing else to add now, except that here is a demo. You will notice that the yellow pulsing LED (which indicates the speed/rate) is always on once the jack in plugged in. Apart from letting you know the speed/rate, this also serves as a good reminder that you are always using the battery, even though the effect isn't switched on. The steady green LED indicates that the pedal <b>is</b> switched on. The pots are, from left to right, Volume, Speed/Rate and Depth.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PrMPq0PFWn8" width="420"></iframe></div>
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-16544398492975674982013-04-16T23:50:00.000-07:002013-05-05T21:18:03.655-07:00The $10 “Broken” MXR Phase 90You know sometimes just <b>being willing to try </b> to fix stuff allows you the freedom to buy things that you otherwise would’ve steered clear of, even though they’re not really broken.<br />
<br />
I was in one of the local guitar shops not long ago; one that sells second-hand pedals. In their pile they had this:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrEcpv77QykA8fERFwvIWevoFaVsxvX8qRFcM2vR9TfZFOvUxj8dRhpNGeFlNxaSICebpsAQkM3RggBS3htwnW-gP4RgpGI55_EdC7IO4RFFzTORw8I_rvtiE5wtTQajzkSN24bR6aek/s1600/P3241005b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrEcpv77QykA8fERFwvIWevoFaVsxvX8qRFcM2vR9TfZFOvUxj8dRhpNGeFlNxaSICebpsAQkM3RggBS3htwnW-gP4RgpGI55_EdC7IO4RFFzTORw8I_rvtiE5wtTQajzkSN24bR6aek/s320/P3241005b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
It’s an MXR Phase 90<br />
<br />
with the back cover missing (and replaced with some electrician’s tape):<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJtIWovnD5YdqQD80ulB0qwkUKQ16HqdANd7_bE726WQ04RfuLw7Ftyn8E13fyZBGhI03A4cHlhrdhYNRTl2mnRVpRxUYkFwhKMDJi1rbewd3Ib5k2TLjhXWZTgDUAXd3vUnxiYPr6aI/s1600/P3241009b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJtIWovnD5YdqQD80ulB0qwkUKQ16HqdANd7_bE726WQ04RfuLw7Ftyn8E13fyZBGhI03A4cHlhrdhYNRTl2mnRVpRxUYkFwhKMDJi1rbewd3Ib5k2TLjhXWZTgDUAXd3vUnxiYPr6aI/s320/P3241009b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
I asked how much they wanted for it and they told me that it was broken. I said I was still interested, figuring it might be worth my while to try and repair it if the price was right. After some discussion with the pedal owner (one of the guys who works in the shop), they asked me for NT$300 (about US$10), reminding me again that it was broken.<br />
<br />
I figured for ten bucks it would be worth it for parts alone, so I readily handed over the cash. The guys in the shop were amazed that I was willing to buy a broken pedal. Meanwhile I was amazed that that seemed so strange to them.<br />
<br />
So I got it home and peeled off the PVC that was stuck on the back. I expected it to be all dirty and possibly corroded inside, but this is what I found:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazWZaty4BkEvZ8eYzorAagxnSFmo-ngZjaNFFgINELKk1n3AbHUkRVu9OfM03-s5H8YQQKDniTMsTyuPHvGIGyNIme7110cJ5hTZehhCNb-gRm1VUfa-QdmWqY0ik3en7JWUSSdMBQVk/s1600/P3241010b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazWZaty4BkEvZ8eYzorAagxnSFmo-ngZjaNFFgINELKk1n3AbHUkRVu9OfM03-s5H8YQQKDniTMsTyuPHvGIGyNIme7110cJ5hTZehhCNb-gRm1VUfa-QdmWqY0ik3en7JWUSSdMBQVk/s320/P3241010b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Surprised by just how clean it was, I decided to plug it in and see what appeared to be the issue. First I tried it with a power supply, and then with a battery. In both cases it worked fine. I mean, it was perfect; not even any dodgy jacks or a sandy-sounding pot or anything.<br />
<br />
So I set about making a back cover for it.<br />
<br />
I actually have a few project boxes that are the same size as this, but I’d feel bad wasting one of those just for a back cover, so I found another back cover from a box that had been cut up and used for something else. It was a bigger box, so the outline of the box is traced onto the back cover first:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU95kAcCAZywqoOmchayV7yxKhPmGXVwqdV1mxeXAO7ZysB2ewl2_h9ZQEuKiNg_pqORmYCRGV_J0ruOBg2lXi-DcbustfZqVkQgQSQ0v-O6PJDKTJEWFyiZ4o0VkBiF1U3NVtl90jWdg/s1600/P3241013b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU95kAcCAZywqoOmchayV7yxKhPmGXVwqdV1mxeXAO7ZysB2ewl2_h9ZQEuKiNg_pqORmYCRGV_J0ruOBg2lXi-DcbustfZqVkQgQSQ0v-O6PJDKTJEWFyiZ4o0VkBiF1U3NVtl90jWdg/s320/P3241013b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Then the back cover is cut down to size, as follows:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisH0KtLCvV5TT9lAUdf0JcMLVLgAX4nP7gQJrd09JrXX79mHQZPttfrsgh1BCBbMVetngREKx0aEm_7ywrAFriapgHM9nW8KUcwiQd8mmRd6FcvwagwFXVx6WrGQCKLhwXvMAS4Zv0jqw/s1600/P3241014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisH0KtLCvV5TT9lAUdf0JcMLVLgAX4nP7gQJrd09JrXX79mHQZPttfrsgh1BCBbMVetngREKx0aEm_7ywrAFriapgHM9nW8KUcwiQd8mmRd6FcvwagwFXVx6WrGQCKLhwXvMAS4Zv0jqw/s320/P3241014b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And filed flat:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4BLqgNq0u_dUvzQR1K6D34Q4WT4IrdI1oVPfOwCbHenzir0H1Ru8o5flF3GEYdnDSt51mS6EG5ttXuUG0-Qyo_uWCaAlEaHmVftX1-4vx6dtpoNhrmZmt6TBWDI0C6z6I3awU5wfV14/s1600/P3241035b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4BLqgNq0u_dUvzQR1K6D34Q4WT4IrdI1oVPfOwCbHenzir0H1Ru8o5flF3GEYdnDSt51mS6EG5ttXuUG0-Qyo_uWCaAlEaHmVftX1-4vx6dtpoNhrmZmt6TBWDI0C6z6I3awU5wfV14/s320/P3241035b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The holes were drilled for the screws:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIFRg4xuZAn4AmlhTnX2VY-fQfEmpWmBO-sb9EfUOrEhu2N4co5xPyI0n6uinHhBdcaLJVGpeSeA6TTAOVM828hQK-nktZVq9TeGh3jCeG3-Gi68zLhwKE63Z2FYYm9SRmGAhgkB7XnQ/s1600/P3241071b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIFRg4xuZAn4AmlhTnX2VY-fQfEmpWmBO-sb9EfUOrEhu2N4co5xPyI0n6uinHhBdcaLJVGpeSeA6TTAOVM828hQK-nktZVq9TeGh3jCeG3-Gi68zLhwKE63Z2FYYm9SRmGAhgkB7XnQ/s320/P3241071b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And then those holes were countersunk:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WDEFXaXQU9VeGun0jMs6FsT-scy3nQZeLulRzeEYRszjpC704kOBdG6f-g8jgDYTdzF2zBeldwdYrvc43YmSP_niddUkAx8mtmNXC5ycqRXej_fkWUMSsTqsCJ-4zPyAPOKrsInnq6s/s1600/P3241084b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WDEFXaXQU9VeGun0jMs6FsT-scy3nQZeLulRzeEYRszjpC704kOBdG6f-g8jgDYTdzF2zBeldwdYrvc43YmSP_niddUkAx8mtmNXC5ycqRXej_fkWUMSsTqsCJ-4zPyAPOKrsInnq6s/s320/P3241084b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJG_yBfmz_iZw1KXhCrXiNwIpOioDXetcaQY7jswGOkmko51CBeEZGkEbJxJlC4kxHQ68e9e5LHjShmd34rpuG6_i112eZ6Qs51jaYwzYfGx14rR0YCm9_1pXjhGK5pM1A5OOQqhpEfQ/s1600/P3241091b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJG_yBfmz_iZw1KXhCrXiNwIpOioDXetcaQY7jswGOkmko51CBeEZGkEbJxJlC4kxHQ68e9e5LHjShmd34rpuG6_i112eZ6Qs51jaYwzYfGx14rR0YCm9_1pXjhGK5pM1A5OOQqhpEfQ/s320/P3241091b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
The corners were rounded:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxKwJNaM3toEZ-zfLVilKAocYCD985D-I-wYLhTeedpGQQDmLjiXjz5vY1Ggs3rs1TMh1gWpSiYZI66mduxUXujQuzVBohNWfBqEB8NXURV_yEYhrLOhmMetMcJFXcyFXRPG17_FvDZ0/s1600/P3241106b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxKwJNaM3toEZ-zfLVilKAocYCD985D-I-wYLhTeedpGQQDmLjiXjz5vY1Ggs3rs1TMh1gWpSiYZI66mduxUXujQuzVBohNWfBqEB8NXURV_yEYhrLOhmMetMcJFXcyFXRPG17_FvDZ0/s320/P3241106b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
And then the edges were smoothed:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZZd-vvAyg0GUPjm2tdvXnQMhM7oiuhX4PBNUYE2x3z6xc4E9cPkFHsogkZJ2aLOsW9jTjDKRU6lySPjI3nk-vn2OKOHDaM4aKaiPYucz5Pb1DVxi6h-KEDDoiCdVsCQK2_JYOOMst0/s1600/P3241107b.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZZd-vvAyg0GUPjm2tdvXnQMhM7oiuhX4PBNUYE2x3z6xc4E9cPkFHsogkZJ2aLOsW9jTjDKRU6lySPjI3nk-vn2OKOHDaM4aKaiPYucz5Pb1DVxi6h-KEDDoiCdVsCQK2_JYOOMst0/s320/P3241107b.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Here I'm giving the base a good scrub with a wire brush. This'll help prepare it to receive paint.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxeR7p6BrANScjXSm81eKv6PeQucaS-KhhTj0IlIPNH_k9iPBWzWh9A3jVZmwWLrjKABuJ0gwljYtvUsippOIDEOpWAvo3Ioeipt6k4WlxsRXNc_tobrG2u_xG96-VKiogD6IJ9puxhDq/s1600/P5051261.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxeR7p6BrANScjXSm81eKv6PeQucaS-KhhTj0IlIPNH_k9iPBWzWh9A3jVZmwWLrjKABuJ0gwljYtvUsippOIDEOpWAvo3Ioeipt6k4WlxsRXNc_tobrG2u_xG96-VKiogD6IJ9puxhDq/s320/P5051261.JPG" /></a></center><br />
At first I wasn't even going to paint this, but I had this orange primer lying around that seemed to match pretty well, so on it went:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWc5qIdl0nYmUqY9tEDMCnb4_xUia9VX2cbYS-D-DzByDLq35WMNMtIxPNpAimy1UjmtSWM_yzW9r3iTQHujb4UoOtsp8OcoSSGRnYgsl227nNE2XO-phvq0-Wb-YC2qAlmZs9JM5oAuO/s1600/P5051262.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWc5qIdl0nYmUqY9tEDMCnb4_xUia9VX2cbYS-D-DzByDLq35WMNMtIxPNpAimy1UjmtSWM_yzW9r3iTQHujb4UoOtsp8OcoSSGRnYgsl227nNE2XO-phvq0-Wb-YC2qAlmZs9JM5oAuO/s320/P5051262.JPG" /></a></center><br />
After a couple of coats:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpSgY_Rw_DEcGwaSdYp1oa-XiLDgUUCtVn8-Ddq4vz5lI3nRyoG0a8xzhqJGjhgvzzFoKj9QKIxuc2vq3Fd4SC-Kv90Z5dLZeHmlhoBeVSQZxT8NJbPCrWUDC_hTwEFKYTSP_YMBK_P6G/s1600/P5051263.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpSgY_Rw_DEcGwaSdYp1oa-XiLDgUUCtVn8-Ddq4vz5lI3nRyoG0a8xzhqJGjhgvzzFoKj9QKIxuc2vq3Fd4SC-Kv90Z5dLZeHmlhoBeVSQZxT8NJbPCrWUDC_hTwEFKYTSP_YMBK_P6G/s320/P5051263.JPG" /></a></center><br />
Then some clear coat is added:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_P0bgCPBAG227eBJDx2BJ5hCIftAbybr_CFllZ6f0nd87mWHkdoHKLxI7jQ_G64pCxqTI3R3FL9wSqMsheGoZe9H0aNR2uXW9mvUf8PKuKyZHxo68B1auKhtA_eMjjKJ_hTf_B6i-p5i/s1600/P5051264.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_P0bgCPBAG227eBJDx2BJ5hCIftAbybr_CFllZ6f0nd87mWHkdoHKLxI7jQ_G64pCxqTI3R3FL9wSqMsheGoZe9H0aNR2uXW9mvUf8PKuKyZHxo68B1auKhtA_eMjjKJ_hTf_B6i-p5i/s320/P5051264.JPG" /></a></center><br />
For the second (and final) clear coat, the can is held at a distance while spraying in order to get a bit of an orange peel effect:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkEHRb36gg9kjLpXyl2JGOlJjTaq-kSTvauoF8CQTRKKCx0KxL2FX89CzatytNXVTzNqHYHpTNizpwO6DUUc-Xuiw4AOFK2KHiY2IjsewvGrD7LSHa3ZhreuWwrh_6ZfWt-YQv1TgNqOa/s1600/P5051265.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkEHRb36gg9kjLpXyl2JGOlJjTaq-kSTvauoF8CQTRKKCx0KxL2FX89CzatytNXVTzNqHYHpTNizpwO6DUUc-Xuiw4AOFK2KHiY2IjsewvGrD7LSHa3ZhreuWwrh_6ZfWt-YQv1TgNqOa/s320/P5051265.JPG" /></a></center><br />
The reason for that is to try as best as possible to match the finish on the pedal itself, which you can see here:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqH6Y6JO17AGf1KUQHpiPpETWNryE5imp807kdkVNyi9pcjD3UvIaY632Z2ghxK2FUHHqwPBMC0kCoOIcx9z1SSP2bOGuBRZl4ePKrJwDMAS5rujhZ2PTxiBW2DFd6zWZanAEA8TJYQ03Y/s1600/P5051266.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqH6Y6JO17AGf1KUQHpiPpETWNryE5imp807kdkVNyi9pcjD3UvIaY632Z2ghxK2FUHHqwPBMC0kCoOIcx9z1SSP2bOGuBRZl4ePKrJwDMAS5rujhZ2PTxiBW2DFd6zWZanAEA8TJYQ03Y/s320/P5051266.JPG" /></a></center><br />
After the clear coat dries, the base is screwed on:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A5HNhoHJ8N4T-8wB3yprVMR7M-kCneoSSUR2uFqbLHy_RpnZpMUpC8YX6L0aeDVsewNjyB-exty6ZbUDwnKSVJU_8nVUMydQFThtZ3xCp3uF8DYvFvqU6j2zq_MmxJAs-A_ditOiLSlu/s1600/P5061267.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A5HNhoHJ8N4T-8wB3yprVMR7M-kCneoSSUR2uFqbLHy_RpnZpMUpC8YX6L0aeDVsewNjyB-exty6ZbUDwnKSVJU_8nVUMydQFThtZ3xCp3uF8DYvFvqU6j2zq_MmxJAs-A_ditOiLSlu/s320/P5061267.JPG" /></a></center><br />
Then some rubber feet are fitted:<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_b_pYzBpyCjB5NzTZGr-9XWY43D1ZEDJSpLqeaxGWbdqNPGiwqM2vRckkBIyKoP5StD937lgiK5STaU1wMb9eLZOcgYvAyszo_gJ_8xcuUNzM2XTi0XW9Kp-4u7t2alx6HihxzXMl1IF/s1600/P5061268.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_b_pYzBpyCjB5NzTZGr-9XWY43D1ZEDJSpLqeaxGWbdqNPGiwqM2vRckkBIyKoP5StD937lgiK5STaU1wMb9eLZOcgYvAyszo_gJ_8xcuUNzM2XTi0XW9Kp-4u7t2alx6HihxzXMl1IF/s320/P5061268.JPG" /></a></center><br />
And there we have it. A perfectly functional MXR Phase 90 for ten bucks. How’s THEM apples?<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM44_9KnUSPyI_PN1cN86gubAUddSuxEUqtLSdQ3UXrop9RihvW1o1UFRKeKYJ_uBSNdk6iZsJdAd9bbxGCEZEKQ1gALd__ZZDz-_X5Rqb1bb4c2XdmoGHpSyLflReRdiymyFklk1xyTe/s1600/P5061269.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM44_9KnUSPyI_PN1cN86gubAUddSuxEUqtLSdQ3UXrop9RihvW1o1UFRKeKYJ_uBSNdk6iZsJdAd9bbxGCEZEKQ1gALd__ZZDz-_X5Rqb1bb4c2XdmoGHpSyLflReRdiymyFklk1xyTe/s320/P5061269.JPG" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtUTQhFAQZyqE241qWcjWehSa0lN-_oGgzT5vGPiCbGrZDOBXfhoRqZr2f5ZiCbPe1Xrvst0jeEmMgoXWxpP8AsldSBYV96vLA-itqQ9vkFei5eY36NBdSepeEJnADnoskdFg2FBKzHap/s1600/P5061270.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtUTQhFAQZyqE241qWcjWehSa0lN-_oGgzT5vGPiCbGrZDOBXfhoRqZr2f5ZiCbPe1Xrvst0jeEmMgoXWxpP8AsldSBYV96vLA-itqQ9vkFei5eY36NBdSepeEJnADnoskdFg2FBKzHap/s320/P5061270.JPG" /></a></center><br />
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkndh3XV5vDtXuKUAFXhRlxmkaBk1Hw2b_0UNxenNeblZvg1UtOjcTj7fX1vC8gPpwPA0dnFHy0b8mq9wqbtb5FP5qh9eNhZVK9U1A79c8Tr5UJ9onEx4oNhpYz3mD1wUd5Rn4xdsJGieH/s1600/P5061271.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkndh3XV5vDtXuKUAFXhRlxmkaBk1Hw2b_0UNxenNeblZvg1UtOjcTj7fX1vC8gPpwPA0dnFHy0b8mq9wqbtb5FP5qh9eNhZVK9U1A79c8Tr5UJ9onEx4oNhpYz3mD1wUd5Rn4xdsJGieH/s320/P5061271.JPG" /></a></center><br />
stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-5815906717194009602013-04-07T20:30:00.000-07:002014-09-11T00:06:09.531-07:00Repairing Broken AKG K240 Studio HeadphonesChristian over at <a href="http://blacksunshinemedia.com/">Black Sunshine Media</a> (Wait, you don’t know about Black Sunshine Media? Get over there and check the site out immediately. It’s awesome.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, Christian over at <a href="http://blacksunshinemedia.com/">Black Sunshine Media</a> asked if I could possibly fix his headphones, since they were his favourites and an essential part of his kit. He showed me this photo:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnlKdyr0GLaAiR8wgKenAM02GhT8JWOYl_fNN-o4nz1XSbiz9kHEaXYGwUaTzvxmnIojwGi8qBRoa9YtPQ0SlIhhwTmBLUsgRd4JqWhvr5ymxWCRGOyLoyHcxUhYXtfW5qXrOxGe-7rE/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnlKdyr0GLaAiR8wgKenAM02GhT8JWOYl_fNN-o4nz1XSbiz9kHEaXYGwUaTzvxmnIojwGi8qBRoa9YtPQ0SlIhhwTmBLUsgRd4JqWhvr5ymxWCRGOyLoyHcxUhYXtfW5qXrOxGe-7rE/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-001.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
I think the technical term for what happened here is that they “assploded” (through no fault of their own, I might add). According to Christian, they got a bit squashed at some stage.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I took one look at the wires and said something entirely too self-confident like “piece of cake”. In fact, the wiring was the easy part. Figuring out how to put them back together took a bit more, well, figuring out.<br />
<br />
Before continuing, the other wire is disconnected to make things easier to work with:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRjBz3ywEl71TCeg4zils6sgD6M6jqhkkZRG2BgriPYiwiDLCQGTlXPyWTWIxS8UvElQ3D6OaLQqDHrpnx_aSWrtcFproyJn2Dkg_nl2QsFMlPOtPvvhq2YPzzJGhk3_ZGDAi9SnuRfw/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-004.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRjBz3ywEl71TCeg4zils6sgD6M6jqhkkZRG2BgriPYiwiDLCQGTlXPyWTWIxS8UvElQ3D6OaLQqDHrpnx_aSWrtcFproyJn2Dkg_nl2QsFMlPOtPvvhq2YPzzJGhk3_ZGDAi9SnuRfw/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-004.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
It didn’t even dawn on me to take a photo at this stage, but the next step here was to put the back of the pad back on. This wasn’t rocket science and no tools were required. Here’s how it looked after doing that:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2lwItuJ4Eu4L0rBL9JfzeODAaPrlO_4U4As4IOhHR_Z0Y8P2Dsg9Th-MhZnrzkqPRggDa2SU1xD7QbwIqB5ntfhqz8eV5klEDi6Oq45nWIQo6NPZPJjGUed98_A1-Gmz-0qZkPexeUg/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-006.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2lwItuJ4Eu4L0rBL9JfzeODAaPrlO_4U4As4IOhHR_Z0Y8P2Dsg9Th-MhZnrzkqPRggDa2SU1xD7QbwIqB5ntfhqz8eV5klEDi6Oq45nWIQo6NPZPJjGUed98_A1-Gmz-0qZkPexeUg/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-006.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Next was to figure out how the whole thing was going to go back together. Actually it’s a very clever mechanism. Basically (excuse me for going all engineer on you again), it works on a universal joint principle. This is what a universal joint looks like. Your car has several. This joint basically allows for freedom of movement along two axes, while maintaining a positive connection along the third.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWe2pKlUe8lmfRCwLi-IY1yQE8L4UoKrFXPU1rNaCkBL-7v0oAw1ZrsJ2_WzbMNITWZ581my6luISwjUBi_tYwjNWs-xBkaZUlZ1QZhXuhreNFcnYD9TYRoRMekOJSduRPAtoYqjxkDY/s1600/Universal_joint.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWe2pKlUe8lmfRCwLi-IY1yQE8L4UoKrFXPU1rNaCkBL-7v0oAw1ZrsJ2_WzbMNITWZ581my6luISwjUBi_tYwjNWs-xBkaZUlZ1QZhXuhreNFcnYD9TYRoRMekOJSduRPAtoYqjxkDY/s320/Universal_joint.png" /></a></center>
<br />
(Image taken from <a href="http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Universal_joint">http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Universal_joint</a>) <br />
<br />
And that is what allows the pads on each side of these headphones to move a little bit to fit the angle of your head, without actually falling off (yes, I appreciate the irony that these ones actually HAVE fallen off, but that wasn’t technically supposed to happen).<br />
<br />
Anyway, the little joint itself, which just to clarify, is this:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW8nMcJVfDcgrNTK-tPahIsGKPxxH6AgrYrLD8FEXNwdPHxH09wlmmK8N3jOPo8n7kRISdCOlnJZm3SYH3pCbRwINmMsdH97oA_NAoswhpvtaL53WEbpXhaOvahqSqImMFUbCaSeIbTs/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-010.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW8nMcJVfDcgrNTK-tPahIsGKPxxH6AgrYrLD8FEXNwdPHxH09wlmmK8N3jOPo8n7kRISdCOlnJZm3SYH3pCbRwINmMsdH97oA_NAoswhpvtaL53WEbpXhaOvahqSqImMFUbCaSeIbTs/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-010.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Was still connected to one part, but not to the other. The problem is that there was no way to connect it to the other part while trying to fit the headphones together, because you just can’t get your fingers (or any tools) in there to position it right, while simultaneously closing everything up. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJwsb0XgpM-2U1XWEKTzlsmITd8qzcv-tr4bUQJa2_MWpqk5ZsXzW7Ux_U9I3sz071W32XBIgYl5Pop8W6GVoDYcSEePqFt4m3-BFj3Fx7m3iQ9DEXjxRcRdAzlcJKgkzEf0c2Gm4RVw/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-003.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJwsb0XgpM-2U1XWEKTzlsmITd8qzcv-tr4bUQJa2_MWpqk5ZsXzW7Ux_U9I3sz071W32XBIgYl5Pop8W6GVoDYcSEePqFt4m3-BFj3Fx7m3iQ9DEXjxRcRdAzlcJKgkzEf0c2Gm4RVw/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-003.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNgn1Ce1ygNgwa11_ILGtQTWVrOfH57j_e_KVTq9Tb1EMvSbvGmrxXI-1X_tR9Us4C4U2uvzwFHa8TMf04qEvWC5fwzGCPV4MHgTSqbMC3IFgSMuxKRyb6UZb8zfur_xuxWsJNRRFWrE/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-005.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNgn1Ce1ygNgwa11_ILGtQTWVrOfH57j_e_KVTq9Tb1EMvSbvGmrxXI-1X_tR9Us4C4U2uvzwFHa8TMf04qEvWC5fwzGCPV4MHgTSqbMC3IFgSMuxKRyb6UZb8zfur_xuxWsJNRRFWrE/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-005.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
But if you look closely, you can see that the part it <b>is</b> already connected to is specifically designed to assist with this exact thing, i.e. it helps correctly position the joint as you are closing things up.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq0NgdY1tHCNmIH242FourKCzbTgp8YMHaYUkjAnL2i0uAyYMdG1pEB_5XQpYbQD02W6oO9Gq0U-MpiXO5uoyhQaQMc1b7DkwpgECInmCz8YFjcNd7RU-iryJvuqp0BIJFUpDaE-_Q9E/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-007.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq0NgdY1tHCNmIH242FourKCzbTgp8YMHaYUkjAnL2i0uAyYMdG1pEB_5XQpYbQD02W6oO9Gq0U-MpiXO5uoyhQaQMc1b7DkwpgECInmCz8YFjcNd7RU-iryJvuqp0BIJFUpDaE-_Q9E/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-007.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
Wait, that's a bit hard to make out. Let me remove it slightly so you can see a bit better. Imagine you need to push that circular bit down. You can see that there is a bit of a slope guiding it into place. See it?<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68XsIMZYcYItkW1sFh_Az6RcM-UsoxnsnhoBfy40j-9b-XON9qCpgLUG87wC7oh17QbWChkKjz_zGXsBnVBvJKoiBQfcJmdWqdCRb-DI51i5Rvb6c0IuQvBnrEBAGy8qL-KWazhKiYTE/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-009.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68XsIMZYcYItkW1sFh_Az6RcM-UsoxnsnhoBfy40j-9b-XON9qCpgLUG87wC7oh17QbWChkKjz_zGXsBnVBvJKoiBQfcJmdWqdCRb-DI51i5Rvb6c0IuQvBnrEBAGy8qL-KWazhKiYTE/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-009.jpg" /></a></center>
<br />
So what we do here is take the joint out completely and connect it to the OTHER part (the one that is just too difficult to connect to while we’re trying to close everything up). Just squeeze the joint together a little, which will make it narrower while you move it into position. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFuTpKcl0NxQxM0W2YB_DbWAd9nHgqe_qp9Z8JVqHdYuLZh3PPgNs1Fa1M7-dOmBqtSYNNkE6AzyBo7iiVrYYosuvvnn5-DvJ0hZIEhgnPjWo_A1Z3l5Y-_ldz-0_RpgTz9RDwday4XI/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-012.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFuTpKcl0NxQxM0W2YB_DbWAd9nHgqe_qp9Z8JVqHdYuLZh3PPgNs1Fa1M7-dOmBqtSYNNkE6AzyBo7iiVrYYosuvvnn5-DvJ0hZIEhgnPjWo_A1Z3l5Y-_ldz-0_RpgTz9RDwday4XI/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-012.jpg" /></a></center>
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Note the little tapered edges pointed out below. Make sure they are facing out the way, so that they can interface with the sloping guide mentioned previously when it comes time to put it all together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAYnEetjshH6nR8IYcK9IwZ5thma2y8jezwqoxgvq-AFw3Xb_em7PMGnNJCU8z_LUqZXWyaDDX-rvZY6LqEJNTKolnA_zuwEdGYZqthgfDv4s04gR3UZIgk1Il71vxsFNYI7b3osMJQ8/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-013.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br /></a></center>
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Then we quickly add a couple of little extensions to the wires, since the red one in particular is dangerously short and I’d hate for it to snap again.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ReYX60CRNwR5rm_iOGU-POuR9koddzo4-l5yRu0pEU2OqXyRa7CQ96kPw1hFRVbq2JeX2fOr_LUTNQ0pqy_6kQLGkfwSt5olNdqvnibVeD9oQPZIFGNsezvqjupghmB39wGZztpk4fo/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-015.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ReYX60CRNwR5rm_iOGU-POuR9koddzo4-l5yRu0pEU2OqXyRa7CQ96kPw1hFRVbq2JeX2fOr_LUTNQ0pqy_6kQLGkfwSt5olNdqvnibVeD9oQPZIFGNsezvqjupghmB39wGZztpk4fo/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-015.jpg" /></a></center>
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I’d usually put heat shrink tubing over this, but I don’t want to apply heat anywhere near the pad covers, so I’m just using PVC tape instead.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mDCSAyQFGr6RnguGcMSwnLFicM1rBtl0xLBObN-kMII4kvVTCKeFH1csZLiTWQD5yiUW44m8uVsigXn2rTiTEQky4vOWPbeULsmsY_hL0_55FAvghdUMIncJ5PZ7lK-69_Wkw4bPfA/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-016.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mDCSAyQFGr6RnguGcMSwnLFicM1rBtl0xLBObN-kMII4kvVTCKeFH1csZLiTWQD5yiUW44m8uVsigXn2rTiTEQky4vOWPbeULsmsY_hL0_55FAvghdUMIncJ5PZ7lK-69_Wkw4bPfA/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-016.jpg" /></a></center>
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And we solder the wires back in place:<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0oSopPe4VK6wsX0YqzKD44gwsCdzYLh4bcFiEUSMO_PBdiI-RVCXRO0bds6V4LnE_DjfgK7H-ngpicByIC-J1-5sL15b31B6-WIWe9fVYsJvpDWFVyqem0DPIQgoB56B2Vzm87-8A_g/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-021.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0oSopPe4VK6wsX0YqzKD44gwsCdzYLh4bcFiEUSMO_PBdiI-RVCXRO0bds6V4LnE_DjfgK7H-ngpicByIC-J1-5sL15b31B6-WIWe9fVYsJvpDWFVyqem0DPIQgoB56B2Vzm87-8A_g/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-021.jpg" /></a></center>
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Now we carefully position things so that everything is lined up right and the joint will clip nicely into place (on both sides) as we close this up.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckKqyO7vGnCL6IwMWzov9oo9s4Tl_r4VBlnrqhRdcIUGldUpiMCM4gJu6mgJV9aw9hZlgpmjMfE-40bhrbYO28mVWcjuQzoYc3ciILDNKLOWhDg9Vv5kAcTfrYtCqwvQjs9Rt3vKWFgQ/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-022.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckKqyO7vGnCL6IwMWzov9oo9s4Tl_r4VBlnrqhRdcIUGldUpiMCM4gJu6mgJV9aw9hZlgpmjMfE-40bhrbYO28mVWcjuQzoYc3ciILDNKLOWhDg9Vv5kAcTfrYtCqwvQjs9Rt3vKWFgQ/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-022.jpg" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC236TZar2fELq0y6dzs430Kxq3mldz01gXCf0NxhzU-ZvO2h5BoRsxgVtkh4HBbuxnEaxSSf_3Bg1wLbglwGYiXnuh7DqewjGuA4OQB38H-e5xNtC7eQqN9XiLscQkJ6zOL-In89YVs/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-023.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC236TZar2fELq0y6dzs430Kxq3mldz01gXCf0NxhzU-ZvO2h5BoRsxgVtkh4HBbuxnEaxSSf_3Bg1wLbglwGYiXnuh7DqewjGuA4OQB38H-e5xNtC7eQqN9XiLscQkJ6zOL-In89YVs/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-023.jpg" /></a></center>
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"Persuade" it into place with a flat-head screwdriver:<br />
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A nice click is heard, the world rejoices and we’re done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5JuelXv_CIuKrMCCFlGBUlG66aVgrrnyI6qSwJhrwLgGlvrNjIUJbd8NykTMOlQmy4cMzTJoWUD0KCifngxoaBehFi6Ikezb99FflLdIRKr0AK-Sq2rljBFvhP7jgoN4FE-AorVN2Oc/s1600/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-025.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5JuelXv_CIuKrMCCFlGBUlG66aVgrrnyI6qSwJhrwLgGlvrNjIUJbd8NykTMOlQmy4cMzTJoWUD0KCifngxoaBehFi6Ikezb99FflLdIRKr0AK-Sq2rljBFvhP7jgoN4FE-AorVN2Oc/s320/AKG-K240-headphone-repair-025.jpg" /></a></center>
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Piece of cake (kind of).stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-82848264498137236052013-01-21T01:25:00.002-08:002013-01-21T22:16:09.434-08:00Upgrading a Pickup on an Electric Guitar
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q9MiDemmlsvuFrS4g8MBa6P1Ch7vUxN65HKhET-3NWCGRL6suo5-cLXaBK8J8f4dak81eOqNzWKaEF2eySCHvPgH5Rz9zSc4dnuszjUjNRaRj4qvbgHmYeG1pPfnmF4THSh41vHn3kw/s1600/upgrade-pickup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="178" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q9MiDemmlsvuFrS4g8MBa6P1Ch7vUxN65HKhET-3NWCGRL6suo5-cLXaBK8J8f4dak81eOqNzWKaEF2eySCHvPgH5Rz9zSc4dnuszjUjNRaRj4qvbgHmYeG1pPfnmF4THSh41vHn3kw/s320/upgrade-pickup.jpg" /></a></div>
Today’s post deals with upgrading a pickup in an electric guitar. I’m just performing this operation on a generic no-name guitar this time. No, wait, it’s NOT a no-name, it’s “Photo+Genic”! How’s that for a trustworthy brand?
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Anyway, the basic process should be the same for most electric guitars, although on some models, accessing the pickup may require an additional step or two. I’ll try to make a point of mentioning that at the appropriate time.
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This is the same guitar that I just upgraded the tuners on (you can see that blog post right here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/01/upgrading-electric-guitar-tuners.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2013/01/upgrading-electric-guitar-tuners.html</a>)
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Here is the patient:
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And with the strings removed:
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We'll need to access the pickup from the front and the wiring from the back.
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Let’s deal with the wiring first so that we don’t have a pickup dangling from the front if we do that part first.
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First we remove the back cover:
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Inside we find a mess of wiring. In this case I can easily deduce which wires come from the pickup, but on something like a Les Paul, you may have to do a bit more working out.
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It’s a bit tight getting a soldering iron in there, so I’ve decided to remove the volume control, loosening it from the front before pulling it out from the back. If you have something like a Gibson Les Paul, you shouldn’t have to do this, as there’s room enough to get a soldering iron in the control cavity there, but if it does get awkward, loosen all four controls from the front of the guitar and (carefully) pull the whole lot out together.
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Here I de-solder the wires connecting to the pickup I want to replace. It’s a wise idea to snap a close-up photo before doing this just in case you forget where things go.
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Now it’s time to remove the pickup from the front of the guitar. This one is held in with two screws only. For a Fender Stratocaster, you will need to remove the entire pickguard/scratchplate to access both the pickups and the electronics. For a Les Paul, remove the pickup surround rather then the pickup itself. You may still need to remove the pickup from the surround once it’s out, but you can’t really do this while it's still mounted on the guitar (and you’d have zero chance of getting the new one back in without removing the surrounds anyway).
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The pickup comes out quite easily, but watch out for any little springs that might pop off the back of the pickup screws, although in the case of this guitar, it appears a bit of sponge rubber was used instead. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that.
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The wire is then pulled through carefully and the pickup set aside.
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Now this is where it gets interesting. If you are replacing a single coil pickup with another single coil pickup, then replacement is fairly straightforward. However, if you are going from single coil to humbucker (double coil), or even replacing a humbucker with another humbucker, you really have to watch how you wire it up. In this case, I’m putting a humbucker in to replace the single coil that was there before. I’m using one that is the same size as a single coil pickup, so I don’t need to think about routing out any wood, but instead of the two wires that the single coil had, I’m now faced with FIVE wires: two for the first coil, two for the second coil and one shielding wire.
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Luckily for me, two of the wires were already soldered together, showing me that these are one end of the first coil joined to the other end of the second coil. I can more or less ignore these and simply connect the other two inner wires to where the previous pickup went. The shielding wire connects to one of these wires, and luckily for me, this has also already been done, making the wiring extremely simple. Usually when you buy a new pickup, you’ll get instructions to tell you which wire is which. You should make a point of reading this because <b>different manufacturers use different standards for their wiring</b>.
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Here’s a handy chart courtesy of Seymour Duncan (as with all images, click to enlarge):
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Anyway, on with the show. I add some rubber tubing I have handy to the pickup screws (if you prefer, you can add springs instead):
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Carefully push the wires through the guitar:
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And screw the pickup into place:
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I solder the wires back to the contacts:
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Then I insulate the two wires that were already connected together. If I wanted a coil tap, I would connect these two wires to the centre leg of a switch and connect the switch's other leg to ground, but I’m not going to do that on this guitar (a coil tap is when you use a switch to turn off one of the coils of a humbucker, effectively making it a single coil pickup).
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The volume pot is then secured back in place and the knob is pushed back on:
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The wiring is carefully pushed back into place:
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And the back cover is closed:
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Finally, the strings are put back on:
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You can adjust the height of the pickup by adjusting the screws at both ends. It’s a good idea to measure the height of the old pickup before removing it to give you a good starting point for the replacement, although I didn’t do that here because the pickups are so different that it wouldn’t have been much use anyway.
And that’s the pickup upgrade finished! A very simple procedure indeed.stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-25195647562869122742013-01-14T00:16:00.001-08:002013-01-16T21:58:25.227-08:00Upgrading Electric Guitar Tuners
I’ve done a post about upgrading tuners on an acoustic guitar before (found here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-upgrade-guitar-tuners.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-upgrade-guitar-tuners.html</a>), and really there’s no difference between tuners on an acoustic (steel-string) guitar and an electric guitar, except for the fact that you’re less likely to encounter six-a-side tuners on an acoustic guitar. (Six-a-side refers to when all six tuners are on the same side of the peghead, like on a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster. A Gibson Les Paul has three-a-side tuners, but you can still use this blog post to help you upgrade them.)
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The main reason I’m writing today’s post is because I went about the upgrade in a very different way, using one of these (called a "rear peghole reamer"):
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Which can be found on Stew Mac’s website here: <a href="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tuner_installation_tools/Rear_Peghole_Reamer.html?tab=Detailshttp://">http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tuner_installation_tools/Rear_Peghole_Reamer.html?tab=Details</a>
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I was pretty unhappy with the alternative method of reaming the holes manually and then trying to tidy them up with rasps/files, etc., and this seemed like an interesting (and pretty cheap) solution.
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Anyway, here’s today’s patient:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSIl3opMYJrRdB1pfEk42kADK32z28QDOBAYjEq1Fg5-gqFLTujSFSJFj0HhJdeNOFUDObU1SfHMvpTwFTia_DfmPW4Tm32ASST0Fmc0ShOv-ePWkXgj1suG_iw5ck-JskJVSLeQScnU/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSIl3opMYJrRdB1pfEk42kADK32z28QDOBAYjEq1Fg5-gqFLTujSFSJFj0HhJdeNOFUDObU1SfHMvpTwFTia_DfmPW4Tm32ASST0Fmc0ShOv-ePWkXgj1suG_iw5ck-JskJVSLeQScnU/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-100.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFNk8sb9OoI212dWYj4y12k9-VwAyElVgm8SOTG1kIRyiJxueV9_2EKWtHqYVms1AGv79DU9xp86DazyRGdSNOcVQhFP6aEczj2OnJ-vyv4qldgb-gi8MyIZXSeQ_sBd5stpUNYrsVZ0/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFNk8sb9OoI212dWYj4y12k9-VwAyElVgm8SOTG1kIRyiJxueV9_2EKWtHqYVms1AGv79DU9xp86DazyRGdSNOcVQhFP6aEczj2OnJ-vyv4qldgb-gi8MyIZXSeQ_sBd5stpUNYrsVZ0/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-101.jpg" /></a></div>
As you can above, the tuners are pretty cheap looking. That’s not necessarily a problem, but these ones do not work very well at all.
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Firstly the stings are removed and then the tuners can be easily removed by unscrewing all the small screws on the backplate(s) [note, do not remove the larger screws holding the gears on].
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjtj7DniuKsrh1ftz61qVpOfhtGsuaFLuecjFNzJUNBVChsyiuicxyI63z534Zxo4FcP9kfJ-rGQn9WynbhFmY1qfs6QYAii2JfZQ_gDm-KP2hxA6aa3lHjmHXhv-X7MkwABy7sqUZLE/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjtj7DniuKsrh1ftz61qVpOfhtGsuaFLuecjFNzJUNBVChsyiuicxyI63z534Zxo4FcP9kfJ-rGQn9WynbhFmY1qfs6QYAii2JfZQ_gDm-KP2hxA6aa3lHjmHXhv-X7MkwABy7sqUZLE/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-006.jpg" /></a></div>
The ferrules also need to be removed from the front of the peghead. Ordinarily I’d do this by “rolling” a screwdriver in them (as described above the 4th photo here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-upgrade-guitar-tuners.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-upgrade-guitar-tuners.html</a>), but these ones weren’t coming out very easily, so I tapped them out from the back. Note that to do this you have to have a tool that is narrower than the tuner hole, but wider than the hole in the ferrule itself. Luckily the bit in this screwdriver is perfect.
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OK, that’s the tuners removed.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzZ5zO8Mc2DQS4tu4n-TdTiUUmqpvDlxtIkflY6J7fLdKE0DXN5a6WkBvTXJvrrxSH8kGIvFVyS3slyhM-bL5bQx3ZOlKvzp_O2R1-6gcI8Hp1zn9NPLjnkAFCtfMsaLA568h3ektOU/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzZ5zO8Mc2DQS4tu4n-TdTiUUmqpvDlxtIkflY6J7fLdKE0DXN5a6WkBvTXJvrrxSH8kGIvFVyS3slyhM-bL5bQx3ZOlKvzp_O2R1-6gcI8Hp1zn9NPLjnkAFCtfMsaLA568h3ektOU/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-010.jpg" /></a></div>
I also removed the two string retainers so that they don’t get in the way of the next steps.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n-aXJZLgaCgWWCjTORNHAqCUqhk1gIiWF_4szDWezz0rOgO9eRfcXtFuxgduKQXN04Hm7RvK1_dz7XVbgDkIhk8Dw8vN5KtaPtOtysuPNcyR-20va75EQQ1Pv01IHGtbr3oUV4ZF5f4/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n-aXJZLgaCgWWCjTORNHAqCUqhk1gIiWF_4szDWezz0rOgO9eRfcXtFuxgduKQXN04Hm7RvK1_dz7XVbgDkIhk8Dw8vN5KtaPtOtysuPNcyR-20va75EQQ1Pv01IHGtbr3oUV4ZF5f4/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-012.jpg" /></a></div>
Right. Time to try out the new tool.
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Firstly I clamp the peghead down (face down), making sure to hold a piece of wood against the front face of the peghead so that the drill bit cannot pass all the way through. I can’t emphasize how important this step is.
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Next, I drill into the already existing tuner holes, one at a time.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6vsYOFaYlDxCSPP9ub9wkO6lcYkJWTGGLDk41djtX4G0lZFVJ60It89EDw2HPWqp8CjR2hnR1AdQsSZFztv1HBPIgViQaQJrDZGPNxHnbTr-NYWe8gOcshfYnBeVBoCy37DSNnsp9L8/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6vsYOFaYlDxCSPP9ub9wkO6lcYkJWTGGLDk41djtX4G0lZFVJ60It89EDw2HPWqp8CjR2hnR1AdQsSZFztv1HBPIgViQaQJrDZGPNxHnbTr-NYWe8gOcshfYnBeVBoCy37DSNnsp9L8/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-018.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSQiacreW-UpcaoZzBLxifJCJreAjIxNTqg8jtW4xobODsgzmEoSKNc2oKjxN7bIQvm5qUOspGMqYiGApUNoTbGObLNWE_8UNDfgIEN2vzdd914Bzx9HgMP0GMxs95eo44kLE0NfOChU/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSQiacreW-UpcaoZzBLxifJCJreAjIxNTqg8jtW4xobODsgzmEoSKNc2oKjxN7bIQvm5qUOspGMqYiGApUNoTbGObLNWE_8UNDfgIEN2vzdd914Bzx9HgMP0GMxs95eo44kLE0NfOChU/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-021.jpg" /></a></div>
If you look closely at the above image (as with all images on this blog, you can click to enlarge), you can see a little step just before the ends of the holes. What’s nice about this is that not only will the nut on the front of the tuner be better centred, but also that when I drill these holes, I don’t need to worry about any tear out at the other side.
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I then place all of the tuners in place and screw the nuts/washers onto the front until they are finger tight.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGgF_3iqZiVS4inRzwaVbmCK-_56V7AF6UoVouERZ7EhAHxs1WFwGVdB-ShZwVHkEucGaI4ssJKOjlTanmAhNIWmMAEVIlw6E5vLxK3YY0aslR3-9rdr-nD0zewzCtab7j6nVx5rTSJo/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGgF_3iqZiVS4inRzwaVbmCK-_56V7AF6UoVouERZ7EhAHxs1WFwGVdB-ShZwVHkEucGaI4ssJKOjlTanmAhNIWmMAEVIlw6E5vLxK3YY0aslR3-9rdr-nD0zewzCtab7j6nVx5rTSJo/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-026.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs4a43RMpSSFtqgA6Pfot4Vz1fGeGnFw_XUEKfeMUYEej5y2jHPWr6HJRoZHe17OkErEa0VcKRVtmLFJSaaL1acyO_yfx0nWKy6PcXvtdVXrMt99a02LiOf8rlRVzNVIhV5isUc6E3U8/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs4a43RMpSSFtqgA6Pfot4Vz1fGeGnFw_XUEKfeMUYEej5y2jHPWr6HJRoZHe17OkErEa0VcKRVtmLFJSaaL1acyO_yfx0nWKy6PcXvtdVXrMt99a02LiOf8rlRVzNVIhV5isUc6E3U8/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-028.jpg" /></a></div>
Next, I use something true to straighten up the tuners:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHK-lTRw1Oy9QjHFihUM0KC9FbwWAXrSneBYvPkL8vH7j62UzC4i8RQMVWtQg3_UqH65hWVDR56bFMHSlY9kOg2wPfH9kkKTMs_vHOpZqtNqSvIH2RtqCZSIIlkrZeQI2U9J165cGvCg/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHK-lTRw1Oy9QjHFihUM0KC9FbwWAXrSneBYvPkL8vH7j62UzC4i8RQMVWtQg3_UqH65hWVDR56bFMHSlY9kOg2wPfH9kkKTMs_vHOpZqtNqSvIH2RtqCZSIIlkrZeQI2U9J165cGvCg/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-029.jpg" /></a></div>
And then mark the holes for the little tuner screws:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizYu70eQGIKOgCu9vLlmuKJSZKtxNwyXSCEiIBm-sVFnFN2fvzQUajvUvhQXqgzYPLkMoc219a32RyaU7yD3GCS38f4d_PIuOt2wXmoQvxcRrorV3sbB6vDH6P2Ym-XoJMbCcAOWGT7U/s1600/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizYu70eQGIKOgCu9vLlmuKJSZKtxNwyXSCEiIBm-sVFnFN2fvzQUajvUvhQXqgzYPLkMoc219a32RyaU7yD3GCS38f4d_PIuOt2wXmoQvxcRrorV3sbB6vDH6P2Ym-XoJMbCcAOWGT7U/s320/Guitar-tuner-upgrade-030.jpg" /></a></div>
I then remove the tuners and use a ruler to check how in-line the holes are. They can easily be adjusted at this stage.
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I use some masking tape around the drill bit as a depth gauge so that I don’t accidentally go right through the peghead.
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Now this next bit isn’t entirely necessary, but if you want to fill in the holes left by the previous tuners, this is how I go about it.
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Ordinarily I would use Super Glue to glue cocktail sticks (preferably real wood ones rather then bamboo ones) into the holes. However, these holes are just a little too wide, so I’m using disposable wooden skewers instead. Unfortunately I could only find bamboo ones, which will leave a very obvious end grain, but they’re better than nothing.
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Before I glue in, I test fit them and if they aren’t wedging firmly in place, I snip part of the tip off until they do (you’d be wise to do this if you use cocktail sticks too).
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Once all six are glued in and the glue has dried, I very carefully cut them almost flush with the surface of the guitar, making sure I don’t scratch the peghead.
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Next, I (again, very carefully), file what’s left down until I’m almost touching the peghead.
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Then sand the last little bit, even touching the peghead at this point.
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I’ve been really careful to not go through the lacquer here, so I then use some finishing polish to buff up the surface a bit. It’s not going to be prefect, but remember that most of this will be hidden under the new tuners anyway.
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Time to re-install the tuners, securing them at the back with the little retaining screws.
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Be careful when tightening the nuts at the front. They should be a nice snug fit, but not so tight that you start denting the wood or cracking the lacquer.
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As you can see above, the string retainers now look a bit out of place. I could buy new black ones, but instead I’m just going to colour these in with a black sharpie.
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And here it is all strung up. Looking a bit more photogenic now, I reckon.
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The new tool worked great, by the way, and I thoroughly recommend it.
As an aside, and if you really care about how the back of the peghead looks, you can end up with nicer results when upgrading tuners by buying ones with a more similar footprint to what you're replacing. In my case, I could have covered up most of the old screw holes if I'd bought a set of tuners with a centred screw hole rather than an offset one, like this:
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stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02461220593169801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534195963488802319.post-52463546680709300582012-09-03T21:28:00.000-07:002015-05-09T21:43:52.218-07:00How to set up a Gibson Les Paul style guitar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZYssoOZEtQhzhJ4gqOSnCkX3W8kbe47_ioPFcUmbW5c2W20CK9JdkK06drCyGfOKFKfRTB2reCnheya8Uz4oap0Ggb7EJd6JI3_9eH-19FbZeY7_yNfW6yyjSm6mlAi-HXKcNwP1-E0/s1600/Les-Paul-Setup-063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZYssoOZEtQhzhJ4gqOSnCkX3W8kbe47_ioPFcUmbW5c2W20CK9JdkK06drCyGfOKFKfRTB2reCnheya8Uz4oap0Ggb7EJd6JI3_9eH-19FbZeY7_yNfW6yyjSm6mlAi-HXKcNwP1-E0/s320/Les-Paul-Setup-063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hello everyone. Today we’re going to do a setup on a Les-Paul-style guitar. For this post, I’ll be setting up a “Burny Super Grade” guitar, but the set up is the same for most Les-Paul-style guitars. I already have a general electric guitar setup post over here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-set-up-electric-guitar.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-set-up-electric-guitar.html</a>, but there are a few Les Paul specific areas I’d like to go into here.<br />
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Before I start, I want to mention a few things about this particular guitar. It looks and (potentially) sounds great. The neck plays well too, but it has some tuning problems and buzzes a bit more than I’d like. The tuning problems are coming from two areas. Firstly the nut slots are too tight, made evident by the strings making a pinging noise when they are tuned up or down. This means that it is difficult to fine tune, as the string’s pitch tends to “jump” up or down. The second reason for the tuning issues is that the intonation is way out. By that I mean that the saddles’ forwards/backwards positions are not set up well, and so when the open strings are correctly tuned, and we then play up the neck, it suddenly seems out of tune again.<br />
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Before doing a setup, I’d recommend you put a new set of strings on the guitar. Specifically put the type of strings on that you intend to use in future, since different gauges (and sometimes brands) can require a slightly different intonation setup. If you don’t know how to restring a guitar, then have a look here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/08/stringing-guitar.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2011/08/stringing-guitar.html</a><br />
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One thing to point out here. When you take the strings off a Les Paul, there is (usually) nothing holding the bridge or the tailpiece on, so be careful with this. That said, I do want to mention that while the strings were off this guitar, I took the opportunity to lower the tailpiece. I prefer the tailpiece to be lowered all the way to the body if possible. Many believe that this will give you better tone/sustain, although it's hard to prove such a thing scientifically. That said, there is very little reason for the tailpiece to be anywhere other than as low as possible anyway.<br />
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Here are the reasons why you MIGHT want to raise it: 1. The break angle (the angle change of the strings as they pass over the saddles) is so severe that the strings keep breaking as they pass over the bridge. 2. The break angle is so steep that the strings hit the edge of the bridge before they go over the saddles. I’ve never had a problem with 1 above. However, 2 often happens and it’s not something that bothers me unless it’s severe.<br />
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Here's how the tailpiece looked before I tightened it down:<br />
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An alternative solution to raising the tailpiece is to pass the strings through from the FRONT of the tailpiece (heading towards the back of the guitar) and then passing them over the top of the tailpiece before they go over the bridge. Here you can see evidence of someone having set up the guitar in this way in the past (scuff marks from the strings passing over the top). Personally, this is not something I’ve ever needed to do, but the option is there should you choose to take it.<br />
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I’ve also decided to fix the pinching nut issue while the strings are off. However, it’s easy enough to do this while the strings are on, by just moving each one out of the way before filing each slot.<br />
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Before filing the nut:<br />
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For each slot requiring attention, I use a nut file at a slight downwards angle to widen the slot, making sure not to LOWER it (you should do this at a shallower angle than this photo might imply – you want to make sure that you are JUST slightly downwards compared to horizontal). Just take it really easily here, keeping an eye on the front of the slot to make sure you don’t go too far. Repeat this for whichever slots require widening.<br />
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Note that if for any reason you are unable (or unwilling) to widen the slots with nut files, you may get away with using nut sauce instead. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, have a look here: <a href="http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2014/08/cheap-and-easy-guitar-nut-lubricant.html">http://diystrat.blogspot.com/2014/08/cheap-and-easy-guitar-nut-lubricant.html </a><br />
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OK, I’ve put a new set of strings on now. We’re now going to carry out the following steps, just like we did in the general electric guitar setup post. 1. Check and adjust neck bow (how straight the neck is) 2. Check and adjust saddle height 3. Check and adjust the intonation (how far back or forward the saddles need to sit at the bridge to keep your guitar as in tune as possible no matter what fret you’re playing)<br />
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<b>1. Check and adjust neck bow (how straight the neck is)</b><br />
Since we only want to check how straight the neck is, we need to isolate this aspect of the guitar. In other words we don’t want the height of the nut or the placement of the saddles to confuse us, so we take them out of the equation. Don’t worry; we’re not going to remove any of these components, just circumvent them. I use a ruler to do this, but you can do it using only strings. I’ll describe both methods below.<br />
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<b>Method A: Using a ruler</b><br />
Get a ruler (or straightedge if you want to be all fancy) that is at least as long as the neck, but not so long that it reaches all the way from the nut to the saddles (and watch it doesn’t lean on the pickups or pickup surrounds either). If you can’t get one between these lengths, and are willing to sacrifice a ruler, get one that’s too long and cut it to length. Alternatively, you can just cut a little out of one edge so that you can still make full use of the other edge of the ruler. Now lay the edge of the ruler along the frets (don’t rest it on top of the nut, saddles, pickups or pickup surrounds).<br />
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<b>Method B: Using the strings</b><br />
First, put a capo on the first fret. This stops the nut from having any influence, say from being too high/low.<br />
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Next, hold down the low (thick) E string on the bridge side of the highest fret. This stops the saddles from having any influence.<br />
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No matter whether you used method A or B, you can now go about measuring the neck bow. This is done by measuring the string height (the gap between the ruler/string and the top of the fret) at about the 8th fret. There is a lot of debate over how straight a neck should be, and in fact it really is personal choice, but a height roughly the same as the thickness of a B string is a good starting point. Personally, I use a 0.012” feeler gauge to do this, but you could use a B string. Simply slide the feeler gauge/B string into the gap to see if it is too big/small.<br />
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If the gap is perfect, congratulations – you may now move on to step 2. If the gap is too large, then you need to tighten the truss rod a little (similarly, if the gap is too small, you need to loosen the truss rod). Locate the adjustable end of the truss rod. On every Les Paul style guitar I have seen, the adjustable end of the truss rod is located under the truss rod cover, located on the peg head. To remove this, simply unscrew the two (or three) screws and lift/slide the cover off.<br />
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Under this cover you can see a nut. In my case it requires an 8 mm socket, although this may differ from guitar to guitar. Obviously American-made guitars will likely use Imperial measurements.<br />
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Anyway, here’s how you adjust the truss rod. This must be done with the strings tuned to whatever pitch you usually use. If your neck is too bowed (the gap you just measured is too big), you tighten the truss rod by turning the socket clockwise. It is recommended that you only turn the tool a quarter turn at a time (or even one eighth) and then give the neck some time to settle. You will also need to make sure the strings are still properly tuned after each adjustment.<br />
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<b>CAUTION:</b> If you find that the truss rod is very difficult to turn, then stop now and take your guitar to the guitar shop. It may be that there is a problem with the neck or the truss rod and you may damage the guitar by forcing it. Believe me, you do not want to damage the truss rod. If, instead of tightening the truss rod, you need to loosen it, do so by turning it anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise). Again, a quarter turn at a time. Once you have got the gap to 0.012” (or whatever gap you prefer), you will have finished this step. Feel free to remove the capo at this stage if it is attached. <b> </b><br />
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<b>2. Check and adjust the saddle height</b><br />
Adjusting saddle height couldn’t be easier on a Les Paul. Since the bridge can only be adjusted at each end, there is no need to adjust each saddle individually. Firstly check and, if necessary, adjust the low (thick) E string height. Do this by adjusting the height of the bridge at the thick E string end. This is done by rotating the thumbwheel anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) to raise the bridge or clockwise to lower it. You might be able to do this with just your fingers, but chances are you will need to use pliers. Be careful if you use a tool as it is easy to slip and damage the finish on your guitar. Alternatively you can slacken all of the strings and use your fingers, although this is a very time-consuming process. Finger method<br />
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Plier method<br />
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The question here is how high to make the bridge. Well, this is personal choice. Find somewhere were the string doesn’t buzz on any fret from being too low, but low enough that you can play up and down the neck easily. There’s usually a sweet spot where you can just start to detect some buzzing and you can leave it just a tiny bit higher than that. Now do the exact same procedure for the high (thin) E string end of the bridge. Play the guitar a little bit to see if any of the other strings are buzzing. If, say, the A string is still buzzing, then raise up the end of the bridge nearest to that string a little bit ( a small amount of buzzing is often OK as long as it doesn't bother you too much and isn't heard through the amplifier - this a bit of a personal choice thing). OK, that’s step 2 finished. Your guitar should be nice and playable now. However, it may not seem to stay in tune very well. That’s because the intonation might be off. <b> </b><br />
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<b>3. Check and adjust the intonation</b><br />
The intonation here refers to the forward/backward position of the individual string saddles. By moving the saddles forwards or backwards, we are actually adjusting the length of the strings. Without going into too much detail, if the string is the wrong length, the positions of the frets will not be correct and the guitar will be out of tune on some of them. Adjusting the intonation is not difficult. All you need is a guitar tuner and a tool to move the saddles forwards or backwards. Play an open low E string and make sure it is in tune (using the guitar tuner).<br />
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Now play the 12th fret of the low E string. It should also be in tune. If it is too high, then you need to move the saddle back. This increases the length of the string. If the note is too low, then you need to move the saddle forwards. This decreases the length of the string. Using a screwdriver on the high E String saddle:<br />
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On a Les Paul, adjusting the saddle position can be a little tricky while the string is tuned to pitch. Sometimes you can get a screwdriver in there and turn it, but often you need to slacken the string and move it to the side. Also note that sometimes the adjustment screws are at the back of the bridge rather than the front. I prefer adjusting the saddle while the string is slack anyway as there is a lot of stress on both the string and the saddle otherwise.<br />
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Adjusting the D string saddle after moving the string to the side:<br />
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Now check both the open and the 12th fret notes again. You’ll have to tune the open string again because by moving the saddle, the tension of the string will have changed and so will need to be retuned. Once you have correctly moved the saddle so that both the open string and the 12th fret are in tune, you can move on to the A string. Repeat until all of the strings have been done. Note that on this particular guitar, the (thick) E, A and D saddles could not be moved far enough forward to intonate correctly, so I had to swap their orientation to give a bit more distance.<br />
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You probably won’t have to do this, but if you do, here’s how to go about it: First, slacken the affected strings and move them to the sides of the saddles. Then take some needle-nose pliers and remove one end of the retaining spring (different styles of bridge will use different types of retaining spring – sometimes there is an individual one for each saddle, in which case you might even need to remove the whole bridge to do this).<br />
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Remove one of the saddles that needs attention.<br />
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Unscrew the saddle from the screw and then screw it back on in the other direction.<br />
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Replace the saddles and screws in the bridge and replace the retaining spring, being careful to make sure it is sitting correctly in the screw slots.<br />
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Well, that’s a basic setup done. Hopefully your guitar will now be easy to play and appear to be in tune no matter where you play the note.<br />
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