I see they have Curtis Novak wind those chokes, so I have him an email. He is a good guy and I have bought lots of pickups from him over the years. Thanks for the tip!
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Tragedy strikes my Jack Casady... Any thoughts?
- Thread starter Verner
- Start date
Erm, I meant electronics design... as in designing the electronics. Not marketing and support in a business model.
The circuit is extremely cool.
Very different from my feeling about how the company does business.
That does not look like you hit any plastic to me...
As backstory, I spent a long time as a high-end bicycle mechanic in NYC. Electronic shifting is and has been a thing for a while now. One system in particular (Shimano's Di2) has had a few big leaps in development, but in the earlier few years I had many clients inquire about ways to change or enhance and add functionality. As a result, I spent many, many hours digging potting compound out of delicate proprietary components in order to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop; in other words, to dig out a PCB from that same type of glossy black mess.
Most likely that entire steel (?) 'container' has been backfilled with potting compound. Vibration safety is often claimed, but it is usually just there to keep your hand out of the cookie jar (IE, telling the world it only is a $2 transformer available on Mouser). IMO/E, there is unlikely to be anything else in between you and any components entombed within. There might be a PCB in addition to the components, but I highly doubt you will encounter any 'shelf' like obstacle in there (other than the top of the transformer itself).
I would suggest using a heat gun on a very low setting rather than a soldering iron for this task. Or perhaps even a hair dryer. And don't linger. Get in and out quickly, and be prepared to do this over and over. Gather all sorts of Xacto knives, dental picks, balling tools and the like, and use the most appropriate tool as the landscape you uncover changes. Mount the whole thing in a table vise if you have one and dig very very slowly and patiently. And be prepared to rewire all the leads once you get to the finish line. By the looks of it, you've already hit a few of them with the iron, and may as well replace them. Since it doesn't work as is, all you have to lose is time... I would also suggest to start digging near one of the exiting wires. Once you find a lug, you will have a reference for the depth of the component itself and know to be careful going any deeper.
Alternatively, you could spend the same amount of time hunting down the part as subhuman has been very kind in providing you with the actual print (which hijackers hardly ever have available to them).
Good luck!
As backstory, I spent a long time as a high-end bicycle mechanic in NYC. Electronic shifting is and has been a thing for a while now. One system in particular (Shimano's Di2) has had a few big leaps in development, but in the earlier few years I had many clients inquire about ways to change or enhance and add functionality. As a result, I spent many, many hours digging potting compound out of delicate proprietary components in order to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop; in other words, to dig out a PCB from that same type of glossy black mess.
Most likely that entire steel (?) 'container' has been backfilled with potting compound. Vibration safety is often claimed, but it is usually just there to keep your hand out of the cookie jar (IE, telling the world it only is a $2 transformer available on Mouser). IMO/E, there is unlikely to be anything else in between you and any components entombed within. There might be a PCB in addition to the components, but I highly doubt you will encounter any 'shelf' like obstacle in there (other than the top of the transformer itself).
I would suggest using a heat gun on a very low setting rather than a soldering iron for this task. Or perhaps even a hair dryer. And don't linger. Get in and out quickly, and be prepared to do this over and over. Gather all sorts of Xacto knives, dental picks, balling tools and the like, and use the most appropriate tool as the landscape you uncover changes. Mount the whole thing in a table vise if you have one and dig very very slowly and patiently. And be prepared to rewire all the leads once you get to the finish line. By the looks of it, you've already hit a few of them with the iron, and may as well replace them. Since it doesn't work as is, all you have to lose is time... I would also suggest to start digging near one of the exiting wires. Once you find a lug, you will have a reference for the depth of the component itself and know to be careful going any deeper.
Alternatively, you could spend the same amount of time hunting down the part as subhuman has been very kind in providing you with the actual print (which hijackers hardly ever have available to them).
Good luck!
I agree that Novak seems to be your best bet at this point. There just doesn't seem to be enough information on the internet about the choke to get a replacement made, and from the sound of it, Gibson is totally unwilling to provide specs (or any help at all), despite the fact that it's still made (check the Les Paul forum for similar tales of frustration about the LP Signature -- the same part from the look of it).
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Yes, frustrating to say the least. I am trying out an idea to loosen the metal cover from the epoxy with thermal shock. If I was a betting man I would say there is an 8 terminal mouser transformer in there all covered up. I found a few models that could fit the space.
Sorry for the distraction, but I just feel compelled to point out that "8 Terminal Mouser Transformer" would be a great band name.
Carry on....
It seems so petty to withhold a $3 part that has effectively EOL'd a decent instrument that would otherwise last centuries.
Sorry, I did not mean to imply that a $185 wiring harness is anyone's best bet for a simple solution. Or either a custom made replacement for an inexpensive mass produced component...
The item in question is certainly not a proprietary one developed by Gib o phone (as the print makes clear). The transformer is not labeled as "JC Transformer," yet the pickup is named as such.
I was simply saying that all the information needed has been provided by that print. Spend the time hunting on electronics sites or digging out the potting compound- the answer is there and I am willing to bet very inexpensive.
And to the OP I would state as I did above again - you are not trying to force something free with thermal shock. You are coaxing it from potting compound slowly by softening it with heat. If you are willing to damage it through thermal shock then just skip to the chase and smash it with a 5 lb sledge and inspect it from there. All you have now is a damaged wire; no need to make the damage worse...
Oh sorry, yeah, I didn't mean to imply that either, but rather contact Novak to see if you can buy the choke by itself.
Thanks for all the interest this received, lots of great ideas and approaches I never would have thought of. Maybe at the end of this we will have an answer to this issue that comes up every few years! I guess in the meantime I have a nifty open hole acoustic bass for late night jams.
Happy to help. But I still vote for a find it yourself solution. It can't be that hard to dig out, and it can't be that expensive to replace.
But since you might find yourself on various electronics supplies sites in the near future, you could also look for a piezo transducer to augment that situation as well...
But since you might find yourself on various electronics supplies sites in the near future, you could also look for a piezo transducer to augment that situation as well...
I agree, the temptation to figure it out on my own is strong. My next idea would be to freeze the component then put the metal in hot water and see if the thermal shock would loosen the epoxy from the cover. Maybe that would allow me to check out the embedded part. But Curtis says he has had some success with similar situations, and may be able to wind something in case he can't repair it. I have three builds going that I want to put some of this time into in the meantime. It would have been cool to emerge triumphant though!
he ran them for decades. it sounds like his customer service policies are still in place.
Do you have a Multimeter? If so do you know how to measure continuity? This is a long shot but follow schematic below:
