Solar Guitar™ prototype

Hello,
I am building Solar Guitar™ prototype, an eco-friendly, self-sustained musical instrument solely powered by the Sun.
10-15 watt, 2 speaker guitar amplifier with preamp/reverb/chorus/delay/overdrive will be installed into the guitar’s body.
Looking for a creative specialist to build this amplifier plus the effects. As a reference pls view the following link:
https://www.epguitars.com/

1: Why do you need a stereo amp for a guitar?
2: The battery to power all that for any length of time will not likely fit in a standard guitar body foot print?
3: Do you really want to leave you guitar out in the sun to charge?
4: What is the advantage of this?
Why not an external amp/synth, powered by a solar charged battery, that an electric guitar plugs into. Just the same "... eco-friendly, self-sustained musical instrument solely powered by the Sun" Or just more "cool"?

Cool idea.
I sincerely hope that you succeed.

I am not a musician, and I can't comment how the recharge time would fit into a musician's schedule.
Unless it is geared only for the casual player.

The energy used to make the solar panels is more damaging to the environment than the guitar will save over the lifetime of the guitar.
The design does not even justify its existence based on off-grid convenience. A street performer could not have it charge itself as he plays because his body will be covering most of the panels.

But, if you have $50k, I can certainly design it for you.

KMoffett said:

1: Why do you need a stereo amp for a guitar?
2: The battery to power all that for any length of time will not likely fit in a standard guitar body foot print?
3: Do you really want to leave you guitar out in the sun to charge?
4: What is the advantage of this?
Why not an external amp/synth, powered by a solar charged battery, that an electric guitar plugs into. Just the same "... eco-friendly, self-sustained musical instrument solely powered by the Sun" Or just more "cool"?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback!
1. It will be possible thru the stereo amp to play back up beats/audio from connected phone/pad/notebook. The same as in ElectroPhonic and Fusion guitars.
2. Pls check out ElectroPhonic and Fusion guitars. They did it!
3. Does not have to be in the direct sun. Comfortable shade or sunny living room is quite enough for casual charge btw playing. Just lean it against a tree. Plus the guitar's case will have additional 12V solar panel, so Solar Guitar™ could be charged while in the case and on the move.
4. In the hectic modern world, Solar Guitar™ will provide the independent entertainment and power source anywhere the sun shines. You can call it the
21st Century survival tool to keep the spirits up!
* Play, record, and share your music anywhere under the sun
* No need for an electrical grid, amplifiers, processors, stomp boxes, home audios, tuners, recorders, cables, or batteries.
* Charge your notebook, cell phone, flashlight, and camera
* Jumpstart your car and keep the car’s battery charged
Solar Guitar™ is a great traveling companion! All in One!
Solar Guitar™ can be plugged into any amp just as a regular electric guitar, using 1/4" cable jack. Using wireless/bluetooth the processed/clean signal can travel directly to the amp or PA mixing board.
An external amp/synth, powered by a solar charged battery, will be Solar Amp™/Synth plus an electric guitar - two piece unit. Self-sustained Solar Guitar™ is all you need to Rock'n'Roll! It's just one piece unit. Grab and go!
"When All are One and One is All to be a Rock and not to Roll!"

It feels like the Industrial designer is trying to fly solo - without an engineer.
Let me know, $50k and I'll design it.

For a lashup prototype you might be able to get modules off ebay and make something work.
I reccomend if you want to make lots of these that you use an electronics / audio design consultant, you dont want to make a 1000 and find theres a reliability issue or worse a safety issue.
gophert's figure might be a little over the top, but probably not by much.

dr pepper said:

gophert's figure might be a little over the top, but probably not by much.

Click to expand...

It includes electronic design, mechanical integration and manufacturing support.
The challenge is much greater in projects where the 5-pound bucket is already designed before they asking me to load it with 10-pounds of $&+#.

gophert said:

The energy used to make the solar panels is more damaging to the environment than the guitar will save over the lifetime of the guitar.
The design does not even justify its existence based on off-grid convenience. A street performer could not have it charge itself as he plays because his body will be covering most of the panels.

But, if you have $50k, I can certainly design it for you.

Click to expand...

Solar energy is much more eco-friendly than fossil fuel and nuclear. Solar panels production is getting greener and more efficient. Plus Solar Guitar™ body will be made from HempStone, therefore saving millions of trees cut down for conventional guitar manufacturing. Anybody, including street performer, does not play guitar 24/7. During the break just lean Solar Guitar™ against a tree or wall to charge it up if needed. The main solar module is in the back of the guitar. Plus Solar Guitar™ comes out fully charged from the case which is equipped with extra 12V panel.
Solar Guitar™ is a unique educational/commercial product and the natural reflection of the global solar energy revolution.
Solar Guitar™ serves as a testing ground for the newest, most efficient solar photovoltaics combined with the most reliable and powerful batteries. It is a consumer product crossover that together with Solar Guitar™ movies, cartoons, games, comics, songs, and social media will help popularize and mainstream solar energy. Solar Guitar™ encourages outside activities for people of all ages. It saves natural resources and teaches respect for the environment along with sustainability and a creative approach to life’s challenges. As an American born electric guitar fueled the birth of Rock’n’Roll, so will Solar Guitar™ fuel an American solar revolution with an electrifying message: “Go go go Solar Power!”

Presumably you have aspirations of been an advertising copywriter, and are practising writing misleading rubbish with no basis in reality?.

I notice in the EP video, he doesn't even use the (tiny) built-in speaker, but plays it through a mixer to record it - the part that makes it 'different', and sound how it does, is the built-in effects pedals. However, this isn't anything new at all, Matt Bellamy from Muse has been having guitars custom built with effects pedals inside for a great many years, and I doubt he was the first.

dr pepper said:

For a lashup prototype you might be able to get modules off ebay and make something work.
I reccomend if you want to make lots of these that you use an electronics / audio design consultant, you dont want to make a 1000 and find theres a reliability issue or worse a safety issue.
gophert's figure might be a little over the top, but probably not by much.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm looking for this electronic/audio design consultant. 50K is too much. I got propositions for 12K -20K. It's not a rocket science to build practical and durable self-sustained Solar Guitar™ based on ElectroPhonic and Fusion Guitars experiences.

Nigel Goodwin said:

Presumably you have aspirations of been an advertising copywriter, and are practising writing misleading rubbish with no basis in reality?.

I notice in the EP video, he doesn't even use the (tiny) built-in speaker, but plays it through a mixer to record it - the part that makes it 'different', and sound how it does, is the built-in effects pedals. However, this isn't anything new at all, Matt Bellamy from Muse has been having guitars custom built with effects pedals inside for a great many years, and I doubt he was the first.

Click to expand...

Am I "an advertising copywriter, and are practising writing misleading rubbish with no basis in reality?." Really? Or maybe I am the inventor who was granted US Solar Guitar™ patent? The reason I am here cos I'm looking for creative, optimistic people to work with me on Solar Guitar™ prototype. I don't need negative types to bring me down. What for you is "rubbish" for me is Gold. Have a nice day!

schmitt trigger said:

Cool idea.
I sincerely hope that you succeed.

I am not a musician, and I can't comment how the recharge time would fit into a musician's schedule.
Unless it is geared only for the casual player.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Anybody, including street performer, does not play guitar 24/7. During the break just lean Solar Guitar™ against a tree or wall to charge it up if needed. The main solar module is in the back of the guitar. Plus Solar Guitar™ comes out fully charged from the case which is equipped with extra 12V panel.

From a quick look, a 12" square area of solar cells will give around 15W absolute maximum, in direct sunlight.
probably 10 - 20% of that in outdoor shaded conditions.

This map shows the average hours of full sun per day, across the USA.
In the UK, it's more like 3 - 4 depending on the time of year.

You need a lot of area of solar cells to get any reasonable output for battery charging.


Another problem is, even if you could fit a genuine 15W amp and suitable speaker in an electric guitar:
The low frequency response would be abysmal due to lack of speaker enclosure size - and the thing would feed back like crazy at any significant volume level.

Low "E" is around 82 Hz, so a guitar amp needs good low frequency response to sound decent.

Don't be so negative. I've hired musicians before. They show up at 7pm for a six-o'clock reception. Get set up by 8 and start playing. Step out for a smoke at 8:45 and back playing from 9:30 until 10:15. Start packing up and, when I confront them about the agreement of 3 x 40minute sets, they tell me Rex's girlfriend needs the minivan at midnight and they have to go.

So a guitar really has to play about 2 hours if a band keeps,their promise and 1.25 if not. They could also recharge the guitar under a street light in the parking lot between sets if they have to (or hold it in front of their minivan's headlights) and we'd be down to 45 minutes of play time.

As for your concern for vibratory feedback from the speaker to the pickup, I could imagine some type of spring system to isolate the onboard speaker from the pickups on the guitar could be used but that minor background humm could be advertised as a feature instead of a fault - our OP seems to have some boss writing skills so he could pull it off.

Speaking of feedback, I was at a Rush concert in the 1980s and what's-his-name changed guitars but left the first one plugged in on the guitar stand. The nearby speaker was causing the strings to vibrate as he started the next song and he started waving his arms and pointing to the guitar stand. He finally stopped the song and yelled at his guy to fix it. Then he Told us what happened and he restarted.

Sorry, omitted the map link!

Solar panels work in full sunlight as the radiation intensity they are exposed to is around 1000 Watts per square metre.
Calculate for yourself the intensity of artificial lights and the proportion of energy out, compared to sunlight.

I agree with kmoffatt, a separate amp with the battery etc. would be far more practical; but even then allow for conventional charging when needed..

justlanded said:

The main solar module is in the back of the guitar.

Click to expand...

that might be a bad idea... go to a pawn shop and look at the guitars there and you will see what i mean, the backs of most of them will be scratched and scraped from belt buckles.

gophert said:

As for your concern for vibratory feedback from the speaker to the pickup, I could imagine some type of spring system to isolate the onboard speaker from the pickups on the guitar

Click to expand...

in the early 1960's somebody tried this, it wasn't very popular, so it was discontinued. one problem with it wasn't the feedback through the body, but acoustic feedback through the air to the sheet metal pickup covers.

unclejed613 said:

that might be a bad idea... go to a pawn shop and look at the guitars there and you will see what i mean, the backs of most of them will be scratched and scraped from belt buckles.



in the early 1960's somebody tried this, it wasn't very popular, so it was discontinued. one problem with it wasn't the feedback through the body, but acoustic feedback through the air to the sheet metal pickup covers.

Click to expand...

My son wanted me to build a log-amp with the hopes of mimicking a tube amp. The early prototype was an ideal amp design with log amp had so much gain at low volumes the we would sense the pickups vibrating from the air conditioner vent. It would clearly go away when we grab the neck to dampen the strings. Then, after a few seconds, it would start oscillating on its own if it couldn't find a signal to amplify.

unclejed613 said:

that might be a bad idea... go to a pawn shop and look at the guitars there and you will see what i mean, the backs of most of them will be scratched and scraped from belt buckles.



in the early 1960's somebody tried this, it wasn't very popular, so it was discontinued. one problem with it wasn't the feedback through the body, but acoustic feedback through the air to the sheet metal pickup covers.

Click to expand...

We will use https://voltaicsystems.com/9-watt-18v-panel/
These panels are very sturdy, scratch resistant and will take any belt buckle, though I would recommend to wear Solar Guitar™ "friendly" belts.
There are two very good self-sustained guitars on the market:
https://www.epguitars.com/
https://fusionguitars.com/
Compared to Solar Guitar™ they lack independent power source.

rjenkinsgb said:

From a quick look, a 12" square area of solar cells will give around 15W absolute maximum, in direct sunlight.
probably 10 - 20% of that in outdoor shaded conditions.

This map shows the average hours of full sun per day, across the USA.
In the UK, it's more like 3 - 4 depending on the time of year.

You need a lot of area of solar cells to get any reasonable output for battery charging.


Another problem is, even if you could fit a genuine 15W amp and suitable speaker in an electric guitar:
The low frequency response would be abysmal due to lack of speaker enclosure size - and the thing would feed back like crazy at any significant volume level.

Low "E" is around 82 Hz, so a guitar amp needs good low frequency response to sound decent.

Click to expand...

rjenkinsgb said:

From a quick look, a 12" square area of solar cells will give around 15W absolute maximum, in direct sunlight.
probably 10 - 20% of that in outdoor shaded conditions.

This map shows the average hours of full sun per day, across the USA.
In the UK, it's more like 3 - 4 depending on the time of year.

You need a lot of area of solar cells to get any reasonable output for battery charging.


Another problem is, even if you could fit a genuine 15W amp and suitable speaker in an electric guitar:
The low frequency response would be abysmal due to lack of speaker enclosure size - and the thing would feed back like crazy at any significant volume level.

Low "E" is around 82 Hz, so a guitar amp needs good low frequency response to sound decent.

Click to expand...

We will use https://voltaicsystems.com/9-watt-18v-panel/
These panels are very sturdy, scratch resistant and very efficient with V70 battery.
There are two very good self-sustained guitars on the market:
https://www.epguitars.com/
https://fusionguitars.com/
Compared to Solar Guitar™ they lack independent power source.

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