Vintage Synth Repair

--- In vintagesynthrepair@yahoogroups.com, "gil_we" <gil_we@...> 
wrote:
>
> Does anyone sell replacement keyboard PCBs for Roland JD800 ?
> 
> Does Roland still sells parts for it ?
> 
> Thanks
>
WOW! This sure LOOKS like a simple question, huh?

But, in reality, this is a touchy subject because Roland DOES list 
and sell the green flexable "PCB" that lives under the keys...BUT it 
is a redesign and it IS NOT EVEN CLOSE to a direct replacement.

Here's what I wrote to someone else with a question like yours in 
another JD800 Forum:

"As a special note to JD-800 owners....IF you order the green contact 
board assembly (Part #22935230), you will receive a redesigned 
replacement that IS NOT a direct drop-in replacement. Many Roland 
customer service employees are unaware of this problem and won't 
mention it to you as you purchase the NON-RETURNABLE PART. I have 
gotten one of these new units to work, but it requires modifications 
and a bit of reinvention. I haven't heard of anyone else ever getting 
this swap to work in the real world, so I'm interested in keeping 
this conversation in front of "vintage" Roland keyboard owners."


SO...with this warning as our starting point, please tell me exactly 
what your situation is. Is your old board simply worn & old...OR did 
you suffer the Roland Red Epoxy Meltdown in which the epoxy that 
holds the weights to the keys turns liquid and melts between the keys 
thus sticking everything together underneath?

The best advise I can offer at the outset is BEWARE. This course as a 
project appears easy enough, but you quickly realize Roland is not 
being your friend in terms of information OR parts.

I'm sort of a fanatic about the JD800 and their particular keyboard 
problems, so I'd be very interested in knowing what happened to 
yours. I must have five or six of the JD800 units and several 
keyboard retrofit experiments going with "reclaimed" keyboard frames 
from the Roland U20 (NOTE: The U20 uses a completely different green 
contact board assembly...but the rest (keys, frame, etc.) are a match.

I only got that ONE replacement PCB to work because I had another 
JD800 nearby to compare and experiment by comparing and rerouting the 
cable paths. I had to basically resolder and redesign the subboard 
that screws under the keyboard frame AND cut and reroute the white 
flat cable going to the motherboard.I did it once for a friend and 
haven't wanted to do it again.

Let me know. We should talk about your best course of action 
depending on your situation.

JRogersjr@aol<dot>com