Chewing On Crayons

Building The Board Part 1 - DIY Pedal Looper

2011-11-01T21:45:00.002+08:00

Ever since I started playing the electric guitar, I've been a big fan of guitar pedals. My first pedal was the Arion Metal Plus distortion. My setup or rig during my teen years was so simple yet so effective (for me). It was just a fender strat guitar thru the Metal Plus and a solid state amp, fool proof and worry free.

Guitar playing back then was so exciting, productive and lots of fun until I started to adding more pedals into my setup. I played less and less as I spend most of my guitar time chugging a few power chords and tweaking the pedals to my liking. But in reality, all I need is a dirty sound and a clean sound. What frustrates me the most is when I chain the pedals, even with true bypass, I felt (or hear) that the tone of my guitar becomes more washed up with more pedals in the signal path. I think it has to do with the non-soldered contact points with the patch cables and the floor noise generated within the circuit of pedal itself.

The Tone

During the years of playing in a band or even by jamming with friends, the most enjoyable and memorable performance is when I don't have much gear onboard. I remember playing just with my Tele and Peavey Classic 30, cranking the amp up till I get a good loud distorted tone and clean it up with the guitar's volume knob. Talking about minimalist, an electric guitar thru an amp is as pure as you can get. And since then, I've been more of an amp guy rather than the guy with a big pedal board when it comes to tone. Even with the jam groups that I've been into lately, I'd bring my modified JCM900DR and an MXR Zakk Wylde overdrive into the studio and watch the grin on my everyone's face in the room when I start to play some tunes.

The Looper

I have a few 3dpt foot switches laying around from my previous ventures and I've acquired a few more stomps lately. I really want to use/maximize the pedals when I get a chance to join in a band again but I don't like the tone being sucked out by the chain from my guitar. "So, why not get a looper?", I told myself. Ebay had some nice bypass loopers for cheap but it I want something that will fit my needs. I want a looper that has a bypass all switch, that can act as footswitch to my amp (JCM900 or Carvin Legacy) and has an isolated loop for the amp's FX loop.

So the plan, instead of a 8 loop system, I only made 4 with a few additions

A cable would be running from the guitar to the looper and four cables from the amp. The amp would have the cable from the looper, a cable for the footswitch and a pair from the FX loop.

The gut shot

I've learned a trick on how to silence the other pedals when they are being bypassed. It's just not enough to disconnect the input feed from the circuit. Especially with boost, OD and distortion, they will just hum and the active path in the circuit will pick up the noise. To silence them, you have to ground them.

How it Supposed to Work

My pedal board is still in work. I'm still waiting for supplies (cables and connectors) I bought online. But the plan is ...

Guitar ->> TC Tuner ->> Looper - >> Amp >> FX Send ->> EQ Pedal ->> Looper ->> FX Return

Loop 1 - Zakk OD or TS808 Clone
Loop 2 - Wah + Whammy
Loop 3 - DS1 mod
Loop 4 - i dunno, a Phaser or Compressor?
Fx Loop - Chorus + Delay

How it should look like

In the next installment, I'll probably post a video of a working demo and a schematic of the looper so stay tuned.

Testing

2010-06-02T17:55:00.000+08:00

7 Weeks!

2009-05-24T05:25:00.000+08:00

I Quote Myself

2009-05-24T05:18:00.000+08:00

porn stars are paid for the enslavement of their body. programmers are paid for the enslavement of their mind. products of both are being downloaded for free on the internet. oh, the irony.

Pepper Spray

2009-05-17T23:42:00.001+08:00

Crate V33H

2009-05-17T22:00:00.003+08:00

Another amp head. I think it's amp head number three for me :D or four?

I've modified this amp to "SLO" mod. Demo.

Features:
- 33 watts
- three (or four) 12ax7 preamp tubes
- four el84 power tubes
- massive OT and PT
- reverb tank

Internals

If you want to to the mod, the schematics is here.

Again, HIGH VOLTAGES INSIDE AND CAN KILL YOU. If you don't know about electronics then do not open your amp. I'm not responsible if you kill yourself.

Bugera 6262

2009-05-17T21:38:00.005+08:00

Got this two months ago. It's cheap and sounds good IMO. Here's a demo

Features:
- two channels (clean/crunch and lead)
- seven 12ax7 preamp tubes
- four tube doctor branded 6L6GCs
- massive PT and OT
- 120 watts with 6L6s or 100 watts with el34s

I replaced the stock tubes with JJ EL34s. At one time I had the tubes biased a little too hot, that I almost cooked the amp. Sounds amazing though. For those who want to replace the stock 6L6 power tubes with EL34s, I recommend a bias voltage of 42v.

Love 'em vacuum tubes.

I also made some modifications to this amp to give it a little more punch. By replacing the 1n4007 rectifier diodes with ultra fast uf4007, gives this amp a cleaner sound and a big "thump" in the bass section. I also replaced the cheap MIC filter caps with better ones.

IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ELECTRONICS THEN DO NOT OPEN YOUR AMP!!

High voltages inside and can kill you. Seriously.

Chinese Democracy

2009-05-17T16:04:00.004+08:00

This album is amazing. Truly a new sound for GNR. Headed by Axl Rose and with the help of Bumblefoot/friends, I really don't miss Slash and the old guys.

For those who keep on whining for Slash and the old guys, please grow up.

NDS

2009-05-17T07:59:00.002+08:00

where in the heck is my psp?

Wass Up, Wass Up?!

2009-05-16T18:51:00.007+08:00

Updates.

Two months ago I went back home to Manila for a three day vacation.

Then went to London UK for a week of training. It was a blast. Got to see London (and the bridge, LOL), Big Ben, ride the London Eye and Stonehenge. And the icing on the cake, get drunk in a real Irish pub.

Then went back to Sydney.

I Became a dad. Can't wait to go back home next month to Manila. Still waiting for my daughter's passport. Have it stamped so they can move back here with me.

Nieves Saye

2009-05-16T18:45:00.000+08:00

My Little Princess

2009-02-16T16:32:00.000+08:00

My Zendrive Clone

2009-02-04T12:50:00.002+08:00

I call it Aling Minda's Zencoco Drive. It's a Hermina Zendrive clone that I built for myself.

Modded Boss GE-7 Review

2009-02-04T12:46:00.000+08:00

by Nathan Manansala of Blue Jean Junkies

I've compared the stock GE-7 with your modded GE-7 na. Got to gig with the modded pedal last night. cheesy Works as expected. Nice fat boost (if thats what you're using it for) for solos.

At gig levels, and the way i set it, its just like a regular GE-7. Last night i used my Edwards e-lp-98lts with skatterbrane A2's into a keeley rat then GE-7 then some small 1x12 laney (kung anong model man yung nasa route 196). Like I said, it worked just like its supposed to, just like a regular GE-7. Its an EQ pedal anyway. No "it made me sound 10x more musical" miracles here. cheesy Plus, the way i set it isn't extreme at all (400=+3, 800=+5, 1.6k=+5, 3.2k=+3, the rest at 0, level anywhere between 0 to 5 depending on how the amp reacts to the boosted frequencies) so yung gains of using higher quality components isn't that obvious. I use it massage the right frequencies into place as opposed to hammering them into submission.

Those gains I only saw this morning. I made 3 vids. I used a Burny lc-70rr with SD '59/JB pups. I kept it on the JB (the noisier of the 2 pups) the whole time and didn't play at all. The guitar was just there to introduce regular guitar electronic noise. The amp is my old Marshall 8040 on the clean channel cranked up to 8 (which is why i couldn't do any actual playing; maaga pa e). Everything is connected with cables I made myself (klotz cables and neutrik connectors). I tested the EQs 2 bands at a time, all the way up (which is the wrong way to use EQ for guitar). Level at 0.

So, here are my err... findings:
1) 6.4k and 3.2k - halos identical. both pedals sounded hissy. which is to be expected. you're boosting white noise frequencies from the guitar electonics and cables after all. medyo finer grained lang yung hiss from the modded pedal pero hissy pa din cheesy
2) 1.6k and 800 - here you'll start hearing the difference na. at these frequencies (where most guitar's "meat" is and the frequencies normally boosted for solo work to cut through a dense mix), the modded box was considerably more quiet here.
3) 400, 200 and 100 - again, you'll immediately notice how much more quiet the modded pedal is at these frequencies. in fact, at these frequencies, yung hiss you hear from the stock pedal is almost non existent on the modded one.

you can actually hear these differences dun sa vids i made with my crappy digicam and its crappy built in mic. cheesy

so yun. arjin, good on ya mate. cheesy i'm keeping this. grin i'll post the vids in a bit or send them to you.

El Grapadura - Modded TS808 Clone Review

2009-02-04T12:36:00.003+08:00

by Bobby Alvarez of Flying Rat's Ass band

from - http://talk.philmusic.com/board/index.php/topic=116707.160;msg=1710387

Hi Arjin! Thanks so much for bringing El Grapadura into my life! I absolutely love it!
As promised, here is my review...

Product: El Grapadura
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/02/2009 at 10:33pm by Scuttlebutter

Ease of Use: 11
It’s got 3 knobs – Volume, Tone, & Drive.

It also has 3 toggle switches –
The first toggle switch lets you choose between Germanium & MOSFET diodes.
The second toggle switch lets you choose between TS808 & TS9.
The third toggle switch lets you choose between Asymmetrical & Symmetrical clippings.

There is a control panel inside that can give you a Silicon/LED option on the first toggle.

Sound: 11
This pedal delivers the holy trinity of overdrive tones: sweet, warm, and smooth. The biggest challenge here is to find a bad sound. This pedal has none! Great job, Arjin! smiley

The Germanium is very juicy while the MOSFET gives a really nice big singing boost! The TS9 mode gives a bit of a brighter tone compared to the TS808 mode. Symmetrical clipping is silky smooth while Asymmetrical clipping adds a bit of grit. Whichever setting you choose, El Grapadura will give you great tone!

The pedal has a good amount of volume! Unity volume on Germanium mode is around 10:30 while unity volume on MOSFET mode is about 9 o'clock. The tone knob is very responsive. The Drive knob is very generous.

I did 2 tests that I feel every TS and TS-type overdrive pedal should pass. The first test is for clones, which is an A/B with a real Ibanez TS. The second test is a play-along with an SRV jam track of the song Tightrope.

For the A/B test with an Ibanez TS808 Reissue, I was able to replicate the TS808 tone with toggles on Germanium/TS808/Asymmetrical. I haven’t tried bringing out the Silicon/LED option but I’m so happy with the current diode choices that I don’t think I ever will. The Grapadura not only matched the tone of the real thing, but surpassed the real thing’s versatility. So as far as the A/B test is concerned, El Grapadura passes with flying colors!

Stevie’s tone & playing in Tightrope is simply amazing. For the Tightrope test, well, I’ll be the first to admit, this is probably the most unfair test of all, for both the pedal and the guitar player. But the Grapadura did a pretty good job. It’s hard to duplicate Stevie’s tone and my playing certainly isn’t spot on, but with my strat & Blues Junior amp, the vibe & mojo are definitely there. The Grapadura certainly gets you in Tightrope and Texas Flood territory. I totally love this pedal. I wouldn’t trade it for a real Ibanez TS!

Reliability: 11
This thing is extremely well-built. I doubt this will ever break.

Customer Support: 11
Arjin is one of the nicest guys I know and I’m sure this will never be an issue should anything happen to the pedal.

Overall Rating: 11
Does the Grapadura give true TS tone? Yes, it does! That plus more! It totally rocks! But even with its versatility, it is still just an overdrive pedal. But what is does, it does really well. This pedal will excel in any type of music that calls for an overdriven guitar tone.

If it were lost or stolen, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask Arjin to build me another one! wink

I’ve been playing guitar for quite a number of years now and I’ve played some really nice pedals. El Grapadura is up there with the big boys. And it makes me really proud that a friend of mine built this thing from scratch.

Thanks Arjin! smiley

My Wife Loves to Eat

2009-02-02T19:31:00.003+08:00

ice cream @ baskin robbins, circular quay

ramen @ paddy's market

shrimp @ asagao, pitt street

Boss CE-5 Simple Vibrato Mod

2009-02-01T11:46:00.005+08:00

I call this the "stupid" mod because it's so simple. You can also get the wet "vibrato" signal out of output A by plugging another guitar cable in output B.

For this mod you will need a drill, wires, a mini SPDT or SPST switch, wires and some soldering tools.

Get two wires and solder it the center and one side of the SPDT switch. Open the pedal. Connect the other two wires at the ring and sleeve of output B socket.

Drill a hole on the enclosure big enough to fit the switch. Close the pedal.

Now you have a modded CE-5 with a chorus and vibrato mode switch. No tone mods for this pedal (CE-5a boards) because it uses surface mounted components.

Enjoy.

Funniest Commercial Ever

2009-02-01T08:28:00.001+08:00

Modding Pedals

2009-01-25T20:07:00.008+08:00

I'm not a tone connoisseur, i don't have the funds to buy top of the line amps/guitars. Unfortunately, I don't even have a band right now and my playing skills is not up to par. But I want to share to everyone what I've learned in the past few months of modding and building pedals. Most of you may not know me and being almost a noob here, my intention is just to share information.

My Modded Pedals

Before You Mod a Pedal

There are lots of way to improve your tone before resorting to modded or boutique pedals. Here are some tidbits that I learned over the years.

- Guitar. Check your guitar first. Send it to a luthier for a good ol' general setup. You may want to upgrade your no-name (or manufacturer stock) pickups to decent branded ones. DiMarzio, Seymour Duncans, Bare Knuckles, Elegee, etc, will do just fine. You may also want to disconnect the tone knob from your guitar's circuit (or you can replace the tone knob pot with a "no load" pot).
- Strings and Picks. Make sure that the strings loaded in your guitar are still ok. Replace them if necessary. There's a trick that I do when I was still in high school, I would get a pot and boil water, dip in the wound strings for a minute and wipe it with dry cloth. You may want to use heavier guage strings. Picks do affect your tone. I use 1.14mm Dunlop tortex picks for years. It never failed me.
- Cables. It's probably the cheapest and most effective upgrade. For years I've been using the cheap guitar that came with my guitar. For 500 pesos (I think) you can buy Klotz cable which is way much better the cheap cables. Also the shorter the cable is, the better. I use Fender Tone Master Instrument cables, and IMO they are the best cables out there (that my wallet can afford).
- Pedals and Pedal Board. I have dozens fo pedals but I don't have a working pedal board. I noticed when you start chaining two or more pedals in series you will loose some clarity your guitars tone (especially with pedals that uses input buffers). That's why when I jam with friends or play with my old band I'd bring only one pedal (and sometimes a wah pedal if i'm not lazy). There are times that I don't even bring a pedal with me. I'll just use the amp's distortion and back off the guitar's volume knob to dial in clean tones. (A EQ pedal can also improve your overall tone).
- Amp. There are lot's of decent solid state and cheap tube amp out in the market. Even though some will swear on their expensive amp, for me it's not a big deal. It's not like you will be playing infront of Eric Johnson or you d*ck is at stake when you have bad tone. Just make sure that you don't play with a blown speaker and dial in some mids.
- ETC. I prefer to stay away from unnecessary devices. The shorter the signal path is, the clearer tone your guitar will have.
- Fingers. Enough said.

Tone is also subjective. It differs for person to person. Modding your pedal does not always equate to better tone. I've seen many mods on youtube that sounds nasty for my taste. You may also want to try backing down the gain a little bit, in which at loud settings may sound very effective (Thanks Nathan!).

Tools

The things that you will need when performing modifications.

-Guitar
-Amp
-Guitar Cables
-Soldering Iron and Lead
-Resistors and Capacitors
-Jumper Cables
-Screw Driver
-Scissors
-Multimeter (optional)
-Audio probe - http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html
-Pedal Schematics or Pedal Mod guides
-Electrical tape

I bought this device (I forgot the name of this gizmo, it's the black device with a big Omega character) where you can hook it up to your circuit and change the value of the resistor with a turn of a dial. I also made a "dial in a capacitor value" device from 12 capacitors with different values, a pcb and a 12 position rotary switch (the device with lots of orange wires). The audio probe is useful for troubleshooting your pedal (there might be some instances that no sound will come out when you test it).

I buy capacitors and resistors in packs. It's way much cheaper and time saver to buy in bulk (especially if you are planning to mod a couple of pedals).

Basic References

You must learn how to read capacitor and resistor values before proceeding. Just google it and you'll find tons of resources on the internet. Here are some

Resistor Values - http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm
Capacitor Values - http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/capac.htm

Basic Tone Mods

Most manufacturers will use cheap components. That's why before I mod my pedal, I will try to replace all capacitors with MKTs, mylars or silver micas. You can also further reduce the pedal's floor noise by replacing those nasty 1uF polarized electrolytic capacitors with MKTs or tantalums. When I performed my first pedal mod, I tried to replace the 100nF and 1mF caps with precise metal film caps. It a little bit pricey (ranging from $2 to $10 each) but they do sound good (you will have problems squeezing them in your pedal's confined space).

Huge Yellow Cap

More Yellow Boxed Caps

I love modding dirt pedals because with minimal component change, you can immediately notice the difference when you test it. The first thing to look for are the high pass and low pass filters in the pedal's schematics. You can also calculate what frequencies to attenuate and what component values to use. Refer to the references below.

High Pass Filter - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-pass_filter
Low Pass Filter - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter

But I'm too lazy to perform calculations that's why I do it by ear. By using my DIY "dial in a capacitor" and my "dial in a resistor" (forgotten the product's name) devices, I would remove a capacitor and a resistor installed on the pedal's PCB, replace it with the dial device using the stock values. Then I'll connect the pedal to a guitar and amp (with guitar cables or with an audio probe), point all knobs on the pedal to 12 o clock and test the tones by ear. Choose your prefered tone by playing a few power chords and by incrementing/decrementing the values of the capacitor and resistor.

Here's an example using a Boss DS-1 and Boss MT-2 Metal Zone schematics (By the way I've done these mods to my pedals).

DS-1 - http://www.godiksennet.com/images/sch/DS1PG2.jpg
MT-2 - http://www.godiksennet.com/images/sch/mt2-06.jpg

Note: I'll be using the schematics of a Boss DS-1 and MT-2 for most of my examples.

For the Boss DS-1, I replaced C3 (stock value 47nF) to 39nF. With this small change, I was able to add more mids. I also made this change to my Vox Satchurator, now it has more mids that before (and now it sounds better than my DS-1).

For the Boss MT-2, I replaced C29 (stock value 33nF) to 100nF. With this change, i was able to add more bass to my pedal.

You can experiment with different resistor and capacitor values on the high/low pass filter using the schematics as your guide. It's also a good idea to take note of the changes that you have made, just in case you want to revert back to the original/modded values.

You can also change the caps and resistors connected to the tone knob as you like.

The basic rule is

- low value capacitors are used to increase/decrease higher frequencies
- high value capacitors are used to boost/cut lower frequencies

Also be aware that some capacitor types have polarity. I remember replacing an electrolytic cap with a tantalum with the polarity reversed. It produced weird sounds on my pedal and it took me days to troubleshoot god damned pedal.

Clipping Circuit

To locate the clipping section of a dirt pedal, all you need to locate are the diodes connected in parallel (Metal Zone - D4 and D3, DS-1 - D4 and D5). You can experiment with different components (LED, germaniums, mosfet) for the clipping circuit. You can also add another diode in series to one of the clipping diodes for asymetrical clipping. You can also increase the distortion/gain of a pedal by locating the resistor and capacitor connected in parallel with the clipping diodes (Metal Zone R13 and C23) or in series with the distortion knob (DS-1 R13 and C8). Increasing the values of the resistor in this section increases the pedal's distortion. The capacitor dicates the range of the frequency that will be clipped. Be sure to test the distortion knob's range before soldering your prefered components. Experiment.

Switches, True By Pass

It's an advantage if you can perform a true bypass mod on pedal. Unfortunately this mod is difficult to execute on Boss pedals. If you are a true bypass snob, you can rehouse your pedal and add a 3pdt heavy footswitch. Trace the pedal's input. Chances are, the first or second transistor that you will encounter (DS-1 - Q6) will be the input gate.

Also with a help of a drill and installing some mini SPDT or DPDT switches to your mods, you can have more mod options at your finger tips. For example, on the Boss MT-2, using a DPDT switch, you can reinstall the caps C35 and C25 to the switch and wire them back to the PCB. You can disable these two caps with a flick of the switch, thus removing the harshness of the pedal. By flicking this switch again activates the caps as they were stock, retaining the factory default, hissy sound of the Metal Zone.

My Modded MT-2 and XT-2. I think it needs another switch.

Op Amp Upgrades

You can experiment with different opamps on your pedal. From costly Burr Brown chips to the famous JRC4558 chips. You don't have to replace the opamp unless, whatever capacitors or resistors you replace on the board, the pedal still sounds harsh or noisy. I tried replacing the stock JRC4558s on the Metal Zone using Burr Brown OPA2134 but it only increased the distortion of the pedal causing my other mods to fail. However, replacing the Mitsubishi M5128 chip in my DS-1 with an OPA2134 did remove the harshness of the pedal. Replacing an 8SIP chip with an 8DIP will require a chip adapter. Using an 8DIP socket and some wires, you can build your own chip adapter.

Always make sure that the layout of the pins are correct and does not short with the other pins. Always refer to the chip's datasheet that can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Also do not install an opamp in reverse orientation because this may destroy the chip. I manage to burn a $7 Burr Brown chip and a $10 AD712 chip by placing it in reverse.

You can also check this reference from Texas Instruments when choosing a substitute opamp.

http://focus.ti.com/logic/docs/crossreference.tsp?sectionId=451&familyId=1

Biasing the OPAMP/FET Transistor

You can also modify the voltage that flows to the FET amplifier or input of an op amp. By doing this mod,you can clean up or add a little more distortion to your pedal. This is by changing the resistor value connected to the source of the FET Transistor (DS-1, R9) and/or the reference voltage that flows to the gate of the FET by changing the resistor that's connected to transistor's gate (DS-1, R6). On my DS-1, I increased R9 a little bit (to 100 ohms) to bias the gate to 4.2 volts, removing a little bit of distortion in the input amplifier stage. The same principle applies to op amps. By changing the reference voltage, you can have a cleaner or a distorted output from the op amp.

You can also increase/decrease distortion by changing value of the feedback resistor connected to the op amp.

Here's a good reference for op amps - http://williamson-labs.com/480_opam.htm

Closing Remarks :)

There you go folks. When performing mods it's important to take short breaks in between, especially when testing your modded pedal. Sometimes I'll test the pedal the day after. This way I'll now that my hearing has not been impaired and my thoughts clouded by the fumes of the soldering lead. It's along post but I hope you'll benefit from this (you might see some errors in this post). Good luck with your pedals.

Vox Satchurator Tone Mod

2009-01-22T13:14:00.007+08:00

To decrease the mids of the Satchurator, replace the 47nf capacitor C3 (blue capacitor labeled "473J") with a lower value. I prefer 39nF but 33nF will do fine. To add more bass just increase the value of this capacitor.

If you want to use this pedal as a boost pedal, place a 5mm LED in series with D4. You can install the LED to a SPDT switch.

Vox Satchurator True Bypass Mod

2009-01-15T20:35:00.008+08:00

Joe Satriani's signature pedal. I think this pedal is ok. Unfortunately it's not true bypass and once the battery builds internal resistance, the pedal will loose volume while signal is routed through the clean buffer circuit.

Bill of Materials
1 - 3pdt heavy duty footswitch
1 - spdt heavy duty footswitch
1 - 1k resistor
1 - 3.3k resistor
1 = 4.7k resistor
wires
soldering iron

Disclaimer
If you think you are not confident enough to perform this mod then do not proceed. Once you removed the components on the PCB, it will be difficult to return them back. I'm not responsible if you break your pedal while performing this mod.

Instructions
1. Disassemble the Satchurator. Remove the battery cover and screws from the bottom of the pedal. Lift the knobs with a pick until they are loose. Unscrew the bolts from the potentiometer shafts and from the PAD switch. Inside the case there are more screws that hold the PCBs, remove them too.

2. Removing the components. With your soldering iron remove L2, L3 and IC3. Be careful not to damage/remove nearby components. IC3 is a Toshiba Dual Flip Flop IC. Removing this IC is quite tricky because it's glued to the PCB. You can use two soldering irons (heating the legs of both sides of the IC) and pliers (with a help of a buddy) to lift and remove the IC from the PCB. Be careful not to damage the PCB.

Removing L2 and L3 disconnects the tips of the output and input jacks from circuit.

3. Removing the footswitch and "push button PCB". Unsolder the wires that goes to the "push button PCB". Use a wrench to remove the bolt that holds the push button footswitches.

At this point you have removed the following (L2 and L3 not shown)

The Satchurator uses a 14 pin flip flop IC to activate/deactivate the distortion and clean buffer circuits. When distortion is disengaged, the supply to the distortion circuit is also cut off. By default, the distortion circuit is deactivated. We need this to be activated by default for our true bypass mod. The following steps activates the distortion circuit.

Pin layout of 14 pin IC - ignore the labels

4. Connect pin number 14 (on the PCB, not the removed IC!!!!) to pin number 1. Connect pin 7 to pin 2. By this time if you plug a guitar cable into the input and connect a battery, you would see the left LED to be lit.

5. Time to connect the 3pdt footswitch. Mount this on the pedal enclosure.

6. Short pins 6 and 9 of 3pdt footswitch.

I'm now going to use this picture to illustrate the connections (click image for larger version).

7. The yellow wire is connected to the tip of the input jack and center (pin 5) of the 3pdt switch.

8. The brown wire is connected to the tip of the output jack and pin 8 of 3pdt switch.

9. The red wire is connected to pin 4 of switch and the other end is connected to a 3.3k resistor. The other end of the 3.3k resistor is connected to right leg of capacitor near R1 and R45.

10. The orange wire is connected to pin 7 of switch and the other end is connected to a 1k resistor. The other end of the 1k resistor is connected to the negative leg of C15 (near C19)

If you test your pedal at this point, it will be true bypass but the left LED is always lit. And we will still need to work on the "more" switch.

11. Disconnect the "K" leg of of the "ON" LED from the PCB. Connect a 4.7k resistor to this leg and a wire on the other side of the resistor. Connect wire to pin 1 of 3pdt footswitch.

12. Connect a wire to pin2 and connect to sleeve "J2" of output jack.

At this point, the LED will only lit when the effect is on. Now the "more" switch.

13. Get two wires. Going back to the place where IC3 used to be, connect a wire to pin14 and another wire to pin 13.

14. Connect wire from pin 14 to left leg of spdt footswitch.

15. Connect wire from pin 13 to right leg of spdt footswitch.

16. Assemble the pedal.

At this point, the "More" switch should work. Test the footswitches and knobs and see if they are working. It's recommended that you cover the exposed wires and resistors with electrical tape so you wont have problems when you assemble the pedal.

I've also made some few tweaks. I added a switch to add more mids and another switch to increase the volume. I've also replaced the LEDs with waterclear blue and red.

Here's a video comparison of the modded Satchurator and my modded DS-1. They sound somewhat similar.

The tone mod for the Satchurator is posted here .

Enjoy! :D

Vox V847 Reissue Wah Mods Part 2

2009-01-04T17:34:00.006+08:00

Multiwah Mod

Bill of Materials

- 1 pole , 12 position rotary switch
- perf board
- non polarized capacitors ranging from 4.7 to 120 nano farad (10 nano Farad is the stock value)
- 2.2 micro farad capacitor for volume knob mod.
- wires
- drill

Instructions

- Locate capacitor "C5" and replace with two wires.

- Mount capacitors on a small perf board. Make sure that the capacitors are sorted by their values.
- Connect one leg of each capacitor to the numbered outer leg of the rotary switch.

- Short the all the remaining legs of the capacitors. Connect to a wire from used to be "C5".

- Connect the other wire from "C5" to the center of the rotary switch.

- Drill a hole on the wah casing to mount the rotary switch.

Demo Video. I'm using all 12 positions.

Vox V847 Reissue Wah Mods Part 1

2009-01-02T17:22:00.015+08:00

The latest version of this wah is made in China. Vox used SMD components which makes this pedal a little more difficult to modify. It's also the reason why this pedal is cheaper than a Dunlop Crybaby wah (only 99 Australian dollars).

This pedal is not true by pass.

True By Pass, Vocal Like Sweep and Effect LED Indicator Mod

Bill of Materials
- 3pdt (for effect LED indicator mod) or dpdt heavy duty footswitch
- 68k resistor (optional, for vocal like sweep)
- 47k resistor
- 4.7 resistor (optional, for effect LED indicator mod)
- 5mm LED (optional, for effect LED indicator mod)
- de-soldering braid or suction
- wires

Disclaimer
Soldering and replacement of small components are involved. Please proceed at your own risk. I am not responsible if your wah pedal does not function after the modifications. Do not proceed if you think you are not capable of performing these mods.

Instructions

1. Desolder the stock footswitch and replace with a 3pdt or dpdt heavy duty footswitch. Be sure that the new footswitch will "click" when the pedal is depressed. Adjust the height to your own liking.

Make sure the orientation of the footswitch is correct.

2. Short pins 6 and 9 of 3pdt (or pins 3 and 6 of dpdt) footswitch.

3. Connect the brown wire (from tip of input jack) to pin 5 of 3pdt (pin 2 of dpdt).
4. Connect the white wire (from tip of output jack) to pin 8 of 3pdt (pin 5 of dpdt).
5. Connect the blue wire (from wah pot) to pin 7 of 3pdt (pin 4 of dpdt).

This should work but it's not true bypass yet.

6. Unscrew main PCB. Locate transistor Q3 and remove.

7. Connect a wire to left most leg (collector) of used to be Q3.

8. Connect this wire to pin 4 of 3pdt (pin 1 of dpdt) footswitch.

8a. Cut and remove green wire from connector.

Your pedal is now true bypass. When you engaged the wah effect you might notice a slight volume drop. To fix this, you will need to replace a resistor.

9. Locate SMD R1 on the back side of the PCB. This is a small resistor labeled "683". Remove this with your soldering iron.

10. Remember the wire in step 7? At the back of the PCB, connect a 47k resistor to the end this wire.

11. Connect the other end of the resistor to the blob of soldering led above "R18". This blob of soldering led belongs to a leg of capacitor "C1".

After this modification, your wah and bypass signal should be of equal gain (volume).

If you want a vocal like sweep. You will need to change another resistor.

12. At the back of the PCB, locate SMD resistor "R3" (labeled "333"). Remove with soldering iron.

13. Connect a 68k resistor parallel to the two legs of inductor (labeled "Vox LA1" on the other side).

There you have it, a true bypass Vox V847 wah pedal. The following steps are optional. Please proceed if you want to add an indicator LED to your pedal.

14. Drill a hole on the aluminum enclosure big enough to fit an LED.

15. Remember Q3? Install a 4.7k resistor on the right most leg (emitter) of used to be Q3. Connect a wire on the other end of the resistor.

16. Connect this wire to the positive side (anode, the longer lead) of the LED.

17. With a wire, connect the negative side (cathode, the shorter lead) of the LED to
pin 1 of 3pdt switch.

18. Connect a wire to pin 2 of 3pdt. Connect this wire to the sleeve (ground) of the output jack.

And there you have it. A True Bypass + Vocal Sweep Like + Effect Led Indicator mod.

Marshall Bluesbreaker Clone

2008-12-21T08:36:00.008+08:00

aka YBMB or as Cartman would say, "You're breaking my balls. (http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104365) "

A short demo...

TS808 vs Bluesbreaker

DIY Pedal Mods

2008-12-05T06:33:00.002+08:00

My mom dubbed me "Distroso" or "The Destroyer" when I was a kid because I'd take something that's working and break it into pieces. I've been always curious how things work.

Star Wars

2008-12-03T06:24:00.000+08:00

Ernie Ball Music Man

2008-12-01T06:03:00.001+08:00

Need More Coffee

2008-11-19T06:22:00.001+08:00

Our very own, DIY, espresso machine.

Clock Tower

2008-10-23T19:36:00.000+08:00

Busy Bee - Ugly Kid Joe

2008-10-21T18:08:00.000+08:00

Everybody's alright with me

Possibly you'll disagree

Busy bee watch the world go by

Everybody's alright with me

That's just the way I choose to be

Everybody's on my mind

Can't sit aside and watch his world go by

That ain't me

Busy Bee watch the world go by

Everybody does their time

The people walk in crooked lines

Everybody's got their choice

But often we don't use our voice

Busy Bee watch the world go by

How could you be so blind ?

Some people they just ain't satisfied

Watch the world go by

I always hear the school bell ring

Let the children dance and sing

Just let us find what's been lost

So many people get torn and tossed away

Busy Bee watch the world go by

Everybody's alright with me

More Guitars

2008-10-19T17:20:00.000+08:00

Shred Machines

2008-10-03T21:54:00.001+08:00

Ibanez rg450gxwh and prestige rg2550exgk, both japanese models.

Poser from the Early 90s

2008-09-28T19:43:00.000+08:00

See :D

Washburn N8

2008-09-27T21:12:00.004+08:00

Shred and burn. Found this picture while browsing files in my computer.

PS3 Games

2008-09-27T19:08:00.000+08:00

Broadband Woes

2008-09-26T17:24:00.003+08:00

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Unwired. In the email they said that they are going to upgrade their prepaid plans, increasing the $99.95 plan from 3GB of bandwidth allocation to 10GB and increase the speed from 300kbps to 512kbps. Can't wait for my current internet voucher to expire and experience the upgrade. And lo, I've reloaded my prepaid subscription and yet speed tests shows that my average download speed is only 70kbps. Buti pa sa Pinas, mabilis at mura lang ang internet.

Ever since kinabit ni Sarah yung wireless router tsaka yung wifi modem ng unwired, I never moved it from it's place. Nasa tabi naman kasi ng bintana at nasa top floor naman kami ng hotel. Then today I decided to move it's location. Sinubukan ko ilagay labas, sa may balcony yung modem and did experience some improvement. Baka yung brick wall ang nagbloblock ng reception. Then I moved the router and modem near our bed, sa loft area at ayun! 512kbps at last. Phew!

Playstation 3

2008-09-21T16:06:00.001+08:00

Just got one today.

Confused?

2008-09-20T17:43:00.000+08:00

Qantas A380 Arrives This Sunday

2008-09-19T06:57:00.002+08:00

Buhay ay Parang Pinikula

2008-09-16T17:01:00.002+08:00

Pose lang ng pose!

Death Magnetic - Metallica

2008-09-14T15:07:00.001+08:00

Out now.

Saudades de Rock - Extreme

2008-09-14T11:16:00.002+08:00

Bought this album at JB-Hifi. Lufet ni Nuno! And say no to piracy!

Extreme Website

Boss GT10 vs Line6 Pod XT

2008-09-13T19:48:00.000+08:00

More toys for me!

Richie Kotzen - Go Faster

2008-09-13T17:37:00.003+08:00

Bought this album from ITunes store and it's the best Richie Kotzen album ever.

Richie Kotzen Store

ESP Kirk Hammett KH2

2008-09-13T10:16:00.002+08:00

"Are you a Metallica fan?"

Specs

25.5” Scale
Alder Body
Maple Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard
Locking Nut
43mm Neck Width
Extra Thin Flat Neck Contour
24 XJ Frets
Black Hardware
Gotoh Tuners
Floyd Rose Bridge
EMG 81 (B) / 81 (N) Active p.u.
Finish: BLK

ESP Kirk Hammett Website

Sinabi nang "Go Away!!!" eh.

2008-09-13T08:17:00.004+08:00

Bago kayo tumuloy pabasa muna nito baka kasi di nyo ma-gets ang kwento ko. Hehehe.

Tuwing umaga, papasok sa office, bumibili kami ng breakfast ni Sarah sa Hungry Jacks o sa Mc Donalds. Sa sobrang dalas naming bumili sa Hungry Jacks, nakikilala na kami ng crew at alam na nila ang order namin.

One time, may bagong recruit ang Hungry Jacks Oxford Street. Eh nalate na naman ng gising si Sarah kaya medyo nagmadali kami.

"Can I have a sausage muffin with cheese meal and a bacon muffin with cheese." Sabi ko.

"Have here or take away." Sabi ng bagong crew

"Go Away!" Ang mabilis kong sagot.

Napasimangot yung crew sa akin at tawa naman ng tawa si Sarah. Napahiya din ako. Nainis yata sa akin yung crew at inabot ng 5 minutes bago naibigay ang order ko. Aba! gumanti.

Sydney vs Ottawa vs Manila

2008-09-13T08:01:00.001+08:00

Chowking

Magigising ka ng gabi, kumakalam ang sikmura. Tingin sa orasan, it's 2 am. Dampot wallet, labas ng bahay, sakay ng pedicab. Alas dos ng madaling araw, inaantok si manong magbisikleta. Baba sa kanto, bukas ang Chowking. Bili ng siomai, siopao at halo-halo. Take out. Sakay ng pedicab uli pauwi. Kain tapos tulog. (Manila)

Magigising ka ng gabi, kumakalam ang sikmura. Tingin sa orasan, it's 2 am. Walang pedicab, walang Chowking, sarado na ang Hungry Jacks (Burger King) at McDo. Tulog na lang uli. (Sydney)

Magigising ka ng gabi, kumakalam ang sikmura. Tingin sa orasan, it's 2 am. Mc Donalds lang ang bukas sa labas. Sobrang lamig at hindi ka makatayo sa kama (Ottawa)

Take Out, To Go at Take Away

Quarter Pounder meal nga, large fries, take out. (Manila)

One Quarter Pounder meal, upsize the chips (french fries), take away. (Sydney)

One Quarter Pounder and poutine (french fries), to go. (Ottawa)

Signature Iced Chocolate

Me: One Iced Choco nga, with cream on top. Paki crush yung ice.
Starbucks Employee: Ay sir, hindi po pwede. Mocha frap na yun. (Manila)

Me: One Signature Iced Choco with cream on top.
Starbucks Employee: Do you want the ice crushed?
Me: Yes please. (Sydney)

Me (pabulong sa sarili): Bat wala akong makitang Starbucks, puro Tim Horton's? (Ottawa)

From Bahay to Office

Distance: about 2 to 3 kilometers
Taxi fare: 70 pesos
Jeep: 15 pesos
Bus: 10 pesos
Train: 12 pesos plus malayong lakaran
Pwedeng Lakarin? Pwede

Distance: 5 kilometers(?)
Taxi Fare: AUS 40 (1200 pesos)
Jeep: N/A
Bus: N/A
Train: AUS 5 (175 pesos)
Pwedeng Lakarin? Hindi pwede

Distance: 10 kilometers(?)
Taxi Fare: bus nalang
Jeep: n/a
Bus: Travel Pass
Train: bus nalang
Pwedeng Lakarin? Subukan mo

Uwian

Ang oras ay 5 o clock. Hay, dalawang oras pa ang hihintayin. Sobrang traffic sa labas. (Manila)

Ang oras ay 5 o clock. Bilis, habulin na natin yung shuttle. Medyo matraffic, medyo lang .(Sydney)

Ang oras ay 5 o clock. Ako nalang ang tao sa office? Walang traffic? (Ottawa)

Circular Quay, Sydney

2008-09-13T04:41:00.003+08:00

Night shots of Circular Quay and the famous Opera House in Sydney.

Mahirap Mag-Ibang Bayan

2008-08-10T09:22:00.000+08:00

Ayan Michelle O, ang paghihirap ni Rommel.

Levitation Trick

2008-08-09T07:24:00.001+08:00

All you need is a camera, friends and a little creativity.

More Pics Here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/arjinted/tags/levitation/

To Bondi Beach with Friends

2008-07-27T07:43:00.001+08:00

Another fun in Bondi Beach with Sarah, Rommel, Max and Cherry. It's still winter season and the water is so darn cold! But it's a nice day for a photoshoot.

Lesson: Always bring a teleconverter.

Friends

And me

More Pics Here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/arjinted/tags/bondi/

Alak Pa!

2008-07-26T09:55:00.000+08:00

Marivic's birthday celebration.

Home Sweet Hotel 3

2008-07-22T09:36:00.000+08:00

Penthouse - Medina Central

Ayan o may momo oh!

Wyd Syd 2008

2008-07-20T09:40:00.002+08:00

World Youth Day 2008

Yey! Pinoy!

We Are Moving

2008-07-10T07:35:00.000+08:00

Darn World Youth Day 2008 event. For more than six months Sarah and I stayed here in Oaks Hotel Hyde Park situated in the heart of Sydney CBD. Now the hotel is kicking us out because apparently the whole hotel was booked by someone for a week from July 14. Could it be some high ranking official from Vatican city? Maybe.

Anyways, we are moving to Medina Grand for a couple of weeks and hopefully find a fully furnished apartment here in Sydney. I hope we can get an apartment near Bondi or Coogee Beach. It may be farther away from work but it will be a blast for sure.

Joe Satriani Concert!

2008-07-05T09:50:00.000+08:00

Woohoo! \m/

Macro Gear

2008-07-02T09:39:00.000+08:00

Tamron SP AF90 F/2.8 lens, Nikon R1 Macro Flash, Kenko 2.0x Teleconverter, Hoya +5 Closeup Achromat Filter

The results

Another Cloudy Day in Sydney

2008-06-22T06:51:00.000+08:00

Long Exposure

2008-06-17T20:19:00.000+08:00

Set your camera on timer and shutter priority mode. Set shutter speed to 20 seconds and press the shutter button. Take a pose and don't blink.

Moon

2008-06-17T10:07:00.000+08:00

Tough shot. Taken with a D300 + 50-500MM lens and a 2x teleconverter.

Macro Photography By Sarah

2008-06-11T06:38:00.000+08:00

Sarah is into photography as well.

More Pics Here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwbwcks/tags/macro/

What's In My Camera Bag?

2008-06-08T20:24:00.000+08:00

Lowepro Rolling Computrekker

What's Inside?

Nikon D300
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
Sigma 50-500mm f/4 lens
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 wide angle lens
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 macro lens
Tamron 70-300mm lens
Nikon Extemsion Tubes
Kenko 2x Teleconverter
Niron R1 Macro Flash
Manfrotto Monopod

Pre Nuptial Photoshoot Ni Rommel

2008-06-07T09:59:00.000+08:00

Nak ng! Artistahin!

Bazooka Joe

2008-06-06T09:46:00.000+08:00

New lens. Sigma "Bigma" 50-500mm. Compared to the 70-200mm lens, it's bigger and a bit heavier.

Bondi Beach

2008-05-15T07:16:00.000+08:00

Another nice day to laze around.

More Pics Here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwbwcks/tags/bondi/

Blue Mountains, Sydney

2008-05-14T05:24:00.000+08:00

A group trip with our co-workers to the Blue Mountains here in Sydney, Australia. This was four days before my birthday this year.

More Pics Here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwbwcks/tags/bluemountains/

Good Night Hyde Park

2008-05-02T19:55:00.000+08:00

Night View of Hyde Park

2008-04-25T09:57:00.005+08:00

Wide angle view from our hotel room in Oaks Hyde Park Hotel, College Street Sydney

Sydney Tower

www.arjinted.com

2008-03-16T13:34:00.001+08:00

www.arjinted.com points to my blogger page

New Hobby

2008-03-10T04:23:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I posted here.

Well, Sarah and I started a new hobby. Digital Photography. I was having problem with my Sony Digicam and decided to by a DSLR. First I bought a Nikon D40 and after our Blue Mountains trip I returned it to the store and upgraded to a Nikon D80. After a month I bought a Nikon D300.

My D300

Sarah's D80

Toto Concert

2008-03-06T10:14:00.000+08:00

Sarah and I watched it.

Netscape Dead

2008-02-24T10:44:00.001+08:00

Ditto.

I think IE will be next. Go Mozilla!!!

HD DVD Dead

2008-02-24T10:33:00.000+08:00

Blu-ray or HD DVD?

If you are planning to buy a HD DVD player, it's better not to. HD DVD is dead.

Wedding Pics

2008-02-23T05:37:00.007+08:00

More Pics Here - http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee16/chickiesnbwbwcks/

Bwbwcks on Ice

2008-02-13T10:50:00.001+08:00

Washburn N4 ESA

2008-02-13T04:59:00.000+08:00

Bought this in during my trip to Ontario Canada last year. A Nuno Bettencourt signature guitar.

More pics here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/arjinted/tags/n4/

Specs:

Built in the USA Custom Shop
Swamp ash body (N4SA)
22 fret maple neck with ebony fingerboard
L500 Bill Lawrence™ bridge pickup (Upgraded to Dimebucker)
Seymour Duncan® '59 neck pickup
Original Floyd Rose® tremolo
25.5" scale
Stephens® extended cutaway 5-bolt neck joint
Spanish Luthier's headstock joint
14" pitch-angled reverse headstock
Grover® 18:1 tuners
Buzz Feiten Tuning System™

Washburn N4 Website

Velvet Revolver Next Week!

2008-02-06T12:19:00.001+08:00

I'm set!

Nightwish Concert

2008-02-02T06:22:00.002+08:00

Enmore Theater, Sydney, Australia

Forgot to charge the battery on my camera. Wheeewww!!!!

Rock Week 2008

2008-01-25T12:23:00.000+08:00

Long weekends dito sa Sydney dahil walang pasok sa Monday. It's Australia day!

Bought some Steve Vai and Dream Theater transcriptions to keep me busy. And a Tascam guitar trainer

And next week is my rock week! Dream Theater concert sa Moore Park and Nightwish concert sa Enmore Theater!

Nuno and Kotzen

2008-01-17T16:02:00.001+08:00

Washburn N4 + Sobbat DB-3

Sydney vs Manila vs Ottawa

2008-01-15T14:25:00.000+08:00

Dream Theater Concert

2008-01-14T06:06:00.000+08:00

This was early this year at the Hordern Pavillion here in Sydney. It's awesome to watch John Petrucci play guitar on stage.

Back to Sydney

2008-01-12T12:56:00.000+08:00

I'm here sitting at the business class lounge of Philippines Airlines sa Centenial Airport. Napaaga ang check-in ko ng dalawang oras kaya may oras pa akong makapag-blog bago magboard sa eroplano panuntang Sydney. I'm not that excited dahil 2nd time ko nang makapunta ng Sydney. And also i'm missing my wife, pero no worries dahil after ng three weeks stay niya sa Ottawa susunod naman siya sa akin sa Australia at dun namin tutuloy ang honeymoon natin.

Dinala ko na yung n4, left the xbox at home para makabawi naman sa tagal kong hindi paggigitara.

Mrs Sarah Flores

2008-01-10T02:42:00.001+08:00

Pre Nuptial Photoshoot

2008-01-07T15:50:00.001+08:00

See more photos

The Wedding

2008-01-06T23:55:00.001+08:00

It's one in the morning. I can't sleep. In two days I'll be changing my marital status from "single" to "married".

With only five weeks of preparation, how did we pull it off?

The Wedding Coordinator

Usually kapag weddings at least six months ang preparation. Buti nalang nakahanap kami ng wedding coordinator na really knows what she is doing.

Thanks Ms Bleu for making things happen.

Weddings and Event's By Bleu - http://msbleu.multiply.com/

The Venue

Really nice place. Just greens everywhere. One weddings per day. This place was recommended by Ms Bleu.

La Huerta Estate - http://lahuertaonline.com/

The Food

Another great recommendation by Ms Bleu. Kakatuwa yung food tasting namin, pinuntahan ng mommy ni Sarah at inuwi nila sa bahay yung samples, hinati nila at inuwi ko sa bahay. I think I was carrying 5 large plastic bags of food. :)

Henry's Catering - http://www.henryscatering.com.ph/

Video and Photography

Again by Ms Bleu. If it's good enough for Vandolph, and Bro Eddie Villanueva's son, it's good enough for me and Sarah.

Raymond Vince Cruz Photography - http://www.rvcphotography.com/

Sarah's Wedding Gown

Ms Bleu uli. Kaso wala ng website eto :)

Bridal Touch Couture
48 - C Congressional Avenue, Quezon City

Hair and Make Up

Ms Bleu. Gloria Katipunan - Here's a news article

Me Suit

Ms Bleu was suggesting for me to buy my suit at Linea Italia, but it's way too expensive for me. This one is on me.

Onesimus - http://www.onesimus.com.ph/

Accomodations

Ms Bleu uli.

Seven Suites - http://www.sevensuites.net/

Officiating Minister

Bro. Mel Maldupana

Sound System - Strings

I thin Ms Bleu will use the same one they use at Gazebo Royale. Strings will be shouldered by my cousin and brother.

I'm Back!

2008-01-06T23:42:00.000+08:00

After months of no updates, this blog needs one. A lot of things happened over the past months.

Zappa Plays Zappa Concert

2007-12-13T07:10:00.000+08:00

Dweezil Zappa and Steve Vai is amazing! Best concert ever!

Fender Telecaster

2007-12-13T05:56:00.001+08:00

Bought these guitars in Ontario, Canada. The orange one is a Fender American Deluxe Telecaster

Specs:

Model Name American Deluxe Telecaster®
Model Number 010-1600-(Color #) and 010-1602-(Color #)
Series American Deluxe Series
Colors (700) 3-Color Sunburst
(Polyurethane Finish)
Body Premium Alder.
Neck Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood (p/n 010-1600) or Maple (p/n 010-1602), 9.5” Radius (241mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
Pickups 2 Samarium Cobalt Noiseless™ Tele® Pickups (Neck and Bridge)
Controls Master Volume (with S-1™ Switch),
Master No-Load Tone Control
Pickup Switching 3-Position Blade and 2-Position Push/Push S-1™:
S-1 Switch Up:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge Pickup in Parallel with Neck Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup

S-1 Switch Down:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge Pickup in Series with Neck Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup
Bridge American Tele with 6 Chromed Brass Saddles
Machine Heads Fender®/Schaller® Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 4-Ply Aged White Pearloid on (731), (782),

Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.6875” (43 mm)
Unique Features Knurled Chrome Knobs,
Abalone Dot Position Inlays,
Top of Body Bound with Tortoise Shell Binding,
Contoured Back,
Highly Detailed Fret and Nut Work
Accessories Standard Molded Case,
Cable,
Strap,
Straplocks
Case Standard Molded Case
Introduced 1/2004

Fender Telecaster Website

Ipods

2007-10-28T06:54:00.000+08:00

Got a new Ipod Touch and a Nano for my brother.

Home Sweet Hotel 2

2007-10-28T06:50:00.000+08:00

Medina Darling Harbour

Nice hotel room. Quite spacious. My room is on the top floor facing the harbour. Lots of people in the streets especially during weekends.

XBox Live

2007-10-04T07:01:00.000+08:00

Hay. Another boring weekend. Nothing to do but play Halo 3 on Xbox live on my new LCD TV.

Honeymoon Suite Concert

2007-08-18T20:47:00.000+08:00

This was during the SuperEx 2007 Festival

Sarah's New Keyboard

2007-07-13T07:28:00.000+08:00

M-Audio Keyboard

Day at the Park

2007-07-07T07:44:00.000+08:00

Elgin Street near our hotel and the Parliament house.

Guitar Pedals

2007-07-05T08:40:00.001+08:00

Home Sweet Hotel

2007-06-29T06:34:00.000+08:00

Extended Stay Deluxe - Cooper Street

Work vs Play

2007-06-26T07:41:00.000+08:00

Canada Day 2007

2007-06-01T08:47:00.000+08:00

Guitar Stuff

2007-05-27T09:08:00.000+08:00