Vibration sensing circuit?

[Jack.Straw]

Ok, i know this isn't exactly on topic here.. but i wasn't sure where else to post. I've built a cigar box guitar with tiny LED's installed under the fretboard inlays. Does anyone know here know of a device that i could put between the power supply (2 AA) and the lights that would make them turn on when the guitar is played? It could be a sound sensing circuit or a vibration sensing device. A device that would make the lights flash like an equalizer would be very cool too!

Thanks for any advice you can offer!
-Jack

[Sweetfinger]

There are various little electronic experimenter kits that could be adapted to your needs. look for a sound level indicator or something similar. here's one:

http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/pr...iew/?id=350690

[52 Bill]

Back in the day, there were things called "Color Organs" that were hooked up to home stereo systems. They were basically speaker boxes that had plastic diffusion material mounted in the front, and colored lights inside that would light up different colors of lights depending upon what frequency and what volume the music was.

Depending upon how your leds are wired, you could wire up a circuit that will light up your leds based upon:
1-How loud the volume was, like a vu meter.
2-What frequency the guitar was playing.
3-How loud the volume was, louder=brighter

If you Google "Color Organs", you'll find a number of circuits out there. If you just want on and off, any noise gate circuit with a transistor switch output would probably be adaptable.

Just a few thoughts.

[Jack.Straw]

Thanks for the advice. I ordered a color organ "mini-kit" that i have to put together. This one:
http://www.apogeekits.com/color_organ_light_kit.htm

I'm hoping after i put it together i'll be able to bypass the built-in red LEDs and link it up to the LEDs in my guitar neck. Think it'll work?