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wParam
Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 6
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:22 am Post subject: Lights on the SG--thoughts? |
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I've been trying to come up with something else interesting to do to my guitar controller, and adding some kind of lights to it seems like an ok idea. At first I was thinking I'd just stick some white LEDs behind the fret buttons to light them up, but after trying that with a keychain light, I don't think it would work that well; you can see the grid of plastic support through the surface.
Some time passed, and I got a broken ps2 controller from the used shop, so now if I make the cord on my primary controller removable, I can add the 9 volt rumble wire to it, which I assume is capable of driving a few hundred milliamps of current. I've already got PIC firmware set up that can drive seven lights in interesting ways, and I figured I'd go with a full spectrum of lights to match the theme of my fret buttons. But I'm not sure where to put them. I was thinking something in the neck to match those marks that real guitars have, something like this:
edit: Fixed image so it's no longer flipped.
But, I'm not sure if that's too spread out, maybe I should put them in a close line somewhere on the body.
Anyone have any suggestions? Does having them on the neck like that look too ridiculous? Where would you put them?
Last edited by wParam on Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Squirrel
Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 4828 Location: Wyano, PA (Come visit! My gameroom is always open.)
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:31 am Post subject: |
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That looks awesome
I say go for it
As for LED power, I dunno what you could use to pull the power. I'm not sure if the PS2 would like it if you pull the current from the +5 volt and ground (Pins 5 and 6 I believe, respectively), or if it'll even put out enough power to light the LED's.
If worse comes to worse, you can always add 4 AA"s inside of the SG, drill in a switch, and make the lights work that way. _________________
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deshtruction
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 1371 Location: Miami, FL
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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love the paintjob! _________________
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SHAR
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 148 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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Is that a lefty guitar _________________
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sluggo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 850
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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Unless there's some logistical reason you can't do the lights like that, I'd go for it. That layout looks awesome. |
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wParam
Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 6
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Is that a lefty guitar |
You know, I felt like when I made that pic that there was something not quite right about it, but I couldn't place what it was. The camera picture I had was reversed, and I hit 'flip horizontal' instead of 'rotate 180', which is what I meant. So yes, that guitar was a lefty guitar, but in non-photoshop-screwed-up reality, it's a regular right handed one like any other.
Thanks, but it's actually not painted. That's the pick guard and fretboard from one of the new red guitars. My friend got one of the red ones and decided to put his old white and brown parts on it and then offered the black parts to me. Overall I think it makes the red guitar look better, too.
As far as powering the thing, I was hoping to use the power supply that usually drives the rumble motors in a normal ps2 controller. (The normal SG cord doesn't have this wire; I'm going to replace it with a wire from a standard ps2 controller.) Though, I'm only gonna try that if I can find some information on how much current it will safely drive. (One page I found says that the normal VCC pin has a 750mA fuse on it in the PSX; no mention of ps2.) Mounting an internel 9v battery might be better in the long run. |
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SynysterGates
Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 814 Location: Toronto, Ontario (GO LEAFS!)
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:41 am Post subject: |
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that guitar looks so damn nice, seriously you better do it. the only thing i suggest is moving the 2 yellow lights down to the 12th fret(like how real guitars have it) instead of the 10th fret. i mean unless there was techincal problem with that.
but yeah switching the pickguard is an awesome idea, black on black looks awesome, and i always hoped that the red SG would come with a white pickguard _________________
As he's dying in dreams
I hope you're choking in your sleep
Just try and breathe and justice push the pillow down
- Fear Before The March Of Flames |
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Clovic
Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 567
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:53 am Post subject: |
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Dude, that is awesome. I wish I had the resources to do that sort of thing. |
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JWideman
Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 394
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:59 am Post subject: |
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The Hammer has a blue light on either side of the strumbar, which makes it light up nicely. |
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gweeto
Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 82
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:10 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Thanks, but it's actually not painted. That's the pick guard and fretboard from one of the new red guitars. My friend got one of the red ones and decided to put his old white and brown parts on it and then offered the black parts to me. Overall I think it makes the red guitar look better, too. |
Thanks for the Idea!
I have both guitars and think that would look better
I'm gonna have to do that too _________________
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Rorschach
Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 446 Location: Baltimore, MD
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:12 am Post subject: |
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It looks like the Offspring's bassist's bass.
Go for it. _________________
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Squirrel
Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 4828 Location: Wyano, PA (Come visit! My gameroom is always open.)
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:41 am Post subject: |
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gweeto wrote: | Quote: |
Thanks, but it's actually not painted. That's the pick guard and fretboard from one of the new red guitars. My friend got one of the red ones and decided to put his old white and brown parts on it and then offered the black parts to me. Overall I think it makes the red guitar look better, too. |
Thanks for the Idea!
I have both guitars and think that would look better
I'm gonna have to do that too |
Agreed _________________
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GarrenF
Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 108 Location: Sulphur, LA
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Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:26 am Post subject: |
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I guess you can call what I did to mine a sucky job, but it's going to suck if you don't have the right tools for the job. For my guitar, I used Christmas lights (how gay) powered by two 9v batteries and twisting 2 wires together which made the lights come on. I used a hot glue gun in the place of a soldering iron and twisting 2 wires together which should have been a small toggle switch (Which, by the way, are expensive. 5-8 bucks!). I drilled 3 holes in the fret board just big enough where the lights protrude out and using the plastic tapered part of the lights as a stop. It was neat while it lasted, except I'd get pissed from time to time and throw my guitar around (even shattered my window) and now the lights are busted off, the actual wires have been pulled out to only where the plastic shows with no wire coming out the end, the whammy bar's broken, and you can now hear the batteries bounce around in the body of the guitar. I've drawn a diagram to show you how it looks, and I even took pictures of the actual guitar before it looked like it's been through hell. Once I get a new guitar, I'll come up with a better idea. LED's would work nice since they don't pull as much power, but damn, they aren't cheap.
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pelleperkele
Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 1
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ArtesEscuras
Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 129 Location: Dallas, TX
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Have you made the guitar yet, Param? This project looks awesome just from the blueprints. _________________
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