Casio DG-20 digital guitar

[djw]

hello, i just received a casio dg-20 and i get no sound at all. the strings are really loose but i don't know if that has anything to do with the guitar not working. if anybody has any ideas could you please let me know. also, is there anybody who could look at it and do some of the cool mods ?

[gmeredith]

Does the red LED come on when you plug a 9V plug pack into it? If yes, then the string tension does need to be somewhat tight for it to trigger properly, but not too tight.

Cheers, Graham

[casio]

why did this thread die?

tis one main reason I joined here -was to find out about this casio.
I had always wanted one -and finally got one -and searching the web -this page seems the ONLY page I can find that discuss this DG- and from what I see in this thread [the links that DO work] I am so excited to know what became & know more info on this. the schematics were posted in a link -yet that link is dead. If the posted sees this -or anybody knowing about this -or any DG-20 project -would you please let me know.

Thank you

[gmeredith]

That's what happens when you get married and start a young family - no sleep, no time for gadgets!!

Things are quieter now but my band is doing a lot now, so I've been doing a lot more recording and playing than modding. I never did get to try out all those things I was planning on the DG20, but recent work with my band is starting to me back to doing stuff with those things. Here's my band, by the way;

http://www.warningwillrobinson.com.au/

We use lots of Casio gadgets and lo-fi keyboards.

The DG20 service manual is on my band's website also now, you can download it there:

http://www.warningwillrobinson.com.au/index_files/InstrumentManuals.htm

I will try and revisit the DG20. At least the service manual is available for everyone now!

Cheers, Graham

P.S. I saw a great lo-if solo artist on the weekend, a girl going by the name of KYKUYU - she has a yamaha portasound keyboard, a looper pedal and an SP404 - that's it. Her show was amazing! Total lo-fi goodness, totally mesmerising:

http://www.kikuyumusic.com/

I talked to her after the show - I've invited her to do a house gig at my place whenever she's touring this way again and I'll have a stack of people for her to play to

[casio]

Thanx again Gram -and I kikuyu -from a link on the WWR web page... Yeah pretty cool stuff indeed...

cheers

[mcb94]

Hey all

Just wanted to share two quick shortcuts I've sound to getting a DG-20 usable in a modern setting, especially if you order a faulty one. The best way.

The most common fault on these is that someone plugs the wrong power adaptor in at some point and it blows the T3 transistor on the board. All this controls is a battery saving mode, essentially and on/off switch for it with three pins, the signal, and then one path for mode on, one for mode off.

If its blown its usually obvious, the transistor is normally cracked. Get a pliers, crush the casing and expose the three pins. Run a jumper cable to join the pin on either end. Viola. Always on, no battery saving mode (if you're not using it as a toy why is that even necessary?)


Second thing to make it more usable... if you look on ebay, you can find cables with a usb plug one one end with a 9v-5v transformer built in, and a standard 9v jack on the other end. I mean you can use this with a usb battery and plug it in the bottom sure... but if you cut the 9v jack off, solder the two wires to there the battery compartment points usually reach the board, you can run the usb cable into the now empty battery chasm on the back, and jam the usb power bank in there, meaning you have a chargeable guitar midi controller.

Just the two tricks I've been using to make these things more usable. If you want the battery save mode go ahead and drop a transistor in, I aint gonna stop you.