and now for something a little different... I've wanted a hexaphonic guitar ever since I noodled around with a VG-8 back in the mid-90s. I picked up a Roland GK kit quite a while back, and finally got around to installing it. I was originally going to install it on my SE EG, and was just about to do it when I thought "if I end up using this on stage, why would I use the EG when I have a much nicer feeling guitar?"
I ended up installing it on my PTC modified DC3, it's a keeper and one of my main gigging guitars anyway, so I wasn't scared about drilling some holes in it.
It actually wasn't too difficult, although it did take a bit of time as I had to pull it apart a couple of times to get it right. The first step was placement, with these pickups you don't want them too close or too far from the bridge, and luckily there was just enough room on the pickguard to fit the GK pickup. Once the placement was good, it was a simple matter of drilling a couple of holes for the mounting screws (which were tarnished when I got them, will swap them out at some stage). Once in place I needed to remove a small section of the pickguard for the GK pickup wires, so they could make their way into the bridge PU cavity and to the PCB. This also involved removing a small section of the guitar body, just ended up using a dremel and a router bit.
Once that was done I attacked the output jack, which is much larger than the stock 1/4" one. I used the old hole and just drilled/chiseled out enough wood until the output jack assembly fit in there. I then had to make a new holes for the 1/4" output, just a drill hole big enough for the lead to fit, then a spade bit for the socket.
Then I just needed to make it all fit in the control cavity once all the connections to the PCB were made, it was a squeeze but I didn't need to remove any more wood. Once it was all together I found that the A string was fouling on the GK pickup, so I had to pull it all apart and router down a small step on the pickguard for the GK pickup to sit on. I went down a couple of mm, thinking I could just use a spacer (supplied with the kit) if it was too low.
Put it all back together and everything was physically sweet, then I found there was a heap of noise in the mag circuit when the GK cable was plugged in, yep I omitted a ground wire between the 2 circuits (I didn't bother with the mag IN on the GK board) so I pulled it all apart again and soldering on a ground wire. Back together and now working a treat with my VG-99 (a whole 'nother kettle of fish!).
Onto the pics:
Yes I know the collars don't match the cuffs, but at least it's neat!
You can see the little routed step I put in the pickguard here
The bit of pickguard and body I had to remove for running the GK pickup wires