FR3sB treble button change/rearrange

[Mr Mark]

One of these Roland FR3sB's happened across my path and I wasn't going to say no - I'm mostly excited to try out the B system as I am not sure C is for me. However it does seem these buttons are all well and truly stuck on there. I have read it is a rather simple thing to unscrew them but cannot get any to budge.

Is there a tool available (North America) for this? A diy solution? I really hope they aren't glued, if so and they break - how easy are replacements to be had?

I also need to find a bellows pad for this but not as critical - but if anyone has one to spare perhaps we can strike a deal !

 

[dak]

The manual states "you can, however, unscrew the buttons and install the[m] in the right places so as to make the white and black buttons correspond to the notes being played" and shows artwork for it on page 37.

 

[tcabot]

Unscrewing should be easy.
Remember: Rightey-tightey, leftey-loosey.

But you really only need to swap the ones that are marked with raised dots. The colours don't matter as you're not supposed to see them if you're holding the box correctly.

 

[Mr Mark]

At long last my button removal tool(s) have arrived - 2 months later due to the postal strike here. These make short work of things but the springs in them are super rigid and a lot of hand force is required to use them, wow.

Unfortunately they were glued on. I broke one of the threaded posts off (these are plastic ). I would like to repair this with the right parts but that probably isn't going to happen without complete disassembly and circuit board work (would be my guess). Unless I am wrong? In lieu of that, how far into the post on the board can I drill into to install a makeshift dowel if need be?

 

[tcabot]

Unfortunately they were glued on.

Somebody got so p*ssed off from the buttons unscrewing that he must have finally lost it and glued them on permanently. That's Neanderthal-style problem solving for you. I mean, a wee drop of weak loctite would have done the job without ruining the instrument!

Consider just gluing the button back on. From memory, there's a contact on the bottom of the silicone dome and 2 contacts on the PCB - you don't want your drill bit anywhere near them.

 

[dak]

Somebody got so p*ssed off from the buttons unscrewing that he must have finally lost it and glued them on permanently. That's Neanderthal-style problem solving for you. I mean, a wee drop of weak loctite would have done the job without ruining the instrument!

Consider just gluing the button back on. From memory, there's a contact on the bottom of the silicone dome and 2 contacts on the PCB - you don't want your drill bit anywhere near them.

I think you can disassemble the keyboard so that the buttons are safely away from the rubber strips and PCB forming the contacts.

 

[oldbayan]

I use a wide rubber band, put it around the button and unscrew. Some can be stiff.

 

[Mr Mark]

FTR oldbayan- these were glued in such a way that I was barely able to get them off with a dedicated tool (as seen in the picture)…I tried a variety of things before I decided to shell out a lot of money for these, including your method. Thanks for the suggestion - I few like my brain is justifying the thought process through posts like this .

I will wait for a more patient day to repair the broken one…no way simply glueing it back on will work - it is the wrong colour button anyhow.

There wasn’t even a rhyme or reason to how the white buttons were half knurled and half not, I ended up leaving a lot of the white ones if I didn’t have to change the color.


FOR THE LOVE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS READING THIS DO NOT GLUE THESE ON - IT HAS BEEN FORTOLD!!!

 

[Mr Mark]

 

[Mr Mark]

Fixed. Carefully drilled into old post, these are hollow inside so it wasn’t very long. Used an 8/32 tap, cut off a small 8/32 bolt I had laying around for a dowel, screwed and glued it in place (easily removable
Glue ha). Tested to work, stoked on the ease of repair and my bravery resulting in major reward vs major oops.

 

[oldbayan]

I still don't understand why the buttons were glued! I have (and had) several Rolands with buttons and never had issues with the buttons unscrewing themselves. When new my FR-3 and FR-1 buttons were quite tight, and even after re-ordering the blacks and whites to switch to B-griff buttons never got loose or fell off.