GK-3 with with individually adjustable pickups

Started by Yaman, June 02, 2020, 05:34:18 AM

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Yaman

I had a GK-3 pickup without housing. So I decided to build a new one with individually adjustable pickups.

billbax

#1
Good work Yaman 8)

Centering each mini humbucker is important, and lowers a GK3's noise-floor. How about individual height adjustment, lowering the noise-floor even further.  Add the 'safe' +10dB resistor feedback mod to a GK3, and you will be touching a -100dB noise-floor. Transplant a GK3 into a metal case will add a further 2-3dB with full circuit ground-shielding. Design a dedicated GK3 sensor preamp with audiophile components, and you will get an impressive -107dB. Under tests, I've found a non-mod GK3 has a maximum overall signal-noise-ratio of about 83dB. Individual strings are about 90dB.

Thanks for showing us your work.

Bill

HAMERMAN409

Cool idea!

Do you have a picture that shows the rest of the guitar - it looks like an interesting design?

JefffM

Hey, Yaman,

That looks like exactly what I need - I'd like to fit a GK to my 6 string pedal steel guitar but the string spacing is slightyly too narrow and also needs to be completely flat.

Any chance I could pay you to to do this mod for me?

Regards,

Jeff

Yaman

Quote from: HAMERMAN409 on June 02, 2020, 07:54:41 AM
Cool idea!

Do you have a picture that shows the rest of the guitar - it looks like an interesting design?
Yes, of course:

Yaman

Quote from: JefffM on June 02, 2020, 09:15:41 AM
Hey, Yaman,
Any chance I could pay you to to do this mod for me?
Yes, I have send you a PM.

gvidelock

Thanks for the pictures! A truly inspired design.
-------------------------

Godin Spectrum SA
Godin Freeway SA
Fender Telecaster with Ghost and Hexpander
Fender Stratocaster with internal GK3 with Synth-Linx
Warmoth custom with internal GK3
Boss SY-1000
Roland GR-55
Roland GP-10
Katana 100W Head

jim-analog



  Greetings,

Great job on the pickup Yaman! Do you have any pix or other details of the interim steps involved? I'd be interested in doing the same type of project. Thanks for any info.

Regards, Jim

Yaman

#8
Quote from: jim-analog on July 17, 2020, 02:24:03 PM
Great job on the pickup Yaman! Do you have any pix or other details of the interim steps involved? I'd be interested in doing the same type of project. Thanks for any info.
Hi Jim,

I have some pictures. If you have any questions please ask.

Yaman


mooncaine


mooncaine

I see the black plastic that you used to make into a sort of channel for the pickups... I think... and it looks like you're using black plastic channels, chopped into 6 pieces, to hold the pickups in picture GK2.
But how did you shape the plastic channel to fit? Did you find something that fits, or glue these together from pieces, or....?

Yaman

#11
Quote from: mooncaine on July 18, 2020, 11:21:16 AM
I see the black plastic that you used to make into a sort of channel for the pickups... I think... and it looks like you're using black plastic channels, chopped into 6 pieces, to hold the pickups in picture GK2.
But how did you shape the plastic channel to fit? Did you find something that fits, or glue these together from pieces, or....?
The easiest way would be to use a U-profile, but I had none. So I took a L-profile and chopped it into six pieces. I glued a small strip to the profile and the pickups into the pieces with black epoxy (epoxy with ebony dust).

mooncaine

Question: I see six loose black wires, then in a later photo, it looks like:

all six wires are soldered together, but they aren't soldered to anything else

Am I right?

nix808

mighty fine work,
thanks for the willingness to show us how u did it,
and to prepare them again for us

carbon black could possibly be used also to make black epoxy
Rock and Rock my boat, as long as you don't rock and rock my boat!hehe

Yaman

#14
Quote from: mooncaine on July 18, 2020, 05:08:26 PM
all six wires are soldered together, but they aren't soldered to anything else[/i]
Am I right?
No, they are soldered together (common ground) and then to the black wire (see red circle).
The second picture is the GK-electronic and the jacks.
You can buy the 13 pin jack here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13-PIN-DIN-FEMALE-CHASSIS-PANEL-MOUNT-CONNECTOR-ATARI-KENWOOD-ROLAND-/390671564763

gumbo

Moonie...there are 7 conductors (1 from each pickup, plus one common (black) Ground) in the cable from the GK3 back to the board...this also has a Screen which is also grounded, so it terminates in an 8-pin JST ZH Female multiplug connector which in turn plugs into the corresponding male housing on the mainboard.

Exact same procedure and components for both the External Wart (used here) and the mainboard of the GK3 Internal Kit...in case you were wondering..   ;)

HTH

Cheers,
Peter
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

mooncaine

gumbo, thank you. :) When I finally feel I understand enough to cut up my GK pickup, I'll get a few jacks from you for connecting it. Definitely taking it slow here (like, years if need be).

pasha811

Great stuff. I will never be able to do that but impressed! 8)
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

jim-analog


Greetings,
   
Yaman, thanks very much for the pix! They will be a great help. A fantastic job you did there.

Regards, Jim


Quote from: Yaman on July 17, 2020, 11:49:26 PM
Hi Jim,

I have some pictures. If you have any questions please ask.

Yaman

georgef

Quote from: Yaman on July 17, 2020, 11:49:26 PM
Hi Jim,

I have some pictures. If you have any questions please ask.

Yaman
excellent work . that's the true spirit of Diy . Kudos yaman
old school DIY er Qualified by experience

luca9583

#20
Great work Yaman.

Is there a way to make a GK3 modular so that each individual mini humbucker can be placed anywhere?

This would be really effective for instruments with narrower than standard string spacing or for multiscale instruments where the angle of the bridge itself can vary quite a bit and non line up correctly with a GK.

The Cycfi NU looks great but string spacing seems fixed and the dimensions are larger than what a potential modular GK could be.

admin

Quote from: luca9583 on November 17, 2022, 03:53:14 PMGreat work Yaman.

Is there a way to make a GK3 modular so that each individual mini humbucker can be placed anywhere?

This would be really effective for instruments with narrower than standard string spacing or for multiscale instruments where the angle of the bridge itself can vary quite a bit and non line up correctly with a GK.

The Cycfi NU looks great but string spacing seems fixed and the dimensions are larger than what a potential modular GK could be.

GK-3 Mods
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=410.0

Chrismiami

Quote from: Yaman on June 02, 2020, 05:34:18 AMI had a GK-3 pickup without housing. So I decided to build a new one with individually adjustable pickups.

Hello from the future! You've inspired me to tackle this. In 2006 I thought it was a solution just right for my SteinbergerGK project but I was terrified to ruin the only hex pickup I had on hand.

Well, having nabbed a backup GR-33 recently, I now have 3 GK-3's, a GK-2 and an original Steinberger hex pickup (that was no help at all).

I'm curious if you just chopped through the PCBs or if they were already separated like that? Probably the former.

I've moved my work computers off my desk and starting tomorrow I'll begin!

Wish me luck and send advice! I feel like an ant trying to pilot an airplane!

luca9583

Quote from: Chrismiami on April 23, 2023, 10:40:34 AMHello from the future! You've inspired me to tackle this. In 2006 I thought it was a solution just right for my SteinbergerGK project but I was terrified to ruin the only hex pickup I had on hand.

Well, having nabbed a backup GR-33 recently, I now have 3 GK-3's, a GK-2 and an original Steinberger hex pickup (that was no help at all).

I'm curious if you just chopped through the PCBs or if they were already separated like that? Probably the former.

I've moved my work computers off my desk and starting tomorrow I'll begin!

Wish me luck and send advice! I feel like an ant trying to pilot an airplane!

@Chrismiami i was inspired to do this too and it works really well..

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=35100.new#new

There are a few things to be aware of.

It makes more sense to do this with a GK Kit rather than a standard wart mounted GK pickup, so that you can keep testing your connections that go from the single pups to the connector on the board, although if you're happy with the wart it should be fine.

For each chop, test the single pickup you've just chopped to check that it's working by soldering the hot and ground to it.

Be careful with your soldering iron..make sure you have something to clamp down each chopped pickup while working on if or it will fly instantly to it's death onto the iron.

As i mention in the post i linked above, make sure you get the wiring of the ground wire correct to ensure that each string is on a discreet audio path.

The soldering on each pickup is tricky and needs to be very delicate.

I didn't have space for housing on my multiscale guitar so i just had them glued onto a piece of ebony.

Keep testing as you chop and add each single string pickup and it should work well.

Chrismiami

Quote from: luca9583 on April 23, 2023, 12:35:40 PM@Chrismiami

It makes more sense to do this with a GK Kit rather than a standard wart mounted GK pickup, so that you can keep testing your connections that go from the single pups to the connector on the board, although if you're happy with the wart it should be fine.

Definitely using the KIT!

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Quote from: luca9583 on April 23, 2023, 12:35:40 PMBe careful with your soldering iron..make sure you have something to clamp down each chopped pickup while working on if or it will fly instantly to its death onto the iron.

OMG I wouldn't have thought this far ahead but yeah, now I think about it this is spot-on advice!! I'm sorry if you learned this the hard way! 8)

Quote from: luca9583 on April 23, 2023, 12:35:40 PMAs i mention in the post i linked above, make sure you get the wiring of the ground wire correct to ensure that each string is on a discreet audio path.

The soldering on each pickup is tricky and needs to be very delicate.

I didn't have space for housing on my multiscale guitar so i just had them glued onto a piece of ebony.

Keep testing as you chop and add each single string pickup and it should work well.

I was thinking about roping in a friend to do some 3D printing for the housing...

Thank you so much! It's so nice to have a pioneer on my side! 👍