Members herbie d Posted September 4, 2011 Members Share Posted September 4, 2011 I'm getting closer to setting up this acoustic for slide guitar. I've posted stuff on it a few times. Its a Regal, which is a Stella-ish looking guitar. I have a used Bill Lawrence pick-up from the earlie 80's I'm going to hard wire into it, I think I'll put in an end pin jack, and I want to put a tone and volume control on it. On one of the other posts, some one put a pic of Lightning Hopkins sporting a similar guitar. The two controls are on the guitars top! I thought about doing this because... its a cheap plywood guitar, and figured it wouldn't hurt anything. Most of the sound will come from the pick up anyway. After reading up on that guitar, and after close inspection, I realize... it's not a ply wood guitar! Its made from solid Birch. I know the top is, from inspecting the edges of the sound hole where the paint is worn off, and acording to what I have read, the sides and back are solid as well.[ATTACH=CONFIG]338406[/ATTACH] I really like the look of the controls on the top, like in that Lightning Hopkins pic, but am I setting up a future problem, or robbing what tone the guitar has, doing this? I really want the controls on the top, but maybe I should put them on the upper side, near the neck, like I have with other guitars I've added electronics to. Whatcha think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members herbie d Posted September 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 4, 2011 [ATTACH=CONFIG]338407[/ATTACH]This is it! That guitar looks so cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastblueheeler Posted September 4, 2011 Members Share Posted September 4, 2011 I don't think you'll notice any difference in tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RevRomansky Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 Put in a strap peg jack. Worry about volume and tone at the amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 I don't think a few small holes are going to hurt the sound of the guitar any. If having the controls on the top of the guitar is the look you're going for, do it. You're right - most of the tone is going to come from the pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 I don't think you'll notice any difference in tone. No - you won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 I really like the look of the controls on the top, like in that Lightning Hopkins pic, but am I setting up a future problem, or robbing what tone the guitar has, doing this? I really want the controls on the top, but maybe I should put them on the upper side, near the neck, like I have with other guitars I've added electronics to. Whatcha think? On the upper side, near the neck, precisely for the reasons you give... OTOH, ask yourself "Do I REALLY need those knobs?...can't I just strum/pick nearer the bridge when I want a brighter sound, and nearer the fingerboard when I want a mellower sound? Can't I pck harder for more volume and softer for less?" The less between the p/u and the amp, the purer the tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RevRomansky Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 I don't think a few small holes are going to hurt the sound of the guitar any. If having the controls on the top of the guitar is the look you're going for, do it. You're right - most of the tone is going to come from the pickup. Sure, won't affect sound probably at all, but now your really messing with originality. If you had a junker no-name, sure, but a Regal, solid top at that, I'd avoid marring it and destroying originality when you could easily run your pots externally in the amp or even in a plug in to the peg jack. The rule of guitar preservation. If at all possible, never refinish, never make irreversible changes. You got a Regal, and it's got intrinsic value, don't do something you can't reverse later. A peg jack is not considered irreversible in guitar land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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