Vintage Synth Repair

<<I just got your return message tonight, but I am leaving early tomorrow
morning for a weekend conference. I'll look up my notes and schematic when I
get back. Try removing that one reed and see if it has any affect. It could
be a noisy input transistor or resistor before the volume control. I'll do
more checking later.>>

Actually it's working fine now. I opened the case to clean everything up once more, and to check all the connections, especially the ground wires. Of course, all of these were still tight from when I tightened them last night... LOL! But just as I was about to put the cover back on I bumped the little PCB board with the amp and such on it... it moved! I tightened the offending screw, plugged her in and she works like a champ.

While I was so excited about this development, I was reading the archives today and noticed it was recommended to use the AUX output for a line out to an amp. I had tried plugging mine in there before, but had no output. I figured that the pot next to the AUX outlet was for trimming the output, so I tried turning it to no avail. I got out the trusty socket set, pulled it loose and noticed the sheathing was pulled back a little, allowing the wires to ground out I assume. I pushed the sheathing back down and taped it up to prevent it moving again... now I have volume!

Now I was stoked! I hadn't taken the time to clean up the pedal yet, so I dove in. I assumed this was a plastic replica of the pedal... which is worth it's weight in gold if you don't have a pedal. So I was just happy to have a pedal at all. I pulled it apart to blow the cobwebs out and found that it was actually the original wooden pedal... the plastic coating or whatever threw me off. So of course I was happy to see the original pedal.

Then I came in to check my email and found a note from the guy I bought the piano from. When I picked up the piano last night, he had only brought two of the original legs, and said he didn't think he had any more but that he would look. I bet you guessed already what his note was about... he found the other two legs! So now my piano will be complete, with the minor exception of a seemingly aftermarket speaker that replaced an original.

All of this for $150!

Maybe I should go buy a lotto ticket or two?

Cheers, and thanks for all your advice.

Deke The Geek
-happy camper... er, player-