Rattle Noise From the Guitar/ Overdrive Issues

[Visitor Q]

Does anyone know if it is normal for the guitar to rattle out of the box? I have a guitar for the PS3 and it has rattle since I first laid my hands on it… It does not sound like something is loose moving all around the inside of the body of the guitar rather than something contained in a section, loose and rattling. Correct me if I am wrong please, but is this the tilt sensor for the guitar? The reason I ask is because when I play the guitar sitting down in a chair, the guitar does not seem to hang vertically. In return my “overdrive” does not work correctly. A lot of times it will activate all by itself… However, when I stand up and play the guitar with it strapped around my neck, it seems to work just fine. Using the G.H. controller in the past, this was never a problem so I was wondering if this was normal for the Rock Band guitar or if that rattle maybe something broke that is causing my guitar to work improperly?

Thanks.
Jason

[t3h_no0b]

both of my guitars rattled outside of box :(

[macafied]

The rattle is the overdrive sensor. It has a ball that rolls back and forth. I'm on my second guitar and overdrive still doesn't work properly.

[Visitor Q]

Yeah but the question is, is that normal? Any overdrive issues playing sitting down?

Just because it rattles, doesn't mean it's broke or not suppose to be that way for a reason...

Jason

[Visitor Q]

The rattle is the overdrive sensor. It has a ball that rolls back and forth. I'm on my second guitar and overdrive still doesn't work properly.

So is it suppose to rattle then? Is that the reason you sent it back the first time? Have you tried playing it standing up w/ the strap?

Jason

[macafied]

I play sitting down. Overdrive activates automatically unless i point the headstock towards the ground and then tilt it up. And no that's not the only reason i sent it in. Strum bar issues as well.

[Visitor Q]

I play sitting down. Overdrive activates automatically unless i point the headstock towards the ground and then tilt it up. And no that's not the only reason i sent it in. Strum bar issues as well.

Try it standing up with the strap and please report back would you?

Jason

[macafied]

Sure i'll do it later but that's beside the point. I prefer sitting. I have no problem sitting the same way and activating star power in GH3.

[Visitor Q]

Sure i'll do it later but that's beside the point. I prefer sitting. I have no problem sitting the same way and activating star power in GH3.

I understand what you are saying and completely agree with you on the matter but that does not erase the fact of this may just be a flaw of all the Rock Band guitars, that is what I am trying to get to the bottom of…

Thanks!
Jason

[macafied]

Yea it's cool. If I get a guitar that has a working strum bar, i can fix the overdrive myself. Just need to angle the sensor more.

[Visitor Q]

I have a feeling if you play it standing you will have much better luck, at least I did... However this is not to say that both of our guitars are not broke. Hopefully some other users will post with their findings cause if mine is broke, I certainly would like it fixed! :(

Jason

[Visitor Q]

bump

Can anyone else add to this thread please?

Jason

[macafied]

Well last night I played around with it. You have to have the neck of the guitar parallel with the ground or angled towards the ground in order for it to work properly. Even then, it seems like it gets stuck in the on position occasionally. Someone messed up on this. You cant tell me that everyone who tested this held the guitar in this manner.

[SheepStampede]

I'm in the exact same boat. It seems as if the sensor is parallel with the neck. so if the guitar is past horizontal it goes off, rather than about 45 degrees like every other guitar.
Does anyone have a pic of the inside of where the sensor is? I got my replacement and it works very good except for this. I'd be happy to give it a turn if that fixes it.

[macafied]

I saw pics of it somewhere on these boards. Cant find it right now. Someone unscrewed one end of the sensor and taped it down at a steeper angle.

[Visitor Q]

On mine it just seems to work if I play the game standing with the strap, hanging the guitar around my neck. Before I play the game (because the guitar is not stored this way), I give it a good shake hoping the ball will settle in the correct position. Grant it this seems to be a poor design of the guitar but it is a solution to a design flaw in my opinion.

I guess my question still remains though, does everyone’s guitar rattle and do they have to play the game in this manor (standing up)?

Jason

[usty]

My first guitar with the broken strummer seemed to play fine with the overdrive sensor at about a 40-45 degree angle. My 2 new ones (they shipped me 2 by mistake) both have to have the neck of the guitar held almost perfectly parallel to the ground to not initiate overdrive. Annoying, yes, but i can overcome that while playing and I'm sure I'll get used to it more as I play.

[macafied]

Someone just posted this today. Looks to be an easy fix:

http://community.rockband.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=13523

[Visitor Q]

Someone just posted this today. Looks to be an easy fix:

http://community.rockband.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=13523

Thanks for the link.

I guess the rattling is normal then.

Amazing that there are so many poor comings to this came, it's like they put no thought into this before it was released to the public. I think the really sad part is GH got it so right so why mess with success?

Jason

[boboette]

My old guitar didn't rattle, and I could play sitting down or standing up without any overdrive problem.

My new guitar rattles, and the overdrive doesn't work 100% of the time. Sometimes I have to tilt the neck down first before I tilt it up for it to register. I'm not saying there's a correlation but just pointing it out.

I think the strum bar on the replacement guitar is going out soon. I'll see if it'll last another day (day 3). I hope next time i'll be one of the lucky folks that got the magnetic one.