The Prism: A Laser Synth-Guitar

Step 14 Mount the Sensor Blocks

The sensor blocks should be mounted before designing the pick guard, since the pick guard needs to be designed around the blocks. Alignment is critical, so take your time and get it right the first time!

Start with the sensor block. It should be mounted so that the range finder is centered relative to the neck of the guitar, and so that the sensor is pointing straight down the middle. I actually used a carpenter's square to make sure the sensor was perfectly aligned. Also remember that the minimum sensing distance of the range sensor is 10 cm - it should be placed a few centimeters from where the neck starts, so that the player's hand cannot get too close to the sensor. When you're satisfied with the position, advance the screws so that they poke out just a bit. Push the block onto the body of the guitar, to make dents where the screws should be. Use the dents as guides to pre-drill the holes, using a drill press.

Mounting the block can be tricky. Bundle up the cables so that they exit the bottom of the block in the same location - as close as possible to the channel cut into the wood. If everything is lined up properly, the block should sit flat on the body of the guitar, and none of the wires pinched underneath. Screw down the block when it's lined up.

Now, using the sensor block as a reference, mount the laser block in a similar way. The lasers should each point directly at a sensor tube. Use a ruler for alignment, or even power up the lasers to get it perfect. As before, use the screws to make dents in the wood, then drill the holes. And, as with the sensor block, bundle up the wires and make sure they travel down the cut channel to the main cavity.

Comments

[PepeRulo]

i love it man, if only i was good at electronics i would surely make one:D

[brand27]

Do you have a circuit just for the laser activation please?

[jeff-o]

The entire schematic is on Step 2. Do you want the laser pointer driver, or the laser detector section?

[brand27]

Both please but the detection is my main problem. Im looking to use the laser as a input for a different project! Thank you

[jeff-o]

The driver is just a 3V "low dropout" voltage regulator with a capacitor on the input and output. The regulator fools the laser pointers into thinking they are connected to two AA batteries (1.5V + 1.5V = 3V). This won't necessarily work with all laser pointers though, since some are designed to work from 4.5V (ie. three button cells).

[jeff-o]

The circuits on this page should help: LINK The one in section 3 is basically what I used, with a few mods.