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Adding J-160E (Lennon) style controls to an acoustic...


mielkea

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Posted

Hey All -

 

I have a Blueridge acoustic dred that I'm thinking of adding J-160E / Lennon style volume and tone knobs to the front of. (I know drilling into a nice solid wood top - oh the horror).

 

Anyone have (or could) make a wiring diagram for that? I have a couple different sound hole mag pickups to try in there (a Barcus Berry / a Lace / a Shadow) but want the volume and tone knobs on the face of the guitar.

 

Thanks for any advice - or tips...

 

Andrew

 

517028.jpg

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Posted

NO!

 

those J-160's are notorious for sounding terrible. just buy an outboard EQ, the knobs and pots will ruin both the aesthetics of the instrument and the sustain. plus will look terrible, they will stick up like half an inch. and i'd like to see you find a tech who would do that, unless you paided him a pretty penny:D

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if you want a pure stage acoustic... i'd say do it if you want to... just don't expect great acoustic sound anymore... by the way, thats a p90 pickup without a cover on that lennon...

 

i gotta appreciate the thinking outside the box, but pretty much nobody since lennon has done this, and there just may be a reason...

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Posted

Originally posted by Cldplytkmn

i gotta appreciate the thinking outside the box, but pretty much nobody since lennon has done this, and there just may be a reason...

 

It must have been a couple of years ago on Ebay... Somebody was auctioning a butchered D-28. The pickups were gone, but there were two rectangles cut out - one on each end of the soundhole - humbucker sized. And four holes drilled in the top for volume and tone controls.:eek:

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Posted

Originally posted by mielkea

Hey All -


I have a Blueridge acoustic dred that I'm thinking of adding J-160E / Lennon style volume and tone knobs to the front of. (I know drilling into a nice solid wood top - oh the horror).


Anyone have (or could) make a wiring diagram for that? I have a couple different sound hole mag pickups to try in there (a Barcus Berry / a Lace / a Shadow) but want the volume and tone knobs on the face of the guitar.


Thanks for any advice - or tips...


Andrew


517028.jpg

 

I'd put them on the side, just before the neck block, both for looks and practicality: It'll probably never again fit in it's case and if it does, one good bump could break the face of your Blueridge.

 

Just something to think about...

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Posted

Thats true...

 

I think it seems sort of handy for having the controls there, and would look unique as I don't know any J-160E players...

 

Maybe there's a reason for that too...

 

Hmm...

 

 

 

 

Originally posted by Cldplytkmn


i gotta appreciate the thinking outside the box, but pretty much nobody since lennon has done this, and there just may be a reason...

 

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Posted

Well, if you just want the look, you could always attach fake knobs to the front of your guitar with that putty that is used to stick temporary soundboard transducers onto guitars. Just stick the knobs on before the gig, and then pop them off afterwards before you close the guitar case. And no one's the wiser... unless of course one of the knobs falls off in the middle of the gig and you're exposed as a ridiculous poseur.

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Posted

IMO, the hot set up would be a J-160 with a K&K Pure Western. The only problem is you'd have two cords. But I bet it would be fun to tweek around with it in the studio.

 

Run the pup to an amp mic'd, and the K&K direct to the board. Heck, why not put a mic on the guitar too?

 

No one would be able to duplicate the sound.

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Posted

nah... add a third knob to blend in the K&K pickups onboard... or even better... install a trinity western system in it and just disregard the p90, use the two knobs as the volume knobs normally found on the beltpack. Just take the circuitry out of the beltpack... yeah thats what i'd do... haha

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Posted

Man you guys are geniuses!

 

I could get a little Fridge installed in the back to keep the beer cold while I play too... oh wait - I usually play in church.

 

Keep the soda cold...

 

Would the K&K be easy to install volume and tone knobs from the pickups to the jack?

 

AM

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Posted

I don't know, but I don't think you could wire the K&K together with a regular pup. Check the website, you'll see how they are.

 

but that crazy rig I suggested would work.

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Posted

 

Originally posted by Cldplytkmn

it'd take some good wiring skills and a bit of ingenuity, but the system is already set up for two volume knobs to mix the signals

Did'nt know that.

 

I'm not thinking "live playing", I'm thinking studio. But that's just me.

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Posted

1. Reinforce the spruce top with a disc of plywood where you are going to drill the holes for the pots. Glue these discs on the underside of the top or you will sooner or later get a perfect split in the wood running up the length of the top.

 

2. Of course be strategic about where you locate the pots so that a drill hole doesn't pierce a soundboard brace.

 

3. Sure you don't want to just use a soundhole magnetic pickup?

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