Steel Guitar Builder

The first serious run using the “system” was to profile the individual open strings (one at a time) allowing about 12 to 16 seconds for the signals to die out. The data (waveforms) were placed on one track, and a verbal description of activities placed on another using one of the R24’s built in micr...

The weekend fun was setting up the equipment described in my previous post, and giving it a test run using the BEAST as the Unit Under Test (UUT). The basic tests were for the harmonic content of each open string (excited at fret 28) as a function of time (sustain/decay), and the combined open strin...

There are a plethora of “opinions” and street wisdom re PSGs available on various Forums and platforms like You Tube and “news letters”. These all serve the good purpose of keeping the PSG pot boiling, and also the less good purpose of adding to mythology re the instrument. Nostalgia, tradition, and...

A bit about the non contact position sensor application. The link is to the magnetic Wheatstone bridge chip, and a manufacturer recommended way to use it. http://www51.honeywell.com/aero/common/documents/myaerospacecatalog-documents/Missiles-Munitions/HMC1501-1512.pdf For our purposes, we want the m...

RD...I do the layout and farm the board out. I send parts (not Rs Cs and connectors) just chips from Digi-key (Google it), and they assemble. Cost is a function of quantity 3 to 4$ each for the chips in batches of 100 ea. I buy the bare boards in batches of 100. Usually have about 10 populated for e...

Pickups and sensors: Because there seems to be some interest in the non contact sensor for ped/lev position sensing, that also works as an individual string pickup system (also all strings like the standard pickups), I thought that I would try and explain the approach. The basic sensor element is a ...

I use the Sierra slides for both pickups on the BEAST. They work with Pogo pins for the connections. Because the BEAST has two pickups, I may use them together, or one at a time. Because they are both tapped, I use a switch to select the taps, and just slide a pickup back by 1/4" to shut it off. You...

PBK; Thanks for the nice words. Credits for the BEAST are in order: Protyping and design are mine. Machining and detail design are by Don Christensen. Assembly and detailing are by Tom Baker. Pickups are by Danny Shields, and DiMarzio. Afterthought edit = pickups are slide in slide out tapped...stan...

LP; Good observation! Dragging/sawing will take place during stringing, and rolling will take place during changer activation. The shallow angle of the string crossing the finger helps minimize the effect. The effect is worse on 6061 aluminum fingers. A harder aluminum can be used. either aluminum c...

PSG vibration analysis:

Example chart:


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