Please help troubleshooting PC-1 sustainer

[Mesaboog]

Having some issues...again...with my PC-1 Sustainer. Hoping somebody here can help me troubleshoot next steps:

Issue: The sustainer is working, but I am getting no sound. When I disengage, I get sound from all pick-up positions, but when engaged, the sustainer is working in that it is vibrating the strings in both modes. So I know it is getting juice, but I can not figure out why I am getting no sound. I have checked all wire connections and do not see anything amiss. Anyone have any recommendations on what might be causing this and what to check next?

Thanks much in advance!

Scott

[pianoguyy]

I do not own a sustainer. So I can't speak from personal experience.
But I know a couple guys who said they sent their guitars back to Jackson to get software updates. Are you fully updated?

[Hellbat]

Software updates? It's not a computer, it's fully analog.

Hopefully rjohnstone will chime in here. I believe he is the local sustainer guru.

[pianoguyy]

Software updates? It's not a computer, it's fully analog.

Hopefully rjohnstone will chime in here. I believe he is the local sustainer guru.

I thought it was weird too, but I can only repeat what I've been told.

[SydneyPC-1]

Hi Scott

Attached are two photo's of my PC-1 sustainer. There are two "Pots" that can be adjusted via a small Phillips head screw driver. One is for sustainer volume, the other is for intensity. That is how quickly the sustainer will reach harmonic feedback. These need to be finetuned. Try adjusting these first.

Good Luck
PaulIMG_1063.jpg

[claxor]

Hey Paul,

Who manufactures the PC-1 sustainer for Jackson?

[SydneyPC-1]

I believe Floyd Rose did the original design but Fender now own Jackson so it's off to Fender if problems persist.

Hey Paul,

Who manufactures the PC-1 sustainer for Jackson?[/QUOTE]

[Mesaboog]

Hi Scott

Attached are two photo's of my PC-1 sustainer. There are two "Pots" that can be adjusted via a small Phillips head screw driver. One is for sustainer volume, the other is for intensity. That is how quickly the sustainer will reach harmonic feedback. These need to be finetuned. Try adjusting these first.

Good Luck
Paul[ATTACH=CONFIG]6980[/ATTACH]

Yes those trim pots have been adjusted, and the sustainer is working, vibrating the strings nicely and the harmonic mode is working perfect as well. The problem is I am getting no sound from any pick-ups in any switch position when the sustainer is engaged.

[rjohnstone]

No sound = bad board. Hope it's still under warranty as a replacement is pretty much the only way to fix it.

When engaged, the board switches from pass-through (5- way switch controls everything) to internally switched (5-way + internal switching).
The internal switch is what allows you to select any pickup config while keeping the driver pickup open.
it sounds like this has failed.

The boards themselves are still made by Floyd Rose. Either Jackson bought a shitload on initial order or they are still being produced under the same design spec from 1997/98 (Rev C. board)
Either way, Floyd Rose is the only manufacturer I've seen making them.

For the record, there is no "software" to update. The two controller ICs are flash EPROMS and can only be flashed once.
When you send it back to Jackson for repair, they simply toss the dead board and replace it with a new one.

Adjusting the trim pots will have no major impact on volume. One is a gain pot for the driver (no impact on the other pickups) and the other is for the driver intensity control (sets the max limit on the intensity pot).
Adjusting them to far either way will produce nasty feedback or an out of phase condition, but it won't fix this particular problem.

[pianoguyy]

For the record, there is no "software" to update. The two controller ICs are flash EPROMS and can only be flashed once.
When you send it back to Jackson for repair, they simply toss the dead board and replace it with a new one.

So, they probably just messed up hardware vs software. Easily explained since they aren't computer literate.

[Mesaboog]

No sound = bad board. Hope it's still under warranty as a replacement is pretty much the only way to fix it.

When engaged, the board switches from pass-through (5- way switch controls everything) to internally switched (5-way + internal switching).
The internal switch is what allows you to select any pickup config while keeping the driver pickup open.
it sounds like this has failed.

The boards themselves are still made by Floyd Rose. Either Jackson bought a shitload on initial order or they are still being produced under the same design spec from 1997/98 (Rev C. board)
Either way, Floyd Rose is the only manufacturer I've seen making them.

Ughh....that is what I was afraid of. Thanks for the input rj! Unfortunately, I use the sustainer a lot in my playing. Any ballpark idea what Jackson charges for a replacement board through authorized service provider?

[rjohnstone]

Ughh....that is what I was afraid of. Thanks for the input rj! Unfortunately, I use the sustainer a lot in my playing. Any ballpark idea what Jackson charges for a replacement board through authorized service provider?

I can generally fix a lot of issues with the boards myself, but your particular problem is in one of the IC controllers.

I've never seen or heard of anyone getting one replaced outside of a warranty repair, so no clue how much or if they will even do it at all.
I would suggest contacting JCMI first to see if they offer replacement boards outside of the warranty period if you take it to an authorized repair facility.

They won't sell them as a standalone unit (I've tried many time) but they may make one available as a replacement part for an existing unit.

[SydneyPC-1]

Ughh....that is what I was afraid of. Thanks for the input rj! Unfortunately, I use the sustainer a lot in my playing. Any ballpark idea what Jackson charges for a replacement board through authorized service provider?

Thanks RJ for clearing that up. Its a fingers crossed thing with the sustainer. Mine is a 2011 and so far no probs at all. I also use the sustainer alot. Cost as an option on a custom I believe is around US$1K (from this board). There was a used one on ebay which recently went for about $200. I missed it by hours.

Well Scott you are not alone. There are many of us who have bought Jacksons PC-1 and it is not a cheap guitar so that is alot of fingers crossed regarding the sustainer. Hopefully we will get an answer soon.

Good Luck
Paul

[Mesaboog]

Thanks RJ for clearing that up. Its a fingers crossed thing with the sustainer. Mine is a 2011 and so far no probs at all. I also use the sustainer alot. Cost as an option on a custom I believe is around US$1K (from this board). There was a used one on ebay which recently went for about $200. I missed it by hours.

Well Scott you are not alone. There are many of us who have bought Jacksons PC-1 and it is not a cheap guitar so that is alot of fingers crossed regarding the sustainer. Hopefully we will get an answer soon.

Good Luck
Paul

Ouch! Have my authorized service tech contacting F/J now so we shall see if I have any luck. If it is too pricey, I may just have to sell my Les Paul and buy another PC1. Rip the guts out of my old PC1 (my baby) and try some different pups for a change...having 2 very different PC1's.

[Mesaboog]

I can generally fix a lot of issues with the boards myself, but your particular problem is in one of the IC controllers.

I've never seen or heard of anyone getting one replaced outside of a warranty repair, so no clue how much or if they will even do it at all.
I would suggest contacting JCMI first to see if they offer replacement boards outside of the warranty period if you take it to an authorized repair facility.

They won't sell them as a standalone unit (I've tried many time) but they may make one available as a replacement part for an existing unit.

rj, have you ever seen any issues with the wiring harness/connections to the board? The back plate really pushes down on mine and kink the wires a bit because the route is just mm's not quite deep enough. I'd hate to diagnose it as the board, if perhaps it is one of the harness connectors or a bad wire. Not sure how to diagnose that. Although, wiggling isn't fixing intermittantly, (Like it has in the past).