Graph Tech Ghost User Manual
Be the band.
Hexpander MIDI Interface
Acousti-Phonic Pre-amp
User Guide
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 functio ns ...........................................11
Hexpander only and mag-to-pin-7 ....................12
Sample Control Layouts ...........................................14
PlanninG yOur GhOst® installatiOn ..............................16
Locating Ghost
® Components ...............................17
Pots and QuickSwitches .........................................17
Extension Harness *optional*..............................18
Hexpande r and 13-pin Jack..................................19
Acousti-ph onic & 9v battery.................................20
Acoustic volume: convert, stack, or drill?...........21
Convert Mag Tone Pot to Acoustic Volume......21
Replace a Pot with a Stacked Pot ........................22
Drill a Hole and Add a Pot .....................................23
Strats and Teles.............................................................24
Les Pauls and Hollow Bodies...................................24
rOutinG, DrillinG, anD nOtchinG....................................25
Tools required...............................................................26
Optional Tools..............................................................26
Reversible installation...............................................28
2
Saddles
Notching the pick guard or pickup ring............29
Slotting the base p late *optional*......................30
Drilling b etween control cavities ........................31
Hexpander
13-pin jack.................................................................32
Enlarging th e control cavity..................................39
Curving the Jack Plate............................................39
Acousti-Phonic
Stereo switched Jack (no routing require d)......40
9v batter y...................................................................40
Installing Ghost® Modular Components
Saddles............................................................................41
Pickup wires...............................................................41
Color code .................................................................42
Signal/ground color code .....................................43
Summing board ......................................................43
Extension harness *optional*..............................43
Seating and setup....................................................44
Hexpander.....................................................................45
13-pin jack.................................................................46
Connecting the 13-pin jack..............................47
Traktion switch.........................................................48
Connect ing Pickups to the He xpander.......49
3
Program Up/Down (orientatio n) *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. ................................59
QuickSwitch for mag/both/acoustic *opt.*......60
Connecting Pickups to the Acousti -phonic......61
Gain Adjustment......................................................61
Battery Powe r Connecting the Battery .............62
Piggyback – Hexpander + Acousti-Phonic........66
Other Possible Installations.....................................66
Dual output jack s....................................................66
Tone control on piezo.............................................67
Passive volume kit ...................................................68
technical cOnsiDeratiOns
Bridge radius - Do not le saddles! .......................69
Missing Pins (keyed connections)..........................70
String ground to prevent hum...............................71
Ground Loops...............................................................72
Pot & switch mounting hole diameters..............73
Shielded cavity caveat...............................................74
4
Overview Of the GhOst® system
Quick Switch
both
MIDIpiezo
Program Switch
downup
MIDI Volume
GHOST Saddle
Piezo Pickups
Magnetic Pickups
and Selector Switch
Magnetic
Volume
Magnetic
Tone
Quick Switch
both
magnetic
piezo
Piezo
Volume
Hexpander
13-pin Output Jack
Acousti-Phonic
1/4” Stereo Switched
Output Jack
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.
5
Will it work with my guitar?
The ghost® system is designed to t 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. Floyd Rose
Original and Licensed
bridges can be replaced with our pickup-loaded
ghost® LB63 bridge. Some installations can be
done without altering the instrument at all,
while others will require drilling, notching, or
routing. This depends on the components
you choose, and the design of your
particular instrument.
6
Introducing modular components
Modular means that the ghost® system’s components can be
plugged into each other in dierent combinations to create
dierent systems. Once you’ve selected pickup saddles to t
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. You can add as many or as few of
the optional controls as your instrument will accommodate.
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Output options
13-pin MIDI Cable
- or -
Acoustic Amp
MIDI
MIDI Converter
Electric Guitar Amp
Blended
Mag and Piezo
- or -
Acoustic Amp
Piezo
Stereo Cable
Mono Cable
Electric Guitar Amp
Magnetic
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.
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Mono and Stereo Modes
Electric Guitar Amp
Magnetic + Acoustic
Magnetic
+
Acoustic
Ground
MONO
MODE
Tip
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.
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Acoustic Amp
Acoustic
Electric Guitar Amp
Magnetic
Acoustic
Magnetic
Ground
STEREO
MODE
Tip
Ring
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.
10
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 o, or on at the volume level you have chosen.
MIDI
Acousti-phonic
QuickSwitch
both
acoustic
magnetic
both
Hexpander
QuickSwitch
What’s on the
*
Acousti-phonic
QuickSwitch
The QuickSwitches are SPDT on-o-on type switches.They
cannot be replaced with on-on-on type switches or Les Paul
pickup selector switches. QuickSwitches are available from
Graph Tech only in silver color. Note that the Hexpander
QuickSwitch does not control the signals on the Stereo Switched
jack, but does control the three signals on the 13-pin jack.
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Hexpander only and mag-to-pin-7
Piezo
Volume
- OR -
13-pin MIDI Cable
Acoustic Amp
MIDI
MIDI Converter
Electric Guitar Amp
Blended Mag and Piezo
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.
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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. Note that the acoustic sound with the mag-to-pin-7
harness is the raw acoustic sound, and not the true acoustic
sound that the Acousti-Phonic creates. If you want pin-7 to
carry just the mag or just the raw piezo signal, you can
leave the unused wires disconnected and coiled up.
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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.
5-WAY
SWITCH
ACOUSTIC
QUICKSWITCH
VOLUME
VOLUME
MIDI
VOLUME
MIDI
VOLUME
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MAGNETIC
TONE
MAGNETIC
VOLUME
MAGNETIC
VOLUME
5-WAY
SWITCH
ACOUSTIC
QUICKSWITCH
* requires rewiring 3-way switch for master volume and tone
VOLUME
BRIDGE
TONE
NECK
VOLUME
NECK
QUICKSWITCH
VOLUME
ACOUSTIC
TONE
BRIDGE
VOLUME
MAGNETIC
VOLUME
MIDI
VOLUME
ACOUSTIC
QUICKSWITCH
TONE
MAGNETIC
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J2
9 VOLT
PlanninG yOur GhOst® installatiOn
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 conicts with adjacent
components, especially the parts of the
magnetic pickup system already in your
guitar. Make sure that the harness wires
are long enough to reach the location of
each component. Remember that any of
the optional controls can be added to the
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system later if you’ve left space for it,
but drilling a hole in the wrong place
can be hard to hide. Some routing
may be required to t the components
in your particular instrument.
Locating Ghost® Components
The ghost® boards are small -- about the size of a match
box -- so they will t 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 at 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. Before you drill, make sure there is room
for the component inside the cavity behind the mark.
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Extension harness *optional*
Extension
Harness
Dual
Connector
Cable
Summing
Board
Hexpander
Acousti-Phonic
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.
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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.
7/8”
5/8”
Output Jack Hole Size
1 1/4”
Output Jack Cavity Size
1/16”
Rear Mount
1-1/8”
1”
Edge or Front Mount with jack plate
1 1/4”
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Acousti-Phonic & 9v battery
9 VOLT
9 VOLT
Front Wall
Side Wall Cover Plate
The 9v battery that powers the Acousti-Phonic may require
some routing to t 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.
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Acoustic volume: convert, stack, or drill?
Before
installing
ghost
After
installing
ghost
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.
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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.
Outer shaft
controls
top pot
Center shaft
controls
bottom pot
* not sold by Graph Tech -- available from most guitar parts suppliers
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Drill a Hole and Add a Pot
You supply
the pot
Order acoustic
volume pot
with mid/dark
switch...
Harness supplied
with Acousti-phonic
Order harness with
mid/dark toggle
switch
...complete
with harness
You supply
the pot
mid/dark
250k or 500k
audio taper
Bk
Bk
Y
Vi
Gn
Gn
Y
Vi
Gn
Mags
Mags
Vi
R
Y
Bk
Bu
R
Mags
Bu
darkmid
Bk
Bk
Bk
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-o pot or as a toggle switch.
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