How to adjust Overdrive (tilt) sensitivity

[BriGuy]

I mentioned this in another thread, but to make this easy to find I started this separate thread.
Many people are having trouble with their overdrive sensitivity. Depending on how you hold it it can go off unexpectedly. Here is a simple method to adjust how high you have to raise the neck for OD activation.

The tilt sensors are back to the old school style of ball bearings in a tube (vs the ultrasensitive and non adjustable accelerometer of the GH3 Les Paul)
When rolled around or shaken you may hear a rattling noise coming from these...this is normal.
If you unscrew the tilt assembly screws, you can reposition the sensor and tape it in place. My guitar was too sensitive and the sensor has been adjusted so
it requires you to raise it higher to activate the OD. The more you angle it down, the higher you can hold the guitar without OD activation.

Normal position:
http://i15.tinypic.com/6z9nya1.jpg

Tilt sensor adjusted for higher angle:
http://i4.tinypic.com/6k4pz4m.jpg

[milhouse]

Sweet. Thanks!

[Bakkster]

Just remember everyone: this would void your warranty, especially if you leave behind obvious duct tape residue in your guitar.

Just remember to do this at your own risk.

[Visitor Q]

Thanks for the post and pix.

So many short comings to this controller, amazing!

Jason

[SheepStampede]

Today I have done something similar and here's a picture. Instead of tape I used hot glue which is easy to remove even from the electric boards and leaves no residue, but kind of the same premise. I also gave it more of an angle (about 45 degrees) so I can sit back on my couch and play with no problems. You can see it's glued to the original post on one end and to the board for the buttons on the other. This mod works like a charm. Just FYI, this model is my warranty replacement with the magnetic strum sensors and it is much less cluttered in that area with wires compared to the metal prong strum, looks like on the older ones youd have wires where I put it. Also, this is a PS3 guitar, and BriGuy's is a 360 so maybe there's some differences in the wiring because of that as well.

I really don't see why a position similar to this isn't the way they were made in the first place.
Edit: ok, well aparently this would only work for righty guitarists...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/sheppard2jt/100_1247.jpg

Edit: it was still not working quite right but I've since moved it a bit. In the above position it worked great reclining but after playing standing for a while it wasn't quite perfect every time. To fix it i rotated it back about 60 degrees and lessened the change in angle about 30 degrees. In this position it activates OD with the neck up about 45 degrees both standing or reclining or anywhere in between....just perfect.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/sheppard2jt/100_1248.jpg

[capitalfn9]

how would you make the sensor more sensitive? my overdrive is almost impossible to turn on

[ParanoidSarge]

how would you make the sensor more sensitive? my overdrive is almost impossible to turn on

yeah I have the same problem. How would you fix that...

[LethalParadox28]

save yourself some time and just keep your pinky on your select button. Its not hard to do once ya get used to it.

[Tamran]

how would you make the sensor more sensitive? my overdrive is almost impossible to turn on

I'd imagine you'd rotate the sensor the opposite way as in the picture posted by the OP.

[ParanoidSarge]

save yourself some time and just keep your pinky on your select button. Its not hard to do once ya get used to it.

If you try it on Expert, it is harder to do that since you have more notes to hit. You will likely miss a few notes. Right now I'm using my Les Paul.

[Frederf]

This is a great idea but it has the problem of making the guitar permanently right or left handed. What would happen if you just bent the tubes that hold the switches out?

[Mickey Buns]

First off the way the switch is set does not work left or right handed, with that in mind you need to move it down 3/8" for right hand and 3/8" up for Left handed or the switch will activate anytime when you are playing and If I'm wrong someone please correct me...

[griffinmills]

We mostly have the problem of "can't activate" in our house. Wish it was designed in such a way that you could "calibrate" it in game.

[instro2]

I rather use the select button, however each time I do I end up pressing start or screw up my position. I dont see why they cant make the overdrive button in a seperate location away from all the other buttons and stuff sticking out. I think around this area would be great.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/redletter/rbguit.jpg

I realize they made the RB guitar similar to the real thing, but when it comes down to it, its gameplay>realism. Oh and before someone asks, my tilt doesn't work the greatest, nor do I like doing it.

[Jagged]

I remember reading somewhere quite awhile ago that somebody had modded one of the PS2 SG guitars to give it an effects pedal, which when pushed, would activate star power. I'm curious if anybody else has heard of this and has a link to the mod - if the Strat uses the same mechanism for activating overdrive, this would be a killer modification.

[bolistik]

I rather use the select button, however each time I do I end up pressing start or screw up my position.


+1 only refer to the select button on times where there is a slight pause in notes. Enough time for me to glance down at the guitar and locate the select button with my pinky.

[Mickey Buns]

I remember reading somewhere quite awhile ago that somebody had modded one of the PS2 SG guitars to give it an effects pedal, which when pushed, would activate star power. I'm curious if anybody else has heard of this and has a link to the mod - if the Strat uses the same mechanism for activating overdrive, this would be a killer modification.

That's not a bad idea, it would be very easy to do (the gears are turning) I'll post it when I'm done, Thanks

[Jagged]

That's not a bad idea, it would be very easy to do (the gears are turning) I'll post it when I'm done, Thanks

That's wicked! A friend of mine has an old and unworking ProCo Rat pedal that I'm sure I could get from him super cheap that would be great for mod purposes.

[BriGuy]

I remember reading somewhere quite awhile ago that somebody had modded one of the PS2 SG guitars to give it an effects pedal, which when pushed, would activate star power. I'm curious if anybody else has heard of this and has a link to the mod - if the Strat uses the same mechanism for activating overdrive, this would be a killer modification.

Here is a link to my Guitar Modding 101 thread at scorehero.com

http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17492

About halfway down are 4 links to posts describing this type of mod. Good luck!

[instro2]

+1 only refer to the select button on times where there is a slight pause in notes. Enough time for me to glance down at the guitar and locate the select button with my pinky.

What about songs with continuous notes? By the time I reach a small pause I've wasted two rounds of overdrive :(

You can only store so much until you need to use it.

[AnonymousMonkey]

I modded mine to use a foot pedal for overdrive instead.

[Frederf]

I bent the tilt sensors outward slightly on my gen 3 guitar and it works (very near) perfectly now.

[marcin]

This mod for the win, seriously:

http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5132

[depthdefy]

I guess the good thing about playing left handed is that the select button is nicely placed under the pad of my thumb and it takes just a tap to get into overdrive. And it's a good thing, because tilting my guitar is quite unreliable. Sometimes you have to jerk it, sometimes you have to shake it, sometimes you have to leave it vertical and hope for the best. The only downside of using my thumb pad for overdrive is that the effect switch gets in the way unless it is set to the last two effects (off, and what ever that effect next to off is). But it's a trade-off I'm willing to accept.

[Fellwarre]

The back button would work great, but this mod would (theoretically) also fix going into OD at random times. I save my OD to bail out failed out band members, it sucks when I don't have any OD because it went off while everyone was doing great anyway.

[lloydsgames]

I just got one of the new wireless xbox 360 guitars and overdrive just won't work at all. The back button does trigger overdrive but it's not convenient at all. I invariably miss a note while fiddling with the back button and screw up the OD run completely. I tried tilting the sensor several different ways, even going to the extreme of setting it at a 90-degree angle to the floor hoping I could at least find the over-sensitive angle, but even that does not work. I can twirl the damned thing around my head, play it upside down, spin it like a top (none of which are practical in the midst of a tough song) and none of these movements will trigger OD. Grrrrrr.

[KEFIOX]

I'd imagine you'd rotate the sensor the opposite way as in the picture posted by the OP.

Not true. I have this problem exactly and thought (and tried) the exact same thing. It actually made things worse. The only way I could activate OD (aside from select) was to tilt the guitar down and back. If you didn't know what I was doing it would look like I was trying to smell my own ass and play at the same time.

[Songblade]

I may've said it before, but not having your OD come on as soon as you get it due to an OVERSENSITIVE sensor is a blessing. My favorite guitar's tilt doesn't work (about 2% of the time if you want to tilt for OD) - I'm used to hitting select to OD. Much much better.

I had to get a new guitar yesterday ... the sensor is oversensitive. I'm scouring the forums/net to figure out how to disable the tilt.

[BriGuy]

...I had to get a new guitar yesterday ... the sensor is oversensitive. I'm scouring the forums/net to figure out how to disable the tilt.
Just cut the wires that lead to the tilt sensors. Your back button will still work to activate OD.

[luckyjoey]

I just wanted to say thanks for this quick and easy 'mod'.

Took about 10 minutes to take out all the screws, adjust the switches in the right place, test it on my PC. Then another 10 of playing around on RB.

Less than 30 anyway, and all my OD whoas are gone.

Now it works perfectly. I can sit the way I want to sit, and make my OD active when I want. Without messy wires for a footpedal.

BTW I highly recommend hooking the guitar to your PC and seeing exactly how precise your strumming is, and your OD activation.

My strummer on both the wired and wireless are screwey. I've RMa'd twice, not doing it again, just gonna fix it myself.

The only drawback? If a lefty player comes over they are in for some OD whoas hehe

Ready for RB2!

Thanks again.

[woodwindpizza]

huh? so confusing