GSM Condor guitar synth

[drewl]

Here's something bizarre!
Got one of these in for repair.
Any of you ever see one of these or possibly work on one?

I need to make up a cord for it, which is going to be tricky, an odd connector right on the guitar that goes into a DIN connector on the unit.

It powers up, power supply ok for now, no output.
Each string goes to it's own preamp board for processing. I can input a signal and go from there to try and get it working until I can make the weird input cable.

Here's a cool video of what it can do!


Hexaphonic Fuzz! Hammond Innovex Condor Guitar ‘Synth’ - YouTube

[nosaj]

That is frickin awesome....
nosaj

[The Dude]

Never seen one before, but it's frickin' cool!

[Pixel]

Each string goes to it's own preamp board for processing.

That is so cool! I am in the parts gathering phase of following in Mick Bailey's footsteps for a guitar to midi interface. Ultimately I thought I would want to go hexaphonic so I could do it string by string. And looky they were already doing that when I was in short pants.

[drewl]

Yeah, it was a longshot, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Thanks.

[52 Bill]

I've got one of those somewhere. I think that I had two cables at one time. I will try and dig through the piles and find them this weekend.

[52 Bill]

I found the control unit, but not the guitar. I hope that the cables are in the guitar case. I will continue the hunt.

[drewl]

Say what?

You actually have one? Incredible!

I have some of it up and running, with the blue effects going all the way to the output jacks. The yellow side work up to the master volume pot, from there they go into an output board where vib/trem is mixed, it's here that signal doesn't pass.

It may be the output switching, I need to map that part out.

I have a jack for the controller, and I have pins to make a jack that connects to the guitar. I'm thinking maybe making a connector with hot glue after I make a cord, like molded into the shape needed to plug into the guitar, if the correct cord is not found.

That's amazing you have one Bill

[52 Bill]

I found the guitar, but only have one cable. I do have an extra pickup/bridge assembly.

I haven't plugged it all up to test it out, but if there is anything that I can help you with please let me know.

[drewl]

Thanks, very nice of you.

I'll see how it goes and watch some clips of how it's supposed to work and take it from there.

[drewl]

Notice:
This thread is for any poor fool who finds themselves needing to repair this incredibly odd and wierd fx unit, good luck.
These are my findings.


Fascinating developments!

Okay, so yellow channel fx are not going through the output amp and mixing with the Vib/Trem circuit.

Blue channel has two fx are not working.
All effects are on all the time, selecting the switches routes them through the output section.
tracking back the two dead effects, there's no +voltage on the collector of that amp stage, I gave it one and that effect came up

That's the problem with the yellow fx not going through the output amp, the signal hits an NPN and is killed, emitter is grounded, -8v on base and collector!
While probing the 12v supply to that board, I found a bad connection for the positive supply!
Jumpered it temporarily, and VOILA!
Yellow fx going through the output board, mixed with the vib/trem!

Just need to find the same with the two dead blue fx.

There are 6 preamp boards, one for each guitar string.
Plus 2 Voice boards for fx
A misc. board for the E tuner
Output board
power supply board
FX select switches are like old style keyboards, a guitar string switches between two metal contacts.
Damn good thing I don't have to remove to repair the switching, as the metal housings are riveted to the chassis, plus wire bundles wrap up the whole assembly.

Played a guitar though one channel at a time yesterday and the FX are wild sounding

Mapped the pins of the weird connector on the guitar, they all have output.

The regular guitar pickups don't work for some reason, probably a wiring problem as there are "things" rolling around inside the guitar.

Fun fun trying to fix the wiring of a semi hollow guitar with no access panel, have to fish wires through the damn thing.

[nosaj]

Come on man give us some sound bytes....nosaj

[drewl]

I'll try when I get it all worked out.

I also should take some pix, I've worked on so many weird and wonderful things over the years, like the rest of you. Some stuff from or that went to famous people.
Sometimes it just becomes a "job" You have to take a minute to appreciate the cool stuff.

[drewl]

Eureka!
or actually, I reeka!
The two effects that don't work, actually do!

Hexaphonic , each guitar string is fed to it's own channel, that means the Two String bass guitar and Two String bass effects only work on the two low strings of the guitar

Input a signal to pins 5&6 of the din jack what would be the E and A strings, and those two effects work!

[drewl]

Damn, pretty much have this damn thing sorted out except for one weird problem.

The signal is choking out on the high E string, specifically around 740hz or about an F#.
It's not the preamp board, it seems to be one of the two Voice boards, where the tones are generated.

As the unit warms up frequency response goes up a bit, topping out at around 740hz.

Maybe bust out the freeze spray, might get lucky if it's a transistor crapping out.

Damn.