Replacing keys

[Guest]

Ok the other night my band was opening for the Wailers and I had a pretty classic rock moment unfold in front of 500 people. I was in the middle of a solo and as it became more intense, the top manualhigh G keysnapped in halfon my chopped M3. SoI grabbed the key and threw it into the audience and continued punishing the organ in a Keith Emerson king of way. This is before I understood the spring mechanism of the manual. As the remainder of the key was pointing up at a 45 degree angle, I raked my left hand up the register slicing the side of my palm open. I hadn't realized I cut myself until my solo was over and as I was comping I noticed blood all over the manuals. Luckily some people in the audience helped me bandage it up while I continued to play with one hand. The show went great and we gained a lot of new fans, but I started to try and figure out how to repair it. The note still works. I'm thinking of putting my craft skills to work and carving a new key out of wood. I can just bolt that to the existingkey channel right? Then I thought it might be cool to do all the white keys some day. But let's start with the first one. How do I access the manual so I can perform this procedure? Thanks</P>
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www.myspace.com/dubtide</P>

[Guest]

Re: Replacing keys



tonewheel general hospital sells individual keys for around 9 bucks i think. i don't see how people manage to break the waterfall keys. a hammond tech once told me you could drive a truck on waterfall key manuals no problem. that was probably a bit exaggerated, but the key's that do that had to have been broken in the first place.</p>

if you were quite handy with wood, you could make keys as such, but that might not be very glissando friendly, you might walk off stage with a dick ton of splinters.
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[geoelectro]

Re: Replacing keys



I replace those keys all the time. They do break. In fact, I have noticed that "G's" and "D's" break more often. I carry extra G&amp;D keys!</p>

As for replacing it, you remove the music rack desk be removing two screws on each end. It will slide forward very carefully. Then, you will need a 1/4" nut driver. From the back, remove the sharps on either side of the broken G key. This is done by loosening the 1/4" nut at the end of the key channel. Do not remove this screw! Just loosen it. The key channel will lift up at the rear and remove. Then, remove the broken G key channel. I know the G key channel will remove without removing the sharp keys because it's broken, but they will need to be removed to re-install the G. Unscrew the plastic key from the metal channel and screw on the new one.
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When re-installing the key channel, make sure the channel spring seats properly. There are two holes in the spring on each side of the screw. These holes fit over the matching guides on the keyboard chassis. This holds the key in alignment.</p>

Sometimes, after installing a key, you may notice it doesn't line up exactly in the front with the keys on either side. To accomplish perfect alignment, you will have to remove it and make an adjustment to the key position on the channel. Trial and error.</p>

George
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[Guest]

Re: Replacing keys

Sounds like an easy procedure. Curious though, why wouldn't you want to remove the screw. Is it a very lengthy process?

[geoelectro]

Re: Replacing keys



No need to. The key channel spring has a slot where once the screw is loosened, it will slide up and off. Just makes it easier keeping the screw in place.</p>

George
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[Guest]

Re: Replacing keys



[I]</p>

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I just replaced a broken "D" key on my M-111.</p>

Not as difficult as Iexpected it to be.</p>

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Here are the instructions I used...</p>


5-73. PLAYING KEY.

5-74. Replacement of playing key on upper manual will be accomplished as follows:
a. Remove the four screws from the left and right-hand side panels of music rack. Tilt the bottom of the rack by lifting the side panels and then remove the rack by pulling outward.
b. Remove the 2 wood screws and the 2 oval-head bolts from the ends of the drawbar base.
c. Lift and block up the entire drawbar base.
d. To remove a black key, loosen its key mounting screw, unhook key from screw, and lift out key.
e. To remove a white key, loosen its key mounting screw and those of adjacent black keys. Unhook these keys from screws, push them back, and lift out white key.
f. Insert a replacement key and install by reversing the directions given above for removal.
g. Adjust the tension of the replacement playing key by comparison with the adjoining key.


5-75. Replacement of playing key on lower manual will be accomplished as follows:
a. Remove the four screws from the left- and right-hand side panels of the music rack. Tilt the bottom of the rack by lifting the side panels and then remove the rack by pulling outward.
b. Remove the two oval-head bolts from the ends of the stop base.
c. Pull out all drawbars to position 8.
d. Tilt the upper manual as far back as the top of the console will allow, and then wedge or block it in this position.
e. Complete the replacement of the playing key on the lower manual by following the same procedure given above for upper manual keys.
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[Guest]

Re: Replacing keys



[co]</p>

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ps. I found an octive's worth of keys on eBay.</p>

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