Alligator custom

[Mr.Burns]

New to this place, but I absolutely love the discussions here. They feed my Garcia guitar obsession, and recently persuaded me to dive into a new project, an Alligator custom.

I have a Carvin ash body Bolt kit I assembled about six years ago, its a great guitar, but it looks too much like Alligator not to go for it. I've begun tracking down parts with the goal of an accurate 72 tone, but considered adding an OBEL. Of course this wasn't included in Alligator's wiring, but who wouldn't want one?

My question is which preamp will work best for 72? Waldo's or an Alembic Blaster? Any input would be appreciated.

Also this is a string thru non-trem guitar, any opinions on string thru vs. top load bridges? I realize these type were never used on Alligator, but I have no desire to fit a tailpiece or TOM type bridge to this guitar.

[milobender]

My vote is squarly with both!

[WildEye]

I'm "tigering" a strat that already had a blaster on it - So I'm adding Waldo's buffer but attempting to keep the blaster - I should get my guitar back in a month - I'll let you know how using both sounds...

Can anyone (who actually has both on one guitar already) chime in on how they interact? I'm told it shouldn't be a problem but would love to hear from anyone who has actual experience ... If there's issues I still have time to rethink my design....

[milobender]

I tried having both in the same circuit the first time I had the combination, and it did strange things... Perhaps Waldo could comment... I thought the blaster might not like the low impedence signal... so I seperated them so it was either Waldo's UGB OR the Stratoblaster, and that works great... you get both worlds that way... I've done it several times now.

[WildEye]

Hey Milo, could you give me details of how you did that?

[milobender]

You can just use a dpdt switch, I can't draw you the wiring... I use a 3p2t switch and use the extra pole section to switch colors on an led just for the flash

[playingdead]

My Walker has a buffer and switchable blaster, works just fine.

[milobender]

Are they in the same circuit? That is, does the output of the UGB feed the blaster?

[WildEye]

When I got the buffer I asked waldo if I could keep my blaster (at the end of my signal - out to amp) this was his reply...

"if you can turn your blaster on and off and in doing so it is tru bypassed in and out of the circuit, then i say yes go for it. if not, no just keep the TPC1 and have some build your blaster into a stompbox".

Any clarification (even in the simplest of terms:) as to if they can work together would help me out. Or what the "rub" is if you try. I try to understand the best I can but i'm not an engineer. It would seem that if it's at the end of my chain (pups-obel-volume- blaster- amp) wouldn't that be just like if was a pedal? Does having an obel change that question? Is it just voodoo? So many questions...

[Mr.Burns]

Wow, thanks for the feedback everybody. Having both does sound like pure fantasy, but I believe I'll try it.

[Tennessee Jedi]

It would seem that if it's at the end of my chain (pups-obel-volume- blaster- amp) wouldn't that be just like if was a pedal? Does having an obel change that question? Is it just voodoo? So many questions...

If its in a pedal AFTER the obel then you are adding more cable and another box your signal will have to run thru.
Nothing better then straight to amp-IMHO. I want the guitar cable to go straight to the amp.
I like my blaster on the guitar - on/off switch and a volume knob - its right there for fiddling.
Just have Milo build your axe - then you wont have to waste time with the " how " and " why".

Mr.Burns
I dont know if I use the blaster for its original purpose but dag it adds some hair and a ton of volume to my tone - love it !
I have a Waldo special in mine.

[zambiland]

I have a 1983 reissue '62 strat that I put a CAE UGB preamp into. I changed the output pot to a 25k. Later I came into a Stratoblaster and being kind of lazy and not wanting to take the strings off and the pickguard off to get the CAE out of there, I just added to the blaster. I modified the concept a little bit by wiring it before the output pot. Since I haven't tried it by itself, I'm not sure how that sounds, but I do know that it sounds pretty nice the way it is. 1 9-volt powers the whole thing. Barry Sless loved the hell out of it, too, and played it on a few runs with Great American Taxi rather than flying with his Walkers.

There's no OBE loop, but I have thought about adding it and even got the dual hole switch plate, but screw it, it sounds good and I've got other things to solder.

[WildEye]

I agree Jedi, straight to amp. What I was trying to ask was - isn't it the same technically (albeit without talking extra cable) the same (impedance/tone other voodoo) if you have the blaster at the end of the signal in your guitar or if you have a pedal right after it?

the posts above have folks with different outcomes using waldo's buffer and the blaster, I'm having a tech here in LA working on it just because I don't have enough background to fully understand the how and why to do everything ... but I'd still like a clue .

It seems (and I'm gonna take a shot) that they can work fine together but Milo's caution story...

Hey Milo, had I known I would have reached out to you about Jerry-fying my strat, I apparently have been going to the wrong places but after some troubles took it to a new guy (on a recommendation from this board) a couple weeks ago. So I asked him to
work off tiger's wiring diagram and to keep the blaster as the last thing (figuring off is as if it's not even there or on gives a bit of post FX/volume or FX/bypass bite). Does this mean it's on a different circuit? Or is there something else I should specify?

BTW - I want to echo Burn's thanks.

[milobender]

Having the blaster last in line, in the guitar, is definately the same thing as having the blaster in a box, first in line on the floor... aside from the cable loss issues...

As far as my 'caution' goes, really I don't know what was going on... I had problems for a couple of days and just decided to go with the blaster by itself. I should have done some more trouble shooting, but I didn't. I'm making a couple of blasters now, I'll stick one after Waldo's UGB at the output of my Jerrycaster, and see what happens... probably won't get to it until tomorrow evening though.

"keep the blaster as the last thing (figuring off is as if it's not even there or on gives a bit of post FX/volume or FX/bypass bite). Does this mean it's on a different circuit? Or is there something else I should specify?"

I would specify that the 'on/off' switch for the blaster be true bypass; that will keep it totally out of the circuit when it's not being used.

No problems WildEye If I can help in the future, let me know.

[bdhact1]

I believe It is possible to put the guts of the TPC1 and the blaster on one PCB board to be used separately with the flick of a switch. Perhaps this is a modification Waldo may want to offer in the future?