PalmGuitar v2 Owner's Manual

PalmGuita

r

®

Model v2

6-String Electric Guitar

Owner’s Manual

PalmGuitar

®

Model v2

The world’s smallest, precision electric guitar

Thank you for purchasing a PalmGuitar® v2 six-string electric guitar - the world’s smallest,
precision electric guitar. Designed as a guitar you can keep with you 24 hours a day / 7
days a week, the v2’s sleek exterior, quick fingerboard and amazing tone hide the simple
fact that this guitar is not

made of wood. What’s perhaps even more impressive to us is that

it is not

made of carbon fiber either … more about that later.

Since the electric guitar was born, nearly all have been made of wood – a natural raw
material that is plentiful and easy to shape, that also provides the tonal qualities that
musicians demand. Unfortunately, wood absorbs moisture like a sponge, expanding and
contracting in proportion to changes in ambient temperature and relative humidity.
Normally, that’s not a problem unless you travel with your guitar from one climate to
another. The rapid changes in climate caused by air travel can gradually ruin a wooden
guitar. Leaving your wooden guitar in the back seat of a rental car on a hot summer day can
ruin it instantly.

The physical size of most guitars makes them impractical to travel with - even if you can
carry guitar onto a plane, you can’t play it until you land. If you do any international travel,
that can be a long time. The PalmGuitar

®

is small enough so that you can play it in “seat
A” if you want. Unlike some guitars made for travelers that have several add on pieces to
make it look and feel like a normal guitar, the PalmGuitar

®

is ready to play right out of the
case. Finding a comfortable playing position doesn’t take long … some liken it to learning
to type on a laptop or smart-phone, instead of a full sized keyboard.

We first began shipping our legendary graphite instruments to customers around the globe
in 2002. The graphite guitars & basses are molded with a composite process using carbon
fiber reinforcement within a graphite filled epoxy matrix. Although they play and sound
great, they are very expensive and simply not affordable by many guitarists. We spent years
trying to develop a lower cost method that wouldn’t sacrifice tone or playability. But wood
seemed to be the only alternative to the costly carbon fiber graphite, and we simply refused
to manufacture wooden guitars.

We had nearly given up on the search for new materials by 2004 when we discovered an
innovative company in China that had patented a process for manufacturing “synthetic
wood” – a unique urethane composite - that turns out to have astonishing tonal properties
when shaped into the form of a guitar. After working with them to refine the process to suit
our unique needs, we are extremely proud to unveil the PalmGuitar

®

v2. In addition to

being inert to climate change, this new material is incredibly tough, giving the PalmGuitar

®

v2 better impact resistance than its graphite siblings. We hope you’ll enjoy playing it as
much as we have enjoyed making it a reality!

We like to brag that for a small company, we have some of the best customers in the world,
and we’re honored to count you among them! Thanks again for buying a PalmGuitar

®

!

Sincerely,

Features of your new
PalmGuitar

®

v2

six string electric guitar:

Grover

®

Mini RotoMatic™ Tuning Keys

Truss Rod Cover & Adjustment

Nut (1.8” width)

Upper straplock mounting Port (plug the
looped end of the strap lock here)

Lower straplock mounting port (plug the
straight end of the strap lock here)

Pickup

Pickup height adjustment screws

Two way adjustable bridge

Dual Concentric Volume & Tone Controls

(Volume is the top knob, tone is the
bottom ring)

Single Coil / Humbucker Coil Tap Switch

¼” Output Jack

1. The Locking Strap – one of the most
important features of your new
PalmGuitar

®

is its locking strap. We
use a strap that locks in place so that
your

g

uitar won’t accidentally slip off
the strap when you least expect it.
You insert the plu

g

in the “looped”
end into the receptacle located on the
side of the fingerboard at the 15

th

fret. The other end plugs into the
receptacle on the lower bout of the

g

uitar. When you push the button on

the back of the strap lock plu

g

, the
tiny stainless steel balls retract,
allowing you to attach and detach
your strap quickly.

2. The Coil Tap Switch

– just below the
strap lock port on the lower bout of
your

g

uitar is the coil tap rocker
switch. This allows you to switch back
and forth between a “sin

g

le coil”

sound and a “humbucker” sound.

3. ¼” Output Jack

- This is where you

plug your guitar cord. Any

g

ood

quality

g

uitar cord will work, but we
recommend that you get one with a
“right angle plug”

which is more

comfortable when you’re playin

g

in

tight quarters.

4. Strings

– The PalmGuitar® was designed to use normal electric guitar strings. They are
setup at the factory with the following gauge strings: .012/.016/.022/.032/.044/.052.
We compensate for the

lower string tension

compared to a full scale instruments by
using slightly heavier gauge strings. Low tension strings can be fretted “sharp”, so
you may want to relax some of the finger pressure you apply to the fingerboard if you
experience this. As low tension strin

g

s age, they tend to lose their brilliance and ability

to hold pitch faster than strings under higher tension, so it’s a good idea to restrin

g

your PalmGuitar® often. Several strin

g

manufacturers make stock string sets that
match, or come very close to matching the string set we specify for the v2. We hope
to add some resources to our website in the near future that will help you determine
how to calculate what string gauges to use on your PalmGuitar

®

that will best match

the tension and “feel” of the strings you use on your full size guitar.

5. Truss Rod

– If you remove the truss rod cover, you can easily adjust the truss rod to
add or subtract “relief” from your neck. To measure how much relief the neck has,
fret the low E strin

g

at the first fret, and the last fret. This is like using a straight edge
against the fingerboard. If you notice a gap between the top of the 9th fret, and the
bottom of the strin

g

, you can tighten the truss rod in small increments to eliminate
the gap. Loosening the truss rod causes more relief. A 4mm hex wrench is enclosed to
adjust the truss rod.

Loosen

to correct flat

intonation

Tighten

to correct sharp

intonation

6. Bridge Adjustment

– your
bridge is fully adjustable,
and can be used to raise
or lower the

action

(strin

g

height above the

frets) and ad

j

ust the

string

intonation

(len

g

th). Each string is

fed into one of 6 strin

g

“saddles”. The

action

is

ad

j

usted by raising or

lowerin

g

the two small
set screws that straddle
each strin

g

. Both screws
should be raised or
lowered by equal
amounts so that the
saddle is level.

T

he
constant vibration of
playin

g

your guitar can
cause these set screws
to loosen. So keep your

1.5mm hex wrench
handy to raise the

saddles if your strings start to “buzz.” To “ruggedize” your setup, you can apply a tiny
drop of clear fingernail polish to the set screw to temporarily lock them in place.

Once you adjust the action, you may need to adjust the

intonation

. Tune all of the

strings to the desired pitch. Then, fret each string at the 12

th

fret, and determine if

the pitch is exactly one octave hi

g

her than the open tuning. If the pitch is the same,

no adjustment is necessary. If the octave pitch is

sharp

compared to the open tuning

pitch, the string needs to be

lengthened

slightly by

tightening

the intonation screw on

the back of the brid

g

e. Tightening the screw moves the saddle backwards, effectively

lengthening the string. If the octave pitch is

flat

, you need to shorten the string by

loosening

the adjustment screw – the spring behind the saddle will push it forward.

Don’t be in imidated about adt

j

usting your bridge … there are many reference books

on the subject if you get stuck, and it’s the best way to keep your PalmGuitar

®

set up

the way the pros do.

7. Pickup height adjustment

– there are two screws on either side of the pickup that can
raise or lower the pickup - don’t confuse them with the 4 screws in corners of the
pickup ring that attach the ring and pickup assembly to the body. Raisin

g

or lowering
the pickup can change the intensity of the output signal, just like moving a
microphone closer to, or farther away from a vocal performance. If you raise the
pickup

too close

to the strings, you can actually cancel some of the sustain as the

magnets try to magnetically “grab” the strings. So only make small chan

g

es in pickup
height until you get the exact output signal you’re looking for.

8. Tuning Keys – The Grover® mini Rotomatic™ tuning keys are very low mass tuners
that feature compact removable metal knobs with adjustable tension, die-cast

g

ear
housings, lifetime sealed lubrication, and 14:1 gear ratio. The small, Phillips head
screw that holds the knob onto the housin

g

can be used to adjust the tension. You

can loosen the screws remove old strin

g

s and install new ones. Then, once your

strings have properly stretched, you can ti

g

hten the tension screws so that tuning

keys will resist accidental movement during travel.

9. Frets & Fingerboard

– Your PalmGuitar® v2 uses a standard nickel silver frets on a

polished Ebonite™ fin

g

erboard. They can be dressed, or replaced by any competent

g

uitar technician. The frets are leveled and crowned at the factory to precise
standards that permit low action. We specify a factory fret height that should permit
one or two leveling and crowning jobs before refretting becomes necessary. If you’re
not accustomed to doin

g

your own fret work, this is something better left to a skilled

technician.

10. The Nut

– The nut on your PalmGuitar® v2 is 1.8” wide, slightly wider than a standard
guitar nut in order to maintain the proportionality of the short scale. The distance
from the nut to the first fret on a PalmGuitar

®

is the same as the distance from the
4th to the 5th fret of a typical 25.5” scale guitar. So we made the width of the neck at
the nut equal the width of the neck of a typical 25.5” scale guitar at the 4

th

fret –

1.8”. Replacement nuts can be fabricated from common nut stock.

11. The Finish

– The PalmGuitar® v2 has an abrasion resistant polyurethane finish that

can be cleaned the same way you would clean any guitar. Generally, a

g

ood clean

lint-free cloth works best to wipe off any excess finger oils.

12. Tuning

– The PalmGuitar® v2 is designed to be tuned to standard E-A-D-G-B-E

tuning (@ A=440Hz) even though it has a short 20¼” scale len

g

th. Although you
can tune your v2 to any alternative pitch you choose, you may need to increase, or
decrease the

gaug

es of individual strings to improve the results. Changing the string

gauge may require that you re-intonate the brid

g

e. We use computer models to

calculate the optimum strin

g gaug

e vs. pitch for our scale length, so if you need

some help dialin

g

in the right gauge for your playing style, just let us know and we’ll

help. While the scale length of the PalmGuitar

®

is designed primarily to enable its
compact size, the short scale can also offer some artistic advantages over full scale
instruments. The voicin

g

of complex chords on the guitar is limited by the number of
fingers you use and the distance they can reach. Ever wonder what you could play if
your fingers were 20% longer? The PalmGuitar

®

lets you hit chords and reach

intervals that you might not otherwise be able to achieve.

13. Dual concentric Volume/Tone knobs

– The top knob controls the volume, and the

lower rin

g

controls the tone. Both are held to dual potentiometer shafts inside with a

small set screw. If either knob comes loose, you can replace them and ti

g

hten the

set screw with the 2mm hex wrench enclosed in your wrench kit.

14. The Case

– your v2 comes with a custom ballistic nylon carrying case that has one
lower padded pocket for the instrument, and a second pocket for your strap, cable,
and other

g

ear you need to take with you. The back of the case has a large fabric

band that can be used to lash your

g

uitar and case to the pull handle of your

lu

ggag

e. As we develop other styles of cases, we will make them available through

your dealer, or on our website.

General Specifications

Proprietary reinforced reaction injection molded (RRIM)
structural polyurethane microcellular composite and
Ebonite™ fingerboard

26” (66.0 cm)
6” (15.2 cm)

1.8” (4.6 cm)

1.2” (3.0 cm)

3.6 lbs (1.6 kg)

12” (30.5 cm)
Nickel silver
20

20.25” (51.4 cm)

1.8” (4.6 cm)

General composition:

Physical dimensions:

Overall length:

Maximum width of body:

Overall thickness:

Thickness of body:

Overall weight (less case):

Fingerboard specifications

Fingerboard radius:

Fret type:

Number of frets:

Scale length:

Width of neck at the nut:

Component specifications

Bridge specification:

Saddle height adjustment:

Volume/tone control:

Tone capacitor value:

Magnetic pickup:

Pickup mounting:

Tone selector switch:

Output jack:

Strap-lock mechanism:

Tuning keys:

Truss rod:

Strings:

Two way adjustable, top-loading

1.5 mm hex wrench
Dual concentric 500KΩ potentiometers
.020 mf
Two conductor humbucker with split
Surface mounted pickup ring with spring
suspension (adjustable)
DPDT on-on (single coil/series humbucker)
¼” (recommend right angle guitar plug)
Dunlop

®

Straplok®

Grover

®

Mini Rotomatic™
Headstock adjust; 4mm hex wrench
(.012p/.016p/.022w/.032w/.044w/.052w)

CAUTION!Your new PalmGuita

r

®

v2 is manufactured by an advanced polymer process

–

it contains no
wood whatsoever. While this means that your instrument will resist moisture and temperature changes
that would normally ruin a wooden guitar, it is not indestructible, nor is it waterproof. The sensitive
electronic components on the inside can still become damaged if you use your PalmGuitar

®

to paddle

your canoe.

MORE CAUTION

! Your new PalmGuitar® v2 is small enough that you can keep it with you all day, every
day. In fac , you be temped to play your guitar in places you could never play a guitar before! Please
never, never, never play your PalmGuitar

t ’ll

®

when you ought to be focused on something more
important, like driving your car or operating heavy machinery. We love our customers and would hate
to see you get hurt or have you hurt someone else by operating your PalmGuitar

®

in a “no jamming

zone.” The most important accessory we include with every PalmGuitar

®

is a dose of common sense

that we sincerely hope you will use! Thanks!

PalmGuita

r

®

v2

100% Customer Satisfaction

: you’ll find that the PalmGuitar®is very different from any

other guitar you’ve owned. It does not have the same wei

g

ht distribution of a normal
guitar - it is so small, some players may find it slightly “top-heavy”. Most customers adapt
to its tiny shape immediately; others may take a few days of various playin

g

positions in
order to find a comfortable playing position. In the event you try, but find that you cannot
adjust to the small scale, or weight distribution of the PalmGuitar

®

, or you simply decide
that you don’t like it for any reason at all, return it to your dealer for a full refund … no
questions asked. No guitar is perfect for everyone. We

only

want you to own a

PalmGuitar

®

if it is perfect for

you

. Our policy is to have only dedicated fanatics as
customers and we only work with dealers who share our passion for 100% customer
satisfaction.

Limited Lifetime Warranty

: the PalmGuitar® is guaranteed against manufacturing defects
including components made by subcontractors for the lifetime of the original owner. In
the event your PalmGuitar® fails due to some en

g

ineering, design, or manufacturing
defect, we’ll either repair it or replace it free of charge. Normal wear and tear items like
strin

g

s, frets, etc., or signs of excessive wear and tear, or physical damage, are not
covered by the lifetime warranty. For warranty service, please contact PalmGuitar, LLC for
instructions on how to return your instrument. Be sure to include the instrument serial
number, along with your shipping address and contact information. For additional
Warranty information see the enclosed Warranty card … make sure to fill it out and return
it to us immediately.

Service & repair

: while most skilled guitar technicians can perform set-up and routine

maintenance on your PalmGuitar

®

, you are always welcomed to return your instrument to
the factory for service or repairs. If we can estimate the costs for the repair or
modification without examining the instrument, we’ll issue a quotation for the work and
authorize you to ship the instrument to us. If we cannot estimate the costs without
examining the instrument, ship it to us and we’ll issue a repair quotation for your approval
prior to making the repairs.

Dealer Information

:

Serial
Number:

PalmGuitar, LLC Telephone: [phone]
P.O. Box 1135 Fax: [phone]
Southbury, CT 06488 eMail: [e-mail]
web site: www.palmguitar.com

© 2007 PalmGuitar

,

LLC

t

-------------- To activate your warranty, please fill out reverse sid

e

,

detach a the line, and mail to PalmGuitar, LLC --------------

Model v2

6 – String Electric Guitar

Limited Lifetime Warranty

&

Warranty Registration

Post Card

Apply

Postage

Here

PalmGuitar, LLC
P.O. Box 1135
Southbury, CT 06488

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Your new PalmGuitar®

v

2

is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the original retail
purchaser, subject to the limitations contained in this warranty. If at any time your PalmGuitar® v2 malfunctions as a result of
faulty materials or workmanship, PalmGuitar, LLC will repair the defect(s) or replace the instrument, as it deems appropriate in
its sole discretion. This warranty covers the cost of both labor and materials on any repair deemed necessary by our
PalmGuitar, LLC for the lifetime of the original purchaser. PalmGuitar, LLC reserves the right to use materials regularly utilized
at the time of repair in the event that original materials are no longer available. To obtain service under this warranty contact
PalmGuitar, LLC and obtain a Return Authorization number (RA). In the unlikely event that your instrument is destroyed, lost or
damaged beyond repair, while in the possession of PalmGuitar, LLC for repair, PalmGuitar, LLC will replace that instrument with
one of the same or most similar style of a value not in excess of the original purchase price of your instrument.

This warranty is extended to the original retail purchaser only and may not be transferred or assigned to subsequent owners. In
order to validate your warranty, and as a condition precedent to warranty coverage hereunder, you must return your warranty
registration card or register on line at palmguitar.com within sixty (60) days following the original date of purchase. A copy of
your sales receipt must accompany all requests for warranty coverage. This warranty gives you specific rights which may vary
from state to state, and is subject to the following limitations this warranty does NOT cover:

1. Any instrument that has been altered or modified in any way or upon which the serial number has been tempered with or
altered; 2. Any instrument whose warranty card has been altered or upon which false information has been given; 3. Any
instrument that has been damaged due to misuse, negligence, accident, or improper operation. 4. Subjective issues of tonal
characteristics; 5. Shipping damages of any kind; 6. Normal wear and tear (worn frets, worn plating, worn strings, worn finish,
etc.), 6. Any instrument purchased from an unauthorized dealer; 7. Any factory installed electronics after a period of one (1)
year following the original date of purchase

PalmGuitar, LLC makes no other express warranty of any kind whatsoever. All implied, warranties, including warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, exceeding the specific provisions of this warranty are hereby disclaimed and
excluded from this warranty. Some States and/or countries do not allow the exclusion of limitation of implied warranties so that
the above may not apply to you. PalmGuitar, LLC shall not be liable for any special, indirect, consequential, incidental or other
similar damages suffered by the purchaser or any third party, including, without limitation, damages for loss of profits or
business or damages resulting from use or performance of the instrument, whether in contract or in tort, even if PalmGuitar,
LLC or its authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages, and PalmGuitar, LLC shall not be liable
for any expenses, claims, or suits arising out of or relating to any of the foregoing.

-------------- To activate your warranty, please fill out below, detach at the line, and mail to PalmGuitar, LLC --------------

Serial Number:

v

2

Warranty Registration

Owner Information

First Name: ____________________ Last Name: __________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

City: __________________________ State: __________ ZIP ________________

Country: _______________________ Telephone: __________________________

eMail: _______________________________________________________________

Dealer Information

Dealer Name: ________________________________________________________

Dealer City: ____________________________ Dealer State: __________________

Date Purchased: ________________ Satisfied with Dealer Service? Yes No