PCB vs hardwired opinions

[Jay4321]

I wonder if 40 years from now people will be on future Reverb trying to source 2022 Gibson PCBs with original [insert whatever magic component they have in it]. Trying to replicate that classic Lil Doop Doop tone from his 2023 debut album of course, before he went mainstream into generic pop rock

And of course the vintage market will be super hot for the last 27 clean guitars on Earth, the really special ones that survived the relic era. Turns out poly is fantastic for tone the thicker the better who knew

 

[Christosterone]

I wonder if 40 years from now people will be on future Reverb trying to source 2022 Gibson PCBs with original [insert whatever magic component they have in it]. Trying to replicate that classic Lil Doop Doop tone from his 2023 debut album of course, before he went mainstream into generic pop rock

And of course the vintage market will be super hot for the last 27 clean guitars on Earth, the really special ones that survived the relic era. Turns out poly is fantastic for tone the thicker the better who knew

yep…and it’ll be me if balance of nature is to be believed

-chris

 

[InTheEvening]

I wonder if 40 years from now people will be on future Reverb trying to source 2022 Gibson PCBs with original [insert whatever magic component they have in it]. Trying to replicate that classic Lil Doop Doop tone from his 2023 debut album of course, before he went mainstream into generic pop rock

And of course the vintage market will be super hot for the last 27 clean guitars on Earth, the really special ones that survived the relic era. Turns out poly is fantastic for tone the thicker the better who knew

The real holy grails will be the last few Henry J era guitars. The sheer tonal mojo of the zero fret brass nut, wider neck, and robo tuners will be a thing of legends garnering top dollar.

I joke but seeing prices sky rocket on Norlins, this may actually be a reality. People looked down on T-tops, pancake bodies and multipiece maple necks for years and now a set of original T-tops garner well over $500 and Les Pauls from that era list for $4-5K in good condition. Interesting to see what becomes desirable and appreciated with time.

 

[CB91710]

No chance to clean the pots. They're almost hermetically sealed on the HP and they're directly soldered onto the board.
View attachment 624188

????

Same openings as any other pots.
The switches OTOH, ya... those would be a pain.

 

[Juan Wayne]

No chance to clean the pots. They're almost hermetically sealed on the HP and they're directly soldered onto the board.
View attachment 624188

I can see the opening from here, and it's more than big enough.

Also, if they were indeed hermetically sealed, then cleaning wouldn't be necessary unless material from the pot itself was being scraped around, in which case you'd have bigger problems anyway.

 

[Jorbissian]

Terrible idea. Covering a pot with epoxy results in a less open sound overall.

Terrible idea. Covering a pot with epoxy results in a less open sound overall.

Yeah but if the pots have lube holes, there's the "opening of sound" you're looking for.

 

[Jorbissian]

Hmm. My Studio HP has that exact PCB, where it was getting scratchy maybe from hanging on the wall for 2 years. I just blew some compressed air and all that scratchy static was gone.

I used the compressed air just under the volume and tone knobs on the front of the guitar and spun them around a bit.

Black Cherry Burst on the left.

View attachment 624193

Now that's a wall of fame ! Very nice specimens.

 

[Wrench66]

No chance to clean the pots. They're almost hermetically sealed on the HP and they're directly soldered onto the board.
View attachment 624188

As others have said, those pots are easily cleaned just like any other pot. I have the same PCB in my 2009 studio and 2018 tribute. I had a scratchy pot on the tribute a few months ago and sprayed a little deoxit it there and then worked the pot through its entire range of travel several times. Scratchiness gone.

 

[jeffy]

No chance to clean the pots. They're almost hermetically sealed on the HP and they're directly soldered onto the board.
View attachment 624188

Not really. You just have to have the right tools for the job. It's not hard though.