Aceshigh69 Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hi ive just received my GIbson Robot SG and am rather pleased with it, apart from the inevitable token issue - The peg for the bottom E string wont turn when in auto tune, Im presuming it must be a powerhead issue as the MCK recognises when the string is in tune and the motor sounds like its going but the peg wont turn. Does anyone know how to remove the powerhead cover? Is it an alan key or what? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjimiPaij Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Yikes, I don't think I would try and take apart the powerhead tuner. I took mine back to the shop. Make sure the string is sat in the middle of the saddle at the bridge. That's all I can put forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieP Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hi ive just received my GIbson Robot SG and am rather pleased with it' date=' apart from the inevitable token issue - The peg for the bottom E string wont turn when in auto tune, Im presuming it must be a powerhead issue as the MCK recognises when the string is in tune and the motor sounds like its going but the peg wont turn. Does anyone know how to remove the powerhead cover? Is it an alan key or what? Thanks.[/quote'] It sounds to me like you don't have the powerhead tuner engaged all the way. Try pushing it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aceshigh69 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Im pretty sure i have the peg pushed all the way in, but its still loose when pushed all the way in. It might just need tightening up but i dont want to mess with it as it might void the warranty. Guess Ill just have to send it back to the shop. Damn new technology and all its shiny, motorised temptation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tronical Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Aceshigh69, If you hear winding noise and the powerhead is not moving at all, it might be a connection issue from the powerhead to the Neck PCB. 1) Please inspect the tuning pegs that wont work. If the case rotated, rotating back to it's original position (level with the back plate with the light up) will fix the problem. Tighten the nut to make sure it will stay in this position (12 ~ 14 inch pounds). So anyone who happens to bump their headstock and something doesn't work, check your pegs to make sure they are straight. 2) Also, carefully cleaning the contact pins may help. Therefore remove the pegs by unscrewing them and clean the contact pins on the bottom of the case. Afterwards level the case with the back plate with the light and screw tight. (12 ~ 14 inch pounds). Do not screw too tight!! If this does not help, contact us, please. We will find a solution!! info@tronical.com Tronical You play. We tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixministermike Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I just purchased an SG Ltd and 4 of the powerheads won't turn. Aceshigh69' date=' If you hear winding noise and the powerhead is not moving at all, it might be a connection issue from the powerhead to the Neck PCB. 1) Please inspect the tuning pegs that wont work. If the case rotated, rotating back to it's original position (level with the back plate with the light up) will fix the problem. Tighten the nut to make sure it will stay in this position (12 ~ 14 inch pounds). So anyone who happens to bump their headstock and something doesn't work, check your pegs to make sure they are straight. [/quote'] Do you mean remove the string, undo the screw holding the peg on to the headstock, like if you were swapping the tuners? And I'm not sure what you mean by level with the back plate with the light up. Could you re-explain? I assume all the powerheads should be parallel to each other across the headstock. 2) Also' date=' carefully cleaning the contact pins may help. Therefore remove the pegs by unscrewing them and clean the contact pins on the bottom of the case. Afterwards level the case with the back plate with the light and screw tight. (12 ~ 14 inch pounds). Do not screw too tight!! If this does not help, contact us, please. We will find a solution!! info@tronical.com Tronical You play. We tune. [/quote'] I can remove the locking screws on the top of the pegs, but I don't see what you mean. Maybe if I remove the powerheads I'll understand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tronical Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 mixministermike, - Yes, you have to remove the tuners to clean the contacts on the bottom side, where they are facing the Headstock. - All tuners should be parallel to each others and to the black electronic box! Note: If any of the tuning pegs has been turned by hand in a rude manner without being disengaged (up and away from its case), it is damaged. You will still hear winding noise of the motor, but it wont turn because there are broken parts of the micro gearbox inside its housing. In this case you need spare Tuners! Tronical You play. We tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixministermike Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Ok I carefully removed the powerheads for the 3 tuners that were not turning. I cleaned the three contacts carefully both on the powerhead and on the circuit paper. I also cleaned the contacts in the stoptail piece since I understand a good contact is necessary there where the string's ball-end touches the stoptail. I have replaced strings a few times, making sure to get a few good winds around the pegheads, that there are no shorts, etc. If I tune manually the system will recognize the string is in tune, but it will not turn 3 of the powerheads... so I believe the bridge piezos and CPU are working. So it looks like I will need three new tuners, for the D, G, and high E strings. I noticed each of the powerheads have a different number on them, is each powerhead unique or are they the same on each side? Before I order replacement powerheads, should I remove a working powerhead and move it to one of the broken spots and ensure it works there also? I have sent an email to info@tronical and have not received a response. Can you also let me know where to contact to order the replacement parts. Thanks so much for your help! -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Can you also let me know where to contact to order the replacement parts. Read the name on the headstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixministermike Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Read the name on the headstock Yes, but everything I've read says that Tronical does the support for the actual Robot/Tronical parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixministermike Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I did some more research. What's happening is that the intermediate gear shaft is keyed; this shaft is responsible for turning the tuner gear, which in turn is responsible for tuning the peghead and thus the tuning. On three of my powerheads, that intermediate gear shaft is not held in tight by its sleeve, and thus slides out of the sleeve enough that the motor turning does not turn the shaft. I can put the shaft back in, but just activating the tuning motor is enough to make the shaft slide out. It seems this could happen easily by having untrained people handing the guitar over to untrained customers, who don't disengage the tuners before manually tuning them. Once that sleeve has been damaged enough that the keyed portion no longer holds the shaft in tightly, the shaft slides out and viola no more tuning. Of course Gibson loves it huge box stores like Guitar Center, many of whom don't bother to train their employees enough to prevent this from happening. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of Robot Guitars that have gotten damaged in stores. So either I need to tamp the shaft enough that it stays in its sleeve, or affix some sort of spring on the end of the shaft so it doesn't pop out of the sleeve, or just order three replacement powerheads. With an upgrade coming though, I'm wondering if it's worth paying for replacement powerheads just to turn around and buy the upgrade soon afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieP Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Warranty should cover it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoz Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I hear you Mike. I'd leave it until the new tuners are available. It seems we've bought into this thing too soon. (see my misery-fest in the thread titled 'unimpressed'). If these things can't survive life in the shop before a purchaser gets hold of them, then they aren't a properly developed product. I'm so negative about the whole experience, its unbelievable. This isn't cheap gear. We are getting cheap service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixministermike Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 They're really not too advanced inside. Anybody with some basic motor and electronics knowledge can easily understand what's going on inside the powerhead. Pop off the back of the powerhead with a Torx 6 (T6) screwdriver and you'll see just how simple the mechanism is. Yes, obviously it was designed with a subsequent flaw, but if you're somebody who's replaced pickups, pots, etc. and have ever taken apart a small toy motor will be able to ascertain what's really damaged with the powerheads. It's actually quite ingenious what they did, and ironically it makes me much MORE confident in the Robot Guitar technology. It's using sound principles and some cool ideas (strings carrying power for example) to solve the tuning problem. It's not modelling, or throwing in too much crazy technology like the Dark Fire does. It doesn't mess with your sound and isn't something that will become "obsolete" quickly like the VG Strat or the Variax modellers. Despite my problem, opening up the powerhead and seeing what the real problem is has ironically made me an even bigger believer in the technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
embrionic Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Researching purchasing a robot... this thread references a few times people that are "waiting for the new tuners to come out" or an "Upgrade" tuner as replacements fro non-fucntioning tuners. Can someone shed some light on where they got this info. I am pretty sure the new darkfire tuners will not work with the original robot. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMossberg Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Hi embrionic, When the Dark Fire was introduced, Gibson said there would be an upgrade available for the original Robots. They did NOT say what that upgrade would be, nor when it would be available. My own guess (and it is just that, a guess) is the upgrade will involve only the new, faster tuners that are on the Dark Fire. I cannot imaging how they would offer all of the Dark Fire technology as an "upgrade" to the GOR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
embrionic Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I received this response to my query from Tronical, does not bode well for the GOR upgrade, unless their was a mis-commucniation. I asked if it would be possible to upgrade the GOR to Dark Fire Tuner Type. Maybe Tronical can clarify here. I also did not see the other thread called "GOR Upgrades" at first, so my apologies to the community here... i will post this info over there where it is more on topic. From Tronical... " we are sorry to say that such an upgrade is not possible because the Robot 1 has DC engines and the Dark Fire has got stepper engines." Best regards Stephanie Meins Tronical GmbH Alsterdorfer Str. 50b D-22299 Hamburg – Germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tronical.member Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Re: " ..we are sorry to say that such an upgrade is not possible because the Robot 1 has DC engines and the Dark Fire has got stepper engines..." This was an email reply by Tronical on the question, whether only the RoboHeads should be changed to meet Dark Fire specs. The DF RoboHeads are not compatible to GOR hardware. An upgrade is certainly possible. It requires a complete exchange of all Robotic and electronic hardware. Tronical You play. We tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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