This is a malfunction check for a James Tyler Variac.
It was purchased secondhand, but the effect does not turn on.
Upon checking, the electrical system was found to be fine, but there was a problem with the knob.
The knob was malfunctioning, and when turning it on, the knob interfered with the switch, preventing it from being pressed properly, which prevented the power from turning on.
The Variac is rarely brought in for repair, and I have had little experience with electrical repairs in the past, but the knob appears to be broken by the previous owner, with the knob’s claw broken.
I am unsure if this is normal, but if the knob cannot be attached in a way that keeps its height unchanged, the switch cannot be pressed.
When pressing the switch, the knob itself lowers, and when pressing the switch again, the knob hits the bottom surface, preventing the power switch from being fully pressed and turning on.
It appears that the knob needs to be fixed in a certain position (this seems impossible due to the broken claw), or an internal support like an O-ring is needed to fix the knob’s position.
The electrical components themselves are fine, but the knob itself is causing issues, making it difficult to turn the power on.
Options include replacing the knob with a new dedicated one, inserting an O-ring of the appropriate size inside, removing the knob entirely, or gently turning it on without letting it drop down.
This is a rewiring, fret leveling, and setup of a Uriel Baby Bass.
There were some areas where the sound was muffled, and overall the frets were in poor condition, but there was only one area where the fret was loose and causing the sound to muffle.
We addressed this with partial leveling and finished it so that the sound would no longer be muffled.
We added a PU and wired it to the connector that plugs into the original preamp.
Although it is a low-priced model, I think the preamp has good sound quality and is easy to use.
The installation position was decided while playing, and it is temporarily fixed with masking tape.
Additionally, due to the thickness of the pickup, if it is positioned too close to the neck, it may collide with the pickup body when pressing the strings, so it is advisable to determine the position while playing to avoid such issues.
One of the pegs was broken due to impact, so we decided to replace only that one.
Musiclily on Amazon sells pegs that look similar at a low price, but they are not exactly the same.
This one was brought in by the customer.
The screw hole positions do not match, and the inner diameter of the bush attached to the head does not match either, so replacing all of them would incur a considerable amount of processing costs.
We decided to replace only the one that was broken.
While similar pegs may be available from manufacturers like GOTOH, pegs with unique shapes like this one are difficult to replace.
Manufacturers should either offer replacement parts through their own sales channels or use parts that can be purchased commercially.
The frets are rusted overall.
In addition, the sides of the frets are slanted over a wide area, and the 1st string is close to that line, so it may be prone to string drop.
Gibson’s quality varies greatly, and even high-priced models can be in very poor condition, so be careful when purchasing.
Additionally, the bridge appears to have been replaced, resulting in a significant difference in string height compared to the fingerboard radius, and there is also significant variation between the strings.
This was an individual with poor overall finish quality.
We performed fret leveling to remove rust and improve the condition.
While we could not completely reset the extreme diagonal slope of the fret sides without risking the frets disappearing entirely, we believe the guitar is now playable without issues compared to its original state.
After adjustment, the sound is no longer muffled and the guitar is easy to play.
The Ibanez SR series offers excellent value for money, with many models that are easy to play and produce great sound, even at lower price points.
Even models costing several thousand dollars perform well in use, and those with active circuits offer excellent sound quality and are easy to customize, making them highly cost-effective.
This is a nut replacement, fret leveling, and selector replacement for an Ibanez Iron Label 8-string RG.
The nut was worn out, causing sound blockage, and the frets were floating and the neck was warped, also causing sound blockage.
The selector was worn out, causing sound issues, and the instrument was in pretty bad shape overall.
We replaced the nut, leveled the frets, and replaced the selector with a new one, bringing the instrument back to a problem-free condition.
With such severe wear, I believe the playability improved significantly after the repairs.
With fretboard frets, it is possible that the manufacturer produces fewer units, so the precision may be poor from the start.
Therefore, it is important to consider that even new instruments with fretboard frets may not be in good condition.
That said, even new, high-priced instruments may have issues from the start, so it is not unreasonable to consider repairing the nut and frets after purchase.
Mahogany is a soft wood, so it tends to bow forward easily. If you have been using it for many years, you should adjust it annually.
We have adjusted it to make it easier to play.
This is a well-balanced instrument with good sound, thickness, and projection.
Even in Gibson’s lower price range, there are many instruments with excellent sound quality, so price is not a factor.
In fact, it seems that there are more instruments with good sound quality in the lower price range these days.