High-fi fix for malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul

Hey, you -- busy rigging up your malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul using the low-fi method we showed you earlier this week? If you're just getting started, we'd recommend putting the rubber bands back in the package and taking a look at this. Granted, it seems a bit silly that we're figuring out ways to repair instruments, er, controllers that should have been solid right out of the box, but we digress. This entirely more technical (but equally painless) fix involves a Torx driver, a bit of PCB rearranging and a triple check to make sure the wiring within wasn't installed haphazardly to begin with. If done properly, the contacts should have a much better connection once the axe is reassembled, and if you're still left with nonfunctional frets after all of this, you've certainly got our permission to go all Jimi Hendrix / Pete Townshend / etc. on it.

[Thanks, Kyle]

[Dragod @ Nov 4th 2007 11:36AM]

What about Warranty...?

The damn guitar would've been great if it weren't for the detachable fretboard...

[MEAT! @ Nov 4th 2007 11:45AM]

I have that same screwdriver...Is it common? I got mine in a kit from Egghead years ago, before they went out of business.

[Chris @ Nov 4th 2007 4:04PM]

Looks identical to the screwdrivers in Belkin pc toolkits.

[Chris Macdonald @ Nov 4th 2007 5:40PM]

hey i have it too! i got it a superstore

[Jeff @ Nov 4th 2007 6:41PM]

It's just a Torx screwdriver. Yes, pretty common.

[polpru2 @ Jan 24th 2008 9:19PM]

I apologize for this being off topic but my guitar won't respond to my console. I'll turn the guitar on, hoping it'll turn the console on with it (as any controller does) but nothing. I assumed it was the batteries so I tried new ones. No use. I tried the same batteries with my normal controller and it worked fine. From that point on, I knew it was the guitar. I was just wondering if anyone had this same problem or knew what to do about this.

[MEAT! @ Jan 8th 2008 7:43PM]

Dude, you just posted in a thread that's two months old. No one else will see this but me, because I had it set to notify me by email should someone respond. Also I've never actually used the guitar controller thing you refer to, unfortunately, so I can't help.

[o29 @ Nov 4th 2007 11:58AM]

I'm considering trying this, simply because I haven't had time to return my guitar (that has a broken orange fret) to the mall that's 15 minutes or so away from here. I'm hoping that even if this doesn't fix it, I'll be able to return it.

Anyone else want to try it out first and see if it helps with broken frets?

[Mark @ Nov 4th 2007 12:03PM]

Yea - warranty. Gamers shouldn't be fixing guitars like this. They should be taking advantage of the warranty instead. If a company sells defective merchandise, they should have to replace it for free.

Gamers repairing it themselves sets a bad precedent.

[Rob @ Nov 4th 2007 12:08PM]

That's what I keep saying. But, people still want to put up with it like it's ok. Very bad precedent.

[something @ Nov 5th 2007 4:21PM]

Fix it yourself - Game on in a few hours
Use the warranty - Wait a month

Maybe people just want to play their damn game?

[andy @ Nov 4th 2007 12:08PM]

"figuring out ways to repair instruments"

You mean game controllers?

[umm....hello??? @ Nov 4th 2007 12:10PM]

screw that...if it doesn't work perfectly when I first open it up, it goes back to the store. falls along the same principle of the self check-out at Jewel/Osco...I don't use it unless they're going to start offering me a paycheck to do their job....

[something @ Nov 5th 2007 8:30AM]

Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face... If I can check myself out and get out of the store faster that sounds like a win/win to me. You and your principles can wait in the 20 minute line. I'll be at home.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 4th 2007 12:16PM]

Red Octane says 3-4 weeks to replace it.

It's the same situation as with the Xbox 360. People are fixing them because they don't want to not play games for 4 weeks.

The key isn't the warranty, it's getting it right in the first place. And I don't see why you're harshing on gamers so much, Red Octane are the ones who blew it.

[o29 @ Nov 4th 2007 12:58PM]

And, as has been stated several times in the previous low-fi fix thread, there's no guarantee that you won't just be given another broken guitar.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 4th 2007 12:23PM]

I have a non-broken Les Paul, and the contacts are not ahead of those tabs, they are behind them.

I just thought I'd post this for those who are wondering if the problem with the guitars is really as simple as that board being in the wrong spot.

I guess they're just moving that board forward to compensate for the pogo pins not pushing hard enough. Seems iffy to me, but then again, I'm not the one who is without a working guitar.

Sorry my above post was misplaced. I blame Al Gore.

[jptech @ Nov 4th 2007 12:59PM]

just wait, yours will break.

[Mercy12 @ Nov 4th 2007 1:25PM]

I was only having this problem if the neck was pulled out to the edge of the lock. I just placed 2 strips of gaf tape on both sides, above the actual lock, which made it a tighter fit, and stopped it from being pulled out.

[MrBeauxJangles @ Nov 4th 2007 2:13PM]

Does this void the warranty?

[Mile @ Nov 4th 2007 2:27PM]

I thought we were buying thess to leave in the unopened box so they would be collectibles in a few years?

[Batmyke @ Nov 4th 2007 2:27PM]

Hey, I watched a documentary on The Who last night, and it should read, 'feel free to go all Pete Townsend/Jimi Hendrix on it'...

Apparently Hendrix first destroyed a guitar at a gig where he followed The Who, who had been demolishing their instruments for months already at every show.

I, for one, am not having any problems with my Wii axe...

[Allan @ Nov 4th 2007 3:31PM]

Is this just a 360 only issue? Or has anyone had this problem on their Wii (or PS2) controller?

My Wii version seems to do this but only once in a while. It's not a constant thing. I took my neck apart and took a look and this method is not possible for me as the layout is a bit different and while there are tabs to move in front of, it will not go back together properly - unless I wanted to grind some plastic off of the neck. And I don't think that's going to happen...

[o29 @ Nov 4th 2007 5:13PM]

I'm having the problem with my PS2 guitar.

[Jeff @ Nov 4th 2007 6:43PM]

This is why you buy Fender! Gibsons suck!

[AlcoholicZombie @ Nov 4th 2007 9:03PM]

Haha. Its funny that the only Les Paul guitar that wont give you problems will be the wired one on the Xbox360 kiosks. Ill bribe the Microsoft rep to take it off and give it to me before too many ppl play with it. Right now it just co op until the Microsoft rep comes around.

[o29 @ Nov 4th 2007 10:46PM]

From what I've heard Walmart actually has a cheaper GH3 bundle that comes with the old wired guitar.

[Daimyo Nintendo @ Nov 5th 2007 7:34PM]

Do I care? No, My Wii Guitar is just fine, I’ve been shredding for a full week now. Seems its all the black guitars which are fucked and they fall under PS3 and 360, since I don’t dare touch those plague ridden consoles I am not worried. Sorry but I am a console war partisan.

[decompiler @ Nov 7th 2007 8:51PM]

everyone, please stop fanboy-ing all over the place! yep, the wii and ps2 guitars work great, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the systems themselves! it only reflects on the guitar controllers, none of which were manufactured by nintendo, sony, or microsoft.

now to the point: it sucks that this problem exists -- i was *so* frustrated with my red and yellow buttons giving out on me -- but this hack took me < 5 minutes, was about as easy and risk-free as you can get, and worked perfectly.

like they said at the maker faire: "if you can't open it, you don't own it." void your warranty!

[Scribbles @ Nov 26th 2007 5:32PM]

I had issues with my yellow key also. What I found is that since it is the middle button and all the actual part that regesters the contact from the out sid to the inside seemed to bow out in the middle since there is nothing keeping the middle bolted down so to speek, only the two screws on the outer ends. I tried the fix for the guitar hero 2 controler using the method of cutting thin cardboard peices in the shape of the keys and placing them in between the two areas. It worked for awhile but now it is happening again. I understand your point of view on this about the connection point of the guitar body and the neck.

[Teemu V. @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:41PM]

I went a step further and went past the contacts with wires. Soldering is required but here's quick & dirty guide for permafixing your guitar:

You need: electric wire, cutters, perma marker, soldering iron etc. Using extra wire makes things easier but you can try to get along without it.

Use open the guitar body and neck piece with torx screwdriver. Then carefully remove the main circuit board (the one with PS3/XBox-button).

The neck: There's eight wires leading to the contact circuit board. Mark 1st lead with permamarker and cut the cable.

The body: There's six wires leading to main circuit board. Mark 1st lead (designated with J1 on circuit board with the stringy sticks) with permamarker and cut the cable.

Separate wires on both gray cables and uncover the wire heads.

Solder extra wiring to the cable with 8 wires (neck).

Next you will need to connect the 8-wired cable to the 6-wired cable on body.

Wire numbers
Body -> Neck
1 -> 124
2 -> 5
3 -> 3
4 -> 6
5 -> 7
6 -> 8

After soldering, test the guitar. If it works then just assemble and shred away.

[Teemu V. @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:43PM]

Oh! and btw.
You will definitely lose warranty on your guitar :D

[Lance @ Dec 29th 2007 11:16AM]

This fix (moving the circuit board forward of the tabs in the neck) worked great for me. However, it was pretty stiff to get the neck to lock to the body after the modification. My son (and siblings) have used the guitar for several days without the pesky red key missing a beat. Should the thing fail again, I'm definitely gonna hardwire/solder the suckers together. Thanks for that info.

[bbell1984 @ Jan 17th 2008 9:54AM]

i to turn on the guitar and the light, lights up, but when i try to connect it to the xbox it will not connect, like it wont recognice it. anyone have any ideas?