Hi there folks! Allow me to introduce Che'gu Badin, a multi-instrumentalist who currently resides in Kangar, Perlis. Che'gu Badin is a semi-retired music lecturer who prefers village life to the hustle-and-bustle of the big city. This video clip was captured on the evening of March 15, a few hours before the breaking of fast [iftar]. Che'gu is on the piano, serenading us with a rendition of P. Ramlee's "Tunggu Sekejap."
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Monday, March 18, 2024
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Thursday, March 07, 2024
Fernandes The Revival R-8 | Part 3
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Output Jack
I've just unscrewed the the output jack plate and flipped it over. As far as the output jack is concerned, exposed and tarnished wiring, cold solder joints, and burnt insulation seem to be the order of the day. This jack can probably be reused after servicing, but rewiring is definitely on the cards.
Gnarly Output Jack Wiring |
Pickup and Control Cavities
The R-8 pickguard has just been separated from the body, and we have a clear view of the pickup and control cavities. The body has been routed for three single-coils, and there's even a '50s-spec "worm route" in the bridge pickup cavity to accommodate the pickup leads. The control cavity, meanwhile, has been routed neatly, leaving a "shoulder" on the left of the pickup selector switch. There are also clumps of greyish-white residue in this cavity below the second tone pot, indicating component disintegration. Both the pickup and control cavities are coated in the same metallic red finish as the body, and do not appear to be shielded.
R-8 Pickup Cavities |
R-8 Control Cavity |
Ceramic Pickups
We're now viewing the underside of the R-8 pickguard, and it's evident that only the area around the pots and selector switch is shielded with aluminum foil. Zooming in closer, I'm really disappointed to see ceramic bar magnets on the underside of the single-coils. In any case, I've gone ahead and measured pickup DCR, with the following results: Neck and Middle - 4.93K, Bridge - 4.98K.
Underside of R-8 Pickguard |
Ceramic Bar Magnets |
Pots and Selector Switch
Further down, we see three mini-pots in disarray, disconnected wiring, and widespread corrosion. Now we know why this guitar produces no sound when plugged into an amplifier. Time for another zoom-in, then. We'll begin with the salt-encrusted 250K volume pot. The shaft has broken off completely, leaving a gaping hole in the middle. This alone has rendered the pot unusable.
Pots and Selector Switch |
Close-Up of Volume Pot |
The two 250K tone pots are in no better shape, and will also need to be replaced. Take a look at the second tone pot. Much like its volume counterpart, it has a broken-off shaft; and is simply "floating" in mid air. It's only being kept in place by one leg of the 0.047uF tone capacitor and a ground wire. Finally, we have a plastic-bodied Ibanez/Gotoh VLX53 five-way pickup selector switch. It's a high quality component, no doubt; but still suffers from intermittent contact after servicing. Sadly, this is another component that cannot be reused.
Tone Pots and Tone Cap |
Ibanez/Gotoh VLX53 Selector Switch |
Setting Things Right
After consulting with the owner, the plan of action is to degrime, derust, clean, polish, and reuse as many of the original components as possible. Naturally, he wants costs kept to the minimum; so only the pots, selector switch, tone cap, and wiring have been replaced. Seen below are the new control cavity components and wiring. I've retained the white and black wiring scheme to preserve originality. The body, neck and fretboard have also been cleaned and polished to the best of my ability. Well, folks, that about wraps it up for this Fernandes The Revival R-8; and thanks for dropping by.
New Electronics and Wiring |
Pickguard and Hardware Reinstalled |
Neck and Fretboard After Servicing |
Headstock After Servicing |
Fernandes The Revival R-8 | Part 2
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Body-Mounted Components
First off, we have two chrome vintage-style strap buttons, one on the upper horn and the second at the butt end of the body. Next are three single-coil pickups with white covers and flat pole pieces. These reside in a single-ply white pickguard which is attached to the body with eight screws. With the pickguard still in view, let's focus on the exposed pot shafts, mounting nuts, and washers. These show signs of oxidation, and have turned an unhealthy shade of grey. More significantly, the volume pot is actually missing. The final image shows all three control knobs. See that broken off shaft stuck in a knob? That shaft belongs to the missing volume pot.
Single-Ply White Pickguard |
Upper Horn Strap Button |
Butt End Strap Button |
Three Single-Coil Pickups |
Missing Volume Pot and Switch Tip |
Volume and Tone Knobs |
In keeping with the vintage vibe, this R-8 is also equipped with a chrome-plated six-screw tremolo bridge and screw-in tremolo arm. The six saddles are of the bent steel variety, and lack any kind of stamping. On the whole, the bridge is in need of servicing and probable parts replacement, specifically with regard to the 12 saddle height hex screws. One more concern is that the ball ends of all six strings are stuck fast within the tremolo block. I'll definitely have to find a way of removing them without damaging anything.
Vintage-Style Tremolo Bridge |
Top-Mounted Output Jack Plate |
Flipping the body over, we see a chrome-plated rectangular four-screw neck plate, stamped with the Fernandes monicker and "Made in Japan." Lower down is a white single-ply back cover, attached to the body with six screws. Removing this cover reveals the tremolo cavity and its contents, which include a die-cast zinc block, three springs, tremolo claw; and two tremolo claw screws. These components are all coated with a whitish powder, and in dire need of servicing.
Single-Ply White Back Plate |
"Fernandes" Neck Plate |
R-8 Tremolo Cavity |
Fernandes The Revival R-8 | Part 1
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Introduction
Fernandes "The Revival" electric guitars were featured in the company's catalogs from 1981 to 1990. These instruments appear to be fairly accurate reproductions of vintage '50s to '70s-era Fender Stratocasters. For more information on "The Revival," do visit the Fernandes Catalog Archive. And now, I present to you a guitar from this series, finished in metallic red. It belongs to a very nice Kemaman chap who, in his own words, "owns a few guitars." He's had it in storage for years, and believe me; it shows.
Fernandes The Revival R-8 |
Metallic Red Finish |
Headstock
The headstock face is adorned with a gold "Fernandes" logo, and smaller decals that read "The Revival," "Electric Sound Research Group," and "Original Custom Body." Other appointments include six-in-line Kluson-style tuners, a single "butterfly" string retainer for the E and B strings; and a walnut truss rod plug. On the back of the headstock is a large black-and-white paper sticker with "Fernandes," the serial number "011199," and "Made in Japan" printed on it.
Front of R-8 Headstock |
Back of R-8 Headstock |
Kluson-Style Tuners |
Serial Number Sticker |
Maple Neck
Now we shift our focus to the maple bolt-on neck, the measurements of which are listed below.
- Width at 1st Fret: 1,70"
- Thickness at 1st Fret: 0.89"
- Width at 12th Fret: 2.06"
- Thickness at 12th Fret: 0.96"
- Width at 21st Fret: 2.22"
This is definitely a one piece neck with no separate fretboard. The back of the neck features a "C" profile, tinted gloss poly finish, walnut skunk stripe and rather attractive figuring. Meanwhile, the neck heel bears an "R-8" stamp, which is the closest I've gotten to identifying this guitar. The neck heel is also where the truss rod adjustment screw is located.
One-Piece Maple Neck |
Walnut Skunk Stripe |
R-8 Neck Pocket |
"R-8" Neck Heel Stamp |
R-8 Truss Rod Adjustment Screw |
Maple Fretboard
The fretboard, like the back of the neck, is also finished in tinted gloss poly. It features a 25.5" scale length, 7.25" radius, 21 vintage-size frets; and black dot position markers. The width of the nut as measured is 1.69 inches. As to what material it is made of, do take a closer look at the file marks. Sure looks like bone to me.
Bone Nut |
Fretboard Radius is 7.25" |
Vintage-Size Frets |
Sunday, March 03, 2024
Fishman Matrix Infinity VT | Part 3
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Matrix Infinity VT Control Module
The Matrix Infinity VT Control Module is mounted underneath the bass side of the soundhole. This module receives the audio signal from the Matrix Infinity VT Preamp Module, shapes the signal, and then sends the modified signal back to the preamp and endpin jack. The Control Module allows the player to manually adjust output volume from zero to maximum, fine-tune EQ, and choose between two preset preamp voicings.
Control Module Mounting Bracket
The Control Module Mounting Bracket is affixed with a suitable adhesive to the soundboard, thus enabling the Control Module to be mounted. It is made of black ABS plastic, and identified by the part number "411-000-118." Before the bracket is glued on, Fishman recommends that the area where the module will be mounted be first sanded with fine grit sandpaper, and then cleaned with alcohol.
Control Module Mounting Bracket |
Volume and Tone Controls
The Volume and Tone controls of the Matrix Infinity VT Control Module are mounted on a PCB. These rotary controls are clearly visible when the Control Module is viewed from the front, rear and underside. Viewed from the front, the Volume Control is on the left, and Tone Control on the right. When viewed from the rear, positions are reversed, with the Tone Control now on the left, and Volume Control on the right.
Infinity VT Control Module - Front View |
Infinity VT Control Module - Rear View |
What the Volume and Tone Controls Do
The Volume Control operates in a simple and intuitive manner. Turned fully anti-clockwise, the output volume is muted, or at zero. Conversely, turning the control clockwise increases the output volume. For the cleanest noise-free sound, Fishman recommends setting the volume as high as possible without causing amplifier or mixer distortion. As for the Tone Control, turning it fully anti-clockwise deactivates it. The signal from the Acoustic Matrix® Pickup is unaffected and neutral, with a "flat" EQ. On the other hand, turning this control clockwise activates the EQ function. Midrange is progressively reduced and the the bass and treble frequencies boosted; resulting in a "scooped" tone.
What the Volume and Tone Controls Do |
Control Module Voicing Switch
The Voicing Switch is located on the underside of the control module, and works in tandem with the Tone Control. This switch selects between two preamp voices, "Neutral" and "Bass Boost." Sliding the Voicing Switch to the left yields a neutral response, which "helps control boominess and low frequency feedback onstage." In contrast, sliding the Voicing Switch to the right activates a bass boost, yielding an "extended low end for added punch."
Control Module Cable
The Control Module Cable connects the Matrix Infinity VT Control Module to the Matrix Infinity VT Preamp Module, transmitting signals in both directions. This cable is located on the lower right side of the Matrix Infinity VT Control Module, secured in place by a black cable tie. Within the cable are five conductors, including a braided shield/ground insulated with black heat shrink tubing. These conductors are soldered directly to the top of the Control Module PCB, and are arranged, from left to right - white, black, red, yellow, and ground.
Control Module Cable - Top View |
Control Module Cable - Side View |
Close-Up of the Control Module Cable |
Saturday, March 02, 2024
Takamine G Series Dreadnought | Part 3
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Close-up Shots of the Interior
Having examined the external features of this instrument, the time is nigh to take a look at what lies inside. Do take note that some of the images below had to be captured upside down, as that was the only way to get a clear shot. Through the soundhole we see our first image, which is of the truss rod access channel and part of the serial number sticker. Looking deeper, the hardwood neck block and entire serial number sticker come into view.
Truss Rod Access Channel |
Neck Block/Serial Number Sticker |
Next, with the guitar upside down, we look through the preamp cavity. That lighter-colored slab of wood sandwiched between the neck block and spruce soundboard [top] is the "neck block extension." Now we pan slightly to the left, with the neck block extension still in view. In this shot, the underside of the spruce soundboard is clearly visible, as is the end of one brace and a section of the purfling.
Neck Block Extension |
Spruce Top/Purfling/Brace |
The guitar is still upside down. In the image below, the scalloped soundboard braces can be seen clearly. Pay special attention to the two braces forming an "X" shape across the soundboard, beneath the lower end of the soundhole. This form of bracing is known as the "X-brace system," or simply, "X-bracing." In this bracing system, the lower "arms" of the "X" straddle the ends of the bridge, thereby giving much-needed support to this particular area of the soundboard.
Top Braces/Soundhole X-Bracing |
The image you see below was captured through the soundhole, with the guitar right side up. Notice that flat piece of dark hardwood wedged between two "arms" of the X-bracing, the one with six holes? Well, that is the "bridge plate;" where you insert the ball end of your strings. The bridge plate not only provides secure attachment for strings, but also prevents the ball end of the strings from damaging the underside of the soundboard.
The next four images were captured with the guitar right side up; looking toward the butt end of the Takamine. We begin with a shot of the inside surface of the back and one of the back braces. On closer inspection, it's obvious that the back isn't figured maple. Note also the lighter-colored wooden strip in the center, which runs straight down the back from the neck block to the tail block. Known as the "center strip," it serves to reinforce the center seam connecting the two halves of the back.
Wooden Center Strip |
Widening the angle, all four back braces now come into view. These braces are not scalloped like the soundboard braces. Next, panning to the right, we have a clear view of the right end of the back braces, purfling and inside surface of the guitar's left side. For the closing shot, we move all the way back to the butt end of this guitar. The rectangular wooden block with the tapered sides and a hole in its center is known as the "tail block." This block straddles the seam between the two halves of the guitar's sides, and once glued to them; reinforces the joint. And, in case anyone is wondering about the gaping hole, that's where the endpin jack is installed.
All Four Back Braces |
Back Braces/Purfling/Sidewall |
Tail Block |
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