Donald Merand

Scale Visualizer Now Supports Mandolin and Banjo

Mon, 25 May 2026 21:02:36 -0400

I’ve updated my unified scale pattern visualizer with new instruments. Mandolin is tuned in fifths, so the patterns look quite different from guitar. I added a 12-string perfect-fifths tuning to visualize the full 7-string repeating pattern when using 4 note-per-string scales on mandolin. I also added open G and open C banjo because good resources for C-tuned banjo are surprisingly hard to find. The algorithm now picks the right octave automatically based on the tuning, so everything just works. Give it a try.

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 20:31:31 -0400

Being a software engineer is a good way to burn off excess ability to imagine a better world.

2024.09.01 Breathing Exercise

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 22:01:50 -0400

Life is a breathing exercise

Transcript

Yamaha SA-5 / SA-30 / SA-50 Bridge Dimensions

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 20:56:40 -0400

As I restore my Yamaha SA-5 guitar, I’ve been taking dimensions of some of the harder-to-find parts so that they can be more easily re-created by folks in similar situations. It’s hard to find these parts on auction sites, but you can 3d print a facsimile fairly easily or use the model as a reference for hand re-creation.

Today I made a CAD model and drawing of the base of the bridge. The bridge is a two-piece setup commonly found on archtop guitars, though the dimensions of this bridge are not common on modern guitars to my knowledge. This bridge is also pinned to the guitar with wood screws, which makes the dimensions particularly important.

Here’s a picture of the real bridge base with the adjustment screws + thumbwheel installed, as well as some dimensions from the CAD drawing. I recommend playing around with the 3d model in Onshape to get a feel for the various dimensions.

Yamaha SA-5 / SA-30 / SA-50 / SG-2 / SG-3 Tremolo Collet

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 15:07:52 -0400

I recently acquired a 1966 Yamaha SA-5. It can be hard to find parts for these guitars. In particular, the tremolo arm and collet always seem to be missing. Mine has the collet but was missing the tremolo arm.

I found that this 5mm push-in replacement tremolo arm is the proper dimensions, provided that the collet is well-adjusted.

I also made a CAD model and drawing of the dimensions of my collet, in case folks are motivated to make their own. I have zero experience with CAD drawings, but hopefully these dimensions will be sufficient information.

These videos are an excellent source of information about how these assemblies go together. In particular for the collet, it threads into the tremolo base and is held in place by a jam nut (threaded M8 x 0.75). The tremolo arm itself slides in and is caught by the bottom half of the collet (tightened slightly to keep it from passing through). The nut that holds the tremolo arm in place has an internal M8 x 0.75 thread, but has a draft/taper internally that causes the top half of the collet to tighten on the arm.

Strat Sounds - 1/28/24, 09.52

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 10:55:34 -0400

Sparks from the fire twinkling in the vastness of the winter night

Untitled - 1/22/24, 21.41

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 22:42:36 -0400

Ears ringing in the forest

Transcript

Strat Sounds 1/20/24, 20.15

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 21:17:40 -0400

Playing around with some new pickups.

Transcript

Candace

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 10:44:00 -0400

I recently found this song that I wrote for an acquaintance who passed.

Tele Sounds - 12/27/23, 20.48

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 21:50:39 -0400

My brother got me a stylophone and this happened.

Tele Sounds - 12/21/23, 21.09

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:21:26 -0400

Happy solstice 🌔

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 13:01:16 -0400

I loved this

In a world where evidence and logic are not respected in public debate, Hinton imagines that systems operating without evidence or logic could become our overlords by becoming superhumanly persuasive, imitating and supplanting the worst kinds of political leader.

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 06:58:00 -0400

Humans are just intelligent enough to be confident but not quite intelligent enough to have empathy and integrate with our world instead of destroying it. We are so self-centered and hubristic that we believe our intelligence is the apex of intelligence when it’s actually the modus operandi of a cancer at a larger scale.

Would a true intelligence destroy the world it inhabits? Would a true intelligence not integrate and create balance with its world? Would humans even recognize a true intelligence if we saw one?

Output before Input EXTRA POST #301 - 2022.11.26

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 10:03:39 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #301 - 2022.11.12

Sometimes things just happen

Output before Input #300 - 2022.11.12

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 09:40:24 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #300 - 2022.11.12

Reprise through new eyes

Output before Input #299 - 2022.11.11

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:43:04 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #299 - 2022.11.11

The world inside

Output before Input #298 - 2022.11.11

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:37:46 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #298 - 2022.11.11

Light shining through the cracks in your carefully-built wall

Output before Input #297 - 2022.11.10

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:13:25 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #297 - 2022.11.10

First time working the parachute

Output before input #296 - 2022.11.09

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 09:05:04 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #296 - 2022.11.09

All souls march

Output before Input #295 - 2022.11.08

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 09:07:19 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #295 - 2022.11.08

Band of rats dancing

Output before Input #294 - 2022.11.08

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 09:05:46 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #294 - 2022.11.08

Walking through a big empty skyscraper

Output before Input #293 - 2022.11.07

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 09:11:14 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #293 - 2022.11.07

(melody from my dream)

The slog it takes to make something look easy

Output before Input #292 - 2022.11.06

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 08:52:35 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #292 - 2022.11.06

Shock absorbers

Output before Input #291 - 2022.11.05

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 08:33:34 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #291 - 2022.11.05

Bad vibrations

Output before Input #290 - 2022.11.03

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 08:22:27 -0400

🎵 Output before Input #290 - 2022.11.03

(This one came straight out of my dream)

You don’t have to stumble and trip on this path, you can actually fly.