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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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 Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 12:36 am Post subject: |
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| ford2112 wrote: | | That's a cool mod! So is it really accurate? |
It's accurate (in fact it's response is likely thousands of times more precise than a mechanical switch) but it can take some getting used to. Because there is no mechanical lag it will throw off your sense of rhythm if you have played a lot with a strumbar guitar. When you use the strumbar you learn to compensate for how long it takes to move the strum bar back and forth. With the light beam you still have to move something to break the beam but since that something is likely your finger(s) or just a pick it doesn't feel like as much lag. As such you have to play a little more "on the note" than you would with a strum bar. The difference might only be a couple of milliseconds but it does still "feel different."
Also, I've got to tweak the placement of the LED/Receptor because they tend to want to be kind of low and that makes it difficult to get your finger or a pick in there if you want to strum. Tapping still works fine but depending on your technique tapping can be very difficult to do both quickly and accurately. I've done two guitars now, one I was able to mount the LED higher than the other. The one with a higher LED is MUCH easier to play. As such I'm going to have to produce a new assembly where the strum bar was that has higher raised up areas on either side of where the strumbar was so that I can mount the LED up higher. |
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ddrsensation
Joined: 08 Jul 2008
Posts: 319
Location: Papillion, NE
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:09 am Post subject: |
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Not sure if anybody's said this already:
It's unpractical, but it seems like a great party tool for a lot of fun. |
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wutang01
Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| adderd wrote: | Hmm.... A step by step PDF... yes, this could be a possibility.
And I have considered mounting a string.
Right now I'm sort of reeling because I didn't expect the level of interest and enthusiasm that has happened. I just tried to mod a second guitar today and it didn't go so well... Took way too long and doesn't work as well as the first. It turns out that Nyko Rockband/Guitar hero guitars are no fun to try to mod. I guess I should stick to the official guitars for Rockband, RB2, GH3, and GH:WT. Every single guitar model is different inside so that really sucks for trying to write up a tutorial or come up with a kit. |
You performed the mod on a Rock Band 2 guitar right?
That's what I'm planning on modding, both of my RB2 guitars (strummers really really loose).
But yea, I'm willing to pay you money via PayPal for step-by-step guide and a shopping list. I'm willing to buy the kit off you as well.
Maybe not a pre-modded guitar though, since I'm located in Australia.
Edit: Would it help if I opened both my RB2 guitars and took a photo of the insides for you to see? Maybe they're the same model as the one you modded? |
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damienjam
Joined: 06 Jun 2007
Posts: 15
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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While reading this entire thread, my only thought was....what about elbow strumming for those of us that use it for things like the TTFAF intro? I'd assume it would work by just breaking the beam with the tip of your elbow, but have you tested this?
_________________
It's not fear that grips him, just a heightened sense of things. |
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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| wutang01 wrote: |
You performed the mod on a Rock Band 2 guitar right?
That's what I'm planning on modding, both of my RB2 guitars (strummers really really loose).
But yea, I'm willing to pay you money via PayPal for step-by-step guide and a shopping list. I'm willing to buy the kit off you as well.
Maybe not a pre-modded guitar though, since I'm located in Australia.
Edit: Would it help if I opened both my RB2 guitars and took a photo of the insides for you to see? Maybe they're the same model as the one you modded? |
It was actually a revision 1 rock band 1 guitar. Basically the oldest rock band guitar type in existence. Pictures of the insides of a RB2 guitar would be helpful. My brother has one but doesn't want to tear it apart because it's nearly brand new. |
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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| damienjam wrote: | | While reading this entire thread, my only thought was....what about elbow strumming for those of us that use it for things like the TTFAF intro? I'd assume it would work by just breaking the beam with the tip of your elbow, but have you tested this? |
I have not tried that though I suppose it does sound like it could work. |
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rpeet687
Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 557
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:48 am Post subject: |
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| Could this work by putting it behind the normal strum bar and attaching something to the strum bar that hits the beam of light? |
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boardshltless
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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I opened up my Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 guitars and took a bunch of pictures for you. The Rock Band 1 guitar is the newer model, with the magnets or something instead of the little metal bars that got bent on the strum bar.
Here's the links:
Rock Band 1 Guitar
Rock Band 2 Guitar
Hopefully this helps. A bunch of the pictures are a bit blurry. I tried to get it as clear as I could, but my camera's not fantastic and the lighting wasn't great. |
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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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| rpeet687 wrote: | | Could this work by putting it behind the normal strum bar and attaching something to the strum bar that hits the beam of light? |
I did think about doing that. But, I really wanted to do away with the strumbar all together. |
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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| boardshltless wrote: | I opened up my Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 guitars and took a bunch of pictures for you. The Rock Band 1 guitar is the newer model, with the magnets or something instead of the little metal bars that got bent on the strum bar.
Here's the links:
Rock Band 1 Guitar
Rock Band 2 Guitar
Hopefully this helps. A bunch of the pictures are a bit blurry. I tried to get it as clear as I could, but my camera's not fantastic and the lighting wasn't great. |
The guitars look pretty similar from a wiring and circuitry standpoint. The strum switches are different but that doesn't matter because they all seem to work the same way: connect two wires together. And it doesn't matter what the strumbar or switches are like because they won't be around.
It should be pretty straightfoward to mod either guitar. Does a RB2 guitar have an on/off switch on the back of it like the RB1 guitars do? It appears so from your pictures. On the RB1 guitar I did I just soldered wires to the leads that get activated when the switch is in the ON position. Past that the wiring is exactly like shown in my schematic. Do note that if you use a phototransistor you should wire it properly to the transistor spec. That is, the common lead should have the +V side of the wiring to the switch and the emitter should have the 0V side. I did post explanation earlier in this thread of how to go about various things.
Since your guitars are so similar to the one I initially did you could do the mod exactly as I did it. So writing up a detailed tutorial would just be a question of whether I can remember everything I did. ;) |
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boardshltless
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, there's an on/off switch on the back, just like there was on your model.
I was pretty sure the two guitars were identical enough for these purposes, but I figured I'd give you pics of it instead of just saying that they should be the same.
So, write up a step by step for dummies and let us know so we can pay you and start making our own! |
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wutang01
Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 4:53 am Post subject: |
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Damnit, boardshltless beat me to it lol.
Opened up my nearly broken guitar, which I plan to mod sometime soon 
But anyway, good news that the RB2 guitar is pretty much exactly the same as the RB1 guitar.
In all honesty, I don't know what's improved between RB1 and RB2 guitars. Except for the sunburst look for standalone guitars, the strummer wasn'tt improved that much.
So hence why I'm really interested in this mod ;)
Edit: Would you still like pics of my RB2 guitars? I have two, the standard black that came in the SE bundle ... and the sunburst one, bought standalone. |
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born2bounce
Joined: 02 May 2008
Posts: 366
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| BriGuy wrote: | Fantastic mod!!! I'm glad someone finally took me up on my suggestion to build something like this (cringe!!)
I'd really love to know what components and circuitry schematic you used to build this so I can add this to my Guitar Modding 101 thread. I can totally see adapting this tech to drumming and other stuff.
Could you use a more narrow beam and then be able to use a pick? |
Use this for air drums and then have no sound! |
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tycho
Joined: 31 May 2009
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:10 am Post subject: help |
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After finishing the mod I can only get it to work when the emitter and receiver are about 3/4 of an inch apart. I used the GH3 LP. I was wondering if you had any suggestions. Let me know if you need a list of the components or any other info.
Thanks
Tycho |
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adderd
Joined: 13 May 2009
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:13 pm Post subject: Re: help |
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| tycho wrote: | After finishing the mod I can only get it to work when the emitter and receiver are about 3/4 of an inch apart. I used the GH3 LP. I was wondering if you had any suggestions. Let me know if you need a list of the components or any other info.
Thanks
Tycho |
That certainly sounds like you don't have enough light coming out of the LED or something. Two things:
1. What resistor did you use for the LED? And how many batteries does that guitar take?
2. Did you try adjusting the potentiometer to see if it gets better/worse? |
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