Ibanez S Series Owners! New MOD idea!

[ShredCow]

Where the 5-way selector used to be, I removed the switch, removed the plastic cover (simply unscrew the nut inside cavity) and fashions a custom cover.

Blueark helped me drill some holes into a piece of black aryclic.

That black Arcylic can be used to cover the switch hole and then install MANY THINGS.

Like:

1) 3 x on/on mini toggles ala old school Sabers
2) 1 x 3-way LP toggle x mini toggle (2 way or 3 way)
3) 1 x 3-way LP toggle x momentary kill switch (mine)

And more, up to your imagination.

It requires NO drilling or routing so its REVERSIBLE.

For those who are SICK of the Ibanez 5-way switch that feels cheap and flimsy, and CANNOT fit anything other selector inside due to the uber thin body, this mod might just make your day. 8)

okay.
So my mods are current.

2 x 3-way on/on/on mini toggles for series / parallel / split operation
1 x 3-way EMG pup selector (Its got a long tip, i prefer)
1 x 250k Dimarzio Vol pot
1 x 1meg Dimarzio Tone pot with Mallory Capacitor
1 x momentary kill switch ala Buckethead (I have NOS Made in US ones)

*phew*

Oh yeah, Dimarzio recommends 250k/1meg for their vol/tone pot values, I tried it... so far...

I don't notice any extra brightness.
I think the tone is slightly smoother.
The taper of the tone pot is MUCH MUCH better.
The vol taper does not bleed as much highs as before.

All the above in reference to a 500k/500k setup previously installed.

Hope you guys can glean something from this little experiment of mine.

 

[namle]

wow cool!

thats one hell of a guitar!!!

gorgeous work

 

[hostile]

killlll switchhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:twisted:

 

[ShredCow]

Its interesting to note how the middle pup selector position works in relation to the mini toggles (series/split/parallel).

Middle position on pup selector is both humbuckers in parallel... and with the series/split/parallel mini toggles, I can control which humbucker I want to hear more.... by switch the wiring of the humbucker, I'm varying the DC resistance of the pups thus letting more/less of either pup thru.

Its quite cool.

And I find myself actually switching around because the tones are all usable....

Or am I just trying to find an excuse to have that many switches on my guitar? :wink:

 

[Vaiyen]

you've got a Frankenstein there, my man.
It's a freak!

 

[sanXp]

ME WANT SOUND CLIP

 

[DarknessFury]

I like the self destruct button...looks totally cool...

 

[ShredCow]

Hahaha.. yeah , its a freak... Waiting for a piece of Rosewood which malcom gave to me... when i get that, then I'll have a rosewood cover, which is so mofo-fied aye? Aye?

Darknessfury, what self destruct? Its a kill switch... why would I want to implode my guitar?

 

[Paulo]

love the possible pickup combos. nice work there Daniel.

 

[ShredCow]

Thanks Paulo....

Regarding pup combinations... I've been thru A TON of them.

So if any of you SOFTies want to discuss wiring mods, I can help... right now, here are some ideas that can be implemented.

1) Coil Splitting
2) Parallel
3) Phase
4) Varitones
5) Pot values
6) Kill switches

At the end of day, do note, parallel/split doesn't give yoru humbucker to soud like a real single coil. Its just a close aproximation and how close depends on your humbucker. The only reason why I have so many options is because I can't afford 5 guitars to handle different sounds.

 

[theblueark]

Did you wire the killswitch to ground or to break the signal line?

 

[ShredCow]

To ground...

The killswitch is by default, off, its only " on" when depressed...

So I wired an extra (the other hot cable goes to output jack) hot cable from pup selector to the kill switch, and then from the kill switch, i wired a ground wire.

Is that okay?

 

[theblueark]

Yep that's the way You can tap the hot from anywhere along the line, the output jack also can.

 

[DarknessFury]

Darknessfury, what self destruct? Its a kill switch... why would I want to implode my guitar?

Haha...all self destruct buttons are red...=P At least the ones I've seen...

 

[ShredCow]

Yep that's the way You can tap the hot from anywhere along the line, the output jack also can.

Oh man, thats good.

There is a nice, big issue with the kill switch though. Okay, its more of a getting used to it factor.

See, when I press the killswitch down, the signal cuts. Let go, signal is back.

Its kind of... weird to try to do that to the beat. You don't usually want silence on the beat..

Oh well, if I being lefty can play righty, i think I can do this... somehow...

 

[theblueark]

You'll need another toggle switch if you want to do it the other way around. Or else you'll have to play with the killswitch permanently down. Grow another hand maybe?

 

[ShredCow]

what to do? :roll: One of life's little troubles...