LED guitar mod - pics inside :)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Docaroo
  • Start date Start date
D

Docaroo

New member
Hello there fellow home recordists...

I thought I'd take a break from recording to show you what I did to my guitar last night :D


off1fs6.jpg


on1fv9.jpg


on2gt4.jpg


on3uf4.jpg


Whadda you think? :D
 
You should connect them through a transistor with the guitar signal at the base, then they would flash as you played :cool:

Or wire a pair of them as a limiter, then you'd have an onboard distortion effect :cool: :cool:
 
hehe I'm one step ahead of you :) the next phase will be to wire in a circuit for controlling the LEDs - like a sound activated circuit maybe :) woop!!
 
those suckers look bright. did you put leds inside a single coil pickup cover? you should have killed a humbucker instead. :D

makes a good alternative to a lava lamp.
 
lol yeh that's exactly what I did... I use both humbuckers but not really the SC so it was sacrificed in the name of looking good haha....
 
well I'll put it this way the battery life is measured in days...

I'd say would have at an EXTREMELY safe guess, 3-4 days of continuous use...minimum.


I haven't tried it but i have played 2 gigs, 4 practices (so around 10 hours) and 10 hours of having it on at home at least... I won't be changing the batteries anytime soon!
 
Docaroo said:
hehe I'm one step ahead of you :) the next phase will be to wire in a circuit for controlling the LEDs - like a sound activated circuit maybe :) woop!!
Click to expand...

Seriously, it's a pretty easy circuit, especially since you already have active electronics. A single transistor (with an adequate power rating!) should do, along with maybe a trimpot to fine tune the level of the guitar signal that triggers the flashing :cool:

That will save you lots on batteries too :)
 
Docaroo said:
that sounds pretty cool!!! how would I wire that though lol?
Click to expand...

Here's a guess. Maybe I went a little overboard on the input circuit. First try hooking a tap off the guitar output straight into the base of the transistor. If that doesn't work well enough, then try the other stuff. The resistor & pot are there to trim the signal if necessary, the diode and cap are a rectifier circuit if the LEDs flash too quickly.

The LEDs should be whatever you have already done, I just threw some in as an example.

If the guitar output is too low, it will need to be amplified by another transistor. I don't work with active guitar pickups, so I'm not really sure if you'd need that or not. Maybe somebody else will know :confused:
 
although looking very cool, it also looks inCredibly gaudy. :p i can't imagine being able to turn up to a jazz club or something with that... :p

but nice one :)

Andy
 
well you never know about those Jazz types...

incidentally I play power metal where being over the top is good :) and also its an Ibanez - you HAVE to customise those bad boys :)
 
hmm im going to do something like that now... i like the idea alot. one question for MSfunny guy..

the LED's are connected off of the diodes? and Q is a transistor?
 
Thats awesome. You should put them in the neck too, like Billy Sheehan.
 
A common mod would be having them light up to tell you which pickup is currently selected.
 
TragikRemix said:
hmm im going to do something like that now... i like the idea alot. one question for MSfunny guy..

the LED's are connected off of the diodes? and Q is a transistor?
Click to expand...

Thats the symbol for a light emitting diode and Q is often the symbol for transistors in most schematics ;)
 
Docaroo said:
well you never know about those Jazz types...

incidentally I play power metal where being over the top is good :) and also its an Ibanez - you HAVE to customise those bad boys :)
Click to expand...

ha, well, in that case, there isn't enough. and they're not big enough. or bright enough. and only one colour? what do you think you're playing at? you want to be blinding people from 50 feet.

:P


Andy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top