Some of the most commonaly asked questions about MODboards:
Where do I
mount the MODboard?
MODboards are designed to
mount within your guitar. Each board is 1 3/8" x 2". In general you need
a control cavity that is at least 1 1/2" deep- That will allow you to
mount the MODboard in the cavity and still have room for either a
concentric pot module or Push/Pull on/off switch. In many guitars space
is tight, so you will need to carefully plan your install, and be very
patient when installing the MODboard.
Should I shield my cavity?
Yes we recommend shielding the controls
cavity using either conductive paint or metal foil tape.
How do I know which controls I need?
Every MODboard need three separate
controls-
- On/Off Switch
- Potentiometer 1 - J1 - Top Jumper Block-
- Potentiometer 2 - J2 - Bottom Jumper Block-
The Switch may be either a Push/Pull
switch (Part # PPOT) or a surface mounted mini switch. (Part # MSW) You
can use the Push/Pull control to replace a normal passive control on
your guitar- either a volume or tone control. The pots may be either two
separate pots (Part # SPOT) or a single Concentric pot (Part # CPOT).
The third paramteter is J3, which is a board-mounted pot. This control
is set during your testing and is not variable during performance.
What's a good setup for a Strat?
There are two basic Strat setups- "Modded" concentric and "Stock" separate.
In modded mode you replace the middle
tone control with a concentric pot. You replace the tone control with a
push/pull pot. The volume pot stays as-is, and using this configuration your controls from top to bottom are- Volume (Passive),
Concentric (CPOT) knobset (Active), Master Tone (Passive). When the Tone
knob is down the guitar acts exactly like a passive Strat, with Volume
and Tone control. (The tone knob affects all three pickups)
In "Stock" mode you actually lose some
passive control, relocate the volume control, but the guitar now looks
totally stock. You replace the Volume pot with a single active (SPOT)
pot for Parameter 1, replace the neck tone control with (SPOT) Parameter
2, and then install a (PPOT) push/pull pot in the bottom hole. This
becomes your Passive volume control and your on/off control. You have no
tone control using this system. If you want the volume control in the
top hole, which just feels better to most players, you'll need to use a
standard 250K pot and a separate SPST switch for on/off. We like to put
the switch between the lower two knobs.
What's a good Setup for a Les Paul or
similar?
You have
two basic four-knob, twin humbucker setups- "Modded" concentric and
"Stock" separate.
Modded mode leaves the two separate
Volume controls, a single Master Tone control, and you
install a single stacked (CPOT) concentric pot stack to control the
MODboard. This gives you the most passive control when the MODboard is
off, but you lose one vintage knob and install a concentric knob. This
is also far easier than the stock method, since you do not have to
rewire the toggle switch.
Stock mode leaves you with four stock
looking knobs- You now have a single Master Volume (Passive) knob,
single Master Tone (Passive) knob, and then searate (SPOT) knobs for the
two adjustable MODboard parameters. You must replace either passive
controls with a passive push/pull control to switch the unit on and off.
What about a PRS or similar?
A typical PRS has a single rotary
or toggle switch, Master Volume and Master Tone. You must lose your
tone control, replacing it with a concentric Pot. You replace your
volume control with a push/pull on/off switch. In general you'll use the
PPOT-500.
Can I leave everything stock and just
have an on/off switch?
Sure- You MUST use pots to
control J1 and J2- if you have the room you can simply hook up the SPOT
single potentiometers and tuck them into the control cavity, leaving a
totally stock layout.
Can I use Multiple MODboards in a single
application?
Sure- most MODboards run at idle
pulling only .35MA- even maxed out you never exceed 18ma, so you should
be able to operate 3 effects off of a single 9 Volt battery.
Can I modify the MODboards?
There are many way to modify the
MODBoards, but ANY mods to the circuit board itself will void your
Guitarfetish 1 year warranty. |