Strum Bar Fix

[Techhead]

After purchasing Rock Band the strum bar quit working on the guitar.
Here is a quick fix and only took me 15 min.
You will need:
Phillips screw driver
Piece of emory cloth (what plumbers use to clean copper pipe)
Contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol
With the guitar face down, remove all 16 screws from the back side of the guitar making note where the two small and four long ones go. Remove the back cover and set aside.
On the strum bar you will see the TWO switches. Cut you emory cloth to 2 inches square and insert between the contact points of the switch. Push on the plastic bar to close the contact and sandwitch the cloth. Stroke back & forth about 15 times. Flip the cloth over and do it again. Do the same for the second switch. After you have cleaned/resurfaced the contacts apply a small amount of contact cleaner to each switches contacts. DONE
Reassemble the back and your back in the band. The switches are of poor quality and may need to be cleaned often.
Techhead :cool:

[Cutlass]

FYI this will void your warranty, but it should work, at least temporarily. You might need to do this again.

[webduelist]

*****DO NOT DO THIS*****

the contacts are fine from the factory the problem lies in the pad behind the contact, if you look you will see that the contact is bent this is because the pad behind the contact is too small and after so many strums bends the metal and it can no long make a connection properly. this is the correct way to fix the guitar, keep in mind that this will void your warrnty, remove the back of the guitar, get some masking tape and cut it into little peices about the size of the pad. push the contact that is away from the strummer forward gently, and slip the peice of tape (sticky side toword the pad) behind it, put about 3-4 peices behind it. do this with the opposite strum even if it still works it will bend from use just like the down strum did.
Small pad
---------------] this contact is being bent because the pad is too small.
---------------] this contact is fine do nothing with it.
___Stum bar_____

[Techhead]

I like the tape idea. Makes sence and it increases the strum sensitivity.
I do back my fix. I have worked on equipment that is built around relays and as a rule when your contacts fail to make continuity you should replace the relay. If you are in a pinch and don't have a spare replacement you are faced with cleaning the contacts to get back up and running. Worked for me and is holding up fine. I will open the back up again to install the tape tabs as I want to experiment with increasing the strum sensitivity.
Techhead