Empty Variax body conversion

stratosonic

Picked up an empty Variax body cheaply online and installed a delay pedal, an under bridge piezo with passive preamp, chiselled space for a tele neck pickup (dont own a router) and fixed a nice maple neck I had hanging around, project worked out better than I expected! Manipulating the delay controls in real time while playing is fun (endless feedback). The piezo is a bit thin, but when mixed with the neck pup via 3 way switch it sounds acoustic-ish, the whole setup also works well for slide!

stratosonic

Not sure this video link will work, but here is some real time k n o b twiddling! https://www.facebook.com/100005160527799/videos/582678325247513/

TTony

I can't see the video - maybe because I'm not a FaceBookist, maybe because it's not working for everyone - could you upload it to YT instead?

Interested in some pics of the cavity too, to see what/how you've done it ...

stratosonic

No probs with the cavity photos, will take some later and upload. Not sure I can do much about the video, never uploaded to YT before, but will give it a go.  Basically the variax body cavity was completely empty, so I took a cheap delay pedal, removed the circuit board, drilled the relevant holes and wired it to the pickup switching, then tapped and soldered two points from the delay circuit to feed the guitar output. Also installed a kill switch so the battery doesnt drain when not in use.

stratosonic

Quick wiring photo showing the delay circuit board mounted in the guitar cavity, wiring is one vol, 3 way tele style switch, passive preamp to switch, neg battery wire to kill switch to save battery life (was easier to plug a jack in the delay input than rewire). The output is tapped from the circuit board output (black wires). Not the neatest wiring I've done, still room for a possible switch or two or a tone control before its finished?

 

impmann

Very cool.

I had a stack of those bodies a while back that nobody wanted... they all went in the skip. All bar one... the new owner routed it for two 'buckers, a Floyd and then shoved a sustainer system in it and a fuzz factory clone. He uses it for NOIZ and it sounds epic.

TTony

Nice work @stratosonic  and thanks for posting the pics.

BigMonka

Wow, that's very cool @stratosonic ;
What's a passive preamp by the way?

stratosonic

BigMonka said:

Wow, that's very cool @stratosonic ;
What's a passive preamp by the way?

Thanks  The passive preamp was a little box I picked up on amazon to boost the output of the piezo underbridge pickup, normally they have a battery. Its the sliver box on bottom right of wiring image, the controls are on the side of the guitar (vol/tone).

FelineGuitars

Excellent - I have a spare empty Variax 700 if anyone is looking for a similar project opportunity
It's the archtop front version - quite like a PRS

TTony

How much @FelineGuitars ?

FelineGuitars

£250- has the piezo bridge on it too!!!
Would be easy to add Humbuckers and have a PRS  style guitar with piezo and HBs