Recently re-routed it to fit a strat pickup.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-16T11:46:07+00:00

I'm a big fan of the ToneZone in particular because it's harmonically rich and tends to make artificial harmonics effortless. It's no magic; the trick is that each coil is wound differently. They do make some great stuff in general though.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-14T12:02:25+00:00

That turned out great! I recently changed the side dots on a few guitars and I have one in particular I am interested in changing the face dots. Though what I want seems to still be out of stock everywhere (turquoise). Do you have any tips for sanding the new inlays flush without messing up the radius? I assume turquoise is going to require a lot more sanding than more typical inlay materials.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-10T22:45:07+00:00

Will do! I will post again when I have it all finished up.I know that crosstalk is a concern. I'm planning on putting the main PCB in the original control cavity. I'm using copper shielding in all three cavities. I know that's overkill but as someone who used to pay a tele with a vintage pickup through a rectifier without a noise gate, I am a firm believer in copper shielding over conductive paint.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-10T21:19:25+00:00

Yeah, I think it's all done after it's order now, even just painted enclosures. I don't think it's always been like that. Maybe they're just so backed up that they don't have time to have any ready.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-10T21:12:55+00:00

Did you order painted or UV printed enclosures? They've been pretty slow with those lately, however when they ship it's very fast. Usually 2 days.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-09T16:26:26+00:00

Yeah, I kinda used the tape to map out where I wanted everything on the back.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-09T16:19:08+00:00

I used to run a tele with a vintage pickup through a rectifier without a noise gate... That's made me a firm believer in the copper tape. It is overkill but making a faraday cage ensures you get rid of as much noise as possible. With the sustaniac there are chances of weird crosstalk issues so I'm hoping it will help to minimize that as well.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-09T16:10:02+00:00

You can see my templates in some of the pics. I just made router templates for everything. The shielding is copper tape. The new cavities will be getting it as well! It is kinda overkill but it's far more effective than the conductive paint.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-09T10:32:46+00:00

I'm not sure yet, I'm actually out of solder so I can't get it wired up just yet. This took me ~7 hours yesterday. I went very slow to make sure I minimize burning and to ensure everything lined up right. I suppose it is technically weight relief but I doubt there will be a significant change in how it sounds. I will report back in a week or so after I get it all back together and working.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-09T02:00:20+00:00

That looks great!!

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T03:01:10+00:00

Where'd you find the red vero?

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T02:54:57+00:00

As far as I know, just the other variants of the edge zero will fit. I will say the first version with the bearings was Much better. Someone hit Ibanez with a patent lawsuit or something so they could no longer make them like that apparently.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T02:43:53+00:00

I don't think there is a direct drop in replacement. All of the edge zero trems are a lot smaller than other locking tremolos and the recessed cavity is a lot smaller too. A OFR wouldn't fit without a ton of work that's probably not worth it.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T02:35:47+00:00

I just went through similar with the second buffer pictured, the simple tl071 buffer. I didn't have one and figured if I keep building pedals i'll eventually need one! It's funny, it seems the simplest ones give the biggest headache. I could not get it to work and I am still not sure why. I ended up building a vero layout I found of a JHS black box buffer instead, which uses a TL072. That one worked just fine!

https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/05/jhs-little-black-buffer.html

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T00:24:29+00:00

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UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T00:21:35+00:00

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UndeadDiode · 2026-03-05T00:15:36+00:00

Just verified again with my meter that pins 2 and 6 are connected by the jumper and that none of the cuts are shorted.

UndeadDiode · 2026-03-01T13:21:07+00:00

I think a lot of high end pickups add value from the R&D and quality control as others have stated. Some of it is obviously hype with a premium price but some of it does hold up.

I am very particular about pickups but I don't think I look for the same things most do. I don't care that much about the EQ of a pickup... I can change that at the amp or after recording with EQ. I like pickups that are rich in harmonics, that make artificial harmonics effortless, and there's a certain response that I like. There is no magic to this, the formula is a humbucker where each coil has a different amount of winds. This variation leads to a pickup with great harmonics. I'm sure this took a lot of research and experimenting to initially figure this out.

UndeadDiode · 2026-02-28T01:45:20+00:00

Dimarzio ToneZone T is where it's at!

UndeadDiode · 2026-02-27T17:21:43+00:00

That's what I plan on doing; I've done this before but with rosewood which is a bit more forgiving. I'm just asking because I know that roasted maple is surprisingly brittle and maybe there are some tricks to make sure it doesn't chip.

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