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Problems with new 2 knobber electronics

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moody, p.i.
Posted 2014-03-19 3:55 PM (#483267)
Subject: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654

Location: SoCal
Has anybody else here had problems with the redesigned 2 knobber electronics? They are used on the 1687, 1581, and slothead reissues.

I've had troubles with them since I first got a guitar with them in 2007. I also upgraded the 2 knobber electronics on my 1537. They sound great but at times, 3 of the strings will go out (they are stereo electronics).

I've discovered that the plugs where the saddle lines plug into the tone box can become fouled up. When that happens, pulling out the box (gotta have room to work), unplugging the 2 plugs, and sparying Deoxit into the jacks, then working the plugs in and out, will fix the problem.

Evidently, some sort of electronic build up occurs in the jacks. Has anybody else had this problem and discovered this or some other solution? I've had this happen with several sets of these electronics.
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Mark in Boise
Posted 2014-03-20 10:25 AM (#483287 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750

Location: Boise, Idaho
I was going to check mine last night, but was too tired after a soccer game. I don't plug it in enough to have any build up from the electrical connection.
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Damon67
Posted 2014-03-20 10:58 AM (#483289 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics



Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6992

Location: Jet City
Must be a SoCal thing. I play my 1581 mostly, haven't had any issues so far.
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2014-03-20 11:57 AM (#483290 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654

Location: SoCal
Damon, I don't know. But I've had three sets of the electronics between 2 guitars (OFC slothead and 1537) and I've had problems with all three sets. When I've got to plug in, I always go with my 87C, which has an OP Pro in it (long story on how it got the OP Pro), because it's consistant and never fails. If I could always count on it, I'd be plugging in my 1537, my preferred guitar......
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bburg
Posted 2014-03-20 12:39 PM (#483291 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics



Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 1137

Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh)
I've that ploblems too. I also have three guitars with that preamp system and all three have the problem. I pull the the cable in and out a few times and turn it left and right and then it was always working well.

Bernie
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hwebster
Posted 2014-03-31 12:12 PM (#484644 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
June 2005
Posts: 488

Location: California
I upgraded my 1537. The battery dies really fast. I have changed the battery and used the guitar for a few hours then in a week or so when I plug the 1537 againg, the battery is gone. Some sore of connection problem.
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MWoody
Posted 2014-03-31 9:18 PM (#484660 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics



Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13984

Location: Upper Left USA

So this conversation needs some pictures. Here's a two-knobber that someone tried to fix before I got it. Look at all those little "hard-to-replace-ems" in there!

 

Some tattle-tales on the circuit board.



Edited by MWoody 2014-03-31 9:21 PM
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2014-03-31 10:54 PM (#484662 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654

Location: SoCal
Ok, that's one of the older ones. Connections were soldered. On the reissue units, the parts were modular and plugged into each other. From the pick-up, there are two wires that plug into (1/8th"?) the preamp (the tone box). That seems to be where the problem is.
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2014-03-31 11:00 PM (#484663 - in reply to #483289)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654

Location: SoCal
damon67 - 2014-03-20 8:58 AM

Must be a SoCal thing. I play my 1581 mostly, haven't had any issues so far.

Damon, I didn't have any trouble with the electronics (reissue) that I put in my 1537 for about 4 years. Then there were problems.

I had the problem with two sets of electronics in the OFC slothead. Now they work perfectly once I figured out the solution. But it's not a permenant solution as far as I can tell.....
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elginacres
Posted 2014-03-31 11:27 PM (#484665 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 1609

Location: Colorado
I had similar problems with #43 in the 80s. To be able to finish a tour...I actually dug in there...and soldered the actual plug tip and sleeve separately to the jack points...real high content silver solder and a very hot iron. The only way that connection was every gonna become oxidized through to the points was to actually cut the jack points with wire snips...which is ultimately what the mother ship did...I had an OP-24 put in...it became much quieter, and a little more flexible...and a ton more reliable. On the old ones, I think it is those two pretty big capacitors (blue ones in the pic) which hold static a good while so close to the rheostat, which creates a small magnetic field...and so build happens quickly...I am guessing they found a way to drain the static away through better grounding in the OP series models...though I actually do not know because I have never...and I mean never had to open it up again.
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nerdydave
Posted 2014-04-01 12:06 AM (#484666 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
August 2011
Posts: 887

Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah
I replaced the jacks from the pickup (male end) and receptacles on the box (female) on my 1681-9. As I recall I had to do a little soldering but not much. No problems since. Three strings were dead before that. I bought the parts from Radio Shack. But as I recall the old ones were a little loose also and I think there was only intermittent contact.
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dobro
Posted 2014-04-06 11:37 PM (#484896 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics



Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120

Location: Chicago
Had some trouble with the two-knobber 1581 reissue. Best guitar otherwise. I decided to install a "modern" preamp (Fishman). Glad I did: my main axe now for over five years.
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Sencha
Posted 2014-04-17 6:59 AM (#485220 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
January 2013
Posts: 3

Dobro, I'm another one with problems with my 1581 reissue. Would be interested to hear about the fishman pre you stuck in yours. Namely, what pre and was it a tricky job?
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danomyte
Posted 2014-04-17 8:35 AM (#485221 - in reply to #483267)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics



Joined:
January 2014
Posts: 402

Location: Taxed To Death State
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the output jacks have and extra contact on them that closes the circuit on the 9 volt battery when you plug it in. When you unplug the cord it should open the circuit. If the guitar is eating batteries I would put an ohm meter on that input jack contact that's suppose to control the power. Perhaps it's stuck closed.
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2014-04-25 12:06 PM (#485739 - in reply to #484644)
Subject: Re: Problems with new 2 knobber electronics


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654

Location: SoCal
hwebster - 2014-03-31 10:12 AM

I upgraded my 1537. The battery dies really fast. I have changed the battery and used the guitar for a few hours then in a week or so when I plug the 1537 againg, the battery is gone. Some sore of connection problem.


I was excited to play my 1537, with the electronics squared away, on Easter. Then last night at band practice, nothing. The battery had gone dead.

I think I'm going to take it to somebody who knows electronics and have them take apart everything and see what's going on. Frustrating........
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