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Old 09-15-2014, 12:57 PM   #1
Dannii
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Default A Little Classic Vintage Restoration Work

A couple of days ago, I set about with the idea of trying a few new things with my Roland analog sequencers (setting up ratcheting mode for Berlin School stuff) and got a tad sidetracked.
My System 100 was starting to get a little dusty so I decided to give it a clean....

Then I decided to polish the tops of the knobs with some cotton tips and I discovered almost all the knobs still have their protective plastic covers (you know, the ones everyone usually peels off when they get something new). This synth will be forty years old next year!!

So, after polishing the first one, it came up like BRAND NEW so I polished them all. Then I got the idea to polish everything and used some stainless steel cleaner called Steel Kleen which is actually really good for many surfaces, not just stainless steel.

EDIT - Forgot to mention, if you decide to try Steel Kleen on your own gear, DO NOT spray it onto the equipment. You DO NOT want to get that stuff in the pots and switches. Spray it onto the cloth you use to do the polishing.

A couple of hours later and this synth looks practically brand new so I did the same thing with my SH-09. The System 700 sequencer actually already looks mint so I didn't need to do anything to it.

Electronically, despite being four decades old, these synths and sequencers function perfectly. Needless to say, I am somewhat delighted with the results and figured I'd take a couple of photo's to show everyone.
The photo's actually don't really show exactly how well this little restoration job came up (you can see your reflection in the panels!) but I'll post a couple anyway.

Click the images for high resolution versions to properly see the details...



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Old 09-15-2014, 01:15 PM   #2
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What a wonderful thing. Also with the obligatory 10 € korg tuner .

Should meet some friends from here (ch) to make a Roland party :






.... Too far...
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Old 09-15-2014, 01:20 PM   #3
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looks brand new readave good job
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Old 09-15-2014, 01:24 PM   #4
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Awesome Dave!

"Welcome to the Voice of Buddha"

I demoed Olga ages ago, one preset was called "Sericulture", it did "Being Boiled" really well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdjtAIMZXTs
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Old 09-15-2014, 03:15 PM   #5
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Then I decided to polish the tops of the knobs with some cotton tips and I discovered almost all the knobs still have their protective plastic covers (you know, the ones everyone usually peels off when they get something new). This synth will be forty years old next year!!

So, after polishing the first one, it came up like BRAND NEW so I polished them all. Then I got the idea to polish everything and used some stainless steel cleaner called Steel Kleen which is actually really good for many surfaces, not just stainless steel.
so I always thought that guitarists were into that clothes and cleaning chemicals thing. but as I see on the pictures, I had the idea to get you invited over here. we can have a cleaning party, and you can show me how that all works with my guitars. :-)))))
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Old 09-15-2014, 05:47 PM   #6
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Looks great Dave. I'm itching for a hardware step sequencer bad.
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Old 09-15-2014, 06:00 PM   #7
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so I always thought that guitarists were into that clothes and cleaning chemicals thing. but as I see on the pictures, I had the idea to get you invited over here. we can have a cleaning party, and you can show me how that all works with my guitars. :-)))))

Guitars? Hey I'm going to bring my automobile to Dave.

Besides, I've always wanted to see Oz.

:-Don
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Old 09-15-2014, 06:25 PM   #8
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so I always thought that guitarists were into that clothes and cleaning chemicals thing. but as I see on the pictures, I had the idea to get you invited over here. we can have a cleaning party, and you can show me how that all works with my guitars. :-)))))
Careful I hear ReaDave is really into polishing knobs...
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Old 09-16-2014, 03:18 AM   #9
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Clean toys and gear for the show room. Nice work.
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Old 09-16-2014, 05:29 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Mink99 View Post
What a wonderful thing. Also with the obligatory 10 € korg tuner .

Should meet some friends from here (ch) to make a Roland party :






.... Too far...
I think our synths would get along just fine. Very nice SH5. They share a LOT in common with the System 100.
Is that a Clavinet I spy at the bottom of the pic?
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looks brand new readave good job
I'm pretty happy with the results.
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Awesome Dave!

"Welcome to the Voice of Buddha"

I demoed Olga ages ago, one preset was called "Sericulture", it did "Being Boiled" really well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdjtAIMZXTs
I'd love to check out the video but I am on VERY limited internet these days (2GB per month) so I don't have the data allowance for YouTube unfortunately.
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so I always thought that guitarists were into that clothes and cleaning chemicals thing. but as I see on the pictures, I had the idea to get you invited over here. we can have a cleaning party, and you can show me how that all works with my guitars. :-)))))
I play guitar too... and yeah, I'm into cleaning them as well!!
I haven't tried Steel Kleen on any of my guitars yet though.
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Looks great Dave. I'm itching for a hardware step sequencer bad.
I'm in the process of designing a custom analog step sequencer at the moment to go with the System 100 and 700 ones. If you are into DIY, I can share the schematic with you once I've finished the design and built a prototype.
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Guitars? Hey I'm going to bring my automobile to Dave.

Besides, I've always wanted to see Oz.

:-Don
Ha!! Car detailing eh. Sounds like a plan. I'm into cars too.
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Careful I hear ReaDave is really into polishing knobs...
Um, no. Straight as an arrow here.
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Clean toys and gear for the show room. Nice work.
Cheers Airon.
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Old 01-16-2015, 08:33 AM   #11
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The one below is a pianet.
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Old 01-16-2015, 09:00 AM   #12
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A pianet that still has it s LID intact!

Don't see many of them around any more.

Reminds me - I nee to see if my pal Jan still has all her Oberheim kit, which at one time she decided to keep "because it wasnt worth a dime any more"
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Old 01-16-2015, 11:21 AM   #13
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That's beautiful hardware, thanks for the pics Dave.
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Old 01-16-2015, 01:03 PM   #14
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Wow Dave - that is awesome, very impressive.
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Old 01-19-2015, 11:30 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mink99 View Post
The one below is a pianet.
Ah. Cool
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Originally Posted by ivansc View Post
A pianet that still has it s LID intact!

Don't see many of them around any more.

Reminds me - I nee to see if my pal Jan still has all her Oberheim kit, which at one time she decided to keep "because it wasnt worth a dime any more"
What Oberheim does she have? I remember that period when analog gear went out of fashion and became (temporarily) worth very little. That was the period when I purchased my original Mk1 DX7 (which I still have). It was around that time that I purchased numerous analog synths too. I never stopped liking the analog gear so the depreciation worked in my favour.

In the 90s, I had my eye keenly on an Oberheim OB Mx but I never found the cash necessary for that purchase.
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That's beautiful hardware, thanks for the pics Dave.
I'm pretty wrapped with how the restoration came up. I wasn't expecting it to polish up that well and that easily.
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Wow Dave - that is awesome, very impressive.
Cheers Peter. I'm just glad it all survived the recent bushfires we had here.
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Old 01-19-2015, 12:14 PM   #16
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That's ridiculous, Dave - damn mint!


I got a Waldorf Microwave I rev B this month... It's not mint, but it sounds suh-weeeeet!


Also, waiting on my Les Paul Black Beauty Custom, too...
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Old 01-19-2015, 12:22 PM   #17
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That's ridiculous, Dave - damn mint!


I got a Waldorf Microwave I rev B this month... It's not mint, but it sounds suh-weeeeet!


Also, waiting on my Les Paul Black Beauty Custom, too...
Very cool score on the Microwave. Best of analog and digital in the one box.

You'll have to post some pics when you get your LP too.
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Old 01-19-2015, 12:24 PM   #18
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Sure thing
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Old 01-19-2015, 12:37 PM   #19
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I love to watch your hardware plugins - very nice :-)

Software plugins have at least one advantage, you do not have to clean them !
though my mother would try to make me believe that cleaning has a positive effect, I forgot the exact words... ?!

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Old 01-19-2015, 02:02 PM   #20
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That's beautiful, Dave.

My Oberheim TVS-1 seems small, by comparison. But it is a two-voice.



I'm the original owner and it still sounds great - once the VCO's warm-up & stabilize.

EDIT: Forgot to mention:

You see that row of switches and 1/4" jacks along the top? That's a custom mod by Oberheim I had done. (CV & gate ins & outs, etc.). A few months back I ran across the 1979 receipt for that work.

The tech's name on the receipt is Will Alexander (maybe Ivan's pal, Jan knows him?).

A few years later Will was programming sounds for Herbie Hancock, then was the tech and programmer for Keith Emerson - on "Lucky Man", among others.

The receipt is for $40.

Kinda' cool.
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Old 01-22-2015, 02:49 AM   #21
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You'll have to post some pics when you get your LP too.
As promised! Lousy weather here, and the camera isn't really up to snuff, so not that great quality pics. But it sure is beautiful! (Click for full-size pic.)


Guitar cat approves



Taking the "selfie" thing to a new level - reflection from pickup covers, haha!



Headstock




Mahogany body, ebony fretboard, golden hardware, locking tuners (of course). Pickups are excellent, won't be needing to swap them at all. I will change the wiring, though, since it's a bit weird right now (2V2T, with neck V basically being an on-off switch for middle pickup, and neck tone not working on middle pickup). Will be changing it to 3V and one 5-position vari-tone.


All in all - it plays beautifully and I'm really satisfied!
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Old 01-22-2015, 03:19 AM   #22
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Ah. Cool

What Oberheim does she have? I remember that period when analog gear went out of fashion and became (temporarily) worth very little. That was the period when I purchased my original Mk1 DX7 (which I still have). It was around that time that I purchased numerous analog synths too. I never stopped liking the analog gear so the depreciation worked in my favour.

In the 90s, I had my eye keenly on an Oberheim OB Mx but I never found the cash necessary for that purchase.
She was a tester for Oberheim back in the day - same for Logic.
Last time I actually saw her studio (since sold and she has returned to the UK) she had two huge rack stands full of just about every keyboard and module Obi made.

So funny that she hung onto them "because they are worth nothing second hand" - back in the late eighties....

I will ask her what she has left.
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