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Buy an $80 Strymon MIDI cable? Nah, make one!

Strymon TRS to DIN5 Midi cable, Opto Isolated. Would prefer right angle plugs but still a proof of concept really as there wasn't a verified layout I could find online... this started on a breadboard this avo. The Iridium just became a little more awesome with 300 onboard presets

Cdog wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 3:41 pm IMG_20231023_160413325.jpg
IMG_20231023_151417335.jpg

Buy an $80 Strymon MIDI cable? Nah, make one!

Strymon TRS to DIN5 Midi cable, Opto Isolated. Would prefer right angle plugs but still a proof of concept really as there wasn't a verified layout I could find online... this started on a breadboard this avo. The Iridium just became a little more awesome with 300 onboard presets

I did a ghetto version, skipping the opto isolation and just wiring the three pins that carry signal or attach to ground to the tip, ring and sleeve (in the right order). Has worked perfectly so far...

robthemac wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 5:14 pm

Cdog wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 3:41 pm IMG_20231023_160413325.jpg
IMG_20231023_151417335.jpg

Buy an $80 Strymon MIDI cable? Nah, make one!

Strymon TRS to DIN5 Midi cable, Opto Isolated. Would prefer right angle plugs but still a proof of concept really as there wasn't a verified layout I could find online... this started on a breadboard this avo. The Iridium just became a little more awesome with 300 onboard presets

I did a ghetto version, skipping the opto isolation and just wiring the three pins that carry signal or attach to ground to the tip, ring and sleeve (in the right order). Has worked perfectly so far...

Nice! Was wondering if all the extra shemozzle was really necessary. Do you use many presets with the iridium?

Cdog wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 5:21 pm

robthemac wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 5:14 pm

Cdog wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 3:41 pm IMG_20231023_160413325.jpg
IMG_20231023_151417335.jpg

Buy an $80 Strymon MIDI cable? Nah, make one!

Strymon TRS to DIN5 Midi cable, Opto Isolated. Would prefer right angle plugs but still a proof of concept really as there wasn't a verified layout I could find online... this started on a breadboard this avo. The Iridium just became a little more awesome with 300 onboard presets

I did a ghetto version, skipping the opto isolation and just wiring the three pins that carry signal or attach to ground to the tip, ring and sleeve (in the right order). Has worked perfectly so far...

Nice! Was wondering if all the extra shemozzle was really necessary. Do you use many presets with the iridium?

I don't use MIDI control for the Iridium. It's only really on my board on the off-chance that I play live and without an amp, or if I'm recording at home. Maybe twice in the past six months.

I use MIDI contol for the Volante, Nightsky, Sunset and MD-500 though. The Strymon ones are dead simple to control by MIDI. The Boss, less so...

ChAoZ wrote: ↑Sun Oct 22, 2023 7:50 pm Should probably be doing housework and gardens, but that's a waste of a long weekend

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Second one is catching up to the first one

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Are those bodies solid walnut? Hows the weight of them?

Lostininverness wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 7:08 pm Are those bodies solid walnut? Hows the weight of them?

Yes, solid one piece from some slabs I purchased more than 2 years ago and air dried, still have electronics cavities and comfort contours to do - they are heavier than an Alder body but not too bad, I can weigh them when they are finished for ya

As usual I have started making something else before finishing what I already started, Elm burl top on Walnut, thinking baritone 6 for this one

Wow... That top!

ChAoZ wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:22 pm As usual I have started making something else before finishing what I already started, Elm burl top on Walnut, thinking baritone 6 for this one

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stunning top. Love to know where you sourced that!

also, is that an original shape? Looks good!

I love your motivation guys…inspirational!

Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 8:26 pm
stunning top. Love to know where you sourced that!

also, is that an original shape? Looks good!

Traded timbers with a fellow guitar builder, this is the smaller of the 2 book-matches that I acquired - still have another set
Shape is based on a Mayones with more aggressive horns

Finally got the template printed for the young fellas bass fretboard

Some more progress on my S style builds, got the necks mounted with the threaded inserts and routed a recess so the neck plate sits flush with the body

Pickup hacking.

TL;DR: Changed the short hex poles for longer Fillister poles. Reduced shrillness and brought back the missing low end.

I made a post where I was looking for a pickup to replace the Full Shred that came stock in my Charvel. The FS is very bright and focused with little low end to speak of. I'm not a clinical shredder type and the FS was just too articulate for a slurry caveman like myself.

Reading around and delving into Seymour Duncan's technical articles about humbucker construction/anatomy I had a look at the Full Shred and what makes it the way it is - obviously it's no accident it sounds as it does, and since everything is cause and effect I wanted to find out what they did to make it so bright and tight. Obviously I can't change the coils, but I can change the magnet and more directly, the polepieces. The A5 magnet is fine with me so that leaves the poles.

SD mention these two things regarding polepiece choice:

"The Socket head cap screw generates a slightly tighter and brighter tone than the more traditional fillister head screw."

"Another major factor is the length of the screw itself. Fillisters are typically 3/4″ long screws. Trimming them or installing 1/2″ ones will significantly brighten up a pickup as well"

The FS has socket head screws, and they are 1/2" long - two factors that contribute to a brighter tone at the expense of low end (what we call "tightness" I suppose). Two factors I can change.

Long story short I removed the half inch hex screws and installed 12 x 3/4" long Fillisters I had lying around. According to SD that should remove some brightness and shift the resonant peak downwards adding more body, or attenuating less bass while attenuating more highs I suppose.

It worked. The 'Full Shred' is now thicker, chunkier, more 'solid' sounding, with more bass and a less piercing top end that's now a lot more workable. It's still a 14k/A5 pickup but with the polepieces being changed I find it a lot more versatile and capable of way more. It was too bright and punchy before since I don't play the clever stuff very often.



And that's about it. For the sake of 10 minutes work I feel the revoicing was very successful and I no longer hate the way the bridge pickup sounds.

Teachers only day today, so I'm at home "supervising" the children