Guitars and Pickups > GK-13 Reference Library
VG pickup switching Options / Modifications
Elantric:
<Ed Manning wrote>
In an earlier post I outlined how I intend to fit a new 5-way switch
to my piezo and GK3 equipped guitars. This is for both an improved
range of ordinary pickup sounds and (mainly) to be able to use the 5-
way to switch between VG pickup positions like a normal guitar.
I'm fitting a 4-pole 5-way switch. One of the poles will be switching
a small bank of 2K2 ohm resistors. The sum resistance (relative to
ground) will go to the rear/external controller input of the VG-99
(or earlier) via the unused pin/wire in the GK cable.(Pin #9)
Each switch position corresponds to an EV7 pedal position and so is
easily assigned to the pickup switch position parameter in the VG.
Of course it could be assigned to any VG parameter.
The above involves minimal wiring within any VG unit, just one wire (Spare pin #9)
from the GK input socket to the external controller jack.
Source for 4-pole 5way Switch
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/Super_Switch.html
Watch for plans on how to implement this great idea!
Elantric:
Reposted from here:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/midiguitar/message/25902
<Wayne wrote>
I started an ebay auction with VG-99, VG-88 and GR-20 video demos:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130192626784
You can read the text of the auction, but I'm using a standard toggle
switch on the guitar in place of the S1/S2 push button switches.
This gives you a new 3-position switch, and in the video demos I use
this switch to turn VG-99 COSM guitars on and off, mimic a Les Paul
pickup switch, or duplicate the MODE switch on vintage GR controllers.
I've done the same mod of a standard Fender Roland-Ready Strat by
replacing the Gtr/Gtr+Synth/Synth with a toggle switch.
I primarily use the VG-99/VG-88, so replacing the Gtr/Synth toggle
switch was a easy way to mod the guitar without making any permanent
changes.
I will post the programming details later, but this works by NOT using
the standard S1/S2 assignments, but using the more flexible
assignments in the VG-99.
Wayne
Darter:
Wayne:
The link is dead. Do you have another? Any plans you can throw at us? Schematics? What about a GK3? The pin (9) is used. Have you found a work-around? I setup an FS-6 foot-switch and programmed CTRL3,4 to function as the toggle switch but it is a pain. Do tell. I'm really curious!
Elantric:
http://www.joness.com/gr300/vwham.htm
musical_edmond:
GK3 on a Steinberger/Hohner PLUS new VG99 pickup controller
I finally finished fitting a GK3 to my Hohner G3T. My main VG guitar is a Godin so I did this both to create a small, portable VG99 backup guitar and to test my idea of using a 5-way switch as a VG99 pickup controller and so make virtual pickup switching more intuitive. I selected the Hohner G3T not just for its size but it's a lot cheaper than a Steinberger and will be as good for virtual guitar sounds.
There was a lot of trial and error involved in completing this so I'm sharing my experience. Some points to note:
1) The GK3 in this position fits very snugly on such a small body. Obviously I took off the metal clamp but only a small part (at input switch) overhangs the guitar body. The Hohner still fits fine into its small guitar case. All wires come up through the old tone control hole and into the GK3's centre hole. The GK3 is secured using a clamp via the same centre hole and the normal screw at the 13-pin lead socket.
2) The guitar mag pickups are permanently wired into the GK3 mag input so no need for an external lead. The old guitar socket is also still active.
3) As the GK3 sits over the old tone control postion, I originally used a stacked volume/tone in the volume control position. But it was a bit tall (likely to hit it when playing) so I reverted to the old volume control. I never use the tone anyway and can programme the GK3 volume if I need one.
4) The hex pickup lead goes into the bridge pickup surround plate and passes into the volume chamber alongside the mag leads. This worked really well as the hex lead and its connector passed through the existing hole so no woodwork routing was needed. The lead exits the old tone hole and into the GK3.
5) I changed the Hohner's old 3 pickup toggle switches to a 4-pole 5-way switch for the reasons below.
6) The 5-way switch uses 3 poles for the mag pickups giving me my favourite settings of neck; middle; single-coil bridge; middle + single-coil bridge; humbucker bridge.
7) The 4th pole of the 5-way switch is switching a resistor array to emulate a 5-position Roland EV-5 controller. This is connected to pin 9 of the GK3's 13-pin socket. At the VG99 end, I removed the lead connecting pin 9 to the motherboard (was very easy!) and wired this internally to the external controller socket. So the guitar 5-way switch can now be programmed like a standard external EV-5.
There is more that I learnt but it's probably not of general interest here, such as disabling GK3 use of pin 9, ungrounding the GK3 mag input.
I expect there is some interest in using the 5-way switch as an EV-5 controller. This was a big success and works so well that I frequently forget whether I'm playing the mags or a virtual guitar and have to look at the input switch position. Of course it can be used for other VG switching functions and the up/down switches are also freed up for other uses. The resistor steps I used are 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 (all Kohms). These were arrived at using a meter as the EV-5 is not straight forward (uses tip and ring resistance).
The only hard part of the project was soldering on the GK3 board. I accidently fried a surface resistor by holding for a fraction too long! I also tried using a GK-2A. This is much easier to work on but doesn't fit as well on the guitar body so I would have cut some of it off.
I was apprehensive when no one replied to my question about the GK3 pickup poles not aligning with the strings. Although I saw this before starting, I took a chance and went ahead, slightly biasing the position for the high E as it has a narrower vibration swing.
Hopefully the above information will be of use. Feel free to ask questions.
Ed
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