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Ghost Acoustic/MIDI system User Manual

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Be the band.
Acoustic MIDI System
User Guide

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Summary of Contents for Ghost Acoustic/MIDI system

  • Page 1 Be the band. Acoustic MIDI System User Guide...
  • Page 2 Traction Switch Program Up/Down Switch *optional* Tone Control 1/4” Jack and 9v Battery Connector INSTALLATION ® Locating ghost Components Tools Required Do not file saddles! Saddle Pickups & Pagoda Shim Putting plugs onto pickup wires Installing Hexpander & 13-pin jack...
  • Page 3 The ghost saddle pickups turn the vibrations of the strings into electrical signals that drive both of the ghost Acoustic/MIDI modules: the Hexpander MIDI inter- face, and the Tone Control adjustable acoustic preamp.

  • Page 4: Modular Components

    Modular Components The ghost Acoustic/MIDI systems installs without any soldering. The pickups, modules, switches, and jacks plug into each other with small, computer- style connectors. This makes the system easy to install, and allows you to configure it to your needs.
  • Page 5 Saddle Pickups Acoustic/MIDI saddles sets are available with two notch sizes, for either steel-string or nylon-string guitars. The dimensions and installation procedures are the same. Both types of saddles fit in an 1/8”(3.2mm) saddle slot, and are slightly oversized to permit sand- ing to a snug fit.
  • Page 6 Pagoda Shim The Pagoda Shim goes in the saddle slot and pro- vides six “steps” at different heights for the saddles to sit on, resulting in an 18” radius. For guitars with flat fingerboards, the Pagoda Shim is not used. The stepped roofs of a pagoda...
  • Page 7 Hexpander The Hexpander is the MIDI interface board with integrated 13-pin connector. It interfaces with most pitch-to-MIDI converters, and is de- signed to be installed with the Tone Control Traktion Switch The Traktion Switch selects between two output curves to optimize tracking for your converter and playing style.

  • Page 8: Tone Control

    It is designed to be installed with the Hexpander. 1/4” Output Jack & 9v Connector The Acoustic/MIDI system includes a plug-in wir- ing harness with the 1⁄4” output jack and a 9v battery connector. A metal battery holder...
  • Page 9 INSTALLATION Installing the ghost Acoustic/MIDI system requires some permanent modification of the instrument, including holes through the sound board for the pickup wires and preamp controls, and a hole in the side for the 13-pin jack. If you’re uncomfortable with any of the steps in this manual, please find a...
  • Page 10 Locating ghost Components Adding the ghost® system to your instrument begins with careful planning. Begin by plug- ging the components into each other and lay them out on top of the guitar to decide the loca- tion of each component. Choose locations that are convenient for you, and look for space conflicts...

  • Page 11: Tools Required

    Tools Required Electric drill and bits: 5/16” (12” long recommend- ed), 9/32”, 1/4”, 7/64”, 1/16” Square file for 13-pin jack hole Phillips screw driver for mounting 13-pin jack X-Acto knife masking tape ����� ����� ���� ����� �����...
  • Page 12 Do not file ghost saddles! Do not adjust the height of the strings by fil- ing the string slots. This will alter the relation- ship between the string and the encapsulated pickup, and change the output unpredictably. If you need to adjust the height of an individual string, either carefully file the Pagoda Shim, or file the bottom...
  • Page 13 Saddle Pickups & Pagoda Shim The saddles pickups fit in a 1/8” (3.2mm) saddle slot. They are slightly oversized to permit sanding to a snug fit. Each saddle is marked with a dot to orient the pickup properly. This dot must face towards the fret- board so that the pickup senses the string optimally.
  • Page 14 For steel-string guitars and other guitars with ra- diused fingerboards, the Pagoda Shim lies in the bottom of the saddle slot, and the pickup saddles sit on top of it. You may need to rout your saddle slot deeper to accommodate the pagoda shim. The pickup saddles should not protrude more than 1/3 of their height out of the saddle slot.
  • Page 15 the crimps so that the catches on the plastic housing will engage the crimps when they are fully inserted. If you need to remove the housing, care- fully lift both catches at the same time us- ing an X-acto knife with a prying motion, and withdraw both crimps at the same time.
  • Page 16 Installing Hexpander & 13-pin jack For instruments with solid-wood sides, reinforce the area where you are going to cut the hole for the 13-pin jack by gluing a small piece of 3/32” aircraft plywood inside the guitar. This reinforcement protects against cracking the wood, and makes the 13-pin jack stron- ger in case you step on your cable.
  • Page 17 a rectangular mounting hole in the body. Choose a location for this hole, checking that there is room for the Hexpander behind it, and that the ribbon cable will reach from here to the Tone Control Module. 13-pin Jack Template The size and placement of this hole can be determined using the full-size template on the following page.
  • Page 18 13-pin Jack Template Cut out this full-sized template and use it to mark the location of the holes to drill for mount- ing the 13-pin jack on the edge of your guitar.
  • Page 19 Tape the template to the edge of the instrument, and mark the center of the circles onto the guitar by tap- ping through the template into the lacquer using a center punch and a small hammer. Using an X-Acto knife, slice through the template along the edges of the inner rectangle, etching lines in the lacquer to mark the edges of the mounting hole.
  • Page 20 Using a 1/16” bit, drill the four holes for the mount- ing screws in the outer most marks to a depth of 1/4”. Make these holes perpendicular to the sur- face. Using the 7/64” bit, drill the inner four marks, defining the four corners of the mounting hole.
  • Page 21 Using a 5/16” bit, drill holes within the inner rect- angle to remove most of the wood in the cavity.
  • Page 22 Using a file or a Dremel rotary tool, remove the remain- ing wood to edges of the marked rectangle. Be careful not to enlarge the mounting hole beyond the lines, as the jack plate fits quite precisely to these dimensions. Remember, this cavity does not have to be neat and smooth, as it will be hidden completely by the jack plate.
  • Page 23 Mounting the Tone Control Carefully consider the placement of the Tone Control module, not only in terms of locating the controls con- veniently, but also making sure it will fit in the guitar as you expect. Check before you drill, for braces, kerfing, or other obstructions on the under side of the guitar top.
  • Page 24 ited by the wiring harness on the middle pot, and placement of the Tone Control itself. Check inside the guitar to make sure there are no obstructions, and that the harnesses to the other components are long enough to reach. Mark the location of the holes on the top through the centers of the wash- ers, then remove the washers and set them aside.

  • Page 25: Control Knobs

    Control Knobs A set of three, stacked rosewood and brass knobs is available from Graph Tech as a separate item, with a 1/16” hex key included for installation. Or you can provide your own knobs. Secure the knobs onto the pot shafts by means of the set screws.
  • Page 26 Wiring Connectons Diagram ��������� � � � � � � � � � � � � �...
  • Page 27 ���� ������� ������� �� ��� ���� �� �� � ���� �� �� � � � ������ ��� ����� �������� ���� ���� ���� ��� ���� ����...

  • Page 28: Component Dimensions

    TECHNICAL DETAILS Component Dimensions Hexpander: 1-3/16” x 2-1/2” (30.2 x 63.5mm) Tone Control: 1” x 3-1/2” x 5/8” (25.4 x 89 x 15.9mm) Mounting Hole Diameters Volume/Tone/Mid-Sweep pots 9/32” (7.1mm) Program Selector Switch 1/4” (6.4mm) Output Jack 3/8” (11.9mm) Part Numbers BS-0077-00 Pagoda Shim BN-9277-OE Acoustic Saddles BD-0477-00 Hexpander...
  • Page 29 INSTALLATION NOTES...
  • Page 30 NEW SOUND DISCOVERIES...
  • Page 31 ’ FRIENDS WHO VE GOT TO SEE THIS...
  • Page 32 www.graphtech.com sales@graphtech.com...