Montana

[WeirdBits]

I believe the diodes are being used for some type of passive clipping distortion circuit.

[lawry]

That certainly makes sense. Pups don't have a very high output voltage so they probably use Schottky diodes in a configuration similar to one of the examples in the pic below. I'd be keen to hear your axe when you're done!
Cheers

[quote]/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from WeirdBits on October 29, 2013, 19:24
I believe the diodes are being used for some type of passive clipping distortion circuit.

Exactly Scott, it will cut the power a bit but (hopefully) give a little distortion resulting in a nice snarly tone.
Gavin, I would have been sure you would have known about this little device, they can be purchased (stewmac has them).
They are marketed under the brand "black ice", a little box with some (maybe 3 or 4 diods) and think they cost about $25us.
There are some diagrams for these on the net, a few different ones, I have wired mine a little different, but thats what it's all about.
Look at them on the net, Lawrey, and maybe have a go and add one in to one of your guitars.
I got 12 diods (buy 10 or more it is a bit cheaper) for $5.20 or something. Got mine from Tandy, but any electronic supply shop will have them.
You can use then on a pot, wired up instead of a cap. or on a switch or even just straight on the output jack.
Experiment is the just an added bonus to "building" your own guitars, although I have experimented on my gibson and one of my fenders (actually two, but one was stolen).
Here is a pic of the mod, although not much to see.
The blue wire is soldered to where the cap would be the other end of the diods is soldered to earth

Spot on Lawry, my mod is as the 3rd dia, but using four, two one way 2 the other.

[lawry]

Cool. With your mod you get a reasonably symmetrical clip. If you use the one with the three diodes the clipping is more asymmetrical and is 'said' to be more valve-like. It's an easy change you may want to try sometime.

Hi Lawry.

I have over-drive to fuzz (and just about every thing in between) so am just mucking around to see what happens.
The guitar is for my grandaughter, so I may even just go with two diods.
But, being on a pot it (hopefully) will be able to "tone" down a bit.
Will just see what it is like, and make any changes that I think might be needed.

Thanks for the input.I might try to make a short recording of the guitar when it's done, but not sure when that will be.

Ok, today I thought that I might as well put a treble bleed in there (since I had the bits), but when that was finished I thought I may as well put the pick guard on, then might as well put the neck on.
Thats where I stopped have to leave something to do on a few other days.
I am starting to want to find out what it will sound like and if the mods made will be working as i think they should. (Been known to do mods and have them not do what I have expected, but hey gives me something to think about to find out why)

here is another 3 pix, next is the bridge. On my strat the first thing I did was to jam the tremelo, and am not sure if to keep it or block it.
will depend on how I feel when I do it. my thought is to block it, if Montana's brother gets his hands on it it will be useless anyway, so thats a good reason to block it.

Oh, If you look close you will notice that 3 of the machine heads dont have a screw, they will after my next trip to Bunnings (Masters is too far away at present).

[lawry]

That's looking really cool. Fantastic Chickaster.

[gavinturner]

Hey Ric,
When I first saw the paint job I thought it might be a bit too lipstick pink. But i was wrong! It looks really, really great all assembled. The colour balance seems to be just right! I'm really digging it. Maybe I'm channeling my feminine side?? .
Great work!

Cheers,
Gavin.