Help! Wiring question!

[mtyrrell1982]

Right! After weather issues with delivery (of course it had to come from texas!) I've got the switch as listed in the approved parts linked above.
I've got a snag, there are 6 pins on the replacement and only 3 on the original. How do I attach the new switch correctly?

[mmmguitar]

It seems the original is SPDT, and the linked listing DPDT - Fortunately, a very simple fix:

Alligator clips should be the safest way to find out if you can get away with using one side of three pins. From there, you could cut off the other three so they’re not in the way before soldering the new pins into their place in the ribbon (It’s up to you if you want to prep by removing any excess original solder with a braid or pump beforehand), or just be sure to securely mount the new switch before running jumper wires between its pertinent pins and the ribbon contacts. With these old parts, surgery unfortunately comes down to what’s least-invasive.

[mtyrrell1982]

Thanks! I did some continuity tests and it seems like that's the case. I shall let you know how it goes!

[mtyrrell1982]

...the piezo tone "leaks" in to the mag tone.

FWIW—I had this issue once before and changing the switch fixed the issue.

It didn't work. The problem remains the same, I can only guess that the mono/stereo switch is breaking down. There's no fix for that is there?

[vjmanzo]

Hi @mtyrrell1982; sorry to hear that.

Tough to diagnose; if it is the red switch, it can be disassembled and you can, obviously, look for loose points of contacts, but I’d image you already did some of that.

Perhaps others have more helpful suggestions; my bet was on the switches needing to be replaced and not on the red switch. Have you tried everything else besides the red switch? The cable? Different amps/outputs? Checking the power to the preamp?

[mtyrrell1982]

The switches are fine, the piezo signal is good so not the preamp, the outputs do as they're told. It can only be the red switch breaking down. I've got a stereo input system so would never need to go back to mono. I just need to wire it stereo only, because the piezo signal leaking in to my mag output is affecting my mag tone.

[Big Swifty]

Getting that litte red switch out is PITA... did it once but can't remember exactly how ATM..

However..first thing I would try is a good squirt of one of those electrical component cleaning sprays. Could be just 25 odd years worth of gunk stopping things working properly.

And while you have the back off and the cleaner out, it's worth unplugging the ribbons from the board and giving the ends a good clean, I use a cotton bud soaked with that spray cleaner stuff, give 'em a light rub over etc. Have had intermittent contact problems that arose from gunk/oxidisation of the ribbon ends once, exactly like it was a piezo/mag switch fault actually, they are quite small contacts...

Worth a shot i reckon!

Cheers

B.S.

[mtyrrell1982]

Big clean yesterday, problem still the same. I guess it's something I'll have to live with

[mmmguitar]

As sorry as we are to see these dead ends in your troubleshooting, each documented frustration is nonetheless an essential service to and advancement of the community: Between our shared experiences and VJ‘s efforts on the manufacturing side of things, the hope and goal of this site is ostensibly to spare other Fly owners these uncertainties (as they inevitably rear their heads).

Prior to VJ’s efforts, the prognosis would be blunt: “Narrowed the problem down to a single component? I’m afraid you’ll need to rewire the entire thing with modern components.” But now some hope is on the horizon.

[mtyrrell1982]

I'm so grateful I found this forum, I'd be completely lost without it and probably done irreparable damage to my beloved!

[vjmanzo]

I feel the same: I’m thrilled and thankful we have a community here to help preserve some of the knowledge related to these instruments

I don’t have anything official to announce right now, but I will share that we have developed some prototypes of a complete flex PCB replacement that uses modern components (some of the original switches/pots, etc. are no longer made). I’m hoping to share some more info on all of that very soon, and begin a beta testing program, but the goal is to provide a complete drop-in solution that replaces everything with a more durable flex material, but still retains the original Fishman preamp!

[mtyrrell1982]

Just plugged in and the stereo option is completely dead, it's just mono, and that's crackling and cutting in and out when I touch the red button of death. I think I need to de solder the flex and jump wire it to permanently stereo. I just need to know which points to jump.

[mtyrrell1982]

I’m hoping to share some more info on all of that very soon, and begin a beta testing program, but the goal is to provide a complete drop-in solution that replaces everything with a more durable flex material, but still retains the original Fishman preamp!

Ooh beta! I would be keen to do that as my fly is now reasonably useless unless I hold the button in! Do you have a rough costing?

[vjmanzo]

Ooh beta! I would be keen to do that as my fly is now reasonably useless unless I hold the button in! Do you have a rough costing?

Thanks, @mtyrrell1982; I promise that we'll make a transparent beta call when we're a little further--same with pricing. Just as a reference for where we are: we're fabricating "Wiring Tape B" this week!

[mtyrrell1982]

What connections do I need to jump if I disconnect the mono/stereo switch, looking at the tape schematic?

[Big Swifty]

Damn!

Cleaning..I was so sure too... anyway...it's hard to tell from the tape pic as it all goes back to the board and we don't know what's going on there, however if you do manage to de-solder the tape, then i would just experiment.
These sort of switches usually go from centre lugs to either side, i.e.:

0<-0 0
0<-0 0

and

0 0->0
0 0->0

if you get what i mean.. have e bit of a poke around and see what happens!

There's also this:

Parker Fly Schematic.pdf

(161.91 KiB) Downloaded 466 times

which is kinda hard to make heads or tails of, and i cannot remember where i got it, nor vouch for the voracity of it, however lower right hand side you'll see mono/stereo push switch; my reading of it is that if you jump from centre two contacts to the two right/outside of guitar/switch, it should be stereo.

If it isn't, then just try the other way!

And if it does work, then you could actually replace the red button with a standard DPDT switch of some sort, dunno where it would go, but possible..

Good luck man, hope you get it running!

B.S.

[mtyrrell1982]

Got the switch out, now completely dead. No output at all. I think the tape is split somewhere. So that's that.

Any news on roughly how long the replacement tape will be before production? Are we talking months or 2023?

[vjmanzo]

Tough to hear about the split tape; perfectly understandable though: they are very fragile and if the jack, or pots/switches rotate at all, they can easily tear.

The best approach at this point is point-to-point. We’re making great strides on the flex PCB replacements, but we’re only just beginning our real-world tests, so I can’t give you a real timeframe, sorry to say.

[Big Swifty]

Damn, again!

Sorry to hear @mtyrrell1982 point-to-point is possible, fiddly as all get out no doubt, but has been done. You can solder to the bottom of the board, the white plug "pads" where they poke through, and just trace/follow the tape diagram. Use v thin wires!

I'd hang on to the old ribbon, use a multimeter to check continuity and see where the break actually is... Actually might be worth doing that before you get the soldering iron out, just to be sure.

Have you tried de-soldering the switch completely from the ribbon?

Otherwise, the easiest option would be to replace it all with a modern piezo pre, rewire the whole thing.

Hang on to the board and bits until replacement ribbons are available.

B.S.

[mtyrrell1982]

Right, finally got round to looking at the schematic, see attached..... from what it looks like, and really, please correct me if I'm wrong, it looks like if the switch was "out" then b7 and b9 are jumped and b10 and b6 are jumped. So if I directly connect b7 to b9 (pink - wherever they are) and b10 to b6 (green - master volume area) then it'll be permanently in stereo without needing the red switch ribbon section? I think?