"When the Going Gets Weird...

[whitebison66]

... the weird turn pro." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

In this case, Warmoth Pro.

I managed to make it past my birthday without ordering any 'string ferrules' and the necessary accessories like AN ENTIRE OTHER GUITAR.

No thanks to Max, I might add, who tried to gas me up into buying another one.

I resisted, but just recently I found out that I won't have to lay out some $ I thought I would.

So now I need some string ferrules...

I'm going to order  a swamp ash 'reverse' explorer. Gotoh 510 bridge, no control cavity. I will try to do the 'scalloped' heel mod myself. I have a neck I can use for the time being, but will eventually order a reverse explorer neck to go with it.

I'm not much of a fan of pointy guitars. Pop (!) quiz: Who once said "Pointy guitars make you sterile"?

But I needed all that wingspan (groan) for the other part of this bizarre experiment:

I want to install an Alesis AirFX into the guitar. Batteries. No through-put. Everything that comes through the pickups will go through the Alesis.

I'll probably have line/mic issues to cope with (gee, I hope I have room for a preamp...), power issues (though the Alesis is 9v), and disassembly/assembly issues.

But that's what will make it fun.

This will be owner finished, because I want to put a forearm contour on the body, and I may get another artist to paint it.

But for now I want to use grain-enhancing black dye, sanded back and cleared. Maybe a color dye, not sure. But a simple finish.

Please excuse the ugly mockup; I use Paint, not PS.

Yes, I know the bridge in the photo is not the 510. But thank you for noticing.

 

[Mor Paul]

You're welcome.

 

[AutoBat]

if you can pop off that giant black wheel, perhaps you could fit a more normal size dial on it?

 

[whitebison66]

Hee hee hee...

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOJTMsKR7ag&playnext=1&videos=O2lqqrslpW0[/youtube]

 

[CrackedPepper]

Will the Explorer body be thick enough?  The body in the video seems pretty stout!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Will the Explorer body be thick enough?  The body in the video seems pretty stout!

That's what she said.

...couldn't resist.

 

[CrackedPepper]

lol

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

.... damn, that is COOL!  :guitaristgif:

I wasn't quite sure what the goal was until I saw that video.  This is going to be one amazing project. :icon_thumright:

 

[whitebison66]

As I brain-wrestle this thing, the first consideration that comes to mind is this:

Do I really want the AirFX to come at the virtual start of the signal? In other words, do I preamp the effect or do I effect the preamp? It's like I asked before about harmonizers: distort harmony or harmonize distortion? I guess I will sound test it before I dissect it to make my choice. Of course, if it's preamp - AirFX, then why am I doing this in the first place? The only option there is to go onboard with distortion, and while I could gut a pedal and put it in there (I'll have the room!), I've never heard a decent distortion pedal that didn't have tubes (and AC power).

Second, will I be able to power this thing on 9V batteries? Well, we'll just have to see, won't we? 27V mod???

I'll need to get the guitar signal up to line level. That's an onboard preamp, or maybe even just an EMG Afterburner, which I have a few of.

Stereo or mono? Recording in stereo would be nice, but live would be a different story. Hmmm...

Pickups: Considering what this guitar is purpose-built for, one would probably suffice. But I am thinking of getting two and using a stereo pan pot instead of a 3-way. A little pre-dissection R&D will help me decide of the sound difference is noteworthy or negligible.

Dome placement: Close enough but not too close. File that one under 'Total lack of excrement.'

I hope no one minds if I am thinking 'on board' as I go. This way I get a lot of extra help with the brain portion (and I need it) and maybe it entertains/encourages readers.

 

[Mor Paul]

Why not a switch that changes it from pickups>Axefx to pickups>jack, with 2 more jacks for axefx in and axefx out.

 

[rapfohl09]

Well I cant figure out that problem but....


:icon_scratch: Im not entirely sure how this thing works  :laughing7:

This looks totally awesome though, how do you normally use that thing? with your foot or something? its crazy cool.

 

[CrackedPepper]

It seems similar in concept to a Theremin... I'm guessing proximity to your hand causes a change in capacitance to an internal antenna which allows you alter the pitch, etc. using an oscillator.

 

[whitebison66]

The Warmoth Explorers are 1 3/4" thick, heftier than a Gibby. Better made, too  :icon_thumright:

Great review/explanation here: http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_alesis_airfx/

Until I read that, I never knew that it had a 'hold' function. Learn something new every day, if you're lucky.

The unit uses an infra-red sensor, and reads across three axes: L-R, up-down, and height above the sensor. A parameter is assigned to each.

It was originally designed for DJs; you run your music through it and manipulate it however you choose with the preset and hand motions. If I recall, it has a bypass switch, and you can always just not go near the sensor.

Or, with my version, you can run up behind the bass player and use his rear end as a virtual whammy bar. Vi-butt-o...  :doh:

It's all done in real-time, and manually. No MIDI, no automation.

Theoretically it would, in its original form, be an interesting mixing-phase effect for recorded music. It has presets for old vinyl sounds, DJ scratching, bandpass filters, phase/flange, etc. You can find a PDF of the presets online, as well as the owner's manual. 

There are YouTube videos that show it used in its original context.

Alesis also made the AirSynth, but that's just a hand-controlled synth, not really an effect.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Oh man :sad:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Per the quote in the title and the 1st post, his remains were shot out of a canon by Johnny Depp.  That in itself is the coolest, and same time most unsettling, thing I've ever heard.  Put that in a guitar.

 

[whitebison66]

There's no way to power this 9V AC unit with batteries, is there?

That being the case, I may as well just use the mic stand adapter on the bottom of the unit to attach it whole to the face of the guitar.

Not what I was looking for.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Just wire an AC adapter to plug into a 1/4" mono cable and put another 1/4" mono jack on the guitar.

 

[whitebison66]

I guess I was just hoping to have only the output of the guitar, i.e. one cord.

But it looks like it's not gonna work that way. Darn it.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I guess I was just hoping to have only the output of the guitar, i.e. one cord.

But it looks like it's not gonna work that way. Darn it.

You could always use a stereo chord, share the ground of the instrument, and have the 3rd stereo prong come from the AC adapter.  Wire it such that if using a mono chord, it works like a normal guitar.

 

[Cagey]

You could always use a stereo chord, share the ground of the instrument, and have the 3rd stereo prong come from the AC adapter.  Wire it such that if using a mono chord, it works like a normal guitar.

Guitar Cord

1937 Cord

G Chord​

Gnome sane? <grin>