Show and Tell: Oldest Working Digital Guitar Gear

[24 track]

in the early to mid 70's ther was a company called System 360 they created a frequency follower this paired with the Oberhiem SEM Expander Module created the first known guitar synth , the units I saw were sent to a power amp of the day and the speakers were Bose 509's

's because they were advertised as unlimited power rating

the comercial units were all black , the consumer units were wood grained

 

[24 track]

YAMAHA RX-7 DIGITAL RHYTHM PROGRAMMER - 1988
Not 'Guitar Gear' but it was my best single piece of gear, that was huge in me getting better. Once I programmed the song, I was playing with Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney... best metronome ever.

It was made for hip-hop, and you should hear some of the hilarious samples, but I was able to tweak the drums, wrestle the bass, and painfully manipulate whatever else I needed to, per song.

I'll link a few songs below(Eb tuning), but as I say on my 'WTF?' tab on my site... if split the way I recorded; DRUMS LEFT, BASS RIGHT and properly EQ'ed, these sound excellent. Raw, as you will hear them, not so much, when it comes to the bass.

Good Times, Bad Times

https://lonepoorboy.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/good-times-bad-times-1.mp3

Come On - Jimi Hendrix off Electric Ladyland

https://lonepoorboy.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/come-on-1.mp3

All My Loving - The Beatles (I love all of McCartney's bass lines)

https://lonepoorboy.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/all-my-loving.mp3

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I have an updated version of the data disk it uses a usb flash drive instead of the floppy disk also My Kurzweil K2000 has been updated with a USB emulator as well

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

I have an updated version of the data disk it uses a usb flash drive instead of the floppy disk

Can you share more info on this? Model? Was it a 3rd party conversion?

EDIT: Thanks for the info. I will definitely check it out.

Although the disk drive was a huge upgrade from the original save method; cassette tape recorder.

 

[24 track]

duplicate post

 

[24 track]

Can you share more info on this? Model? Was it a 3rd party conversion?

I have the same conversion for my Kurzweil K2000 synth

its a direct replacement for the floppy drive made by a company called gotek
go to Ebay and type in "usb floppy drive emulator" I also click on time ending soonest as it defaults to highest shipping etc .
read the ads becuase the chip in the emulators are programed for specific devices.

 

[ETMusic777]

I bought a 1990s, Panasonic SV-3700 DAT player/recorder, earlier this week, for $100 from a local guy who listed it on Facebook. $100 for a used 30 year old DAT player is actually pretty decent. The DATs on Ebay list for much more, and with shipping costs and no guarantees of working, are risky. This guy that I bought from said that this one worked and he seemed on the level, so I met him out side a Starbucks down the street, and bought it.

However, I took it home and it played back one of my 20 year old DATs no problem for about 5 minutes and then it stopped working. It would not play or record on that DAT or any other DAT that I had, including brand new ones fresh out of the box. I thought that it may be a head cleaning issue, but there was no "cleaning" error. I went inside, inspected the heads which looked good and I did a quick cleaning anyway....but even after cleaning the issue was still there: It would not play back or record on tapes. The transport handled the tape fine, but no sound or time code would display. No track locators would display.

I was in contact with the seller, and he was very cooperative and would refund the money if I could not get it to work.

Finally, I watched through some Youtube videos on theSV-3700. In the comments from one video, a person wrote that they were having the same issue that this machine was having, so they "tapped" lightly on the jog wheel and it started working. Another guy wrote that he tapped on his unit too, and that caused it to start working as well.

So to make a long story short, I tapped 2x lightly on the jog/shuttle wheel....and what do ya know...it started working!!! So doing the "Fonz" tap on old electronics may work. Never rule it out. Ive been using the machine to transfer old music in to the computer. Since the "tap" its running great and the old music that I wrote 20 years ago, is bringing back both memories but also inspiration on how to finish these songs, like they were when I wrote them.

 

[Maguchi]

Aphex 204 2 Channel Aural Exciter with "Optical Big Bottom." Got it sometime around the '90s or early 2000s. An EQ of sorts, but different. It enhances certain harmonics and frequencies to give a sparkling, clearer, tighter sound.

 

[G Stone496]

Boss ME-5 circa late ‘80s (got it used). The reverb and delay are digital. All the other effects; Compressor, OD/Distortion, EQ and Chorus/Flange are analog and from Boss’s standalone analog pedals from that era.

 

[ClashCityTele]

I'm still buying analogue gear from the 80's.
Haven't moved onto digital yet.

 

[ahiddentableau]

I have an old Boss ME-10, a Yamaha REX-50, and an old Alesis Midiverb II. The ME-10 and Midiverb still work, the REX-50 is struggling pretty mightily, but I haven't replaced its electrolytics yet, so it might make it. I kind of hesitate to call the ME-10 digital. Most of it is analog, I think only the delay and reverb are digital.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

Mine is a BOSS BE-5 bass multi-effect from the early 90's. Sorry, no pic, but yes it still works as advertised.

 

[codamedia]

I tend to sell off gear I don't use... but I can say that over the past 40 years I don't recall having a single piece of digital gear fail during the time I had it.

I keep my gear well maintained... outside of a failing tube, a dead pickup, or a broken cable I haven't seen any serious breakdowns on any gear.

 

[11 Gauge]

I still have a Zoom 505 and Lexicon MPX100 from the later 90's that both work. The 505 has some intermittent glitches with a button or two where it will just keep scrolling through patches, but that's the only issue.

I'm pretty sure I also have an Alesis Nanoverb that I got for free from the Guitar Center in Towson, MD when they first opened (around '01, I think?). The last time I pulled it out (probably in 2017 or so), it worked fine.

I've got three Danelectro Dan Echo pedals. I modified one to increase the input impedance, and know for a fact that it still works just fine (that one I got new in '98). The other two were given to me by a family member. I think there may be issues with the in and out jacks of at least one, but they certainly aren't nonfunctional due to an issue with any digital component.

I also have an EHX Holy Grail from what was probably the first year of production. It is only a little glitchy because I re-housed it in a Hammond-type enclosure, and sometimes it won't 'boot up'. But for the most part, it works just fine. If I still used it with any regularity, I'd have definitely fixed the issue.

 

[Zipslack]

Am I the only one here with a Yamaha FX500 and matching MIDI foot controller? Guess I'll have to get it out of the cabinet....

Before you ask...NO, I don't do "shoegaze" stuff and have never used the "Soft Focus" patch. I'm not even sure what "shoegaze" is...

 

[somebodyelseuk]

One of the themes that pokes its head into the modeling amp threads is "ewww, it's digital, how long will it last?" I usually trot out my mid-1990s-vintage Alesis Quadraverb 2 (which would be about 27 years old as of today) as an example. For whatever dumb reason, I've kept forgetting this:

View attachment 1073672

This is a Korg A5 Guitar. It was first introduced in 1991 and I bought this one used in 1992, so it's at least 31 years old depending on when the first owner bought it. Everything on it still works and the diagnostics even say the backup battery is still healthy. The distortion and overdrive are 1990 digital technology and, predictably, terrible. Everything else is tolerable for the era.

The A5 and Q2 (which also still works) saw regular use around the house until I bought a modern modeler in 2019. Neither has ever needed service. In fact, both still have their original backup batteries. The diagnostics on the A5 say it's only discharged to 1.4 volts (below 1.2 is where it needs replacement), so that's probably got another 60 years left on it.

This is the block diagram of the A5 from the service manual. It's very, very similar to the architecture you find in today's modelers.

View attachment 1073684

So what's the oldest piece of digital guitar gear that you still have and still works? This isn't about sound quality, toob toanz or anything else like that. The question on the table is whether or not this stuff lasts. I'm really hoping someone has a Yamaha SPX-90 they can show off because the earliest copies of those are pushing 40 and there are a lot of them still in use in recording studios.

My 'rig' is approximately 30 years old, rackmount.
Pre-amp is a Mk1 Triaxis, power amp is a Marshall 20/20, a pair of Digitech Studio Quad effects boxes... all controlled with a Ground Control MIDI Foot Controller. All units were bought new, all still fully functioning.
The oldest working digital piece in my home is an 'ex-Strawberry Studios' Yamaha FX900 and FC900 that my Dad got in the mid 90s when the studio was upgrading its gear. Don't know how old it is, but I'd guess pre'90.
EDIT: though I don't own it anymore, a mate of mine is still using my old Zoom 2020 which is from the early 90s - one of the first in the UK.

 

[eichaan]

One of the themes that pokes its head into the modeling amp threads is "ewww, it's digital, how long will it last?" I usually trot out my mid-1990s-vintage Alesis Quadraverb 2 (which would be about 27 years old as of today) as an example. For whatever dumb reason, I've kept forgetting this:

View attachment 1073672

This is a Korg A5 Guitar. It was first introduced in 1991 and I bought this one used in 1992, so it's at least 31 years old depending on when the first owner bought it. Everything on it still works and the diagnostics even say the backup battery is still healthy. The distortion and overdrive are 1990 digital technology and, predictably, terrible. Everything else is tolerable for the era.

The A5 and Q2 (which also still works) saw regular use around the house until I bought a modern modeler in 2019. Neither has ever needed service. In fact, both still have their original backup batteries. The diagnostics on the A5 say it's only discharged to 1.4 volts (below 1.2 is where it needs replacement), so that's probably got another 60 years left on it.

This is the block diagram of the A5 from the service manual. It's very, very similar to the architecture you find in today's modelers.

View attachment 1073684

So what's the oldest piece of digital guitar gear that you still have and still works? This isn't about sound quality, toob toanz or anything else like that. The question on the table is whether or not this stuff lasts. I'm really hoping someone has a Yamaha SPX-90 they can show off because the earliest copies of those are pushing 40 and there are a lot of them still in use in recording studios.

Wow! I had one of those Korg units in 1992--sold it in '93 when I had to downsize to move across country. Use yours in good health!

 

[JukeJointJunkie]

BOSS GX-700 from the early 90s. I only use it as a tuner right now but I'm considering going back to it.

 

[ASATKat]

The oldest piece of gear I have is my Franz Crystal Metronome. It's been working for over 50 years.

Oldest digital gear is my Yamaha DG Stomp, I got it at the turn of the century. In '03 I got my abundantly cool Yamaha MagicStomp.

Oldest analog gear is my very wonderful Red Witch Pentavocal Tremolo. And I use it when recording.

In the hospital I have an original Alphonso Zendrive 2 OD 1st generation, it's on the outs, but it's the best I've ever owned when it worked. It's simply Robben in a pedal. I also have a 1st generation L6 DL4, the green one, needs a rebuild. I'd Also like to revive my BBE Wah. A great wah.

 

[thesamhill]

I had a Korg AX1G that lasted way longer than I wanted it to. I think in the end I gave it to Oscar the Grouch. He's probably still rocking it

 

[RCinMempho]

I have a Yamaha DG60FX-112 modeling amp from 2000-2002. It's like brand new. It's like a DG-Stomp built into an amp.