Lights on the SG--thoughts?

**wParam** · Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 6

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?

**Squirrel** · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:31 am Post subject:

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

love the paintjob!

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**SHAR** · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 148 Location: Ohio

Is that a lefty guitar
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**sluggo** · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 850

Unless there's some logistical reason you can't do the lights like that, I'd go for it. That layout looks awesome.

**wParam** · Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 6

**SynysterGates** · Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:41 am Post subject:

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
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**Clovic** · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 567

Dude, that is awesome. I wish I had the resources to do that sort of thing.

**JWideman** · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 394

The Hammer has a blue light on either side of the strumbar, which makes it light up nicely.

**gweeto** · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 82

**Rorschach** · Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 446 Location: Baltimore, MD

It looks like the Offspring's bassist's bass.

Go for it.
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**Squirrel** · Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:41 am Post subject:

**GarrenF** · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 108 Location: Sulphur, LA

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.

**pelleperkele** · Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 1

i did a led mod for my sg about 6 months ago.
i was going to put the led's like in the first post but the screws that hold the front and back of the neck together were on my way so i made it like this:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/pellefin/guitar4.jpg

the leds are powered by 9V battery and they have ON/OFF switch next to the whammy bar.

here's few pics of the wiring:

http://personal.inet.fi/koti/pellefin/guitar3.jpg

http://personal.inet.fi/koti/pellefin/guitar2.jpg

**ArtesEscuras** · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 129 Location: Dallas, TX

Have you made the guitar yet, Param? This project looks awesome just from the blueprints.
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