Searcy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 They are. I believe they are an older style than yours though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Another bit of the Spider Baby puzzel came in today . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Some mighty fine modding you've got going on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 This isn't going to be a fast build. I'm still pondering the possibilities of what all you can do with this system. Here is another wiring system that might work well with the SG. But I'm also thinking of adding the 13pin Hexpander system without adding anything else just to see how simple it can be. I can always add more features later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 So my first thought is to try to install this system without doing any other mods to the electronics. That means installing the bridge. Installing the 13 pin jack. Mounting the Hexpander board somewhere and them hooking up the wires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 So we'll start with the jack. Pull the plate off the jack board and install it on the guitar where you want the jack to be. The trace the jack outline and remove the plate. And get out the drill and the little drill bits. Then get out the big drill bits. Should end up with something that looks like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Now we extract the extra bits. Then clean it all up with a chisel. And install the jack plate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Next we remove the StetsBar. Just two bolts. When the new bridge is installed the wires for the saddles pickups will run through these holes. So we mark their location on the top of the SG. This is where we will dig out trench!! See how it lines up? We are going to use the chisel to cut a path from the hold in the bridge plate to the bridge humbucker rout. I don't advise doing this on a vintage SG. Eric Stats can mill slots into the base plate of your Stets Bar for the wires if you want to save your top. I'm not that worried on this guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Next we remove the StetsBar. Just two bolts. Damn interesting stuff man Great job as always :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 The instruction book for the Hexpander says that the leads for the Ghost bridge pickups are numbered or color coded or both. Mine are neither so I take a silver ink pen and number them from high E to low E 1-6. Feed the wires through the holes in the base plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Be sure the wires are running inside the channels and not trapped under the base plate. That would suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Feed the pickup wires back to the control cavity. Then put the pick guard back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Now this, ladies and gents, is a Hexpander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 While the front of the guitar is looking good... The back is another story. My goal was to leave the stock wiring alone and just have the MIDI system live in the same cavity with it. The problem is that the stock SG PCB and pots and such are too bulky. There's just not enough room for the Hexpander board without either routing out more of the cavity or replacing the stock wiring with something tighter and more compact. So, looks like there will be some more to this saga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 The problem is that the stock SG PCB and pots and suck are too bulky. There's just not enough room for the Hexpander board without either routing out more of the cavity of replacing the stock wiring with something tighter and more compact. So, looks like there will be some more to this saga. I've used those bourns mini pots before and they take up far less space. Is it depth or length and width you need more of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I've used those bourns mini pots before and they take up far less space. Is it depth or length and width you need more of? I'm thinking of the mini Bourns. Since I'm reworking everything at this point I might as well make as much room as I can. That way theres room for more crazy ideas later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Grabbed some part last night and slapped them in the morning. Started by pulling the original PCB. Then I install the new mini pots, jack and the Hexpender board. Finally I put in some momentary push butting switches. The red one is program up and the black one is program down. The pickup switch does what it always did. The top volume is for the magnetic pickups and the bottom volume is for the Ghost bridge Hex system. This allows me to mix the signals as I want. I'd like to find me some chrome push buttons but for now this will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 That's some hardcore $hit right there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 I reolize that no one has any idea what any of this is about so I need to do a little demo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I reolize that no one has any idea what any of this is about so I need to do a little demo I was hoping that you would do a demo once it was done. That cavity is looking very tidy as well now, nice work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ha, i saw that topic change, guess it makes sense since you finished installing the Stetsbar ages ago. -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ha, i saw that topic change, guess it makes sense since you finished installing the Stetsbar ages ago. -Ryan Yea, The old one didn't really fit anymore. I'll try to do a quick and dirty demo soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ok, here's a quick demo of a few of the sounds on the Roland VG88 that the Ghost Hexpander pickups allows me to access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 The part at about 1:15 was pretty cool. Sounded like a BOSS SYB-3 but probably tracks better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Now that seems like it would provide many hours of fun! The "acoustic" sound was pretty nice sounding too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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