TL adventures

[JohnH]

I never used to like tele style guitars, but somehow I've become a complete convert over the last year or so.

I really wanted to build one from scratch, but realistically I know I don't have the time or the funds, so a kit build it is.

Just ordered a TL-1A, but also have plans for a TL-1HA, a thinline, and one of the 12 strings.

I'd like to try a solid colour for the TL-1A. I've made some nice looking stomp boxes with spray cans, so I feel up to the challenge of tackling the larger surface area. I'll upgrade most things, but no real plans until I get the kit and think about colours.

For the TL-1HA (when I eventually order it) I'd like to try out some hexaphonic pickups. After a lot of time trawling the net I think I've settled on these (but I have some time, so will keep thinking about it):

https://www.cycfi.com/projects/nu-series/

[Simon Barden]

Good for you.

Why the hexaphonic pickup? Presumably not MIDI, so just for multi-processing? Or maybe for use with a Boss SY1000?

Incidentally,m the noise spec for that pickup is meaningless. 0.2dB? dB is a ratio, so you need an agreed or stated reference figure to make it meaningful e.g. dBu or dBV. I'm sure they're very quiet, but obvious errors like that annoy me in a list of technical details.

[djowel]

Incidentally,m the noise spec for that pickup is meaningless. 0.2dB? dB is a ratio, so you need an agreed or stated reference figure to make it meaningful e.g. dBu or dBV. I'm sure they're very quiet, but obvious errors like that annoy me in a list of technical details.

Hi,

I'm Joel (Cycfi research), I just want to clarify that 0.2dB is the Noise Figure specified by the transistor manufacturer for Toshiba 2SC3324. Noise figure (NF) is always in dB:

"The noise figure is the difference in decibels (dB) between the noise output of the actual receiver to the noise output of an “ideal” receiver with the same overall gain and bandwidth when the receivers are connected to matched sources at the standard noise temperature T0 (usually 290 K). The noise power from a simple load is equal to kTB, where k is Boltzmann's constant, T is the absolute temperature of the load (for example a resistor), and B is the measurement bandwidth."

Some links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_figure
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/4...01-1150780.pdf


Regards,
--Joel

[JohnH]

Hi,

I'm Joel (Cycfi research), I just want to clarify that 0.2dB is the Noise Figure specified by the transistor manufacturer for Toshiba 2SC3324. Noise figure (NF) is always in dB:

"The noise figure is the difference in decibels (dB) between the noise output of the actual receiver to the noise output of an “ideal” receiver with the same overall gain and bandwidth when the receivers are connected to matched sources at the standard noise temperature T0 (usually 290 K). The noise power from a simple load is equal to kTB, where k is Boltzmann's constant, T is the absolute temperature of the load (for example a resistor), and B is the measurement bandwidth."

Some links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_figure
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/4...01-1150780.pdf


Regards,
--Joel

I should also have said before, but welcome to the forum Joel. I'm looking forward to testing out the Cycfi pickups

[Simon Barden]

Hi,

I'm Joel (Cycfi research), I just want to clarify that 0.2dB is the Noise Figure specified by the transistor manufacturer for Toshiba 2SC3324. Noise figure (NF) is always in dB:

"The noise figure is the difference in decibels (dB) between the noise output of the actual receiver to the noise output of an “ideal” receiver with the same overall gain and bandwidth when the receivers are connected to matched sources at the standard noise temperature T0 (usually 290 K). The noise power from a simple load is equal to kTB, where k is Boltzmann's constant, T is the absolute temperature of the load (for example a resistor), and B is the measurement bandwidth."

Some links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_figure
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/4...01-1150780.pdf


Regards,
--Joel

Hi Joel and welcome.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm always up for learning something new, and I hadn't come across that before, with Noise Figure having a specific meaning in this instance.

[djowel]

Hi Joel and welcome.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm always up for learning something new, and I hadn't come across that before, with Noise Figure having a specific meaning in this instance.

Hi Simon, JohnH,

Thank you both for the warm welcome. This seems to be an interesting and nice forum!

Yeah, I too grappled with NF in the past. In many cases, the specs is nV/√Hz at 1kHz (for audio), and there's computation going to and from these two related but different units of measurement. I'm more used to nV/√Hz FWIW. That post is the only post (IIRC) that lists NF, which is taken verbatim from the Toshiba specs sheet.

But even nV/√Hz is rather obscure to many, so in the more recent posts on the Nu pickups, I simply use SNR, which is a more friendly(?) term.

I do have dBV figures as well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on which is the best figure to use.

Here's the dBV figures for common pickups compared to the Nu:

Hum (60 Hz (and harmonics) noise):
Nu v2 : -113 dBV
EMG 81 : -99 dBV
PAF : -91 dBV
Strat Single Coil : -80 dBV

Hiss (broadband noise):
Nu v2 : -124 dBV
EMG 81 : -129 dBV
PAF : -139 dBV
Strat Single Coil : -122 dBV


Regards
--Joel

[JohnH]

Ha ha ha, fair enough. I'm not tech savvy enough to pick up on those things, but the pickups have good reviews.

Yeah, multi-processing. I fell down a rabbit hole after finding that MIDI controller guitar I posted about a few weeks ago, and after working my way through various forums ended up getting quite excited about the prospect of having separate outputs for each string. I can imagine having a lot of fun with it.

[FrankenWashie]

I never used to like tele style guitars, but somehow I've become a complete convert over the last year or so.

I really wanted to build one from scratch, but realistically I know I don't have the time or the funds, so a kit build it is.

Just ordered a TL-1A, but also have plans for a TL-1HA, a thinline, and one of the 12 strings.

I'd like to try a solid colour for the TL-1A. I've made some nice looking stomp boxes with spray cans, so I feel up to the challenge of tackling the larger surface area. I'll upgrade most things, but no real plans until I get the kit and think about colours.

For the TL-1HA (when I eventually order it) I'd like to try out some hexaphonic pickups. After a lot of time trawling the net I think I've settled on these (but I have some time, so will keep thinking about it):

https://www.cycfi.com/projects/nu-series/

Really wish I hadn’t clicked that link. 🤯 IGOR! Fetch the electrodes!!

[JohnH]

Really wish I hadn’t clicked that link. 🤯 IGOR! Fetch the electrodes!!

Looks like fun, huh? I'm pretty keen. US to AUD conversion is killer though, but I think I can sell a few bits of unused gear to fund it

[FrankenWashie]

Looks like fun, huh? I'm pretty keen. US to AUD conversion is killer though, but I think I can sell a few bits of unused gear to fund it

Yeah, I’m desperately trying to shove this into the much much further down the road pile of plans.....