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Let us never forget our beloved founder - RIP Jurrie, we all miss you very much

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 1 
 on: Today at 09:03 AM 
Started by Dante - Last post by Dante
Thanks Richard, that answers my question. I didn't think the wattage would matter, but wanted to check - just in case.

I have another Strat, also HSS, and those single coils sound fine....really good in fact, and it's just a plain ol' MIM Player's strat with a Plus top. The single coils have two big magnets on the back of them, Not sure if they're Alnico V or II, but I don't think they're ceramic. (I'm sure a Google search will answer this) Pretty sure they're stock for that guitar tho.

The humbucker in the one that sounds good is a Seymour Duncan SH-5 custom (basically, a PAF that's twice as hot). The one that sounds bad has single coils with no magnets on the back and is running a Seymour Duncan SH-1 in the bridge (basically, a PAF, or a mild SH-5). My friend has a Fernandez Strat with a single coil size SH-1 and it sounds amazing, way better than any other single coil size humbuckers I've heard, so I tried the SH-1 and I really like it, even split.

I need to take the pickguards out of each Strat and investigate those pots,....I have no idea whats in there. If it turns out they have the same config, I'll find some single coil pickups of Reverb - plenty of folks have upgraded from those stock single coils.

Strats pic below

 2 
 on: Today at 05:24 AM 
Started by Dante - Last post by rnolan
Hey Dante, very interesting rabbit hole my friend.  Short answer, wire in 2 x 470k resistors between where your 2 single coils connect to the selector switch (just tin the resistor leg and join it to the same lug on the switch along with the PU +ve wire) and connect the other end to ground (on the pot shield/case) as he suggests.  Lowest wattage is fine (e.g. 0.25w or less), as we are talking milliamps from the PUs.  Higher wattage is for much higher current signals (which PUs are not).  BTW while it makes no electronic difference to which end of the resistor you connect to either end, I believe the protocol is to have the power colour indicator/tolerance band(s) last.  So the colour bands on the resistor indicate its value, and the last band (to the right hand side) indicate it's power rating/tolerance.  So you'd wire it such that the power value/tolerance band(s) end connects to the pot ground.

Longer answer: 
I actually (though I'd never thought about it before seeing the clip) have the opposite issue, as in my tele, I have a single coil SD Hot Tele in the bridge and a Ultrasonic (single coil shape) humbucker in the neck (so SH). And (I think) 250k pots.  So the Ultrasonic sounds ok (and I can switch it series or parallel but the SD Hot Tele mmm,go figure.  So probably to really understand it, you'd have to get across why, and what difference the PUs seeing different POT resistance makes/does (to the sound, seems to affect the top end).  So basically we (kind of) know that single coil PUs like 250k pots and dual coil (humbuckers) like 500k pots.  But this will also get affected (and further complicated) by parallel and series wiring/switching of the dual coil humbuckers (which most of mine do). 

Ok, lets start from basics (based on my rudimentary understanding).  Single coil PUs are generally around 7k ohms impedance (a measure of resistance related to the amount of turns in the coil and the thickness of the wire) and Humbuckers/dual coil in series configuration around 16k ohms (i.e. 2 x 8k ohm coils in series = 16k ohms (you see where I was going with the series/parallel switching complication i.e. 2 x 8k ohm coils in parallel is 4k ohms.. just like speakers, same thing, different application, series = double, parallel = 1/2). 

This is where one of our electric minded gurus (MJMP, SC, Gregg, et. al.??) could step in to enlighten us (or I spose I could google it...).  So from what the clip is telling us, a 7k ohms (ish) coil, likes a 250k pot (which is basically a variable resistor) and a 16k ohms (overall in series) pair of coils likes a 500k pot to produce certain sounds we have grown to like.  His solution is to include a/some resistors to accommodate the coil impedance differences with the pots resistance value.

Probably the best solution is to include a balancing circuit which makes the pot resistance selection not an issue  :dunno: . Which is partly what an active circuit (has a battery) will do. 

What I do know (from what I hear when I play), is combining various PUs in either series or parallel switched modes makes for interesting tones.  What I don't know yet (but I suspect I will find out) is exactly why. Up to now I haven't cared why, I just go with the sounds I get. 

BTW I suspect it is also influenced by the input impedance of what you plug it into (preamp).

 3 
 on: Today at 03:47 AM 
Started by rnolan - Last post by rnolan
Hey Harley, yes, I think it will be good for now  :whoohoo!: and I'm very happy with it so far.  But I want to go further (shrinking my rig) and make a 2 x 10" stereo combo, MP-2, Multi Fx, and 1 RU light weight power amp. So sort of making something similar to the Quad tube, but with the bits I have.  Anyway, that idea has been cooking in my head for quite a while now (since I have 4 MP-2s). 

But I also envisage a bigger rig where I use my ADA Slant Split stacks, and the 2 Messa P112s, and cab up (yet to be constructed) the 2 Altec 15s I have (still in their cardboard boxes and never used (yet), this bit of the idea is partially inspired by Kim BTW)) to sit under the P112s, and one of my Behringer 2442 desks (4 subgroups).  So the Split stacks fed by MP-2 stage outs > B200s, the P112s fed by MP-2 Cab Sim outs (as they have tweeters) and Altec 15s All powered by my Carvin DCM 2004L (basically 4 x 300w switched power supply 2 RU amp).  So desk ch 1 & 2 MP-2 stage outs, 3 & 4 MP-2 cab sim outs.  Desk main outs to B200s > split stacks, sub group 1&2 MP-2 cab sim outs > 2 channels of the DCM2004L > Messa P112s, and subgroups 3&4 MP-2 stage outs > other 2 channels of DCM2004L > Altec 15s.  The desk has 4 sends per channel which can all be post fader to feed 2 stereo rack Fxs which return down 4 desk channels and can be routed to any of the 4 sub groups or main outs (to combine wet/dry whatever sounds good).

 4 
 on: Today at 02:46 AM 
Started by rnolan - Last post by rnolan
Hey Harley, I hear you, but they are a very good bridge for the money IMHO, and way better than what you get on a cheap and cheerful e.g. my Squire bullet strat (a $300 AUD instrument).  Obviously you get what you pay for (mostly).  And after buying my Anderson all those years ago (1987(ish)), I have very little interest in buying a Fender strat at any price point.  Moreover, I didn't buy the Squire for myself, but when it was wasting away doing nothing, I changed all the hardware to at least make it a bit decent...

 5 
 on: Time Format 
Started by Dante - Last post by Dante
I have a HSS Strat with a single Volume and Tone, that's just how I like it. I am interested in trying this mod w/my 500k volume pot because my single coils sound like hot garbage:


Url if the video doesn't load

And I see a ton of 470k resistors, each with a different Wattage rating. 0.25w, 0.5w, 1 watt, even 2 watts. What value do I use for this? Does it matter?

It could be that the single coils are garbage, but this is a cheaper thing to try before buying pickups

 6 
 on: Time Format 
Started by rnolan - Last post by Harley Hexxe
@ Max,

    Actually, there are two of my Strats that I'm considering the Callaham blocks for, the '57 RI, and the Seafoam Green one, but that has gold hardware, so I would only change the block. All of Callaham's parts are nickel plated only.

@ Richard,

    I've had several guitars over the years with Wilkinson bridges on them and didn't like them. They were just as finicky and unstable as the stock Fender ones. Just saying.

 7 
 on: Time Format 
Started by rnolan - Last post by Harley Hexxe
Sounds like you're good to go then  :thumb-up:

 8 
 on: Time Format 
Started by rnolan - Last post by rnolan
Ok some news, the cab got a mini work out tonight, rehearsing in my lounge room (it's so good to be able to do that, all my neighbours have asked me to turn it up (go figure)).  We are getting ready for out first proper gig, June 23rd  :whoohoo!: .  Nothing like a gig "line/peg in the sand" to get people motivated.  So the band loves the new cab, it sounded great, still a little tight (hey, brand new speakers), but I got to run it up a bit louder than the quieter late night test sessions.  So B200s on about 12 o'clock (it will go to around 3 o'clock ish live), vol pedal ~1/2 way ish (not full up yet).  And the separator plate is doing it's job, the stereo Fxs sounded good (even with the box vertical, which is probably how I'll use it mostly, really helps with the phase/flanging I get with the slant split stack I've been using (running in stereo) which is a sealed cab, and also this one is "semi" open back.  I had been pontificating about - stay with the rear mount or go front mount.  But that got easily decided when I tried to put a speaker in from the front. The front holes are 10" so it wouldn't fit without opening them up quite a bit.  Moreover, the 10" openings horn load the speaker a bit (no doubt the intension of whoever built this box originally).  The MP-2 clean sounds just melt you, the dirty sounds are good, particularly neck PU stuff, but I may need to tweak the patch EQ a little for bridge PU, but then I need to try it at normal (really loud) volume before I get too excited about tweaking it. 

Maybe the best way to describe it, is, they convey the (playing) energy really well, they sound "special" and a little distinctive, and it revved up the band, we belted out some good energy versions of the songs (lots of smiles etc.).  This box used to have 2 x 50w Eminence fender twin speakers in it (which I quite liked BTW), I have to say, the Lorantz 100 watters are way better  :thumb-up: .

 9 
 on: Time Format 
Started by rnolan - Last post by Harley Hexxe
Richard,
I know what you mean. I just got a pair of batteries and a charger for a Milwaukee drill I bought in January from a guy. They have different size batteries for different applications. The ones I got are 4ah, but if I want more torque, I'll need to buy a battery that is 6ah or higher. Those cost almost as much as the drill itself.

 10 
 on: Time Format 
Started by rnolan - Last post by rnolan
Thanks Harley  :thumb-up:   I'll have a look.  As an aside, I finally ordered a replacement NiCad battery for my Bosch cordless drill (the drill was made in Switzerland, or so it says).  I only procrastinated about it for a year or 2  :facepalm: since the original battery died completely. I finally found a replacement online (from Melbourne) and ordered it.  It's so dumb that the new battery will cost me more than I can buy a brand new drill for, but I like the Bosch and I hate throwing things out that still work fine...

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