Design order:
Electronics —> Bridge —> Body —> Hardware —> Neck
Purchasing order:
Neck —> Hardware —> Bridge —> Body —> Electronics
I needed to design the guitar from functionality up (electronics, bridge), but I needed the pieces to come in from assembly order up. The body and the Floyd Rose bridge, while ordered together to gain the advantage of a complementary stud installation, are still a few weeks out. Other hardware has come in already, including: Schaller tuning machines, custom-cut pickguard, rear trem cover, pickguard screws, pickup/pickup selector mounting screws, 3-way Tele-style CRL pickup selector, switch knob, Strat jack plate, and battery box, all direct from Warmoth. I got an allen wrench holder to install on the back of the headstock direct from the official Floyd Rose website. I expect to go back there for a few more small odds and ends.
Official first part of assembly!: Schaller tuners on the headstock. Very pleased so far with the contrast of black hardware on birdseye maple. I still need to drill some holes on the back.
About 80 to 90 percent of the hardware is in or on the way. I'm already dead set on buying a set of Dunlop strap pegs sometime, as I've installed them on every guitar I've owned (and a few I didn't own) in the past ten years. Still pondering the necessity of a string retainer if the strings are already going to be clamped down by the Floyd's locking nut.
It's time to start thinking about what exactly I'm going to need for the electronics, and indeed I've already ordered the main pieces: that's right, the pickups. The Seymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion wound up costing about $20 cheaper than I thought it would. Perhaps it's one of those things where people order "Duncan Distortion" and realize they got the TB-6 rather than the SH-6 like they intended, so now a few websites are flooded with a particular pickup that won't fit most guitars. That's my best guess. I'm happy to oblige and say hello to an old friend.
Last week there was a window of opportunity to order the Sustainiac as well, so I had to man up, brave the difficult Web 1.0 site, and really dig into the controls for the thing:
—Turns out I was right about the stereo plug: it's needed for activating the battery when a cable is plugged in. (The battery is running even when the Sustainiac isn't being used.) The stereo plug is included with the order.
—You get the option of having the Sustainiac activated via a push-pull pot (not for me!) or a set of DPDT toggle switches which they will include in the order. The switches themselves are different: on-off for the power switch, and on-off-on for switching between the harmonic and mix modes.
—By request, a 25K potentiometer can be included for the function of controlling the electromagnetic strength of the driver. I didn't know how else I'd get one if it wasn't included in the kit, so I asked for it.
—There are additional wiring options for boosting the signal of the driver when it's in pickup mode by +6 db, or making the pickup sound "dark" (I thought it was supposed to be that way already?), or both. This function can be either hardwired or set to another DPDT switch to mount on the top. If I'm going to have two switches on the pickguard, might as well add a third.
Needing some clarification on a few points, particularly the switch types, I called Maniac Music in Indianapolis to ask questions. The guy I talked to was pretty surly over the phone. Nearly every time I brought up a point, he replied with, "Well, the info for that is on the website... If people would just read it..." Oh hey buddy, I'm sorry that your stupid website left over from the '90s is so hard to read and disorganized to the point that it actually loops on itself without answering a legitimate question I had. For more info on (a), click (b). For more info on (b), click (a). Nuts.
Anyway, I wanted to know if I could put the circuit board in the middle pickup cavity of the body since the space won't be used for anything. He explained that it's bad practice because the circuit board should be as close to the pots and pickup selector as possible; also, placing it into the pickup cavity would require shielding around the wires so the unit doesn't squeal or hum from the driver's electromagnetic field. Mr. Surly also freely expressed his disdain for installing the Sustainiac into pickguard-equipped guitars like Strats due to space limitations. I could have guessed that I was going a difficult route with my Strat, but thanks for removing all doubt, pal.
"Oh, look at that pathetic excuse for an electric guitar you're trying to build. Go read my website again. Pssh."
The Sustainiac is ordered and shipped by this point.
Other electronics items like the concentric pot, copper shielding, and wire will come later.
One last thing: I'm at the beginning stage of driving myself crazy trying to find ALL BLACK hardware to work with the electronics. I got lucky by not ordering a stereo plug from Warmoth, but I may need to look around and see if I can find one (Switchcraft, etc.) that will be black or at least have a black nut/washer to mount it to the black jack plate I already have. Also, I definitely want the DPDT switches to be a black flat lever on top if I can find some with the right switching functions.
Musing on some great sounds this evening. Pearl Jam coulda/woulda/shoulda been in my previous post on guitar tone:
EDIT 11/10/2014:
The Sustainiac came in already! Very quick turn from having ordered it
on a Friday and receiving it on Monday. The toggle switches and 25K pot
I requested are included in the kit, free of charge. I guess I
can't/shouldn't complain anymore... Unless this thing gives me problems
later on. Until then, photos!:
The Sustainiac kit.
Installation guide and a wiring diagram inside.
It's like Christmas every day here, folks!
I have to find a way to cram ALL of this into a guitar. Notice the chrome jack and switches. Definitely going with black at some point if I can find the right pieces.
I just couldn't resist. See the resemblance yet?
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