[Trouble]

I’m not sure if anyone else has already inquired about this or not, so… I’m sorry ahead of time if there’s already posts made about this. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_frown.gif” /> But, I’m wondering if there’s anyone on here that knows anything about the PCBs that are used in the guitars for RB, and has some experience making modifications and such to their guitars?

I’ve gutted a lot of guitars – I have a whole bin full of taken apart guitars, the bodies and necks in there, with a separate box that has their guts and innards in it, lol – and my instrument of choice when playing (and the one that I’ve modified the most) is my Beatles Hofner Bass. I’ve swapped out the strum bar numerous times (but luckily have the perfect strum bar in it now, that I ordered online), I’ve changed out the plug that was originally on the bass, for the overdrive pedal because after just a short while, the cord would just…fall out. Blegh. Can’t have that, while rocking out, right?! So, I put in one of those bigger ports/plugs, that are on actual guitars and such, and bought a cord from Guitar Center, since the plug on the pedal is already the bigger kind. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” /> I’ve opened it up and tried different things to make the frets more sensitive (this is where I fall short though, and need some assistance….), and am currently looking to switch out the whammy bar for a whammy pedal instead. I can’t even count how many times I’m using the whammy bar really fast to get as much overdrive as possible, and I move my hand back to the strum bar, and accidentally hit the strum bar and end up screwing up. Bah. So, a pedal would be awesome (and keeps both feet busy, haha).

My question for those of you that are PCB-savvy and RB instrument modifying-inclined…. The fret buttons – and pretty much all the buttons on the instruments, really – have that silicone squishy thing underneath them, with the gold plate on the PCB underneath that. I notice, if you pop the silicone squishy button off and look underneath it, there’s a very small, round black pad, or something, which is the actual thing making contact with the gold plate on the PCB. ….WHAT IS THAT BLACK PAD THING?! Because I’ve tried every possible material I can think of, even tried the silicone material of the squishy button, on that gold plate, to get it to register on the game… and come up with nothing. So, what is that black pad underneath (I can post pics if necessary, to show what I’m referring to)…. so that I can get more of that material, to make a bigger pad or something, so that there’s a larger contact area with the gold plate on the PCB. I want my frets to be more accurate, or more sensitive, so that even if I don’t hit it dead center (I use the small frets at the bottom of the neck, not the bigger ones… bigger buttons are too big for my little girl fingers, and have even less accuracy, due to their size), if I happen to hit the edge of the fret while doing a really long, fast string of notes (I play Bass on RB, not guitar… just an FYI, lol), I’m not going to end up dropping notes because there wasn’t enough contact made on the PCB….

Okay, thanks in advance, to anyone who can help me with this……. And like I said, I can and gladly will post pics if needed, to show what I’m talking about. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

[Bansheeflyer]

I know what part you’re talking about but would you mind uploading a picture because it can be different depending on the way it’s set up.

[Damage Inc.]

You are way more ahead in mod knowledge than me but I had a mic question and somebody sent me to docsrockbandmods (sorry I dont know how to set up links) but this site blew my mind, good luck cheers

[Trouble]

Ahh, wow…. I actually completely forgot I’d made this post… Haha. Went on vacation a day or two after posting this, so my brain totally spaced on it. Lol. Sorry for the huge delay in responding…. 😡

As for the docmods website, I’ve been there countless times already… And there’s really nothing on there (that I could find… but if there’s something on there that I might’ve missed, please feel free to post a direct link to it, if possible) to help me with the sort of issue I’m having, or the sort of mod I’m wanting to do, I guess.

[Trouble]

I know what part you’re talking about but would you mind uploading a picture because it can be different depending on the way it’s set up.

Yeah, I can upload some pics. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

 

 

Let me know if you have any issues viewing the pics I posted on here. But, obviously that little black thing makes contact with the gold plate on the PCB…

[Nyxyxylyth]

My question for those of you that are PCB-savvy and RB instrument modifying-inclined…. The fret buttons – and pretty much all the buttons on the instruments, really – have that silicone squishy thing underneath them, with the gold plate on the PCB underneath that. I notice, if you pop the silicone squishy button off and look underneath it, there’s a very small, round black pad, or something, which is the actual thing making contact with the gold plate on the PCB. ….WHAT IS THAT BLACK PAD THING?! Because I’ve tried every possible material I can think of, even tried the silicone material of the squishy button, on that gold plate, to get it to register on the game… and come up with nothing. So, what is that black pad underneath (I can post pics if necessary, to show what I’m referring to)…. so that I can get more of that material, to make a bigger pad or something, so that there’s a larger contact area with the gold plate on the PCB. I want my frets to be more accurate, or more sensitive

 

The fret buttons work more or less the same as cheap keyboards:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_rubber_keypad

 

The little black disc is usually called a carbon puck, carbon pill, or sometimes conductive pill. It acts as a resistor, so when it’s smooshed on top of the PCB, a small amount of current flows across the contacts. It’ll probably work with anything that conducts, so aluminum foil is one cheap option. Over time, that might chew up the PCB though.

 

The pill in your picture is awfully close to the same size as the pad. I’m not sure going bigger would help any, but you could try.

 

There are lots of suppliers for that sort of thing, but I couldn’t find any at retail. You might try calling someone like this and see if they’ll sell/sample you a handful of big ones:

http://www.sitech-corp.com/blog/basics-of-conductive-pills/

 

See also:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/310184-how-to-repair-carbon-conductors-under-rubber-keypads/

[Trouble]

 

The fret buttons work more or less the same as cheap keyboards:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_rubber_keypad

 

The little black disc is usually called a carbon puck, carbon pill, or sometimes conductive pill. It acts as a resistor, so when it’s smooshed on top of the PCB, a small amount of current flows across the contacts. It’ll probably work with anything that conducts, so aluminum foil is one cheap option. Over time, that might chew up the PCB though.

 

The pill in your picture is awfully close to the same size as the pad. I’m not sure going bigger would help any, but you could try.

 

There are lots of suppliers for that sort of thing, but I couldn’t find any at retail. You might try calling someone like this and see if they’ll sell/sample you a handful of big ones:

http://www.sitech-corp.com/blog/basics-of-conductive-pills/

 

See also:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/310184-how-to-repair-carbon-conductors-under-rubber-keypads/

Sorry for the insane delay in responding to your post on here… But thank you very much for your help!!! I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out exactly what those little black circle things are on the rubber parts of the frets!! So thank you so much! Knowing what they are has been half (maybe even more than half, lol) the battle… now that I know what they’re called/what they do, I can work on making better frets, more responsive/sensitive fret buttons… ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_biggrin.gif” /> Thank you again, so sosososo much!! ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_biggrin.gif” />

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