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Saw this timber before Christmas at work it was a length of 70x35 T2 Pine (framing timber) had really unusual birdseye figuring so had to grab it. Wouldn't normally make a guitar from radiata pine especially six pieces, however this is going to be a "Testing Guitar" it will have a slide out drawer that various pickups can be secured into to test. I have about 40 different pickup samples on the way so it should get a workout :)
oooooh, looks interesting, the testing sounds like fun too!
yeah, I saw a guitar made by Virgil Guitars on Youtube and his has the slide out drawer so thought might give it a try, at least then I can compare pickups a) in the same guitar and B) without removing stringsQuote:
Originally Posted by Dedman
Nice idea but what exactly are you going to test? I mean, the sound of a PU is made by several things as sort of wood of the body, tuning, amplifier and so on...
But you can at least test how different pickups compare to each other on the same guitar. The general characteristics are going to transfer between guitars, so if you've already got a similar pickup in another guitar, then you will know what one of the other tested pickups should do to the sound. If you choose one pickup (of each general type) as a standard, then you can compare the others as to the relative output, plus the different amounts of bass middle and treble they have compared to that.
Of course you are going to need some test equipment if you are doing it objectively, with at least an oscilloscope to measure signal levels and a frequency analyser (most DAWs have them as standard).
Yep what Simon Barden said... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Kick
I have a number of different pickups coming in from different manufacturers, some are custom wound and others are stock.
And yes I agree it depends on a lot of factors but for comparison purposes having one guitar where everything else is constant apart from the pickups makes comparison easier.
Well its nearly finished, the shape was something I was playing around with for a customer, sort of a 60s Japanese look.
The drawer took a lot of working out but it seems to function fine and two humbuckers can be placed in at a time. I am also making the slider for single pickups as well.
All that's left to do is attach a neck and install a bridge, jack and a volume pot and 3way with alligator clip connections.
I think that green staining you've done looks magnificent ..well done !! what kinda product you using?
Apparently the bodies of the first few original Fender Telecasters were made from Pine (not sure if it was Pinus Radiata).
Looking good! And thanks for the explanation about the testing :)
what a cool test rig, nice job.
Are the pickups being sent to you for testing or did you win lotto and bought a bunch?
I wish I won Lotto! No just testing a bunch for future builds that I've managed to purchase direct from overseas manufacturersQuote:
Originally Posted by stan
Thanks GuvnaQuote:
Originally Posted by Guvna19
This was stained using U-Beaut stains blue and green mixed together. Its the first time I've used them thought they were a little weak in colour but not bad. The pine stained a little patchy but as I said wouldn't normally use Radiata Pine anyway (prefer Hoop Pine for light bodies) It was then finished with tru-oil.
Yeah I don't know Radiata is native to California (as well as here in the Southern Hemisphere) but it could have been Southern Yellow or Ponderosa Pine too. I think Leo just used what he could get ie switching from Swamp Ash to Alder when supplys of Swamp Ash dwindledQuote:
Originally Posted by DrNomis_44
I thought it was more a case of Leo being the astute businessman and saving more money on the builds. Alder was cheaper than ash, and with solid bodied guitars, it didn't matter that the wood had minimal figuring in it, as it was all covered over. So from about '56, sunbursts, clears and blonds were normally ash (and usually cost a bit more as well), whilst solid colours were normally alder (which also did away with the need for grain filling). As always with Fender, there were exceptions.
Your probably right Simon, don't think the tonewood debate would have been raging then, (lol) he was an amazing businessman, it would be very interesting to see what would have happened to the Fender Co. if he hadn't have sold it to CBS. I suppose you have to look at some of the Music man and G and L guitars... maybe we wouldn't all be playing guitars entrenched in the 50s and 60s???:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
There must come a point in your life when if someone offers you several million dollars for your company, you take it. He was 55 when he sold it to CBS, plus he had been in very bad health for a while with a bad sinus infection (the main reason he sold it). He then changed doctors and the infection got cured! His improved health was probably the main reason he got back into guitar making with Music Man in 1975, though he had financed the company it evolved from for quite a while beforehand. He had signed a non-compete agreement with CBS as part of the sale terms, so he had to wait until it expired before being more hands-on. Had he had a better doctor from the start, he would probably have never sold Fender.
Pretty cool pine there man. nice shape too.
Well the tester guitar is now finished, if I was to do it again I would make it differently, thicker to start with as it has been a bit of a struggle with the electronics. However it works as it should so time to start testing.
The photo of the pickups are the ones to be tested, big range of different types all Alnicos 2s and 5s from vintage to modern styles from factory wound to hand scatter wound...think it might take some time:confused: lol
Next project the "Fake" Rosewood test
nice one Euroa, so whats the setup will it be easy to interchange pickups and where did you score that great set of pickups ?
Looks a pretty cool guitar in its own right!
Any photos of the slide-in/slide-out and latching mechanism? And what does the pot and switch do? If it's volume, have you got something to imitate a tone pot - and if so are those resistor and cap vales changeable? If it's a tone pot, have you got something to imitate a volume pot's resistance and is that changeable? Or is the reddish bit interchangeable for humbuckers and single coils as well as the pup mounting/slider mechanism?
I have a few "carriers" made that pickups are mounted into then they just slide into position, the unstained and purpleheart section is a drawer that slides in and out. So changing pickups takes a matter of seconds just attach the pickup leads with alligator clipsQuote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
And where did I score the pickups BWAH HA HA you should see my credit card statement!!!!
They're sourced from 3 different manufacturers in Korea and China. One makes Wilkinson under licence and the other two make for other major companies under various brand names. These were bought in as paid samples, if I get more I have to buy in lots of 10 or 20...There goes the credit card limit!:(
Thanks Simon, the shape is one that I've been working on for a customers 7 string build so thought I would have a trial run with this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
On the First page of this thread #7 is a pic of the slide out drawer its attached with two small magnets (located away from the pickups)
Just has a volume control 500k if I find that its not satisfactory I can always make up another slide in drawer jus for singles. The switch is a standard 3 way I can place in 2 humbuckers (or singles) and have bridge / neck / both as they would be in a standard set up. Wasn't going to worry about a tone control at this stage, just use amp controls again if not suitable might add in a varitone control...Its a bit of a work in progress!
OK, I see.
I'm just asking about the tone controls because just having one there makes a big difference to the pickup sound. The cap value less so (affects the tone when the tone control is turned down but very little difference to the high-end with the tone control fully up), but I'd certainly add a fixed resistor and cap in series to earth to simulate a tone control get a more realistic idea of what the pickups will sound like when installed (maybe a compromise 0.033uF cap rather than a 0.047uf or 0.022uF). And rather than just one resistor I'd add add a mini-toggle to switch between 250k and 500k 'tone pot' resistors for use with single coil and humbuckers.
In the same way I'd also wire a 500k resistor in parallel (via a switch) with the volume pot, so that with the switch connecting the resistor across the pot, you simulate a 250k volume pot for use with single coils.
All simple to do (three resistors and a two switches) and makes the rig a far more adaptable and realistic environment.
Another option for down the track or a different rig is add a bread board setup so you can just plug in resistors and caps and pots and change them about to suit.
Awesome rig, such a great idea
The South Korean company wouldn't be Jinho by any chance? I have a set of locking tuners coming from them this week, and they are supposed to be good quality for the money.Quote:
Originally Posted by euroa guitars
No its not Jinho, but I think you'll find most Korean made hardware is of good qualityQuote:
Originally Posted by Zandit75
Thanks Stan that's an awesome idea, part of the problem with this guitar is the lack of space in the control cavity both in width and depthQuote:
Originally Posted by stan