Be the band.
Overview of the Ghost® system .........................................5 Will it work with my guitar?........................................6 Introducing modular components ........................7 Output options...............................................................8 Mono and Stereo Modes .........................................9 QuickSwitch functions ...........................................11 Hexpander only and mag-to-pin-7 ....................12 Sample Control Layouts .................
Saddles Notching the pick guard or pickup ring ............29 Slotting the base plate *optional*......................30 Drilling between control cavities ........................31 Hexpander 13-pin jack.................................................................32 Enlarging the control cavity..................................39 Curving the Jack Plate............................................39 Acousti-Phonic Stereo switched Jack (no routing required)......40 9v battery.......
Program Up/Down (orientation) *optional* ...52 QuickSwitch for MIDI/both/guitar *opt.*..........53 MIDI volume *optional*.........................................54 Mag-to-pin-7 Harness *optional*..........................55 Acousti-Phonic.............................................................56 Acoustic volume and magnetic input................56 Acoustic volume with Mid/Dark switch *opt.*..58 Stereo switched output jack.................................
Overview of the Ghost® system The ghost® system is a set of modular components that adds acoustic or MIDI capability to your guitar without altering your magnetic pickup tone. Ghost® pickups encapsulated in bridge saddles provide the input signal for the ghost® system, leaving your magnetic pickups unchanged. You can add either acoustic or MIDI capability or both, and choose one, a few, or all of the optional controls.
Will it work with my guitar? The ghost® system is designed to fit most guitars and basses. Installing it requires replacing the saddles on your bridge with compatible ghost® pickup saddles. Graph Tech makes these for Strat and Tele style guitars, guitars with Tune-O-matic style bridges like Gibson and Epiphone, Wilkinson, PRS, P-bass, Jazz bass, and any bass that can accept a Hipshot A-style bridge or ABM saddles.
Introducing modular components Modular means that the ghost® system’s components can be plugged into each other in different combinations to create different systems. Once you’ve selected pickup saddles to fit your guitar, these can be connected to the Acousti-Phonic™ for authentic acoustic sound from your electric guitar, or to the Hexpander™ to interface with MIDI and virtual instruments. Or both the Acousti-Phonic and Hexpander can be “piggybacked” together.
Output options Replacing the 1/4” output jack with the Stereo Switched Jack supplied with the Acousti-Phonic permits the output of two signals, magnetic and acoustic, through one jack. The 13pin jack installed with the Hexpander carries the hexaphonic signals for MIDI conversion, and can also carry the magnetic and acoustic signals so that a 1/4” patch cord is unnecessary.
Mono and Stereo Modes The Acousti-Phonic detects whether you’ve inserted a stereo or mono plug into the 1/4” jack and automatically switches to Stereo (separate) or Mono (blended) mode. In Mono mode, the acoustic and magnetic signals are blended together in the Acousti-Phonic and delivered together on the Tip contact. You can plug into one guitar amp and switch between sounds, or enhance your unaltered magnetic tone by dialing in a little of the acoustic sound.
In Stereo mode, the acoustic signal is on the Ring contact, and the magnetic signal appears on the Tip contact so that you can process these signals separately using a stereo-to-two-mono Y-cable. For example, run your magnetic pickups through a crunchy guitar amp and your acoustic sound through a clean P.A. system.
QuickSwitch functions Two three-position switches provide fast, intuitive switching between all possible sound combinations: any one sound, any combination of two, or all three at the same time. Without the switches, you can mute any of the signals by turning the volume down, but with a QuickSwitch you can instantly turn a sound off, or on at the volume level you have chosen.
Hexpander only and mag-to-pin-7 This option lets you run your acoustic and/or magnetic signals down pin number 7 of the 13-pin cable plugged into the Hexpander, so you don’t need a 1/4” cable attached to your guitar. Most MIDI converters have two 1/4” outputs on the back -- one for MIDI and one for this pin-7 signal, so you can still run your mags to your electric guitar amp.
When the Hexpander is piggybacked on the Acousti-Phonic, the mag-to-pin-7 harness is not necessary because Acousti-phonic passes the acoustic and/or magnetic signals to the Hexpander. But when you install the Hexpander only, adding the mag-topin-7 harness and an acoustic volume control (250K or 500K audio pot) provides this feature in the absence of the AcoustiPhonic.
Sample Control Layout(s) Here are examples of possible control layouts on Stratstyle and Les Paul-style guitars. The ghost® system is not just for Strats and Les Pauls, and other layouts are possible, as are custom controls and output options. Visit www.graphtech.com for more possibilities.
MAGNETIC VOLUME MAGNETIC TONE QUICKSWITCH ACOUSTIC VOLUME MIDI VOLUME * requires rewiring 3-way switch for master volume and tone BRIDGE VOLUME ACOUSTIC VOLUME BRIDGE TONE QUICKSWITCH NECK VOLUME NECK TONE 15
Planning Your Ghost® Installation OLT 9V Adding a ghost® system to your instrument begins with careful planning. Decide which optional controls suit the music you make, and choose locations that are convenient for you. To begin, plug the components into each other and lay them out on top of the guitar to decide the location of each component. Look for space conflicts with adjacent components, especially the parts of the magnetic pickup system already in your guitar.
Locating Ghost® Components The ghost® boards are small -- about the size of a match box -- so they will fit inside the control cavity of most guitars without any routing. You must decide which arrangement is best for your particular instrument. Pots and QuickSwitches To locate pots and switches, lay out their flat washers on the top of the guitar and arrange them until they look right, then trace the center of each washer to mark where to drill the hole.
Extension harness *optional* Like an extension cord, it allows you to locate the pickups further away from the ghost® boards. For some installations this may be necessary, while for others it may make the installation neater or more convenient. It can be used with both the Hexpander and the Acousti-Phonic.
Hexpander and 13-pin Jack The 13-pin jack that comes with the Hexpander can be mounted on the edge, on the front, or on the back of the instrument. Edgemounting requires a rectangular hole and the included 13-pin jack plate, while front and rear mounting can either use the jack plate or a round hole. The Hexpander board can be located in the control cavity, but it must not touch any electrical components or shielding.
Acousti-Phonic & 9v battery The 9v battery that powers the Acousti-Phonic may require some routing to fit it inside your guitar. Consider these possible locations for the battery: the side wall of the cavity, the back wall behind the pots, or stuck to the control cavity cover plate. The Hexpander does not require a 9v battery because it will get power from the MIDI converter through the 13-pin jack.
Acoustic volume: convert, stack, or drill? The Acousti-Phonic requires a pot to control the level of the acoustic sound, but none is included. Choose one of these three methods to add an acoustic volume to your guitar for the ghost® system: Convert Mag Tone Pot to Acoustic Volume For the basic installation, convert one of your tone pots into the acoustic volume using the supplied wiring harness. This avoids drilling a hole in your guitar to add an acoustic volume pot.
Replace a Pot with a Stacked Pot If you prefer to keep your tone control, you can also avoid drilling a hole for the acoustic volume pot by replacing one of your pots with a “stacked” or “concentric” pot*. You may choose to group the magnetic and acoustic volume pots together on the concentric pot, or group your magnetic volume and tone on the concentric and convert one of the single pots into the acoustic volume using the supplied wiring harness.
Drill a Hole and Add a Pot If you have room to add another pot to your guitar, you can drill a hole and add a pot for the acoustic volume. You can purchase a 250K or 500K audio-taper potentiometer*, or you can get the ghost® Acoustic Volume with Mid/Dark Switch from Graph Tech either as a push-on/push-off pot or as a toggle switch.
Strats and Teles Strats have the electronics on a front-mounted plastic pick guard which is easily removed, drilled, notched, and reinstalled. The control cavity is also fairly large and can often fit the ghost® components without routing. The Strat has two tone controls, and either one is well suited for conversion to a ghost® volume.
If installing the Acousti-Phonic, the board and 9v battery can be located beneath the magnetic bridge pickup. On some hollow bodies you may need to rout this cavity deeper to make room. If installing the Hexpander, the board can be inserted through the hole you make in the edge of the guitar for the 13-pin jack. Routing, Drilling, and Notching Some modification of the guitar body may be required to install the ghost® system in your instrument.
Required Tools • Electric drill and 5/16” bit (12” long recommended) for drilling hole between cavities and starting 13-pin jack hole; 9/32” bit for adding optional pots; 5/64” bit for 13-pin jack mounting plate holes; and 1/4” bit for installing optional QuickSwitches • Small round needle file for pick guard notches • Screw driver for changing saddles and setting intonation • Phillips screw driver for removing pick guard or cavity cover • Soldering iron (25W) for Acousti-Phonic 1/4” jack and acous
Required Tools Optional Tools 27
Reversible installation If you have a vintage instrument and its value may be affected by modifications, or if you want to try the ghost® system before committing to the modifications required, you can do a reversible installation. A ghost® system installed this way may not be as neat or as convenient, but you can return the instrument to its original condition if you choose to remove the ghost® system. Strats and Teles: Install the pickups without notching the pick guard.
Saddles Notching the pick guard or pickup ring The wires on the ghost® saddles must go into the control cavity to plug into the Hexpander or into the Acousti-Phonic via the Summing Board and Dual Connector Cable. Cutting six, small notches beneath the bridge-side of the pick guard or pickup ring lets the wires enter an existing cavity neatly and without modifying the body. Notches can be cut with a Dremel-type rotary tool or by hand with a needle file.
Slotting the base plate *optional* Slotting the base plate of the bridge is an alternative to notching the pick guard or pickup ring. It will make the Ghost® wires practically invisible by running them into the guitar body through slots cut in the bridge. The bridge will have to be removed from the guitar and taken to a machine shop that can cut the slots precisely in the steel. The diagram below shows the slot dimensions. equal to your string spacing 0.240” 0.160” 30 0.
Drilling between control cavities In some installations, you may have to drill a hole to route the wires between cavities in the instrument to pass the pickup wires through. This hole will have to be large enough that the connectors on the pickups can be passed through easily. We recommend 5/16” diameter. Be careful that the drill chuck does not scrape the finish of the guitar while you are drilling this hole.
Hexpander 13-pin jack For mounting the Hexpander output on the edge of the instrument, the small PC board with the 13pin jack requires a rectangular mounting hole in the body. Choose a location for this hole, checking that there is room for a 1-1/8” (30mm) deep cavity, and that the ribbon cable will reach from here to the main Hexpander board. The size and placement of this hole can be determined using the template in this guide. Cut out this template and tape it to your guitar where you want the jack.
This space intentionally left blank for reverse of template 34
Tape the template to the edge of the instrument, and mark the center of the circles onto the guitar by tapping through the template into the paint using a center punch and a small hammer. Using an Olfa or X-Acto knife, slice through the template along the edges of the inner rectangle, etching lines in the paint to mark the edges of the mounting hole.
Using a 1/16” bit, drill the four holes for the mounting screws in the outer most marks to a depth of 1/4”. Make these holes perpendicular to the surface. Using a 1/8” bit, drill the inner four marks to a depth of 1-1/8”, defining the four corners of the mounting hole. Drill these holes parallel to each other; in other words don’t drill them perpendicular to the surface, as this will make the cavity narrower towards the bottom, preventing the 13-pin board from fitting properly.
Using a 3/8” bit, drill holes within the inner rectangle to remove most of the wood in the cavity.
Using a router, a Dremel rotary tool, or a chisel, remove the remaining wood to edges of the marked rectangle, to a depth of 1-1/8”. 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. Drill through the back of this cavity to join it to the main control cavity where the Hexpander will be located.
Enlarging the control cavity In most cases, no enlargement of the cavity is required to install the main Hexpander board. Guitars with small cavities like Telecasters, or guitars with a lot of electronics already installed may require some routing to make room for the Hexpander. Curving the Jack Plate The jack plate can easily be curved to conform to the surface of the edge of the instrument where the 13-pin jack is to be mounted.
Acousti-Phonic Stereo switched Jack (no routing required) Usually, no routing is required to replace the 1/4” jack in your instrument with the 1/4” Stereo Switched Jack that comes with the Acousti-Phonic. In some instances, the jack is recessed in a hole that is too small. In this case enlarge the recessed hole to 7/8” diameter. The mounting hole for the Stereo Switched Jack is 3/8” diameter. 9v battery Usually, you can find room for the 9v battery in the existing control cavity.
Installing Ghost® Modular Components Saddles Ghost® saddles are made of our patented String Saver composite material which is rugged and durable. The pickup wires, however, are delicate and must be handled gently during installation. Pickup Wires Route the wires so that they are not flexed sharply or excessively, and are not abraded by the edges of holes they must pass through. When setting the saddle height, avoid lowering it so much that it crushes the wire or bends it sharply.
Color code The ghost saddle pickups are all identical and can be installed in any string position. If you are installing the Hexpander and you must feed the wires through a hole from one cavity to another, you may need to mark the wire ends to be able to tell which is which. When plugging into the Summing Board for Acoustiphonic only installations, the pickups can go in any order.
Signal/ground color code The silver wire is signal; the blue wire is ground. If you can’t tell which is which, try holding the wire at a different angle, or in a different light. Summing Board Connects all the saddle pickup signal wires together, and all the ground wires together, then the Dual Connector Cable (a small wire with a plug on each end) connects the Summing Board to the Acousti-Phonic.
Seating and setup Ghost® saddles are designed to be set up just like the regular saddles they replaced. For optimum performance, make sure that both height adjustment screws are set so that the saddle pickup is level (Strat, Tele, and PRS), and that the string is not obstructed in any way as it passes over or through the saddle. Mechanical interference near the saddle can cause string balance problems or false MIDI triggering.
Hexpander Locate the Hexpander where it can accept plug-in connections from the 13-pin jack, the saddle pickups, and the battery and options if applicable. When piggybacking with the Acousti-Phonic, mount the pair of boards on the cavity wall or rear cover plate using the self-adhesive foam supplied with the Acousti-Phonic. For Hexpander-only installations, the Hexpander can be left suspended inside the control cavity, as the rigidity of the ribbon cable and other wires will stabilize it sufficiently.
13-pin jack After the mounting hole has been routed and the 13-pin jack plate has been curved to conform to the edge of the guitar (see instructions in the Routing, Drilling, and Notching section of this manual) bolt the 13-pin jack plate to the 13-pin jack using the supplied nuts, bolts, and lock washers. Be careful to align the Traktion switch with the slot in the 13-pin jack plate; tightening the bolts with this slot misaligned will damage the Traktion switch and may make the Hexpander unusable.
Connecting Hexpander to 13-pin jack Plug the Interface Wiring Harness (ribbon cable) into the header pins on 13-pin jack; this connection is ‘keyed’ (one pin missing, one hole blocked) so that it can only be plugged in correctly. Feed the harness through the mounting hole and into the control cavity where the Hexpander will be located.
Traktion Switch The Traktion Switch optimizes the output of the Hexpander for use with either Roland or Axon MIDI converters. Reach into the slot on the 13-pin jack plate with a toothpick to slide this tiny switch to match the converter you’re using. If your converter is a Yamaha or another brand, try both positions and use the one that works best.
Connecting Pickups to the Hexpander Plug the six blue and silver wires from the pickups into the Hexpander on the pin pairs labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, with the silver wires nearest the labels and the blue wires on the ground row, according to the order for your instrument: 6 string guitar 4 string bass 5 string bass 6 string bass EBGDEA = 123456 GDEA = 2345 GDEAB = 23456 CGDEAB = 123456 49
Hexpander Connection Diagram String Assignments for Guitar and Bass Number of Strings: 6 - - hi-E B Piezo Saddles silver blue g s ig MAG VOLUME GND G G D D G A A D lo-E lo-E A - lo-B lo-E d un ro l 5 na 4 lo-B (not Hex) black GND MIDI VOLUME TIP GND 1/4” Stereo Jack red white black violet blue Program Switch Quick Switch MIDI 50 yellow red both acoustic up down
Dual Connector Summing Board Summing Board and Dual Connector are not used for Hexpander-only and “Piggyback” installations s ig na l nd ou ghost Hexpander MIDI interface board (dimensions: 1-1/8” x 1-5/8” x 1/2”) HEADER PINS SIGNAL ROW (all colored wires) GROUND ROW (all black wires) Piggyback connections to Acousti-phonic 13-pin Hexaphonic Output Jack (fits hole: 1” x 1-1/4” x 1-1/4” deep) Interface Wiring Harness (ribbon connector) Traktion Switch 51
Program Up/Down Switch *optional* Drill a 1/4” hole in the pick guard or guitar top and mount the switch using the nuts and washers supplied. Orient the switch as desired: pushing the toggle towards the violet wire scrolls up, and towards the yellow wire scrolls down. Plug the connector into the Hexpander on the rows marked S1 and S2 with only the black wire on the ground row.
QuickSwitch for MIDI/both/guitar *optional* Drill a 1/4” hole in the pick guard or guitar top and mount the QuickSwitch using the nuts and washers supplied. Orient the switch according to your preference, using the colors of the wires soldered onto the switch to indicate which direction is which. Plug the QuickSwitch into the second row of the Hexpander on the pins marked MM and AM to select MIDI/both/guitar.
MIDI volume pot *optional* Use an existing hole, or drill a new 9/32” hole in the pick guard or guitar top and mount the pot using the nuts and washers supplied. Plug the MIDI volume pot connector (red, white, and black wires) into the Hexpander on the rows marked VO and VI. MIDI Volume Bk Hexpander 250K linear Wh VO VI R Note: a 250k linear-taper pot is preferred, but it will work with a 250K audio-taper pot too.
Mag-to-pin-7 Harness *optional* Plug the Mag-to-pin-7 harness into the first row of the Hexpander, nearest the edge of the board. It will span the pins labeled PMGVM, with the colored wires nearest the labels and the black wires on the ground row.
Acousti-Phonic Locate the Acousti-Phonic where it can accept plug-in connections from the 1/4” jack, the saddle pickups, the battery, and options if applicable. Attach it, using the self adhesive foam tape on the back, to the side or back of the control cavity or to the inside of the cover plate. Acoustic volume and magnetic input The Basic Acousti-Phonic does not include a volume pot, but instead a wiring harness is provided to convert one of your tone controls into the Acoustic Volume Pot.
Piezo Volume Bk 250k or 500k audio taper Y Acousti-phonic GHST VOL MAG Vi Mag Volume Bk Mag pickups Gn To convert your tone control to an acoustic volume control, begin by unsoldering and removing any wires or components attached to the tone pot. Solder the purple, yellow, and black wires to the pot according to the diagram.
Acoustic volume with Mid/Dark switch *optional* This switch selects either the EQ’d ghost® acoustic sound, or a second EQ curve with a boost in the mid range. It can be installed either as a mini-toggle switch, or as a switch incorporated in a pot. A push-on/push-off pot is available as part of the ghost® system, which controls acoustic volume and the Mid/ Dark switching, or we can provide the harness with a minitoggle switch for you to convert one of your tone pots.
Stereo Switched Output Jack Solder the Output Jack Harness (red, white, blue, two blacks) to the supplied Stereo Switched Output Jack, cutting the wires to a reasonable length for your installation. The second black wire can go to the same lug as the first, or be used as a bridge ground if necessary. Remove the guitar’s 1/4” jack and replace it with the Stereo Switched Jack, using the nuts and washers supplied.
QuickSwitch for mag/both/acoustic *optional* Drill a 1/4” hole in the pick guard or guitar top and mount the QuickSwitch using the nuts and washers supplied. Orient the switch according to your preference, using the colors of the wires soldered onto the switch to indicate which direction is which. Plug the QuickSwitch into the Acousti-Phonic (or on the pass-through pins marked Q Q in the piggyback configuration) to select mag/both/acoustic.
Connecting Pickups to Acousti-Phonic Plug the six blue and silver wires from the pickups into the Summing Board with all the blue wires on the same side and all the silver wires on the other. Plug the dual connector into the Acousti-phonic on the pins marked PIN (pickup in) with the dark blue wire on the ground, away from the label.
Battery Power A battery is required to power the Acousti-Phonic. The magnetic signal has to go through the Acousti-Phonic for blending purposes, so if the battery is removed or dead, there will be no output from the 1/4” jack, not even magnetic pickups. In normal use this battery lasts 500 hours, which means changing it twice a year will ensure that it never goes dead. Always unplug the cable from the 1/4” jack to conserve battery life when not using the guitar.
the black ground wires on the harnesses. These ground wires will all be lifted from the battery negative when the 1/4” plug is removed from the Stereo Switched Jack, powering off both the Acousti-Phonic and the active pickups or other accessory. Connecting battery to Acousti-Phonic Plug in the battery harness last, and make absolutely certain that the black wire is alone on the ground row of pins, and the two red wires are on the row with the other colored wires.
Acousti-phonic Connection Diagram Piezo Saddles Summing Board silve r yellow purple blue bro MAG VOLUME wn gr ey PIEZO VOLUME black black green RING red black* GND 1/4” Stereo Switched Jack TIP blue SW GND white power for active pickups only red black red (unused red wire if no active mag pickups) 9v Battery Clip 64
mag both piezo Quick Switch blue red HEADER PINS GROUND ROW (all black wires) SIGNAL ROW (all colored wires) TRIM POT to adjust piezo gain Dual Connector ghost Acousti-phonic pre-amp board (dimensions: 1-1/8" x 1-5/8" x 1/2") black* The harness for the Stereo Switched Jack has a second black ground wire that can be used as a bridge ground. If unused, solder it to the same place as the first one, on the Stereo Switched Jack.
Piggyback -- Hexpander + Acousti-Phonic When installing both boards, connect them together with the Hexpander on top and Acousti-Phonic on the bottom. Plug the row of pins on the Acousti-Phonic into the matching receptacle on the bottom of the Hexpander. The boards will align, and the blue and white screwdriver adjustment on the Acousti-Phonic will be accessible through the hole in the Hexpander board.
Tone control on acoustic You can add a tone control to the Acousti-Phonic volume circuit to attenuate the high frequencies, the same as you would on your magnetic circuit. Be forewarned that a lot of players think they will need this, but discover they never use it because they prefer the EQ’d acoustic sound the way it is. Try your ghost® system first without the added tone pot, and install it if you really need it. Bk Y 250K 250K 22K Vi Gn Mags GHST (violet) Tone 22K 250K .
Passive volume kit This kit is for connecting the ghost® pickups to an output jack without the Acousti-Phonic. It provides an on-board acoustic volume control, and prevents loss of high frequencies at lower volumes. The 2M volume pot included in the kit helps match the resistance of the ghost pickups to a standard amp input.
Technical Considerations Bridge radius - Do not file saddles! The bridge radius should match the fingerboard radius in order to prevent “fretting out” -- fret buzz or wrong notes sounding when you play high up 12” radius the neck. The ResoMax® bridge assembly is manufactured with a fixed radius of 12”. Do not file ghost® pickup saddles to adjust the radius, as this will change the output levels unpredictably.
Missing Pins (keyed connections) To prevent critical connections from being plugged in the wrong way, some pins have been clipped on the Hexpander, the 13-pin Jack board, and the Acousti-Phonic. Corresponding holes are blocked on the plug-in connectors so that they can only go together correctly. In this diagram, the black squares indicate pins that are missing.
String ground to prevent hum Because ghost® saddles are non-conductive, on some guitars this can isolate the strings from the grounded bridge and cause them to pick up hum. This often needs to be addressed on Les Pauls and other guitars with Tune-O-Matic style bridges, including ResoMax® bridges. To ground the strings, run a ground wire to the post of the tail piece, or other string anchor point.
Ground Loops Ground loops cause your guitar to pick up annoying hum or buzz (sometimes even radio stations!) and can be difficult to troubleshoot. The best strategy is to choose a central ground point (usually the back of one of the pots) and make all other ground wires join here in a star pattern. Avoid creating GOOD loops; in other words, don’t run a ground wire from the first component, to the second, to the third, and back to the first.
Sometimes a loop can be formed accidentally, through cavity shielding or another conductive component. If you’re experiencing problems, “think like an electron” and see if there’s more than one way to get back to ‘true ground’. If you find several paths, eliminate them until there is only one wire to take you home.
Shielded cavity caveat To improve noise immunity, the walls of the control cavity are sometimes shielded, either with metal foil or conductive paint (usually grey or black). This conductive shielding can sometimes cause problems for the ghost® system. The ghost® boards are not coated or insulated, so they must not touch the cavity shielding. Mounting the boards on the shielding is okay, as long as the foam tape on the back of the Acousti-phonic board keeps the board separated from the shielding.
Installation Notes 75
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