IT is a bird, it is a plane, its SUPER MOD!

[sirmyghin]

The final session of modding was done today, my second pull pot and mini switch came in.

Pull pot 2 was installed as a phase switch on the neck pickup for my Carvin Contour.






1) bridge series
2) bridge split south
3) bridge parallel
4) bridge + neck series
5) bridge + neck split outer
6) bridge + neck parallel
7) bridge + neck series , out of phase
8) bridge + neck split outer, out of phase
9) bridge + neck parallel, out of phase (this one is some SERIOUS strat type tone)
10)neck series
11)neck split north
12)neck parallel
13) neck different sound, out of phase with self? (not sure it shouldn't make a different with phase engaged but it does)
14)neck out of phase parallel self (this shouldn't even be working, I need to figure out what is really going on here)




Mini switch was paired with a 4 way switch on my ASAT, mini switch = phase switch, 4 way switch is wired:

1 Bridge
2 Bridge + Neck Series
3 Bridge + Neck Parallel
4 Neck

Then you can get both middle positions out of phase.

Had to grind one side of the bastard down to make it fit, but it works. You can also see the blank Revan and I fit on the pickguard he is making, there are a few tweaks in the final version.

[sirmyghin]

Post ASAT mod tone report.

I really love the in series both pickups on this axe. It sounds huge and meaty, very much there. This is also my favourite out of phase mode, as it still has some volume in it.

Out of phase chords are very interesting, the harmonics kind of bloom after the initiall attack, like rolling your tone knob up and doing a swell. Very nice effect. Leads are kind of half cocked wah, I can see how they might be useful.



I did a quick run with the C66 but nothing substantial yet, dual parallel out of phase is great though (thats not exactly what is happening though, something is up there...

[blargfromouterspace]

14 options!!!!! Wow! I'd like to try that out one day it'd be a good learning experience.

So the series thing on the ASAT is really good huh? I'm thinking of putting a 4-way switch into my parts-o-caster, is it very different to the usual parallel sound?

[Miles Smiles]

So we're waiting for a G&L with this features:

http://gamechanger.music-man.com/

They are talking about 9 Million different combinations. Could be last a while to check them all out.

[sirmyghin]

Blarg, IT is very different, much fuller, and it is more volume. Like a boost pedal.


Miles, EBMM will likely never market those things outside their guitars, and I won't pay 2k for a mappable switch. Not to mention when I look at mine I can tell exactly what it is, and how many of those 9 million are useful? They are counting which coil comes first in the same set of coils as a function. Most of the differences are subtle at best. My ASAT is at maximum, 6, well theoretically I could get 1 more, with neck out of phase, and 4 more with neck and bridge combos or out of phase, currently only the bridge has phase shift. As far as humbuckers go I find split coils fairly lacking, so really the only items I am REALLY interested in are the series and parallel. Split coils are never a substitute for single coils, not to mention the vast majority of those combos has to involve split coils. One of the cool things it CAN Do however, is run humbuckers out of phase with themselves. That could be fun, but I imagine as the sampling is so close together you would get very very little out of it.


What was odd is switching the phase of a pickup causes some minor differences in the pickups sound, even when it is the only one on.

[blargfromouterspace]

Thanks SIrmy, I'll give it a try one day soon.

That Music Man guitar is a real headache. I tried to read the specs but lost interest

[sirmyghin]

Thanks SIrmy, I'll give it a try one day soon.

That Music Man guitar is a real headache. I tried to read the specs but lost interest

Don't get me wrong I think the gamechanger is a great idea. It is just not intuitive (memorizing waht 10 positions on a 5 way are (mode A and B) as well as how many ties you have cycled a monitary switch with 15 spots.. Not likely. I do not think it will be the revolutionary success they want /expect either unless it is marketted as an aftermarket upgrade. I don't see many guys dropping 2k on a reflex and letting it replace the guitar they hve been comfortable and using for years.

[blargfromouterspace]

You're right - it's an interesting idea which they should market separately. I can't imagine it being an overly complicated installation, provided that (A) your pickups have the appropriate amount of conductor wires coming out of them and (B) there's space in the guitar cavity for the circuit board. The USB thing is creeping into the electric guitar world - did you see these TC Electronic pedals? Seems pretty cool

/hijack (sorry!)

[sirmyghin]

Not yet but I assume you mean their new line with the 'imprinting' I haven't loked at it, just seen it in passing.

[DanielAraujo]

@sirmyghin, any chance you'd post those pictures again? The links seem to be broken.

thanks
Daniel

[yowhatsshakin]

Sirmy and Daniel,
I stll see the pictures at the top of the post. So I do not know why Daniel isn't seeing them.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

[DanielAraujo]

Thanks, Jos. I registered at imageshack and the photos appeared.

That's one sick mod! Nice!

Also, I finally get the point behind the Gamechanger: Guitar switch meets car radio.

Daniel

[sirmyghin]

Thanks Daniel, I ditched the pull pot on volume (wired as a solo switch), and replaced it with a shadow kill pot (push pot that is monetary, wired as a kill switch) on the C66. That is fun.


My current build will have 18 positions for the mags, then mag and piezo, and piezo both w/ dark/mid eq. So technically it will have 56 combinations of sound. Muahahahahha. (individual series/split/paralllel H-H w/ piezo bridge and a 3 way switch and a phase switch).

[sam]

From a guy who mods about everything this is intriguing. I like the out of phase option and need to figure how to do it on my main mod guitar. Have said before and will repeat many times the 4-way switch shold be an automatic option from the G&L boys, this adds great depth to all ASAT's. My ASAT deluxe has a 4-way and and added push pull that gives ASAT Deluxe, ASAT classic, ASAT HB, ASAT Bluesboy, all the series and parallel options so the out of phase capability could be the real icing on the cake. May need to trade emails to get the out of phase push pull or toggle to get this done but as usual Sirmy you have peaked my interest in expanding my guitar options. Thanks from he peanut gallery!

[sirmyghin]

A phase switch is really easy Sam, you just want to switch hot and cold of the pickup. In retrospect, I am surprised it worked on my ASAT special as they were only 2 wire, no bare and hot+cold. So you take a DPDT switch and wire it as such (1-2 and 4-5 is 'switch down' so with a pull pot you will want to wire those as the bottom)

1 4
2 5
3 6


1)hot out
2)pickup hot
3)jump to 4

4) to ground
5) pickup ground/cold
6) jump to 1

If you have series/split/parallel, or probably series/parallel also, wire this switch AFTEr that one, otherwise you likely won't get parallel mode with this engaged (as you are switching it around before that is established relatively, where with the phase switch after you still get all 2 or 3 humbucking modes).

[NMyTree]

sirmyghin,

what finish is that on your ASAT? That's a beautiful finish.

[sirmyghin]

Trans orange over swamp ash, and yes, it is very nice.

[NMyTree]

Thank you, sirmyghin.

It is beautiful. I always wondered about that Translucent Orange finish and how it looked.

I have an idea for an SB1 Bass, in that finish. Thanks for the inspiration!