Songbird conversion

swiveltung

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Been thinking of picking up an X-150 or something to use on some songs in a duo thing I do. I've been toying with this conversion for a while, as I have too many acoustics and not playing the Songbird much. Well, I finally did it. It actually came out real nice. Will try it at the gig this week. I may still pick up an X-150,not sure, need to sell an acoustic first.

PETA statement: No Songbirds were harmed in the making of this conversion. No holes drilled etc. :>)
 
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adorshki

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Besides the obvious "What's holding it in place?" question, I'm wondering what year that 'bird is?
It's showing some of that real nice silking in the top that seems pretty typical of mid-'90's to end of Westerly spruce, even their "standard" stuff .
 

swiveltung

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Besides the obvious "What's holding it in place?" question, I'm wondering what year that 'bird is?
It's showing some of that real nice silking in the top that seems pretty typical of mid-'90's to end of Westerly spruce, even their "standard" stuff .

1997 :>)
 

Nuuska

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Hello

Did you change the wiring so the output is stereo? Originally there is stereo jack, where the "ring" contact closes battery ground. Since you have that plate in soundhole, you could put the preamp on-off switch onto that in order not to harm any living songbirds. Would still be reversible. Output with insert-cable ( stereo-plug into two mono plugs ) lets you connect both mics into separate preamps / amps / amp channels . Number one choice pickup would be tip and the other would be ring on output jack, thus allowing use with regular guitar cord.
 
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txbumper57

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That looks Awesome Swiveltung! I know pickup types are mainly a tone preference among individual players but the only thing that could make that any cooler was if you had mounted and Original Guild HB-1 from the 70's or 80's into it. The conversion looks nice and clean like it could have left the factory in that configuration. Great Job, Now how does it sound?

TX
 

swiveltung

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Yeah, I just used a GIbson pickup I had laying around. It sounds good. Fairly compressed, but also real toneful and sweet. I dont know that it's the pickup or what as far as compression and warm. . Actually nice for jazzy tones. I'm finding I have to turn the treble on the Fishman Acoustic mini amp way up. I thought with no tone or volume controls on the guitar it would be bright if anything. I havent tried it with my Fishman outboard preamp yet. Hopefully that will work out. I have some flat mini tone/vol controls meant for sticking on a pickguard I could try to add. Just wanted to see if I like the result first. It's kind of a Bluesbird at this point I guess!
 

JohnW63

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Very cool. As soon as I saw the 4 screws, I had a feeling you just used them to pull wood strips up, from underneath.
 

marcellis

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Been thinking of picking up an X-150 or something to use on some songs in a duo thing I do. I've been toying with this conversion for a while, as I have too many acoustics and not playing the Songbird much. Well, I finally did it. It actually came out real nice. Will try it at the gig this week. I may still pick up an X-150,not sure, need to sell an acoustic first.

PETA statement: No Songbirds were harmed in the making of this conversion. No holes drilled etc. :>)

How's it sound? I'm wondering how it sounds in comparison to an archtop.

That's a beautiful conversion.
 

swiveltung

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How's it sound? I'm wondering how it sounds in comparison to an archtop.

That's a beautiful conversion.

Well, I like it. I dont have an archtop right now to compare with. I haven't bonded with an archtop electric for years, although I've tried. But this is for a specific use: Doing a duo show now with a female singer. So it's just the acoustic and her. There are some songs where I feel like an archtop type would be better than the piezo acoustic sound. So I did this for now. Almost pulled the trigger on an archtop. I'm not sure I would like a traditional archtop any better than this. Got a gig this weekend and will see how I feel after that. The Songbird when using the piezo is a very middy guitar. Lacks that big clean bottom a bit. You can adjust the bass on the piezo, but it seems to be more warm than clean. The Humbucker solves that.

Yesterday I put together a volume and tone control that simply plugs into the output jack on the guitar and passes the signal on to a jack for the guitar cord.. (to have a tone and volume it doesnt need to be soldered in) I used one of those flat tiny units meant to go on a pickguard. (Schatten Thumbwheel Control) The trouble after all that is, those units dont work that well, the tone changes in one big jump from bright to muddy. The volume control isnt a lot better. I really dont need the tone control so decided in the end that a volume pedal is what to do, also my outboard Fishman Preamp module works well with it!


Thinking of selling my F-20 anyway and getting an X-150 maybe. Love that little F-20 though, hmmmm.... but have too many acoustics.
 
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swiveltung

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Well, after playing last night I confirm that you need some sort of volume control. The Songbird with the Humbucker had a very different volume than my Guild acoustic with the piezo. With a sound man, you would just not be able to change guitars between songs and "go"without some sort of guitar volume.
 

Dadzmad

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Nicely done swiveltung, I like that you have not done any drilling for this mod. I think these are major sleepers. As I have posted before I added a sound board transducer behind the bridge wired in parallel with the UST on my S4CE with a good deal of success in sound improvement. I've been considering a cross the sound hole magnetic pickup to run in stereo with the transducers but have been reluctant to drill another hole for the jack. This gives me some ideas and inspiration. Looks nice - good work.
 

swiveltung

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Nicely done swiveltung, I like that you have not done any drilling for this mod. I think these are major sleepers. As I have posted before I added a sound board transducer behind the bridge wired in parallel with the UST on my S4CE with a good deal of success in sound improvement. I've been considering a cross the sound hole magnetic pickup to run in stereo with the transducers but have been reluctant to drill another hole for the jack. This gives me some ideas and inspiration. Looks nice - good work.

Previously I had the Lawrence soundhole pickup in it with the "spring arm". They work well in the small Songbird soundhole. Yeah, one of my favorite guitars, plays like an electric on these old hands.
 

marcellis

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Been thinking of picking up an X-150 or something to use on some songs in a duo thing I do. I've been toying with this conversion for a while, as I have too many acoustics and not playing the Songbird much. Well, I finally did it. It actually came out real nice. Will try it at the gig this week. I may still pick up an X-150,not sure, need to sell an acoustic first.

PETA statement: No Songbirds were harmed in the making of this conversion. No holes drilled etc. :>)

Very nice work. Lovely guitar too.
 

swiveltung

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Here's a question: So I want to keep the piezo and preamp on board also, but really dont like using the Fishman preamp i have hanging from my belt for the humbucker tone and volume. I was wondering, how about a mini switch so I can switch from the piezo to the humbucker letting either go to the onboard preamp? Has anyone ever tried that? Would it interfere with the piezo signal to the preamp when switched to piezo just because the switch is in there? I know they can be pretty sensitive to things......
 

adorshki

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I was wondering, how about a mini switch so I can switch from the piezo to the humbucker letting either go to the onboard preamp? Has anyone ever tried that? Would it interfere with the piezo signal to the preamp when switched to piezo just because the switch is in there? I know they can be pretty sensitive to things......

Y'know it occurs to me Guild must have done something similar when wiring up Slash's guitars (of which he had several and even a couple with 6-string acoustic sides, and they were definitely switched between a UST and a p'up):
guild-doubleneck.jpg

I don't think it's the switch I think it's impedance difference between a piezo and the 'bucker, can't recall exactly.
But I know member Acornhouse was wrestling with the question when he acquired a Crossroads body he's building on.
Might wanna give 'im a pm.
 
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