Mods to Sil/Sil Specials
- Thread starter jimmyp
- Start date
OrangeChannel
Well-known member
Talk to NorM....he's got a Silo with like 27 tonal options....infact if you do a search you should find the thread where he listed what each toggle position does....InsanE NorM!
OrangeChannel
Well-known member
Dude...it's InsanE...NorM being a rocket scientist excepts nothing less....hahaha.
NorM
Well-known member
The short easy answer to your question is no. I don’t know anyone that has added a 3 way toggle to their Silo to switch between mags and piezo. If you are dead set that that is what you want then there is no need to read any further.
However…
In my playing style I have not come across a situation that I need to switch from full on mags to full on piezo that I don’t have enough time to turn both knobs. In playing I am finding situations that I want to add the piezo in and out of the mix that happen faster than I can twist one knob. I use volume and tone swells in my playing a lot so I am use to twisting these things. I can twist a knob just as fast as I could flip a switch. So adding a switch wouldn’t help me. My hands are just to busy playing strings.
I use to have an Axis Sport with a piezo trem. I found the piezo mag switch just got in the way of the tone and piezo knobs. If I had of kept the guitar I would have removed the switch and just wired it closed. I find the piezo mag switch on the petrucci sometimes gets in the way when I do right handed tapping but the placement of the knobs on the pet are further away than on the silo so now I am just whining.
Real estate becomes an issue pretty quick on the silo. I did add a switch to turn on the bridge pup (ala the morse) to 3 of my silos. It is the same size as the kind of switch you are talking about. Where to put it so that it fits under the pick guard is limited and there is some routing required.
Other Options I would like to suggest:
Put it on the floor. I am considering adding another volume pedal in line for the piezo. Hopefully you are already running (or planning to run) your piezo equipped MM through two separate amps. Another new Ernie Ball volume hammer/pedal costs about $100 and $10 bucks for a new cable. Double that if you need to add volume hammers to both piezo and mags. FYI The piezo is active so it’s impedance dictates you use an “active impedance value” volume hammer. I have not gone to the music store to verify this.
People have talked about a single volume style pan pedal to rock back and forth between the two. The problems with this include:
When you are full on for both with the EB model you are only at 50% power for both
You have active and passive electronics that you are going to control with the same value pots.
There is a need for this type of pedal and if Ernie builds one I will buy it. But it is just so specialized that it may not be feasible for them to do. <BP: If you want I will prototype one for you. I am a EE>
Option B:
An A / B Switch box. Several companies make good versions of these. They are cheap and effective.
Both options will give you hands free switching and both keep you from having to route your guitar. The wiring to add this type of switch is really simple. If it is really what you want then I say
Do It
However…
In my playing style I have not come across a situation that I need to switch from full on mags to full on piezo that I don’t have enough time to turn both knobs. In playing I am finding situations that I want to add the piezo in and out of the mix that happen faster than I can twist one knob. I use volume and tone swells in my playing a lot so I am use to twisting these things. I can twist a knob just as fast as I could flip a switch. So adding a switch wouldn’t help me. My hands are just to busy playing strings.
I use to have an Axis Sport with a piezo trem. I found the piezo mag switch just got in the way of the tone and piezo knobs. If I had of kept the guitar I would have removed the switch and just wired it closed. I find the piezo mag switch on the petrucci sometimes gets in the way when I do right handed tapping but the placement of the knobs on the pet are further away than on the silo so now I am just whining.
Real estate becomes an issue pretty quick on the silo. I did add a switch to turn on the bridge pup (ala the morse) to 3 of my silos. It is the same size as the kind of switch you are talking about. Where to put it so that it fits under the pick guard is limited and there is some routing required.
Other Options I would like to suggest:
Put it on the floor. I am considering adding another volume pedal in line for the piezo. Hopefully you are already running (or planning to run) your piezo equipped MM through two separate amps. Another new Ernie Ball volume hammer/pedal costs about $100 and $10 bucks for a new cable. Double that if you need to add volume hammers to both piezo and mags. FYI The piezo is active so it’s impedance dictates you use an “active impedance value” volume hammer. I have not gone to the music store to verify this.
People have talked about a single volume style pan pedal to rock back and forth between the two. The problems with this include:
When you are full on for both with the EB model you are only at 50% power for both
You have active and passive electronics that you are going to control with the same value pots.
There is a need for this type of pedal and if Ernie builds one I will buy it. But it is just so specialized that it may not be feasible for them to do. <BP: If you want I will prototype one for you. I am a EE>
Option B:
An A / B Switch box. Several companies make good versions of these. They are cheap and effective.
Both options will give you hands free switching and both keep you from having to route your guitar. The wiring to add this type of switch is really simple. If it is really what you want then I say
Do It
Thanks for that Norm - I think a switch is the easier route to go to try to keep things simple - I like to keep the floor as uncluttered as possible and the fewer pieces of gear I use, the better for me - that is why I thought of a switch like the Petrucci model. However, I'm in Florida, my Sil Special is being delivered to Ireland, and I won't be home for another year at least, so all mods will have been very carefully considered by the time I get back. At present, most of my guitars are in storage - I just have my battered strat with me (and have just ordered something new, which I will not be posting in the pics page - it has a 3/3 headstock, lets put it that way). I'm sure I'll update the pics page with my Sil Special when I finally get my hands on it, and provided the finish is acceptable this time(I'm sure it will be) I'll decide on what mods to make then. Thanks for the advice,
Dave
Dave
