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HFN Artist Installation Instructions Active Pickup For Steel String Guitars
To Install the HFN Artist you will need the following tools:
Electric drill, ½"spade or forstner bit, assorted drill bits to ½", x-acto, side cutters , needle
nose pliers, small flat head jewellers driver.
Important: Please read these instructions before installing the pickup system
Installing the Endpin Jack Preamp
1) Slack off all six strings and remove them or tape them out of the way. Remove any
end pin at the butt.
2) If the instrument had a strap button attached with a small screw, use either the spade
or forstner bit to drill a pilot hole through the end block.
3) If the instrument had a strap button press fitted or glued into a tapered hole in the end
block, you will need to gradually and carefully increase the diameter of the hole to ½"
using either a tapered reamer or a succession of different drill bits concluding with a ½"
size.
4) Remove the outer strap button, and the small nut and washer from the endpin jack.
5) Reach inside the sound hole and poke the endpin jack through
the drilled hole in the end block. The jack should protrude
approximately
5/16" outside the guitar. Reinstall the flat washer and small nut.
6) Insert a small allen wrench or other small round (a drill bit)
through the 2 holes in the end of the endpin jack to keep the
jack assembly from rotating; tighten the small nut.
Setting the preamp gain
1) The Artist II endpin jack preamp is a two channel preamp. On
the preamp circuit board there is a trim pot for for setting the
gain for each channel. As supplied with our HFN pickup, only one
channel of the preamp is being used and that channel comes
from the factory with the trim pot gain set at approximately 20 percent
of maximum gain. The second channel may be utilized for a magnetic
pickup or mic. If nothing is attached to this second channel, the trim
pot must be turned fully off on the circuit board to avoid any noise. A
small jewellers screw driver may be use to rotate the trim pot.
Rotating it fully counterclockwise will turn the input gain to fully off.
2) It may be necessary to adjust the input gain on the preamp circuit
board. If the input gain is set too low the amplifier or mixer may not
process the signal properly. If the input gain is set too high then distortion may occur.
Installing the Pickup
Ideally, the bridge plate area where the pickup is to be mounted should be almost perfectly flat. However in most cases there is
some curvature to that area caused by the pulling tension of the strings on the top. For most installations this minor curvature won’t
affect pickup performance. But, in some cases one has to adjust pickup fit. Please read section on String Balance and Troubleshooting
for more information.
1) The pickup is meant to go as directly under the saddle as possible(and in line with it).
2) Reinstall both E string bridge pins. Make a mental note of about how far the saddle slot is from the bridge pins.
Note: For attaching the transducer unit to the bridge plate you have the choice of using one of two different mounting options: foam
tape mounting or putty mounting. The foam tape mounting is a little quicker and tidier than the putty and tends to give the most even
response in most applications. The putty will transmit a little more of the highs and may be used if the instrument is dark or primarily
bassy. It is suggested that you install the pickup with the foam tape to begin with.
Foam Tape Mounting
1) Remove the backing from one side of the foam tape. With the foam tape sticky side up on a flat surface, place the feet of the pickup
over the tape and press down to make the tape adhere to the feet. Remove the backing from the other side of the foam tape.
2) Using the outside E string bridge pins for a guide, reach in through the soundhole and use your fingers to judge the centering of the
pickup. Try to get it directly under the saddle if possible. Press the pickup firmly into place.
Important: VHB tape may not be reused, it will only stick properly one time.
Putty Mounting
1) Place a bit of putty about the size of a pea on the bottom of each foot of the pickup. Using the outside E string bridge pins for a
guide, reach in through the soundhole and use your fingers to judge the centering of the pickup. Try to get it directly under the saddle
if possible. Press the pickup firmly into place.
Installing Thumbwheel Controls
1) Thumbwheel controls are normally installed so that the black wheels extend just slightly beyond the edge of the soundhole on the
bass side.
2) Feel inside your guitar, under the lip of the soundhole and find an area that is clean and flat and large enough for the control unit to
sit flat. The control unit must sit flat in order for the VHB foam adhesive to hold properly. If a large enough flat area does not exist, a
small thin wood plate may have to be glued in to provide the necessary flat room between braces.
3) Remove the backing from the VHB tape and while supporting the outside area of the soundhole, firmly press the control unit into
place.
