what is the plastic tubing that comes with a pickup for?

[Justin Thomas]

Hi David K,

I don't know about drilling titanium, and I've never begrudged an artist or craftsman the time for their work. I couldn't say where the wood came from, what kind it is, or a host of other factors that can affect prices. I know there are some VERY expensive woods out there and I would pay for it if I both could and wanted to! But I do strongly wonder about the actual description used to market those knobs... It reminds me very much of some audiophile marketing like that $400 outlet, and when my friend wanted to put music in his store and he paid more in speaker wire than for the whole stereo system. There is such a thing as useful art or practical beauty. I would never have paid my friend to paint my amp faceplate if she tried to overcharge because she could make it sound betterdue to the crystalline lattice alignkent patterns between the different colors of dried paint. But she did a gorgeous job and I would have paid four times more without blinking if she had asked.

Justin

[David King]

All fools and their monies are soon parted. We can all play the fool in some part of out lives. I'd rather see some audiot-phile blow some hard earned $$ on a silly mod to his stereo system than buying his 27th AR15 rifle or a bottle of white Rhino horn to help with his erection. The harm is limited and the rest of us can (safely) have a good laugh at his expense.
How about this?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3G8UGQ

[the great waldo]

Hi David

At 95 kgs I'd have trouble sitting on it never mind the prospects of trying to navigate the i pad screen !!

Cheers

Andrew

[big_teee]

All fools and their monies are soon parted. We can all play the fool in some part of out lives. I'd rather see some audiot-phile blow some hard earned $$ on a silly mod to his stereo system than buying his 27th AR15 rifle or a bottle of white Rhino horn to help with his erection. The harm is limited and the rest of us can (safely) have a good laugh at his expense.
How about this?
Amazon.com: CTA Digital 2-in-1 iPotty with Activity Seat for iPad: Baby

If He has 26, I don't figure the 27th will change anything!

[Danelectron]

Not all idiots. Only the ones that paid $485 for a stinkin' wooden knob. And I'm sure they had some sales.

But none of us bought them, so we are cool.

Now just stay away from the $50 fake paper-in oil-tone caps! lol

Now I get it, I have a buddy that used to say, when referring to some idiot," What a knob."

[Joe Gwinn]

Regarding the titanium bridge blocks, until you've spent a day trying to drill deep holes in titanium you might want to reconsider that price.

If you are drilling titanium, in anything resembling production, there are special drill bits and special coolants intended for just this job, and they are worth their price.

[David King]

Joe, luckily I've gotten away from that chore for now but always good to have a few tricks up the sleeve for the next time. I keep TIN coated parabolic drills around but not sure if that'd be the best thing for Ti. The other specialty drill I have are 3 flute carbides and I've never found a good use for those yet.

[jonson]

All hard steels inc titanium are easily drilled with stellite drills. They have been around a long time as I remember buying my first one in the seventies. Strange looking beasts with a round shank and a triangular drilling core with normally small half circles ground into the tips. You need drill press and heavy pressure so that without using any coolant the workpiece heats up and softens but the stellite takes the heat easily and that heat doesn't cause any workpiece damage. Once the hard steel starts to cut then it's quick but allow it all to cool down before handleing. Small sizes are not too bad in price but once you start up the ladder the big boys mean you dipping into the pension fund. Grabbed a pic off the net to explain the funny shape.

[jonson]

Allways been my thoughts that the springy sound comes mostly from the trem springs and not the pickups.

[Bruce Johnson]

I know that this is drifting off topic, but titanium isn't really that difficult to machine and drill. It isn't some super-hard metal like hardened steel. Most commercial-grade titanium bar stock and rod stock is annealed and is about equal in hardness to mild steel. You can cut it just fine with normal HSS drill bits and end mills. They do make special drill bits and mills for cutting titanium, which are ground to better cutting geometry. They will give you better efficiency in a production run, but they aren't essential.

What's nasty about titanium is that it work-hardens in a flash. If the spot where the cutting edge of the drill bit is digging in gets too hot, it will instantly harden up, jamming and snapping off the drill bit. Drilling a hole in titanium is all about keeping that point of cutting cool. Slow drill speed, coolant, and a steady, controlled cutting load. As long as you keep that temperature down in a certain range, it will drill and mill just like mild steel.

It's easiest to cut titanium in a CNC machine, because you can accurately control the speeds and feeds, and keep them within range. You can drill and mill titanium on manual machines, but you just have to be careful and patient. I don't do many titanium parts here in my shop, but I've done some.

[David Schwab]

Hey now, easy there fellows. I happen to make a large part of my income from making aftermarket wooden knobs. I don't get quite that much but you'd be surprised how time consuming something like that is even if it's all CNC machined. You spend 2 x the time sanding and another 4x finishing them.
Regarding the titanium bridge blocks, until you've spent a day trying to drill deep holes in titanium you might want to reconsider that price.
I've made plenty of tone blocks and they are time consuming. He sells the copper and brass ones for a lot less that I'd want.

You make very nice wooden parts. I wasn't talking about that. It's the claims about that knob, as well as the price.

I played with a guy that got a brass tone block from him for his Floyd, and apparently had the work done by him too. I was not at all impressed and the thing didn't fit right.

I'm sure you can get a titanium block made at a machine shop for a lot less. But the question is why would you even want to?

[David Schwab]

I don't know about drilling titanium, and I've never begrudged an artist or craftsman the time for their work. I couldn't say where the wood came from, what kind it is, or a host of other factors that can affect prices. ...

It says it's beech wood. I doubt it was custom made.

The other funny thing is the reference to "C37" lacquer. This is a clear lacquer painted on the knob to improve the sound of the amp!

They also paint it on speakers, turntables, and PC boards.

C 37 lacquer by Ennemoser

Get ready for some fun reading!

From the manufacturer's website:

C37 Acoustics Dieter Ennemoser - Violin Maker & Acoustic Researcher

"Carbon at body temperature = C37structure, where

C = carbon and 37 = temperature in °Centigrade.

These material-specific resonances of our ears would drastically distort our perception of other sounds,
but they are filtered out by the brain, leaving an accurate and apparently objective image of our
acoustic environment. However, this objectivity is deceptive. Although the timbre of our own hearing
mechanism is no longer audible, our subconscious senses transmitted energy. The sound then has a
subjective strength and warmth. "

"C37 Lacquer is a concoction of different resins and solvents, all optimized to adjust the sound of a
mechanical system to that of the human ear. This lacquer is almost clear with an amber cast.
Although it dries to the touch in one day, it requires about 10 weeks to harden completely and attain
its maximum effect. During the drying period, performance of the treated components will
vary considerably, with the system sounding good one day and horrible the next."

The price is $192 10ml bottle. It's basically clear nail polish.

[Kazooman]

Hi David K,

I know there are some VERY expensive woods out there and I would pay for it if I both could and wanted to! But I do strongly wonder about the actual description used to market those knobs... Justin

Well, the description says it is beech. That is a VERY cheap wood. I checked the price at the place where I purchase most of my wood. At a 2" thickness (premium price) beech is $3.61 per board foot. I can't tell the size of the knob from the picture, but let's say it is roughly 2" x 2" x 2". That would amount to $0.20 worth of wood. At 3" all round it would be $0.68. Now I understand the concept of waste in turning such a piece (I cannot imagine it was dnoe using CNC. It is a SIMPLE turning and sanding, finishing, etc. would be SIMPLE), but we have quite a stretch to get us to the asking price. Those brass inserts for the shaft must be very expensive. No wait..... they aren't!

I'll have to check out that website. It must be loaded with a lot of amazing deals such as this one.

[David Schwab]

I'll have to check out that website. It must be loaded with a lot of amazing deals such as this one.

The website is gone. He seems to have gone out of business just recently.

[Joe Gwinn]

I know that this is drifting off topic, but titanium isn't really that difficult to machine and drill. It isn't some super-hard metal like hardened steel. Most commercial-grade titanium bar stock and rod stock is annealed and is about equal in hardness to mild steel. You can cut it just fine with normal HSS drill bits and end mills. They do make special drill bits and mills for cutting titanium, which are ground to better cutting geometry. They will give you better efficiency in a production run, but they aren't essential.

What's nasty about titanium is that it work-hardens in a flash. If the spot where the cutting edge of the drill bit is digging in gets too hot, it will instantly harden up, jamming and snapping off the drill bit. Drilling a hole in titanium is all about keeping that point of cutting cool. Slow drill speed, coolant, and a steady, controlled cutting load. As long as you keep that temperature down in a certain range, it will drill and mill just like mild steel.

It's easiest to cut titanium in a CNC machine, because you can accurately control the speeds and feeds, and keep them within range. You can drill and mill titanium on manual machines, but you just have to be careful and patient. I don't do many titanium parts here in my shop, but I've done some.

Yes. Like stainless steel, but more so. And gummy. I do SS all the time, but have not as yet done any titanium. For SS, use lots of heavy cutting oil, low drill rpm, a very heavy hand, and don't stop for anything. The point is to keep the bit cutting under the hardened layer from the previous rotation of the drill bit. But I read a lot about how to deal with titanium, and if one is making for instances these bridges for sale, I bet getting the right stuff is worthwhile.