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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 17:48:43 GMT -5
Post by Marshall on Dec 30, 2023 17:48:43 GMT -5
You'll remember I have an Enya X3 Pro Mini CF guitar. And I like it. It's a keeper. But while trying to install a SBT I noticed that the bridgeplate is a piece of plasticky material with hexagonal holes in it. At first I mounted the SBT directly to the perforated bridgeplate. And that gave me no sound to speak of. Then, I tried mounting the SBT directly on the top behind the bridgeplate. And that turned out to be the PERFECT feedback generating machine known to man. But I still have interest in trying to make a traditional placement of the SBT work in this guitar. Soooooooooo, I ordered some Bondo, which came today, that I will try filling the perforations in the bridgeplate with. I'll try working with that in a few days. Fun and games. (There's a traditional UST in the guitar too. I may remove the Enya system if I can get my other system to work to a level of my satisfaction.) Oh, and the nut is 1 5/8" wide. A bit narrow but workable for me. I'd prefer a Gibson width of about 1 11/16". To that end, I ordered a "Gibson" nut from Stew Mac of black Tusq material that is already slotted. That came too. And it looks like it will fit on the Enya without pushing the strings too far out for the frets to work. The Enya has a zero fret, so I don't have to get fancy with the depth of the slots on the nut. I'll just sand down the nut to match the thickness of the Enya nut.
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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 17:55:39 GMT -5
Post by Marshall on Dec 30, 2023 17:55:39 GMT -5
PS - I've also got some wood filler from the hardware store. I'll try working with both of them off to the side somewhere first to see which I can manipulate best and which one seems like the best material filler choice for my cockamamie project.
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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 18:02:03 GMT -5
via mobile
Marty likes this
Post by majorminor on Dec 30, 2023 18:02:03 GMT -5
It’s gonna be the bondo for what you are trying to do.
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Post by John B on Dec 30, 2023 18:24:09 GMT -5
I guess I would probably go with something epoxy-based, as that's probably what's holding the CF together. I don't think I'd go with either of the choices you listed. But that's just me.
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Post by millring on Dec 30, 2023 18:37:43 GMT -5
I guess I would probably go with something epoxy-based, as that's probably what's holding the CF together. I don't think I'd go with either of the choices you listed. But that's just me. I've had good luck with epoxy filler. It takes a while to set up, but after it does it's solid.
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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 19:16:13 GMT -5
Post by david on Dec 30, 2023 19:16:13 GMT -5
I would guess that Bondo will have a deadening effect on the lightweight honeycomb bridge plate.
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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 20:28:24 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Marshall on Dec 30, 2023 20:28:24 GMT -5
Cool. Thanks boys. I’ll order some PC Woodie, that is an epoxy wood filler. That’ll be fun to try.
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Post by drlj on Dec 30, 2023 21:34:06 GMT -5
This sounds like a recipe for disaster. I have to admit, though, I am really interested in how this experiment comes out. I knew a guy who patched his Chevy with Bondo but never anyone that patched their guitar with it. Or Woodie, which sounds kind of dirty to me. Bondo Woodie was an Italian kid I knew years ago, but that is irrelevant. Bondo Woodie, International man of mystery. My name is Bondo. Woodie Bondo.
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Bondo
Dec 30, 2023 21:38:41 GMT -5
Post by aquaduct on Dec 30, 2023 21:38:41 GMT -5
Cool. Thanks boys. I’ll order some PC Woodie, that is an epoxy wood filler. That’ll be fun to try. PC Woodies. I vaguely remember those.
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Post by Marty on Dec 30, 2023 22:56:30 GMT -5
I keep 1/32" birch plywood in my shop, hobby shop model making plywood.
Since plate transducers are usually positioned just forward of both E strings you could make a light weight plate for the transducer out of the plywood first to cover that area and epoxy it in place without filling in the hex pattern. Sand the bridge plate to rough it up and flatten it then glue it in using a thin film of epoxy on the plywood.. Then locate the pickup position. The reason being that if you don't like it removal will be fairly easy and you have not altered the guitar much.
EDIT: No clamps needed if you use something small and heavy laid on the new plate while the guitar is face down. Or better yet some rare earth magnets inside and out. That's how I often clamp cracks. magnet inside, thin plexiglas outside with another magnet.
The reason I have that plywood is it's what I make saddle shims from. I also use it for crack cleats and reinforcing patches. It is strong and light yet bends easier then solid wood of the same thickness.
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 1:06:33 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Marshall on Dec 31, 2023 1:06:33 GMT -5
Interesting (as always) Marty. I think I want a filler, because I don’t think the plastic bridge plate with hex holes transfers enough vibration. But a thin plywood over the filler might give a nice surface for the SBT.
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 9:27:21 GMT -5
Post by drlj on Dec 31, 2023 9:27:21 GMT -5
All kidding aside, I am interested in how this turns out. It’s not something I would feel comfortable tackling but, then, I know about 1/16th of what Marshall does about pickups. Maybe more like 1/32nd.
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Post by howard lee on Dec 31, 2023 10:27:27 GMT -5
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 10:29:34 GMT -5
Post by Marty on Dec 31, 2023 10:29:34 GMT -5
My thought if you are going to just fill and level use the lightest/firmest filler. Make sure to sand it FLAT and clean the area well.
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 10:51:30 GMT -5
Post by billhammond on Dec 31, 2023 10:51:30 GMT -5
Excerpt from AP:
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Pierce Brosnan, whose fictitious movie character James Bond has been in hot water plenty of times, is now facing heat in real life, charged with stepping out of bounds in a thermal area during a recent visit to Yellowstone National Park.
Brosnan walked in an off-limits area at Mammoth Terraces, in the northern part of Yellowstone near the Wyoming-Montana line, on Nov. 1, according to two federal citations issued Tuesday.
Brosnan, 70, is scheduled for a mandatory court appearance on Jan. 23 in the courtroom of the world’s oldest national park. The Associated Press sent a request for comment to his Instagram account Thursday, and email messages to his agent and attorney.
Yellowstone officials declined to comment. Brosnan was in the park on a personal visit and not for film work, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Wyoming said.
Mammoth Terraces is a scenic spot of mineral-encrusted hot springs bubbling from a hillside. They're just some of the park's hundreds of thermal features, which range from spouting geysers to gurgling mud pots, with water at or near the boiling point.
Going out-of-bounds in such areas can be dangerous: Some of the millions of people who visit Yellowstone each year get badly burned by ignoring warnings not to stray off the trail.
Getting caught can bring legal peril too, with jail time, hefty fines and bans from the park handed down to trespassers regularly.
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 11:01:47 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by drlj on Dec 31, 2023 11:01:47 GMT -5
Poor guy just wanted to take some steam.
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 13:17:10 GMT -5
Post by millring on Dec 31, 2023 13:17:10 GMT -5
Laura Holt will get him out of this hot water.
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Post by John B on Dec 31, 2023 13:18:34 GMT -5
Interesting (as always) Marty. I think I want a filler, because I don’t think the plastic bridge plate with hex holes transfers enough vibration. But a thin plywood over the filler might give a nice surface for the SBT. I think you'd be surprised. Is that bridge plate plastic, or carbon fiber? Big difference in vibration transfer between plastic and CF. You could even get a piece of CF to glue over the honeycomb. In fact, that would be my vote, with a slight amount of epoxy to glue it to the honeycomb. You don't want globs of epoxy absorbing those vibrations. Slow down and use the most appropriate materials. Patience is a huge virtue when working on instruments. www.lmii.com/carbon-fiber-reinforcements/2372-carbon-fiber-015-x-1-x-18.html
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Bondo
Dec 31, 2023 13:58:51 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Marshall on Dec 31, 2023 13:58:51 GMT -5
Interesting.
Yeah, I’ll experiment with different fillers on the side to see what seems best. And I’ll know more about the bridge plate when I take off the strings and explore inside some more.
I figure I’ll redo the nut first then.
Plus I’ve got some work to do on the GS Mini first. I’ll put it up for sale, but I want to swap out pickups on it first. When I do that, I’ll put a glob of each filler on some cardboard and see how the set up.
I just sold the RainSong and that went very well.
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Post by Marty on Dec 31, 2023 14:00:22 GMT -5
Excerpt from AP: CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Pierce Brosnan, whose fictitious movie character James Bond has been in hot water plenty of times, is now facing heat in real life, charged with stepping out of bounds in a thermal area during a recent visit to Yellowstone National Park. Brosnan walked in an off-limits area at Mammoth Terraces, in the northern part of Yellowstone near the Wyoming-Montana line, on Nov. 1, according to two federal citations issued Tuesday. Brosnan, 70, is scheduled for a mandatory court appearance on Jan. 23 in the courtroom of the world’s oldest national park. The Associated Press sent a request for comment to his Instagram account Thursday, and email messages to his agent and attorney. Yellowstone officials declined to comment. Brosnan was in the park on a personal visit and not for film work, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Wyoming said. Mammoth Terraces is a scenic spot of mineral-encrusted hot springs bubbling from a hillside. They're just some of the park's hundreds of thermal features, which range from spouting geysers to gurgling mud pots, with water at or near the boiling point. Going out-of-bounds in such areas can be dangerous: Some of the millions of people who visit Yellowstone each year get badly burned by ignoring warnings not to stray off the trail. Getting caught can bring legal peril too, with jail time, hefty fines and bans from the park handed down to trespassers regularly. People don't understand that the ground around some of those thermal vents may not be real solid. Just because the vent opening is 10ft away doesn't mean there isn't boiling water 3" under your feet. It would be like dropping a live lobster into a pot of boiling water. I would like to visit Yellowstone but I would be fairly scared the whole time I was there. That place is a ticking time bomb of volcanic activity. When it does go off it will most likely be the biggest eruption since 536 AD.
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