ELLIPSE MATRIX BLEND / ELLIPSE VT
INSTALLATION GUIDE

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Read Me First!

1. Seal the mounting surface
To ensure a strong and reliable bond,you must now sand, clean and seal theunderside of the soundhole where thepreamp will mount.

Installation of this product is a simple procedure,
but we recommend this job only if you are anexperienced repair technician.

1. Sand the underside of the soundhole down tobare wood. Take care to remove all residual lacquer,polish and dirt.

Requirements
Saddle slot:

2. Use mineral spirits to clean the sanded area.
Remove any excess oil, resin and dust from theexposed wood. Let the area dry before proceeding
to the next step.

Minimum saddle slot length: 2.775” (70.48mm)
Maximum E to E spacing at saddle: 2.5” (63.5mm)
Soundhole

3. Seal the exposed wood with an appropriate coating.

Minimum usable soundhole diameter: 3.875” (98mm)

Use only a coating that will bond thewood fibers and present a hard, uniform
surface for the adhesive.

Maximum usable soundhole diameter: 4.125” (107mm)
Maximum X brace height at soundhole: .5” (13mm)

We recommend any of the following:

The Ellipse Aura preamp is designed to fit inmost flat top guitars without modification, but wecannot guarantee a drop-in fit with all instruments.
Before you begin installation, pre-fit the preamp in
the soundhole. Ideally, the preamp should lie flat,with the mounting bracket flush to the edge of thesoundhole.

• Hide glue
• All purpose two-part epoxy• Cyanoacrylate glue (higher viscosity,non-instant type)• Carpenter’s glue

Installation

Let the area dry before proceeding to the next step.
2. Test for fitPrecautions

Before exposing the adhesive, test the preamp forfit. Locate the module flush with the edge of thesoundhole, on the bass side. Center it between thetransverse brace and the bass-side X brace (figure 1).
If viewed as a clock face (neck at twelve o’clock), youwill position the phase switch at nine o’clock.

When separating the mounting bracket from thepreamp do not pry up the ends of thebracket (at the magnets) or you will damage it. See instructions below
for separating the preamp from themounting bracket.

3. Endpin jack

After installation, use caution when you clean thefingerboard or perform fret work! The
powerful neodymium magnets used tosecure the preamp will attract steel-wool
debris and fret filings. These can damage
the Ellipse electronics. As a precaution,
cover the soundhole before you work on
the fingerboard. Uncover only after all
debris is removed.

Install the endpin jack per Switchjack Installation
Guide.
4. Fasten the pickup wires to the terminal
block on the preamp module (figure 2). The signal
wire goes to the terminal marked “IN,” and theshield wire goes to the “GND” terminal. Tighten thescrews on the terminal block to secure the wires.

Preliminary
1. Widen the endpin hole to 15⁄32” (11.9mm) toaccommodate the endpin jack.
2. Drill a 3⁄32” hole (2.4mm) in the saddle slot forthe pickup wire, no less than .100” (2.5mm) from thenearest string. Install the pickup per Acoustic Matrix
installation instructions.

16. Option: separate the preamp from themounting bracket
Once the preamp is installed, you may separate itfrom the mounting bracket for better access inside
the guitar. You’ll need a heavy guitar pick to separate the two. Lodge the pick between the preampand mounting bracket (figure 3) and twist until thepreamp snaps away. Swing the preamp toward thesoundhole, then separate it from the mounting
bracket (figure 4).

Figure 3. Separate preamp
from bracket

INGND

Figure 1. Component locations

Figure 2. Fasten the pickup wires
5. Fasten the preamp
If the mounting bracket it is not already attachedto the preamp, snap it in place now. Peel back therelease film on the bottom of the mounting bracket
and fasten the preamp to the underside of thesoundhole. Apply even, steady pressure to thepreamp to set the adhesive. The adhesive gains
maximum hold after 24 hours.

Figure 4. Release right side magnet2

7. Secure the wires inside the instrument withthe supplied adhesive-backed clips (figure 1). Clean
the area where you will mount the clips with mineralspirits. Let the area dry before continuing.
8. Battery bag

Plug in the guitar and move the Blend slider to theleft for mic only. Start with the mic capsule so it faces
the back of the guitar. Move the mic closer to thesoundhole for more bass. Turn the capsule toward
the sides of the instrument for less bass.

Install the battery bag on or near the neck block.
1. Clean the area where you will mount the bag withmineral spirits. Let the area dry before continuing.
2. Peel off the plastic film from the Velcro patch andattach the bag at the chosen location.

9. Microphone positioning (Blend model)

More Bass

10. Mic Trim control (Blend model)
Use a small slotted screwdriver to adjust the Mic
Trim potentiometer recessed below the volumeslider. This is a “set it and forget it” control forcalibrating the microphone level in relation to thepickup. Set the Blend slider to the center positionand adjust the Mic Trim control until both themicrophone and pickup levels are balanced toyour liking.

You can position the microphone to find the “sweetspot” inside the instrument. Experiment with theplacement until you find the position that works bestin the instrument.

VolumePhase

4. Install a 9V alkaline or lithium battery. Tuck thebattery into the bag and re-attach to the Velcro
patch. The adhesive under the Velcro patch requires
24 hours to achieve a full bond, so take care to notstress the adhesive if you remove the battery bag
after the initial installation.

Less Bass

Blend

3. Carefully separate the bag from the Velcro patch.
To set the adhesive, burnish the entire area of thepatch, especially the edges.

Mic Trim

Mic Trim

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514-000-014 Rev C 5-09