The Electra Forums

Where can I go to get replacement parts for my MPC?

What are you looking for specifically?

Been browsing this forum, Looks like I might can clean the 5 way switch? It makes a lot of distortion now.
Sounds like a when you have a short in your amp cord. I got this for Christmas in 1977. Its been in a case in the closet for a long time.
I just want to fix it up and play a little.

I'll take any advice you guys can give.

You may want to try and spray some contact cleaner on the 5 way if it has been sitting up for that long. Best type I have found is called De Oxit and can be found in Radio Shack or online. Just a little spray of this stuff and then work the switch from position 1-5 a few times and let sit for a bit and it should be like new. As with most any type of electronic contact if the sit for long periods of time without use the contact point in the switches etc become oxidized and do not make a clean contact. Hope this helps.

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

I agree, try cleaning it up before taking on the huge task of replacing a switch with 24 connections on it! The De-Oxit stuff isn't cheap, but you don't have to use a lot and it works well. Good luck.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

Yep, clean that original switch with Caig Deoxit D5 or DN5 cleaner. Radio shack has it. It is expensive as they said but a can will last you for a LONG time and you can use it on all your guitars and amps. Use it on pots, switches, jacks (with a Q tip) - I use cans of this stuff all the time when repairing amps. It is the best stuff out there for cleaning with a small amount of lubricant.

It works for most everything but NOT FOR FADERs. FADERs have a special lubricant that keeps it smooth and the D5 cleaner will clean that out and make the faders feel rough and loose. You won't find them in Electra guitars though. They make a special version for Faders/mixing boards. I run into those occasionally on some carvins and mesa amps that have EQs on them, and you might find them in an acoustic or other guitars (Godins) with sliders/faders.

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Thorny

5 way is good to go!!! De Oxit worked great. My Phase Shifter is not working. Tried the eraser on it. Fuzz works in either port.
Any thoughts or recommendations?

Great. If you know enough to get the correct values and direction replace the electrolytic caps There are 2 or 3 in there. You got about a 50% chance.

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Thorny

Thorny's right. The electrolytics have often gone bad from age. Be aware of polarity as you replace them. If you're not handy w/ a soldering iron, get someone to help you. The worst one is the filter between the +9 volt rail and ground. It can fail short so the circuit doesn't get any power.

Buy another one, sent mine to be fixed the they could not figure out what was wrong, its like it was a stuck wah sound and the people it sent it to are experts on effect units or so I was told!

I wonder what a Phase Shifter would be worth?

Here's one that needs a little TLC:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Electra-MPC-Guitar-Phase-Shifter-1-effect-module-/171244711608?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item27defaeeb8

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RCSBlues

Got the phase shifter to work. Cleaned it some more, it was working perfectly. Unplugged it and put in a few modules I bought on ebay and now it wont work again. All other Modules work in either port. This module is not the brick type. What is the best way to open it? I do not want to break the housing. Advice please photos if you have them on parts to replace.

I also had a my main volume knob freeze up. Was turning it up and it just got hard and ground to a stop

Looks like I need to replace. Best place to find a new one?

Before you replace the pot I would try a shot of De Oxit(can get it at radio Shack) it is a bit more than the other contact cleaners but a little bit goes a long way and it works really well. Spray a shot into the pot and let it sit awhile then try to turn it again and you may also want to try it on the edge connector of the phaser before you replace the pots or MPC components. Hope this helps.

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

Post in the appropriate section on this electra forum, and/or look on ebay. They pop up all the time.

They are at the age now when they will start to have failures from the capacitors for sure, so one may work for a few years than fail, and if you don't know the buyer make sure they say they will guarantee it works properly. Otherwise pay very little for it, because you may run into this again. Some people sell it on ebay and say "I don't have an MPC guitar to test it in" - and if you see that assume it does not work and pay accordingly. Some people don't have guitars to test them in when they do not work. Funny how that happens.

If they will guarantee it, you can at least get a discount or your money back.

Just some advice.

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Thorny

I thought I responded to this but I don't see my long winded post. I wonder where it went? If I post twice, I will erase one. If I posted in the wrong place I am sorry!

Use the deoxit to clean the pot as suggested. It will free up if you squirt some inside the pot itself (by the contacts in the back). You may have to work it back and forth. Every pot on mine froze up, and I did this 15 years ago and the original pot is fine. Keep the original pot. You might have to repeat this several times and slowly work it back and forth to get it to free up but it will. 90% of pots are changed when they don't need to be.

Open the module by first working a sharp xacto knife blade into it, and prying it slightly open so you can get something larger and safer to pry with - such as a screw driver or butter knife. Most of the time it is pretty easy. Sometimes it is a pain in the rear. I have had a few that wind up a bit mangled, but usually not.

Replace the electrolytic caps, there is an axial electrolytic (the larger one), and some either smaller radial or tantalum caps. Make sure you get the value as close as you can to the MFD (I think they are standard sizes). And get the same or slightly larger voltage values (as small as you can but the same or larger than what was there). Tantalum caps look like tear drops. Make note of the + or - signs, and get them the RIGHT direction. Take a picture of each one before you remove it so you can tell which direction and what value goes into it when you replace it. Good luck!

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Thorny