World's First Tapping Instrument Cables Survey (Take Two) ...

[traktor]

I tried this in another thread, but some loud noise arose and so I'll start over, and hopefully things will go better ...
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An interesting question came up on this forum recently ...

Is it better to have two mono cables coming out of your tapping instrument?

Or is it better to have a stereo outjack on the instrument, from which come two mono cables?

It's not exactly a *burning* question, but it is an interesting question. And if we knew the answer, maybe it would help manufacturers tend to provide what players prefer.
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So in an effort find out what's the most preferred cables arrangement, I've prepared a mongo-short survey.

Please share your opinion. The world needs your input!

It takes approximately 8 to 14 seconds.

Please participate in the Output Cable Preference Survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PJGmuq_2fJGIgu9llWxQwMyQ_3d_3d).

With your help, we will learn the answer to this question.

[AlanKroeger]

Something to consider...
Using a XLR type connector with the locks so they can't get yanked out too easily. Send it to a break out box and then do whatever one needs with the signals from that point out...

[loneguitarist]

Originally posted by AlanKroeger
Something to consider...
Using a XLR type connector with the locks so they can't get yanked out too easily. Send it to a break out box and then do whatever one needs with the signals from that point out...

I have a guitar that I modded to be like that - it is a strat with a humbucker and two single coils, no controls on the guitar, and an rs232 serial cable connector that leads out into a metal break-out box with footswitches for the pickups, volume and tone controls, switches for phase and coil-splitting, and a little patchbay so i can send the signals out to different channels etc.

I think something like that would be really useful on a tapping guitar as long as it used readily available cables, such as the roland GK cables or some other DIN variety.

[Tom Drinkwater]

I like having two mono outs. Mostly because I can use regular (cheap) cables. To avoid cable clutter you can use wire ties and bundle them together.
That would be a nice option on the Megatar. I'll bet that an email to Traktor could make that happen on a new Meggie if someone ordered one. I'm still holding out for pearloid pickguards and a candy apple red finish. I would call it the Megacaster.

[traktor]

Originally posted by Tom Drinkwater
I like having two mono outs. ... That would be a nice option on the Megatar. I'll bet that an email to Traktor could make that happen ... I'm still holding out for pearloid pickguards and a candy apple red finish. I would call it the Megacaster. Megacaster. I like that.

Of course, if anyone wants two mono outs, that can be done on any model.

And we can do the candy-apple red finish.

But I've had little success finding the pearloid. I also think that tortoise-shell on a wine-burgandy instrument would be beautiful. But I haven't found the tortoise-shell.

I've only investigated this a little, but the problem, so far, is that these alternate pickguard materials seem to be commonly available in rather small sizes, and the second issue is that our pickguard is structural, and needs to be both sturdy and about 1/8" thick. So most likely some sort of flat lamination will be needful to put the (thin) fancy stuff atop the (sturdy) structural material.

I don't know much about flat-veneer lamination, although I suspect that vacuum-clamping would do the job. If anyone knows a source of large pieces of pearloid and tortoise-shell material, let me know.

And if some of you haven't done so, please enter your thoughts on the Output Cable Preference Survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PJGmuq_2fJGIgu9llWxQwMyQ_3d_3d), thanks.

-- Traktor

[PhoBucket]

Originally posted by traktor
Of course, if anyone wants two mono outs, that can be done on any model.

And we can do the candy-apple red finish.
If anyone knows a source of large pieces of pearloid and tortoise-shell material, let me know.


Now we're talking.

Tortoise (http://www.grizzlytools.com/products/Pick-Guard-Blank-Tortoise/H6392)

Buttercream pearl with tortoise, no dots, quad pickups, dual mono...hmmm

Pickguard Blanks (http://www.grizzlytools.com/products/searchresults.aspx?q=pick%20guard)

[Jim_D]

Hey, this is veering into modding megatar territory, so we can move this to my thread if needs be. To stay on track I'm a single stereo cord fan. If I had to have two mono's, I'd end up joining them with some sort of sheath or cable ties else I'd be falling over all the time.

You can back-paint clear perspex for custom colour pickguards - that's what Dave Gregory used for his Fender Duo-Sonic which you can see here - http://www.guitargonauts.com/pick-48.html

I regard my natural wood with black pickguard to be the equivalent of the "Megacaster" - looks like a butterscotch tele and in the same way it asks you only to play it!

[PhoBucket]

Is it OK if we forward the survey link t9 friends who might not be a member of this forum?

[traktor]

Originally posted by PhoBucket
Tortoise (http://www.grizzlytools.com/products/Pick-Guard-Blank-Tortoise/H6392)

Buttercream pearl with tortoise, no dots, quad pickups, dual mono...hmmm

Pickguard Blanks (http://www.grizzlytools.com/products/searchresults.aspx?q=pick%20guard) Thanks, Ben,

You know, back when I was searching for materials, which was about 7-8 years ago, Grizzly sold no guitar parts, and though I've noticed them expanding their lutherie supplies, the penny didn't drop.

Thank you very much. I've checked the measurements and it would work out. I'll need to find a supplier of abs plastic to back them, but that shouldn't be difficult. And I've sent an inquiry to a vacuum-clamping company to see how difficult the vacuum lamination would be. (They can also probably be laminated with 75 pounds of buckshot in a bag as a weight, but vacuum would probably produce a more perfect laminate.)

I'm really glad I mentioned the difficulty. When you gotto lotto friends, somebody knows the answer! Thanks again!

[traktor]

Originally posted by Jim_D
... You can back-paint clear perspex for custom colour pickguards - that's what Dave Gregory used for his Fender Duo-Sonic which you can see here - http://www.guitargonauts.com/pick-48.html ... Thanks for bringing up this idea. We actually experimented with this once on a time. It worked well, though it is time-consuming.

It's a great way to match the pickguard to the body color, and we still could do it today if desired.

We have a small supply of clear polycarbonate pickguards on hand, that can be used. (I think this is the same or similar as 'perspex'.)

[traktor]

Originally posted by PhoBucket
Is it OK if we forward the survey link to friends who might not be a member of this forum? Absolutely.

But if they're interested in such things, why not invite them to join the forum?

But, sure, invite them to participate in the Output Cable Preference Survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PJGmuq_2fJGIgu9llWxQwMyQ_3d_3d).

[traktor]

The Tapping Instrument Cables survey was begun as a light-hearted idea, but the early results are kind of interesting.

We don't have a very large sampling, so the results aren't altogether certain. (If you haven't taken the time to answer these few simple questions, it would be great if you would!)

Read the Cable Survey Results here (http://tinyurl.com/684lxh).

Of course, the survey will be a lot better when we have some more people taking the survey. Hey, wait a minute. *You* are a person. *You* could take the survey!

I believe you will discover that, after you have given your input for the survey -- takes only 7-17 seconds -- that you will discover that the world has become a better place.

You want the world to be a better place, right?

So ... take the Cables Preference Survey here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PJGmuq_2fJGIgu9llWxQwMyQ_3d_3d).

You'll be glad you did!