EBS MicroBass 3 - putting it back together

[glassmoon]

Hi all,

I opened my EBS MB3 to set an internal dipswitch (so it's always showing the tuner as on) and now I can't out this thing back together!!!
I took it to my tech and we thought we had it, but alas..+.
1. it doesn't line up 100% for the screws and the chassis is clearly not where it should be
2. the pins to connect the DIs to the main PCB either squish (my fault, but fixed) or just don't engage.

I've emailed EBS - but no answer as yet... does ANYONE know how this thing is supposed to fit back together? It really does seem bizarre that it is that unwieldly and difficult to reassemble!

My thanks in advance
Julian aka Glassmoon

 

[ardgedee]

1. it doesn't line up 100% for the screws and the chassis is clearly not where it should be
2. the pins to connect the DIs to the main PCB either squish (my fault, but fixed) or just don't engage.

In your first photo, the receptacles in the board socket look seriously chewed up. The connectors inside there are fragile -- trying to jam the plug in will make it worse.

 

[glassmoon]

That's what worries me... at the very worst, I'll need a new receptacle - however, I can't even get the bloody pins in right now.
I've "cleaned up" the openings a little with some VERY delicate handwork.... but it's not anything close to ideal.

 

[joel the bass player]

Note to self: do not take apart a Microbass 3.

(not that I have one) but it does look "fiddly".

Best of luck! Persistence might pay off.

 

[glassmoon]

And tis is how I did it...

• I unscrewed the DI connections from the chassis
• Fitted the DI PCB to the main PCB (with some duct tape to hold it in place)
• Closed the box (and damn, it's a bad design in my opinion)
• Screwed it all up again!

I tested it with the DI all the way through - it works and that is what matters
Thanks everyone!

 

[Relsom]

I have 2 of these....... that I will not be disassembling.

 

[glassmoon]

I can't say that I blame you

 

[yeasty]

For future thread readers (or intrepid dissectors): that pin header connector was never designed to be engaged/disengaged while the breakout was attached to the chassis. As the OP found out the hard way, alignment of a 0.1" header between two big circuit boards can be tough even without external constraints. Add the "big board blinding attempting to mate with small board that can't easily move to accomodate" and you have the script for the bent pins above.

The likely order of operations in the factory was "make board sandwich; mount main board in chassis; tighten XLR-breakout screws through top case." Peeling the main board off with the breakout attached to the case (or reassembling as such) can lead to all sorts of forces that the connector wasn't designed for.

 

[basseux]

I tried to open it when I got it when it came out, because EBS pedals often have switches inside, and curious about that tuner always on, which I don't think made sense but I had to see ...

I realised that some flat cable were resisting weirdly, so I gave up, too afraid to break something, and was really afraid I broke it.

 

[glassmoon]

In the end it was super easy. I didn't have to force anything. But getting the knowledge of how to get to that point... That was worth a million bucks