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Making it playable

A project log for Relay as a magnetic guitar pickup

Hexaphonic guitar puckup built from 6 unmodified relays and amplifiers

kauzKauz 11/09/2025 at 12:330 Comments

Yeah, it's cool and that, but are we gonna make some sound? To be actually able to plug the guitar equipped with this pickup into something like an amp, we need to interface its 12-pin output with standard (in guitar world) 1/4 inch jack. To use the string separation property of it I put two output jacks into the guitar and made a mixer board with dip switches, that define which of the strings are present in which of two outputs. It's also possible to exclude some strings from both mixes, or to have them playing in two simultaneously, although that would increase the bleed of all strings into both mixes, it's a simplistic passive mixer.

I've configured it such that two lowest strings go into one "bass" output, and the rest four into the other, because that's how I often divide the strings' roles when I'm playing bass and melody simultaneously (omg, I wish Lucas Brar played something on my guitar, my skills are not enough to use its full potential).

The mixer board is the same size as the main pickup board, and may be mounted in a better way than just by friction in 12 pin/socket connections, but that'll do for now. I've designed a board holder with the same mounting points as on the guitar's original pickup, printed it in transparent PLA and soldered a 9v battery connector. The guitar is ready to be assembled and played!

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