cool modification to my ax

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I have the PA2 preamps in two of my guitars, but both are quite old and I have had to replace the switches with regular switches and wire to connect them to the board. Well this week I tried out an online source that's part of a store called Guitar Heaven and ordered two new pre's.

The new ones are cool, they have plug in cables which is nice, but they put the trim pot on the bottom instead of facing the side. I'm real pleased with this because before it was pain to get a small screwdriver in there horizontally. On my ESP it's great because of the rear routed eletronic cavity. But my Warmoth with a standard pickguard (strat but H-s-H) makes it less then convient to remove all the strings and the pickguard, then put it together, then trial and error... :roll: With the trims being facing the bottom I wanted to be able to get to it quick. I though about a small hole through the back...but it would be tough to line up.

I then thought Ibanez's old stratoblaster so I replaced the angled strat plug with....

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I took some pickguard material and clamped the metal piece for the jack on a strat and used the cuttoff wheel on my rotary tool to trace it, then I used an emery wheel to sand it down. It's cool because it's very firm and rigidly installed, but it comes out about 4" The only three wires that are to be of concern are inside of shrink wrap...plenty of room to tweak and put it back and only two screws. I figured I'd share for those who might be considering a pre...BTW one of my cables has a right angle plug so it fits perfect...:D
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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all right so no one cares... :x :hihi:

well in case someone does here it is installed and working like a charm...and now I don't have to take off the strings to adjust the output gain, I just need to remove my jackplate... 8)

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The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Hink wrote:all right so no one cares... :x :hihi:
Oh, Hink,
I care...


You've frankenguitared another one :D




[< =
for entertaining porpoises only

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What are the prime benefits of said system? I have little experience with this sort of mod and I have several old guitar s lying around that could use a little something.

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Van Greco wrote:What are the prime benefits of said system? I have little experience with this sort of mod and I have several old guitar s lying around that could use a little something.
benefits...wise man...;)
1. Up 20 db gain on the pre-amp, it has a trim pot on the bottom so you can set it where you like. For me it's about 1/4-1/3 up, that's what I've always used. It gives a little more boost to the signal so it's nice for solos.
2. Active signals gives you better sound imo, instead of passive systems that are wide open and get subtracted from the signal (in other words a passive guitar volume just reduces the noise) and the taper is steeper. Active maintains a certain controlled power that I prefer...now mind you many people don't like active and this is just what I get from it.
3. Active systems are low z so first they loose less signal on cable runs. But even better they are boosted signals going through the cables so you're getting more sound (and imo more consistant)which if you're driving a tube amp is just right imo.
4. Low z means no DI.

I have found that active guitars are much more responsive to changes, instead of having one or two positions on the knob you like it's sweet all the way through, and you really notice the changes...it gives me better command of the sound coming out of my guitar...:)
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Ah the no Di thing could be helpful at times me thinks. How much does such a system cost? I'm always picking up guitars that others think of as junk so I like to work on them a bit from time to time. It's amazing what just a simple change of wiring and some copper sheilding paint can do for an old pawnshop special. I use these as my weird tuning guitars or a couple are just for specific sound effects.

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Van Greco wrote:Ah the no Di thing could be helpful at times me thinks. How much does such a system cost? I'm always picking up guitars that others think of as junk so I like to work on them a bit from time to time. It's amazing what just a simple change of wiring and some copper sheilding paint can do for an old pawnshop special. I use these as my weird tuning guitars or a couple are just for specific sound effects.
I'm sorry :oops: , I forgot to get back to you...here's a link for good prices...though I haven't bought from them.
(I will be soon)
http://guitarpartsdepot.com/Merchant2/m ... Code=EMGPU

:)
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Cool mod you got there pal.
I still prefer my trusty old Seymours and slanted Strat jacks :lol:
BTW I have to change the strings as the ones I have on are 9 months old and quite dead (actually the way I like them :P )
Oh. And I have to oil the guitar body too. So many things to do. So little time.

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Kaos Axiom wrote:Cool mod you got there pal.
I still prefer my trusty old Seymours and slanted Strat jacks :lol:
BTW I have to change the strings as the ones I have on are 9 months old and quite dead (actually the way I like them :P )
Oh. And I have to oil the guitar body too. So many things to do. So little time.
9 months... :-o I usually wait at least two years...in fact I carefully made sure I saved the strings on it when I removed the pickguard...they're not old enough....strings are like fine wine...they get better with age. I'd say cheese instead of wine but when they feel like cheese THAT'S when they need changing... :hihi:
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Hink wrote:
Kaos Axiom wrote:Cool mod you got there pal.
I still prefer my trusty old Seymours and slanted Strat jacks :lol:
BTW I have to change the strings as the ones I have on are 9 months old and quite dead (actually the way I like them :P )
Oh. And I have to oil the guitar body too. So many things to do. So little time.
9 months... :-o I usually wait at least two years...in fact I carefully made sure I saved the strings on it when I removed the pickguard...they're not old enough....strings are like fine wine...they get better with age. I'd say cheese instead of wine but when they feel like cheese THAT'S when they need changing... :hihi:
:lol:
Its just that these now see to be gettin of a thicker gauge or something :hihi:

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Thanks for the link Hink. :D I think I'm gonna go ahead and do some work on one of my older guitars. Also, its cool to see that I'm not the only one who prefers old strings. I leave them on as long as I possibly can. I have some that are over four years old at the moment.

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hmmmmmmm....
mine can last almost a month before I start breaking them, so I guess I change mine at least once a month (hybrid slinkys by the caselot fer me :shrug:)
for entertaining porpoises only

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I also use hybrid slinkys. Pretty small ones too. But I'm not a real heavy handed player either. I rarely tend to break strings outside of live instances, which are becoming increasingly rare, for me. Workin on it though. :)

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I don`t play live anymore. Therefore my strings have a tendency to last a lot.
I use 9 gauge Nickel Ernie Balls which seem to sound bettter than steel ones.

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playing live went away fer me a *real* *long* *time* *ago*

but that doesn't stop me from abusing guitars

I'd post a pic of my 'current' project on the old Coronado but alas, so goes the place I woulda placed it. :(

:bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

also, I tend to break the lower strings moreso then the high e or b so go figure :shrug:
for entertaining porpoises only

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