Led electric guitar pickup mod *** Updated with schematic for blinking leds and video!

Step 8 Optional extra features.

If you want to make it so the leds turn on when you plug it into your instrument cable, all you have to do is get a stereo input jack, you can get these in many places for under $5. With the jack you would put on wire from the battery on the left channel (the part thats in the middle, its like the one that touches the right channel but it touches the ground). next you would connect the other side of your wire to the ground spot on the jack (normally the one with the bigger space). So when you plug in your guitar, the ground spot finished the circuit, there is no difference in sound quality using this method. ** You must still use a mono cable with the jack, a stereo cable with cancel of the stereo jack.

***Hsandford has a guide written up on another way of doing this, It is a bit more complicated, but will produce better results and less problems overall then this method, you can read his guide here. http://howardsandford.com/blog/flashing-leds-audio-meter-avr-attiny-guitar-pickup-wiring-sound-following-circuit/

Also you could make it so the lights blink when you strum, I have Successfully built this circuit and it
works amazingly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtR5kkf7ipw <--- link to it in action, skip to the end for me playing it, (I KNOW I SUCK AT GUITAR)!

• another thing to note is that for some reason, with the blinking circuit it seems to drain your battery even when your not playing, so to prevent this i put a magnetic switch on the positive line from my battery so when i put a magnet on the outside of the electrical panel cover it kills the battery completely.

***** this is the Schematic That works 100%!!! the part that is in red is OPTIONAL, It will make the lights come on more or less, the capacitor there boosts the amplification from 20% to 200%, and if you want it to be 50% add in a 1.2k resistor after the capacitor, you can use any resistor you want, but the higher the value the less amplification you get, wich means your leds will be dimmer!

Comments

[PJEC]

Could you do this with el wire instead of LEDs? It would produce a better distribution of the light I think...

[awilliam1]

hey, i've though about the blinking mod, & i got an idea.
why don't you just use your old "mini" computer stereos' pcb board inside, & hooked up on your guitar. so it goes like this:

1. disconnect the wire on the pcb that connects to the speakers and solder it to a bunch of led your going to put it on your guitar. (don't forget the properly solder the leds according to the + & -.)

2.disconnect the input wire(the one you connect it to the pc or something) on the pcb, hook up a new cable on it & connect it to the guitars output wire.

3. remove the volume knob and just connect the gap with some cables and stuffs.
(if you wanna remove the on of switch too, just do it just like the volume knob)

#got this idea from installing leds on psp. haha",

haven't tried on putting it on my guitar but when i tested just to check of the led blinks when i play the song on my mp3's it work well. so, i hope it works to on guitar.

p.s if there's a problem with my english, sorry. i'm just an 14 years old indonesian boy. thanks :)

[xxBlackSoulxx]

where does the GND (negative) go to

[nextorange]

I did this project but the leds are direct and not me
blink when I play, is supposed to shine as
I play guitar, I put the LM386 with a capacitor
10uF, and 8 leds THE OUTPUT, which could have been my error?

pdt: excuse me english but I speak spanish :)

[quinnyt2015]

1. Howd u wire all this on a monojack
2. what value resistors are you using

[hareluya]

Nice project, I'm trying to do it as well, but put mine in the hole where the Floyd Rose Tremolo sinks... One questions...the LM386n module, you have INPUT +/-, are these from the pick up?? How do I tell which wire it is?? Thanks!

[adem70]

yes those are the inputs for the pickup, what i did, which is the easiest way, is to just connect the + to the right(or left) channel of the jack in your guitar, and the - to the ground in your guitar. Ground is normally the full circle around the base of the jack, and the left/right is the prong that goes up and has a bend at the top.

[hareluya]

Hi Adem, thanks for the tip. I tried that, but it seemed to sabotage the sound quality a little? Am I doing it right or is there a bad connection? Also, my test on the breadboard seemed to have failed since the LED stayed on, but it did kind of get brighter when I played. Do you know any reasons for that? I'm running a 3mm LED I think it's 3.3v...? The resistor I use is 300k as advices by the shop clerk.

[adem70]

Try adding a diode to the jack so that noise from the circuit cant flow into the jack out of the op amp chip, put them attached to the jack and your + and - signal wires on the ends, make sure you put them so current can only flow away from the jack. also, you do not have enough resistance in your circuit, 300k seems like a lot, do you have them on the same wire line as the leds themselves?

[hareluya]

Hi Adem, Thanks for your response, but I'm totally confused...I'm not an electronics person, so this is a little overwhelming...and discovered that I can't even solider...=( I appreciate your help, but yeah, I think I'm totally stuck here...I guess I will have to find someone to help me locally and see if I can work something out...

[hareluya]

Hi Adem, It worked! Playing around with it and it worked the breadboard, now I just have to figure out a place to put the LEDs and solder the circuit together...my soldering skills proved to be very very very cr*p.......... Will post pick in tribute to you if successful! Cheers, Simon PS. I still don't understand the diodes, perhaps you want to update your instructions?

[adem70]

woops, forgot to write that the green with silver strips are the diodes.

[adem70]

The diodes are not necessary for the circuit to work, but they are a nice touch to the circuit. all they do is help prevent any electrical noise from entering your amp, but i had no trouble with noise, and i do not have diodes in mine. I will link to a quick diagram drawn up in paint how to put them into your circuit. http://s517.photobucket.com/albums/u335/adem70/?action=view&current=diodeonjack.jpg If you no need a more detailed diagram or more info, just ask.

[nalex1]

okay, I finally did the circuit, but the LM386 circuit "distorts" the clean signal.

so i followed your diode diagram, used 1n34 Ge diodes, but the LEDs didn't light up at all!

what diode did you use to be able to make this work?

[andre.caraco]

Hey Adem70, great instructable, thanks for the diagrams and video. I just have one question still about the pickups (sorry, if I seem inept at this subject). Are you connecting the positive and negative of the pickup directly to the LM 386n and wouldn't this render the pickup useless (no sound output) except for the LED circuit? Thanks for any response in clarifying this for me!

[adem70]

You may also want to add in some diodes, because depending on your guitars hardware it may get a little bit of feedback of of the circuit if you do not include some diodes where you solder to the jack.

[ramontrndo]

hello, i just was wondering where could I possibli add the diodes. because when conected to the amp.. the circuit starts to emmit a sound frecuency as I get the treble of my guitar to the top. It only supress the sound when the tone is 0... so I want to try the diodes...

[adem70]

No you do not connect it to the pickup itself, sorry about this being unclear. What you do it, you solder the + off the lm386 onto the jack of the guitar, the one that you plug the cable into, and then you solder the - from the lm386 onto the - of the jack. positive is the one that has the prong sticking up that touches the tip of the cable, - is the solid ring at the base of the jack

[andre.caraco]

Hey, thanks for the help and quick response, I am thinking of using EL wire instead of the string of LED's... can't wait to try it!

[jpunkäss]

I tried it and it failed, EL workes on high AC voltage, making high frequency (wireless) electromagnetic noise, that will appear on the amp even feet away!

[hareluya]

EL wire will generate a high frequency sound you may find it very annoying.....

[MusicMan587]

Hi!
Nice work!
Could you please tell me which ATtiny85 and transistor npn, used you?

[MusicMan587]

I'm trying to build this circuit (with flashing leds) but i don't understand how:
is it possible to  link the leds directly to the fifth pin of the LM386N-1 or do i have to follow the entire scheme and so to program the ATtiny?
I tried without ATtiny and one led, but this one lights always, ignoring the guitar signal (i linked this one on your input +).
Let us know the right wiring way please ;-)!!!

[adem70]

not sure what you mean by an ATtiny, the lm386 is an opamp chip, i purchased mine from radiosahck for about 3 dollars, you can also get them on ebay cheap. the wiring is exactly how it is listed here, and if your leds are always lit you need to add more resistance into the circuit, the amount varied so just try out some resistors in like with the leds until they work.

[RF567]

 I have an idea. Use a swich just like a rhythm/lead switch on a guitar (but three ways) and wire it up so that you have three channels, so to speak; one for an "off" channel, one for lighting up when you "play only", and one for an "always on" channel. Not sure if it'll work though

[RF567]

 oh by the way, where abouts do the resistors go? I don't know (I failed physics at the end of year exams (this is in a country called New Zealand (Its by Australia - I don't know how you guys do things over in America)))

[andersh]

Thanks for this, a relly good project. I am trying this at the moment and have 2 questions, the battery gets pretty hot - is this normal? also, as soon as I connect it up the LEDs are lit. They do get brighter as I play but I'd like them to be unlit until I play if possible.
Cheers.

[adem70]

Also, another cause is that you are using a capacitor that is stronger than the one in the schematic, this could also cause this, just add a resistor in before the capacitor. In my other comment, I wasn't very specific about the location for the resistors, you would add them before the leds.

[adem70]

The reason they are on all the time is because you don't have enough resistance in your circuit, Just experiment with values untill you find one that turns the leds off completely, but just with the lowest amount of resistance. Yes, it is normal for the battery to get warm, yours is hot because your leds are on all the time, just add some resistance in, and itll cool the battery and adjust the leds.

[doublett]

What is heat sinking do you need to do it for the chip.

[adem70]

Heat shrink tubing is just a rubber tube that you put over you soldering joins to reinforce and also insulate them, It is not required for this project but it can if your not the most experienced solderer like me.

[bobbyderf123]

I Dont Get ANY Credit?!

haha just kidding

[adem70]

Haha, i figured your comments full of knowledge, the ones that made me look dumb, where credit enough =P

[bobbyderf123]

haha, yeah but its a good thing you explained it in your instructable cause i think you explained it better than me

[adem70]

Still a good thing you came around, might not have figured it out without your help

[bobbyderf123]

pic

[adem70]

Yeah, i found out about the stereo jacks the other day, i ordered one off of ebay, but its been over a week and the guys only 4 states away..

[bobbyderf123]

you can get the stereo jacks from radioshack; 2 for around $2.50 So do you get what im saying though? : )

[bobbyderf123]

but u only need one for the project (obviously) i hope u didnt pay mor than a dollar for it(otherwise youd be getting ripped off

[bobbyderf123]

youll have to click on the pic to see it well