videorov Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I wonder if Gibson is offering parts for repairs and those batteries Im sure they are some type of nicad and they will go dead after so many charges, thats normal but is Gbson selling replacements this is the question? I like to idea of auto tuning for many of the songs that require it but want to be able to get parts for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaushouz Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I wonder if Gibson is offering parts for repairs and those batteries Im sure they are some type of nicad and they will go dead after so many charges, thats normal but is Gbson selling replacements this is the question? I like to idea of auto tuning for many of the songs that require it but want to be able to get parts for it. Hi, Batteries are the least of your worry's if you purchase a used one. I own a 1st Gen robot. I felt the same as you when I purchased the guitar new. The innovation was irresistible to me, as a multiple tuning slide player. The parts will need replacement soon. I know because I had 3 tuners replaced under warranty in the 1st year after heavy multiple tuning on stage. But Gibson will not supply them to you because you are not an original owner. Tronic, the makers of the technology are under contract with Gibson, and can not supply them to you. Gibson has lied about the availability of the upgrade to 2nd Gen parts for over 2 years to thousands of owners. Insiders in the Co say it may never happen. Overpriced USED parts on Ebay are your only option and their functionality is dubious at best, compared to new parts. The 1st Gen tuners kill the idea of multiple tunings being used live on stage, because they take 10 - 20 seconds between tunings, depending on how far away the desired tuning is from the the last tuning. Let me tell you 10-20 seconds on stage is a lifetime. I have sidelined my Les Paul for touring because of these issues with Gibson. That being said, these are your options. If you buy one for under $1000 and only use it to record or playing at home (where it doesn't matter how long it takes to tune) and are willing to strip it down when it fails (being happy to use it as a regular guitar). It is a great guitar for the price point. I still use mine to record but that is it. Your only other option is to buy a NEW 2nd Gen robot for $6000 + OR a Firebird X for $5500+. I'm sure they work great. But again the availability for parts after one year is doubtful for both guitars at this point. Owners of the 2nd Gen Darkfire and Dusk Tiger guitars are ALSO still waiting for parts promised them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarBuilder Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I also own a first generation Robot, but my experience has been the opposite: I've been able to get whatever parts I needed quickly and for a reasonable price. As usual, it's who you know! I contacted Gibson to find out who my local authorized repair shop (luthier, not store!) was. He was extremely cool about it - even though I'm not the original owner, he managed to find a way to get me (any) spares I needed directly from Gibson at very reasonable prices. In addition, my eBay experience has been very good - keep an eye out for "Gibson Robot" items and every once in a while something great shows up. I was able to get a full-blown Tronical replacement parts kit from a guy in Norway, for example. The only item I would not recommend getting from eBay are the tuners, unless you are absolutely certain they are unused. I got three of them from Gibson through my local luthier for less than $100 total. If you look and ask around, parts are there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I've got a 2008 Robot SG LTD. Excellent guitar. No problems out of the box. Still no problems. Still using the original battery. Upped the tuning accuracy a notch and still like the speed. But from what I've seen, getting a decent specimen is a crap shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I've got a 2008 Robot SG LTD. Excellent guitar. No problems out of the box. Still no problems. Still using the original battery. Upped the tuning accuracy a notch and still like the speed. But from what I've seen, getting a decent specimen is a crap shoot. Maybe I'm just lucky too BigK. My 08 Robot LP is great. Just recharged on the weekend. The only issue I had was when I tried changing to a lighter guage string as an experiment. Staying tuned was a pain. Plays nicer and sounds better with 10-46's anyway. I'm wondering if I should try to stock up on replacement parts or just turn it into a regular Studio if things start to fail. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
videorov Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 Maybe I'm just lucky too BigK. My 08 Robot LP is great. Just recharged on the weekend. The only issue I had was when I tried changing to a lighter guage string as an experiment. Staying tuned was a pain. Plays nicer and sounds better with 10-46's anyway. I'm wondering if I should try to stock up on replacement parts or just turn it into a regular Studio if things start to fail. Dave Looks like a mixed bag. Some have had no problems and some have had some. I would just use it at home for playing. The only local shop here is Sam Ash and would have to ask them if parts would be a problem. The have a tech that is not part of them that does all their work and he is good, Ive used him. Guess I will have to ask him about that. He would be the one that would order the parts. I like the idea of the diffrent tunings. I do play songs that require it. Would be easier. Im seen some Robots going for some pretty low prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaushouz Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Looks like a mixed bag. Some have had no problems and some have had some. I would just use it at home for playing. The only local shop here is Sam Ash and would have to ask them if parts would be a problem. The have a tech that is not part of them that does all their work and he is good, Ive used him. Guess I will have to ask him about that. He would be the one that would order the parts. I like the idea of the diffrent tunings. I do play songs that require it. Would be easier. Im seen some Robots going for some pretty low prices. Hi, I bought mine for the same reasoning, quick multiple tuning, before I learned of their limitations. If you use radical drop tunings OR custom tunings, be aware that the 1st gen tuners WILL NOT do any tuning that is MORE than 3 1/2 steps away from standard. Only the newer 2nd gen tuners will accomplish this. I was convinced that it was OK because as Gibson said 2+ years ago, the 2nd Gen upgrade was imminent. That was a lie. So check your tunings to see they work with this 3 1/2 steps limitation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordo Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Don't do it!!!! I got one new, a first run robot, it never worked correctly, it tuned ok, but it never by-passed the sound, so you could hear it every time you tried to tune it. Then it wouldn't charge anymore, so it was sent back to Gibson USA from Australia, with another robot with the same charging problem. Well, after being away for 12 months, Gibson tell me they lost it....YES! LOST IT!!!....or miss placed it in the flood. What do you think they offered me as compensation for their incompetence? A REFUND??? I will never by another Gibson as long as I live! If you buy one & it needs parts, get them from ebay. DON'T SEND IT BACK TO GIBSON FOR REPAIRS....SOMEONE THEIR LIKES TO "MISS PLACE" THEM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Did they refund the original price or the current street price? I think that sucks... I was considering sending mine for an upgrade if I don't sell it but having read your story it makes me worry about the time it will take for them to send it back to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarBuilder Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Did they refund the original price or the current street price? I think that sucks... I was considering sending mine for an upgrade if I don't sell it but having read your story it makes me worry about the time it will take for them to send it back to me. What upgrade were you thinking of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 The "smaller, faster tuners" upgrade... is it already available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaushouz Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 The "smaller, faster tuners" upgrade... is it already available? Maybe 2012, that's a maybe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulpfiction1 Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I've got a 2008 Robot SG LTD. Excellent guitar. No problems out of the box. Still no problems. Still using the original battery. Upped the tuning accuracy a notch and still like the speed. But from what I've seen, getting a decent specimen is a crap shoot. i too am thinking of buying one here in ontario canada,how do you up the accuracy?are there any tips or tricks to keep these working properly in the event of a problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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