Comments on: Casio PG-380 Midi Guitar http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/ Not as bad as he seems Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:48:54 +0100 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Grant Muller http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-508 Grant Muller Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:05:47 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-508 Thanks Dave for the tips. Tants are tantalum capacitors for those who aren't familiar with the shorthand. Good idea with the power supply modification, I hadn't thought about doing much other than making it play properly again. I used to play one of those little FB01 models actually, definitely a fun desktop synth module, but for modern players I would recommend just getting a small USB->MIDI interface for your laptop and triggering any number of softsynths from your there. Thanks Dave for the tips. Tants are tantalum capacitors for those who aren’t familiar with the shorthand. Good idea with the power supply modification, I hadn’t thought about doing much other than making it play properly again.

I used to play one of those little FB01 models actually, definitely a fun desktop synth module, but for modern players I would recommend just getting a small USB->MIDI interface for your laptop and triggering any number of softsynths from your there.

]]> By: dave tutt http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-506 dave tutt Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:39:17 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-506 Hi folks. I have done about 6 of these now with another one due in my workshop in the next few days. Several things about surface mount caps. First is sniff! If it smells like the tom cat has been in there then the best thing to do is to start with the main power decouplers and work out to those in the pickup filters. This will pay dividends even if all the notes are working as the response time improves with these changes made. Dont twiddle! Leave the presets alone until you have swapped out the caps. Pay attention to those that look deformed or misshapen as these should be replaced wherever they live. I use miniature electrolytics as Grant says although I did see one that had tants. I avoid surface mount in this particular unit as there is space for the better and more long lasting caps in there. The batteries and its compartment are typical of the period and are now rather long in the tooth! I offer a double stabilised power supply plugged in via a mini xlr connector in place of the standard DC power plug and cut out the batteries completely. You only get a couple of hours from them anyway so they really are not worth the trouble. I have also had interesting results with driving an external synth module of the same era namely the Yamaha FB01 which is a very early FM unit with I think 4 operators. Using one of these set to a brass setting you get the most fantastic raw brass section sounds. For a guitar synth of this vintage there is still a lot of life left in them and it is really only relatively recently that better units have come onto the market. If you want more or different sounds get yourself a small stage mixer and either a modern small synth (Yamaha PSR350 that the schools use to teach with would be fine) and mix everything together. Happy twiddling! Regards Dave Tutt Hi folks.
I have done about 6 of these now with another one due in my workshop in the next few days. Several things about surface mount caps. First is sniff! If it smells like the tom cat has been in there then the best thing to do is to start with the main power decouplers and work out to those in the pickup filters. This will pay dividends even if all the notes are working as the response time improves with these changes made.
Dont twiddle! Leave the presets alone until you have swapped out the caps. Pay attention to those that look deformed or misshapen as these should be replaced wherever they live.
I use miniature electrolytics as Grant says although I did see one that had tants. I avoid surface mount in this particular unit as there is space for the better and more long lasting caps in there. The batteries and its compartment are typical of the period and are now rather long in the tooth! I offer a double stabilised power supply plugged in via a mini xlr connector in place of the standard DC power plug and cut out the batteries completely. You only get a couple of hours from them anyway so they really are not worth the trouble. I have also had interesting results with driving an external synth module of the same era namely the Yamaha FB01 which is a very early FM unit with I think 4 operators. Using one of these set to a brass setting you get the most fantastic raw brass section sounds. For a guitar synth of this vintage there is still a lot of life left in them and it is really only relatively recently that better units have come onto the market. If you want more or different sounds get yourself a small stage mixer and either a modern small synth (Yamaha PSR350 that the schools use to teach with would be fine) and mix everything together.
Happy twiddling!

Regards

Dave Tutt

]]> By: Grant Muller http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-505 Grant Muller Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:24:22 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-505 As for where to find the RAM cards, I have no idea, the one that I was working with didn't have one either. You might just do some general searching on the internet or eBay or something. I'm not surprised the guitar technician didn't want to touch it, it's a very unusual problem to repair. Their focus is really the mechanics of the guitar. If you follow the instructions, you should be able to handle this on on your own if you've ever soldered anything...I've been offering to fix these if people want to pay to ship them to me, just send me an email through my contact page and I can try to work something out with you if you want. As for where to find the RAM cards, I have no idea, the one that I was working with didn’t have one either. You might just do some general searching on the internet or eBay or something.

I’m not surprised the guitar technician didn’t want to touch it, it’s a very unusual problem to repair. Their focus is really the mechanics of the guitar. If you follow the instructions, you should be able to handle this on on your own if you’ve ever soldered anything…I’ve been offering to fix these if people want to pay to ship them to me, just send me an email through my contact page and I can try to work something out with you if you want.

]]> By: zoran http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-504 zoran Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:47:59 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-504 I received PG380 guitar that is very good condition and mostly being in storage not played. I do not have any additional sound card but would like to purchase card with usefull sounds for guitar player ( nylon string, bouzukki, balalika accordeon etc. Does anyone know where I can find RaM Rom cards? Since bass strings does not respond to trigger I believe I have to change capacitors. Is that job that any electronic person can do or I have to have a specialist. I brought guitar in Guitar store and technician is scared to touch it. Please advise I received PG380 guitar that is very good condition and mostly being in storage not played.
I do not have any additional sound card but would like to purchase card with usefull sounds for guitar player ( nylon string, bouzukki, balalika accordeon etc.
Does anyone know where I can find RaM Rom cards?

Since bass strings does not respond to trigger I believe I have to change capacitors. Is that job that any electronic person can do or I have to have a specialist. I brought guitar in Guitar store and technician is scared to touch it.

Please advise

]]> By: Grant Muller http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-492 Grant Muller Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:51:57 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-492 You might just have a bad pot, you can probably just do a one to one replacement on that guy. I've never looked at this but as long as it's not a digital pot and it's just some 100K analog pot you should be fine. When I'm back at the shop I'll take a look and see what it is, but if you can replace the caps, you definitely have the skills to replace one of these. You might just have a bad pot, you can probably just do a one to one replacement on that guy. I’ve never looked at this but as long as it’s not a digital pot and it’s just some 100K analog pot you should be fine. When I’m back at the shop I’ll take a look and see what it is, but if you can replace the caps, you definitely have the skills to replace one of these.

]]> By: machinedragon green http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-490 machinedragon green Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:55:52 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-490 I have one of these guitars also, I did the capacitor replacement but it seems like im getting noise from the synth volume pot, how would you try fixing that. the synth is working its just covered up by rediculous static I have one of these guitars also, I did the capacitor replacement but it seems like im getting noise from the synth volume pot, how would you try fixing that. the synth is working its just covered up by rediculous static

]]> By: Grant Muller http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-469 Grant Muller Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:13:00 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-469 Jerry, it is indeed 10 caps that need to be changed. It only looks like two in my article here because I make it look so easy :) Just to make sure you're dealing with the same problem, you said you could hear JUST the MIDI, does that mean when you plug the guitar into a keyboard or something, that you can play the keyboard? Are you saying that simply plugging in to an amplifier doesn't work? I need to figure out exactly whats not working here before I take this on, the fix I define here fixes a problem with MIDI only, so if you're MIDI out is working, doing the steps in this article won't work... Jerry, it is indeed 10 caps that need to be changed. It only looks like two in my article here because I make it look so easy :)

Just to make sure you’re dealing with the same problem, you said you could hear JUST the MIDI, does that mean when you plug the guitar into a keyboard or something, that you can play the keyboard? Are you saying that simply plugging in to an amplifier doesn’t work? I need to figure out exactly whats not working here before I take this on, the fix I define here fixes a problem with MIDI only, so if you’re MIDI out is working, doing the steps in this article won’t work…

]]> By: Jerry Wendling http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Jerry Wendling Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:01:16 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-468 Hi Mr. Muller Reading your notes. Going by your part #'s It looks as though you only changed three. I have been reading up on this and I was thinking if was 6 to 10 cap. that needed to be changed out. I just bought a 380 off e-bay that was to be working fine they said, but when it got to me you could just hear the midi. All six string work but no power, the guitar part is fine. Might you have interest in the repair of this guitar if I were to send it to you? Thank You for your time. Jerry from Michigan Hi Mr. Muller

Reading your notes. Going by your part #’s It looks as though you only changed three. I have been reading up on this and I was thinking if was 6 to 10 cap. that needed to be changed out. I just bought a 380 off e-bay that was to be working fine they said, but when it got to me you could just hear the midi. All six string work but no power, the guitar part is fine.
Might you have interest in the repair of this guitar if I were to send it to you?
Thank You for your time.
Jerry from Michigan

]]> By: Grant Muller http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-422 Grant Muller Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:35:13 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-422 Thanks Tim. I might have to join this Facebook group now that I have a new love for Midi Guitars :) Good luck "recapping", its not all that difficult, and you'll easily get another 20 years out of the guitar (assuming MIDI isn't overtaken by OSC...but I'll have written a translator by then). Good luck! Thanks Tim. I might have to join this Facebook group now that I have a new love for Midi Guitars :) Good luck “recapping”, its not all that difficult, and you’ll easily get another 20 years out of the guitar (assuming MIDI isn’t overtaken by OSC…but I’ll have written a translator by then). Good luck!

]]> By: Timothy Kelly http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/comment-page-1/#comment-420 Timothy Kelly Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:14:42 +0000 http://grantmuller.com/casio-pg-380-midi-guitar/#comment-420 Hi Grant I linked to your PG380 photo and article on my new Facebook group. Midi Guitars, Digital Guitars, Technology Guitars, Hybrid Guitars. There are always people on the Yahoo Midi Guitar Group looking for where to get there PG380 caps fixed and or how to fix theirs. The caps are down on my PG380. So one of these weekends I will have to recap mine. My original caps lasted over 20 years. Thanks for the article. Hi Grant
I linked to your PG380 photo and article on my new Facebook group. Midi Guitars, Digital Guitars, Technology Guitars, Hybrid Guitars. There are always people on the Yahoo Midi Guitar Group looking for where to get there PG380 caps fixed and or how to fix theirs.

The caps are down on my PG380. So one of these weekends I will have to recap mine. My original caps lasted over 20 years. Thanks for the article.

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