Can anyone identify the mfgr/product series of this connector?

[nevetslab]

Inside the Gibson RD Artist Bass is a Moog Preamp PCB assy. These were built back in the early 80's, and I see date codes of 7637 on one of the tantalum axial caps (37th week of 1976). So, this is 44 yrs + old.





The Center-Center on this series connector is 0.100", works on 0.025" Square Pins. Unique to this connector format is the inserts have not one, but two locking tabs, both of which need to be depressed simultaneously to release the contact insert from the housing.

I've never seen this connector before. Anyone have any clues? Enzo? Ever see these in your years of servicing Arcade Pinball units? Or in Glue-logic-based early synthesizers?

[Enzo]

Not specifically. Pinballs were almost always Molex KK stuff, occasionally AMP. I never saw those, they look more Asian to my eye, but who knows. SInce it is on 0.100 centers, might it make sense to just replace it with current molex product? I used to carry molex parts in my field kit, so if I found a damaged IDC I could just make up a new crimp pin connector to replace it. Videos were more likely to us AMP rectangular connectors and edge connectors

Yours look more like something I'd see in a Roland synth or something. Though they seem taller. I have a ton of specialty release tools, but none like that. I'd imagine a thin fork-like tool. If you need to extract the pin, do you need to reuse it?

I can't see in the photo, but is there any little logo or alpha molded into the plastic. For example Molex had MX molded on and AMP had AMP on most.

[Enzo]

I just looked through the photos in your thread on the repair, I see no reason a faulty connector couldn't be replaced with alternatives.

Somewhere packed in my storage unit are some serious MOOG service manuals and a catalog of parts, but alas is buried. If I get to it soon, and I can find those, I will see if any information lurks in those docs.

[nevetslab]

I've repaced the broken Neck Pickup connector with a Molex KK series. One of the more intelligent moves the PCB designer did was to use a 3-pin pattern for the 2-pin connector circuits. Middle terminal is signal, outer ones are Ground, so doesn't matter which way you plug it in.

[Enzo]

That is good. I went over to a friend's shop the other day, he was struggling with a crappy sounding PV Ranger. I always liked that PV put reverse gender pins in Molex or put pin blocks in some holes so you can't plug it up wrong. But for some reason on a bunch of tubers the one connector that really matters - the OT primary - is left to be able to reverse it. Usually CT in the center, but you can get blue and brown backwards easily. He was getting really low distorted output. We even subbed in a new OT. But ultimately, he had the OT primary plug reversed. But this time the CT was on the end, so as plugged, B+ was on a plate wire, and the two plates were on the same side of the now longer primary. I don't know how long it had been that way, but the wire memory was telling us it belonged that way. Fortunately we didn't listen

Then again, if I recall I think it is Behringer in powered mixers, the two power amps are run out of phase. A shielded three-pin is the input from left and right. balanced. but the two input connectors are wired reverse o each other. ground/shield in center.

[nevetslab]

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Then again, if I recall I think it is Behringer in powered mixers, the two power amps are run out of phase. A shielded three-pin is the input from left and right. balanced. but the two input connectors are wired reverse o each other. ground/shield in center.

One produce series we did at BGW Systems was running one channel out of phase with the other, and compensated by reversing the output connectors. Clearly marked them so if in test with unbalanced instruments connected, you didn't short the reverse-phased channel by grounding the hot RED connector. Kind of goes along with the seemingly higher output sound of stereo amps sounding stronger in Bridge Mono.