Alligator custom

[Mr.Burns]

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?

Now you're onto something there... like an A/B kind of thing. Not the same as adding the blaster post volume pot, but I was having trouble getting my head around the switching for that application. If Waldo was to offer an integrated TPC1/Blaster, it would surely simplify my build... How much real estate would a PCB like that consume?

[bdhact1]

My guess is it would only add another inch and half or so square, depending on component sizes, if it is an extension of the TPC1 small version PCB, not including wires and switch. Both would be pre-volume or post if so desired.
Waldo could answer definitively.

[jeffm725]

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...

see, this is where this thread is starting to hurt my head .................. Isnt the nature of the buffer to reduce or eliminate "cable loss issues"?

[milobender]

You're right... some sort of stream-of-consiousness-rationalization overtook me... I'm going to get back to the Dept. of Redundancy Department

[claytushaywood]

I finally got around to building a blaster on perfboard and man it sounded great plugged in out of box! I was planning on installing it into my fender strat between the pickups (i have a swimming pool route with strat pups and the battery fits between bridge and middle and the blaster will fit between neck and middle)

Now here's the problem, I started thinking that everytime the battery runs out, I will have to change the strings and unscrew my pickguard completely! I'm sure after doing that many times the pg screws will start to strip out the wood, right? maybe after like 20 times?

I guess my question is... how long does a standard 9volt last with the blaster? and does anyone wanna show me their diy improved version of it? A battery box would be ultimate but itd be a whole nother project to find a router and someone that knows how to use it and all that. I know jerry had the cool pickguard deal....what about you!?

oh yeh and is there a big advantage to installing it before the volume pot and using a 25k pot? I'm not using a gain pot, I just have two resistors on a switch for 2db (normal) and 10db gain (boost mode). does it make the volume pot work better without treble loss and all that?

thanks!

[unnbrokenchain]

well, I finally got done building my Alligator inspired strat!


It is a 2000 vintage age white American Deluxe Strat that was originally a HHS. I took out the pickguard and replaced it with loaded one that included Fender Custom Shop 69's with the 5.8k resistance, mil spec pots and a orange sprag .047 cap. I also pulled the string on an Alembic stratoblaster which I set to max boost.

WOW!!! This guitar is a dream come true. With the sarno preamp > MC250 > 1 E120, the tone is there. So, for anyone wanting an Alligator strat, go for the custom 69's. They rock!

[PaulJay]

Hey Clay can't you sneak the battery in the trem cavity? And a question to UC,
which pick-ups did you use the 57's or the 69's? Thanks Paul

[WildEye]

Hey UC, I think there's an unspoken law that you have to post some picts or even a video once you finish a build

[unnbrokenchain]

Ah! I meant the 69's. Just got done tonight installing the pickups and blaster. Will post some pics tomorrow!

[need-a-miracle]

Sounds killer. Pics please!

[waldo041]

it's not imperative to run the blaster before the volume with NO OBEL. it was designed to run after the volume pot, so it will work just fine in that spot. that said, it also works equally well before the volume.

battery draw with the blaster can be hindrance, the more gain you set the faster the battery will drain.

peace,
waldo

[brutusbuck45]

I finally got around to building a blaster on perfboard and man it sounded great plugged in out of box! I was planning on installing it into my fender strat between the pickups (i have a swimming pool route with strat pups and the battery fits between bridge and middle and the blaster will fit between neck and middle)

Now here's the problem, I started thinking that everytime the battery runs out, I will have to change the strings and unscrew my pickguard completely! I'm sure after doing that many times the pg screws will start to strip out the wood, right? maybe after like 20 times?

I guess my question is... how long does a standard 9volt last with the blaster? and does anyone wanna show me their diy improved version of it? A battery box would be ultimate but itd be a whole nother project to find a router and someone that knows how to use it and all that. I know jerry had the cool pickguard deal....what about you!?

oh yeh and is there a big advantage to installing it before the volume pot and using a 25k pot? I'm not using a gain pot, I just have two resistors on a switch for 2db (normal) and 10db gain (boost mode). does it make the volume pot work better without treble loss and all that?

thanks!

This is from a previous thread that I recalled- a pretty easy adaptaption of a battery compartment on a strat:

http://www.rukind.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=309&t=7765&p=74758&hilit=strat+jack#p73061

[claytushaywood]

I've seen the flipped output jack trick before. definitely easier than under pickguard, but i'm really not feeling the look on my new sonic blue strat with mint guard and rosewood fretboard. its so sexy hard to imagine flipping the darn thing. I was really trying to find a flat metal cover for the input jack and thinking about dremeling out the bottom of the input jack wood to allow that to fit a battery. but i really cannot find a flat metal plate to cover a strat input hole.

About the trem cavity... I use my trem at this point. Definitely the spot if I block the trem.

However, both of these places run into the issue of stripping the wood? or is that really an issue? I guess its always an easy fix with toothpicks and glue right?

anyone know where to get a flat metal cover for a strat's input jack? ive seen jeff matson used a piece of pickguard. but i was thinking I'd like to use a metal one and drill a hole in and use a right angle cable... and that would look pretty cool

[claytushaywood]

it's not imperative to run the blaster before the volume with NO OBEL. it was designed to run after the volume pot, so it will work just fine in that spot. that said, it also works equally well before the volume.

battery draw with the blaster can be hindrance, the more gain you set the faster the battery will drain.

peace,
waldo

Thanks Waldo,

I was under the impression the your volume pot would work better when seeing a low impedance signal and using a lower resistance pot. Did I just make that up? It seems like there would be less treble loss when turning down the volume knob?

i've never heard of people using the cap and resistor on their active volume pots?

Is there any truth in that at all? Or is it all the military spec pot? or is just the 25k value? Or again, Am I making this stuff up?

Thanks

[waldo041]

a standard 250k or 500k volume pot inconjunction with the cables capacitance creates a corner/cutoff frequency that may or may not cut some high end in a typical guitar wiring scheme. the idea with a preamp/buffer is to change that high impedance output to a a low impedance so that the corner/cutoff frequency is well out of the guitar frequency range.

the blaster has a low impedance ouput, so placing it after the guitars volume pot isolates the cables capacitance for no loss. that is where it is designed to be. but when you place the blaster, or any of the preferred preamps, before the volume you want to change the volume pot value to 25k which is a low enough impedance to also isolate the cable capacitance for no loss. wiring in the latter fashion and staying with the stock 250k or 500k, while definately useable, only negate any of the benefits of the preamps low impedance output benefit.

peace,
waldo