james90 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 continuity mode is usually the little symbol that looks like kind of like a Wi-Fi Icon. Sometimes meters do not have that mode, but it can also bet tested with a resistance setting. If you set it to one of the resistance settings, say 1M, if you touch the two probes together, you'll get a reading of 0 (or really close to zero). When they are not touched together you'll get a reading of 1 (no continuity). Continuity (beep) mode is just nice because it gives a nice beep when a practically zero resistance connection is made between the two probes, much easier to listen for a beep than have to watch the resistance reading. Mine doesn't have that, but I'll have to try the other way. After reading dimarzio's website, it seems that this pickup is lower output than I was expecting... it measures exactly at what they say it should be, but it just sounds a bit weak, especially compared to the neck pickup. Both coils are functioning as well (tried tapping them with a screwdriver) I know there were some inconsistencies with these guitars, but I'm pretty sure this has been rewired. I just found picture of another one, and it has different caps -- more like the ones you'd expect from an 80's import guitar. The ones mine has are cheap panasonic caps, but I know these are currently in production, and look pretty new to begin with. Edit: I take that back http://www.ovationtribute.com/Electric%20Series/Ultra%20GP/Ultra%20GP%20Red/1431%20pots.JPG Wired incorrectly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Is the pickup set really low? Obvious I know but figured it was worth checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Nope. Nearly jammed against the strings, and the neck pickup has been lowered too. I did notice that these caps (which still might be non original) are 47nf. The standard value for humbuckers is 22nf, is it not? Either way, I switched them out as they might not be helping. I did install them like they were at first though, just for the hell of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Maybe hook the pickup up direct to the jack and see if it sounds any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Maybe hook the pickup up direct to the jack and see if it sounds any better? I haven't tried this (not really wanting to mess with it too much, especially considering my soldering skills) but I'm pretty sure it's normal. I do think there was a grounding issue at first (the paint IS conductive according to my DMM) but it sounds relatively normal now... it's just the same deal as those custom MQs I sold you where the voicing wasn't matched up too well. Even though I've fixed that, there are other issues that affect the sound which are unrelated to the electronics... I'll leave that to someone else. The 22nf caps made a difference in the sweep of the tone pots, but I don't know if I like it. I do leave them all the way up most of the time, so I'll probably leave them in. I guess it's the correct value for a LP type setup, but the tone pots (not sure about the volume pots) are 250k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave. Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I'm beginning to think the reason Josh only used the neck pickup in Kyuss was more out of necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 #soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 hooglebug might like this cables? Also... sanded, buffed, and oiled fretboard? They weren't doing that before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witz Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 hooglebug might like this cables? Also... sanded, buffed, and oiled fretboard? They weren't doing that before? It's Gibson sadly they try to do as little as possible for as big a profit as possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 It's Gibson sadly they try to do as little as possible for as big a profit as possible Does it make me a bad person that I laughed at this comment? I'm sorry but that new signature looks like Les Paul signed it shortly after his death. Yes. Yes it does. I think they've gone downhill since around 2000, but this past year and now the 2015 models... what a joke But who knows what lies underneath all those guitars anyway Not just the gap in how the neck is seated, but the mahogany (???) It's funny how that's supposed to be a natural finish. Only gibson has to use a dark tint to get the wood to look how it's supposed to look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witz Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Bloody flickr not working! Will try again later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooglebug Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 hooglebug might like this cables? Also... sanded, buffed, and oiled fretboard? They weren't doing that before? when you look on les paul forums at people making authentic 50's replicas, they leave the fretboard all scratched to make it look like it did back then. they use wire brushes going across the board and stuff like that. it doesnt say if they're flatting the sides of the headstock yet though does it? they must still be orange peely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hey Team. Paul here from New Zealand. I'll start with the usual story, I have been floating around here for a while. Looking through the piles of knowledge and laughing at the piles of horse s#it and thought it about time I add my own. Somebody stop me before I start posting my build pics up here if I'm in the wrong place. Or even if you are sick of it. It's something a bit different I started with a bolt on neck from a kitset and a slab of mahogany wood. Luckily I did more research in the beginning than taking photos so here is the first few as I got stuck into it.. The first thing I did was route and bolt the neck to a square slab of wood, Checked that was sitting right, then went to work with the bandsaw to shape it. See how long it takes before anybody scratches their head at the plot twist of my build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Here's a shot of the neck as it was supplied from the kitset. I definitely am not up to building my own neck from scratch so went with this option. Only part I wasn't so keen on was the rounded base of the neck. So I shaped the body to mold into it the other way and I think it works well. Here's a couple of pics before I had a turn shaping the head stock, and after. Then the neck bolted to the body after finishing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooglebug Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 well you've given the plot twist away now with the neck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidious911 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Here's a shot of the neck as it was supplied from the kitset. I definitely am not up to building my own neck from scratch so went with this option. Only part I wasn't so keen on was the rounded base of the neck. So I shaped the body to mold into it the other way and I think it works well. Here's a couple of pics before I had a turn shaping the head stock, and after. Then the neck bolted to the body after finishing it. Is it just me or is the neck not seated straight or flush in the pocket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Hey there. Nah it sits in there happy and healthy. I routed the pocket myself and sanded it back to smooth the edges off and there is a slight gap around that tricky curve. Red mahogany dust everywhere after routing and sanding. I don't have a shed so all the works done on my kitchen bench. Hooglebug's onto it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boywonder Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 What would a mandolin sound like through a FF and DSL anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 You will soon find out. No idea what the DSL is, excuse my ignorance but the FF is a happening thing. I've been playing the ukulele for a few years now. Should have picked up the electric guitar, instead I decided to start building up an electric, steel string, solid body beast. Something a lil different. I play through a small blackstar amp. So this build is using a mandolin neck (you are right there) But tuned to Ukulele GCEA tuning. with a low wound G on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Here's a shot of some knobs and pickups sitting in place. Seeing what I can fit into essentially a tiny electric guitar that's missing some strings and tuned for idiots. If I'm gonna get carried away I'll do it properly. Humbucker in the bridge, single coil on the neck. (they are so bloody close it's one and the same). Volume is the large alloy knob under the bridge Tone is the chrome knob on the right Fuzz factory behind bridge with a switch (used a ferrule I had kicking round in the pic) And a phase 45 sweep is the chrome knob on the left. Possibly a kill switch up top but I doubt I'll use it. See how happy I'm feeling with the router or how sorry I feel for the nice block of wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witz Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm loving this build so far I can't wait to hear what it's going to sound like! What are you doing in regards to finish, is it going be painted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Cheers Witz. I actually know what it sounds like as I have had a similar steel string uke that I've been playing for a while now. It sounds ridiculous so I thought I'd take it that next step.. I haven't decided on the finish yet. The mahogany wood is stunning but it bores the hell out of me. I love the industrial alloy finish if I can pull that off. The temptation is there to try and build a baby Delorean cause I have some effects and parts to build it to a similar spec. What are your thoughts man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witz Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Cheers Witz. I actually know what it sounds like as I have had a similar steel string uke that I've been playing for a while now. It sounds ridiculous so I thought I'd take it that next step.. I haven't decided on the finish yet. The mahogany wood is stunning but it bores the hell out of me. I love the industrial alloy finish if I can pull that off. The temptation is there to try and build a baby Delorean cause I have some effects and parts to build it to a similar spec. What are your thoughts man? I agree with the wood it's a fantastic piece of mahoganny but it doesn't go with the build unfortunately. A baby Delorean would be cool either that or a nice gently textured matt black to give it that serious look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I do like painting things. I actually had a can of crinkle textured black leftover from my car. I built up a MK1 Ford Capri with a Turbo Cosworth engine for any other car buffs lurking. The automotive crinkle texture paint would be way too rough for an instrument I think. Anybody tried it? What's the tried and true for textured matte black? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LyoNZ Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Hey guys. I need your help. I was in at my local music shop buying pots etc. The tech happened to be working on an old fernandes guitar, the topic of sustainers came up and turns out the tech has a fernandes 101 system with the humbucker driver at home, hes keen to sell it. I've had a look into this. I know the driver needs to go in the neck, and that the bridge needs to be a humbucker or single coil sized humbucker. Which will be a slightly weird config on this build having a Single coil on the bridge and a humbucker sustainer on the neck. However the guy at the music shop said that the 101 humbucker sustainer unit will work both as a sustainer and as a pickup by itself, without the need for a second pickup on the bridge, I'm not convinced as I'm pretty sure it will work as a pickup when the sustainer is off, but it needs a pickup to feed off when it's on.. Maybe.. You guys will be the team to ask. Any help would be much appreciated. Maybe not for this build but it's a pretty sweet opportunity at a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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