Re: electronics question for the tech-heads.

[Gunnar Backman <brakophonic@telia.com>]

Hi

Yes according to the guitarbuilder that built my guitar http://www.nevbornguitars.com/
there's no problem with having a switch . the dummy is just for switching the power on/off. 
the "normal pickup goes through the fernandes circuits even when the sustainer is not in use
and then on to the GK output so there's both Gk and normal guitarpickup as well as mixed mode, providing the power's on.
I choose the dummy instead because I thought the switch would be easier to forget,
but the dummy is hard to remember as well so.......
(but it kind of looks cool ,  I don't know ::::)
Gunnar Backman
Brak(E)man Prod/Brakophonics
E-mail  brakophonic@telia.com
http://www.brakophonic.com

2005-02-12 kl. 16.54 skrev L. Angulo:

> Now that we are on this topic which i am glad you guys
> brought up:
> I also installed a sustainer into a roland ready
> fender strat,now i dont have any experience with
> electronics but the tech told me that in order to use
> the sustainer i have to plug a 1/4 inch plug
> dummy(like the one on a guitar cable) on the main
> guitar jack if i am using the GK-pickup cable.But it
> would be great if they could run through the same
> GK-pickup jack output and just switch from synth to
> guitar mode and use the sustainer,you think this is
> possible putting some kind of switch on the guitar?
> cheers
> Luis
> --- tcombs@sep.com wrote:
>
> > In this case I think it would be risky to even try
> > it.  The GK pickup does
> > not provide it's own power - power, I believe, comes
> > from another device
> > such as a GR33 or VG-8.  In the configuration you
> > want to try, the GK
> > pickup would merely let power flow through it and
> > into the sustainer
> > circuit.  A hunch tells me that the sustainer
> > circuitry requires more
> > amperage than the GK does to operate.  Thus, I doubt
> > the GK power supply
> > is rated for powering a GK pickup and a sustainer
> > circuit simultaneously. 
> > If sufficient over current protection is not built
> > into the device that
> > provides GK power, you could very well burn
> > something up not in the GK
> > pickup, but whatever device is providing GK power.
> >
> > Checking amperage is not something you can do simply
> > with a multimeter in
> > this situation.  You'll have to somewhere make a
> > break in the wire that
> > carries power to the GK pickup and insert the
> > multimeter in series with
> > the flow of power (when you measure voltage you're
> > actually connecting the
> > meter in parallel with the circuit under question). 
> > However, an amperage
> > measurement only tells you how much current is being
> > drawn by a device -
> > it tells you nothing about how much current the
> > power supply is capable of
> > providing (only the power supply manufacturer can
> > tell you that).
> >
> > If it were me, I'd modify my guitar to make the
> > sustainer battery as
> > easily accessible as possible, always make sure I
> > have a backup battery,
> > and teach myself the habit of unplugging the guitar
> > when won't be played
> > for a long duration.  I treat batteries like strings
> > - always have a
> > backup.
> >
> > Another option - find a wall wart power supply that
> > is capable of powering
> > the sustainer circuit, attach a long cable to it,
> > put a power connector on
> > your guitar, and wail away.
> >
> > Best of luck,
> > Tom
> >
> >
> > > Good point Brian, but would it be risky to "try",
> > could i blow something?
> > > Checking thru the spec of the GK pickup (that
> > would be providing the
> > > power) there is no mention of power requirments at
> > all, I guess it has "no
> > > user servicable parts" therfore no info...
> > > (how do i check the amperage anyhow?my simple
> > multimeter doesnt seem to
> > > have that on it..)
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Risky...You also have amperage to consider. Will
> > the source be able to
> > > handle the amperage that the pickup draws?
> > >
> > > I think your best bet is to contact the
> > manufacturer for the specs.
> > > Brian
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: mark francombe
> > > To: loopers-delight@loopers-delight.com
> > > Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 4:33 PM
> > > Subject: electronics question for the
> > tech-heads.
> > > Sorry for Off topic..
> > >
> > > After a few weeks of completely happy and
> > crazy use of my newly
> > > installed (and now working, thanks to LD people)
> > Fernandes Sustainer
> > > pickup, I have for the first time left the damn
> > thing plugged in
> > > overnight, (battery switch on jack socket
> > arrangment) and drained the
> > > battery. THIS WILL NOT DO! now I could add a power
> > switch to the
> > > guitar (but then I would no doubt forget that ..)
> > > BUT... I have a cunning plan!!!
> > > I also have a GK midi pickup installed on the
> > same guitar, and when I
> > > poke around with the multimeter at the socket that
> > is installed in the
> > > guitar that takes the midi to my synth I find a
> > pin that seems to have
> > > around 7 volts sitting there. The sustainer pickup
> > taks a 9 volt
> > > battery (but when I test, again with multimeter)
> > it also appears to be
> > > around 7 volts.
> > >
> > > Now it doesnt take an idiot to realise what
> > I'm suggesting. I would
> > > like to take the power from the GK midi pickup
> > cable and connect it to
> > > the sustainer. Which I would have tried already,
> > but for one little
> > > prob.
> > >
> > > If I check voltage on the battery with
> > multimeter connected with BLACK
> > > cable to ground and RED cable to battery.. 7
> > volts. When I do the same
> > > on this mysterious power wire inside the GK
> > connector, the multimeter
> > > trys to swing the wrong way, I reverse the multi
> > meter leads, and then
> > > I get this reading of 7 volts.
> > > Does this mean that the GK pickup is infact
> > powered by -(minus) 7
> > > volts? ( I've never really understood the concept
> > of negative volts Im
> > > afraid..) SO.. either I cant use this power, OR I
> > must reverse the
> > > polarity of it???
> > >
> > > Is this possible?
> > >
> > > Wise?
> > >
> > > Foolish?
> > >
> > > Help?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > mark francombe
> > > www.markfrancombe.com
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> =====
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