The ETI/Maplin Update
Forum rules
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
The ETI/Maplin Update
Just got my 4600 today.
I think I've got some work ahead of me. I think it's been sitting in the bloke's garage for about 20 years and it sounds like it too.
From what I can tell, the keyboard doesn't track, the mixers now change the pitch of the oscillators, a couple of the oscs act as lfos even when they're selected as normal oscs etc etc. But the spring reverb works perfectly!
Hmmm. Could I have bitten off more than I can chew?
Any tips for general synth repair? I think I'll start with a can of contact cleaner and a duster.
I think I've got some work ahead of me. I think it's been sitting in the bloke's garage for about 20 years and it sounds like it too.
From what I can tell, the keyboard doesn't track, the mixers now change the pitch of the oscillators, a couple of the oscs act as lfos even when they're selected as normal oscs etc etc. But the spring reverb works perfectly!
Hmmm. Could I have bitten off more than I can chew?
Any tips for general synth repair? I think I'll start with a can of contact cleaner and a duster.
OK. I started the cleaning job today. Just working all the pots and cleaning as much of the exterior grime I could get to.
Also had an electronics guru look it over and he agrees testing the caps and replacing the dead ones but the verdict is she's all put together really well!! Hurrah!
Only problem now is the sticky keys. Waiting 30 seconds for some of them to pop back up after you hit them seems a bit much.
Also had an electronics guru look it over and he agrees testing the caps and replacing the dead ones but the verdict is she's all put together really well!! Hurrah!
Only problem now is the sticky keys. Waiting 30 seconds for some of them to pop back up after you hit them seems a bit much.
Nope, not in Tassie, I'm in Melbourne.
Its been long since I've seen any nice vintage synths come up for sale in Australia. I almost got myself a Jupiter 8 w/ Encore midi for $1650 AUD but the guy bailed on the deal the day I was to pick it up. Was a while ago though.
Again, best of luck with the restoration
Its been long since I've seen any nice vintage synths come up for sale in Australia. I almost got myself a Jupiter 8 w/ Encore midi for $1650 AUD but the guy bailed on the deal the day I was to pick it up. Was a while ago though.
Again, best of luck with the restoration

Re: The ETI/Maplin Update
Well this has been a while since updates! Five years later and here's some new photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bamshoot/7 ... /lightbox/
I might be actually able to work on it now after 2 years in the repair shop. I'd forgotten how massive the thing is!
It seems the knobs have all been relegated to the murky depths of Launceston so now I have to hunt down 4000 1/4" D shaft set-screw knobs. If anyone has any recommendations that would be most swell.
However the priority is still fixing up the PSU.
Fun fun!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bamshoot/7 ... /lightbox/
I might be actually able to work on it now after 2 years in the repair shop. I'd forgotten how massive the thing is!
It seems the knobs have all been relegated to the murky depths of Launceston so now I have to hunt down 4000 1/4" D shaft set-screw knobs. If anyone has any recommendations that would be most swell.
However the priority is still fixing up the PSU.
Fun fun!
Last edited by Arddhu on Fri May 04, 2012 9:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
- synthparts
- Senior Member
- Posts: 779
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:05 pm
- Location: SF Bay Area, CA
- Contact:
Re: The ETI/Maplin Update
Looks nice, good luck with it. I have a Maplin 5600S which was an updated 4600 that I need to work on myself...
Last edited by synthparts on Fri May 04, 2012 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Vintage Synth Parts - http://www.synthparts.com
- Hybrid88
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 2251
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:26 am
- Gear: V-Synth, and other stuff...
- Location: Australia
Re: The ETI/Maplin Update
Awesome it's back!
Well the P/S shouldn't be hard, just need to replace the main capacitors, regulators, get a multimeter, test and calibrate it to what it should be.
hmm, if I was you I'd have another hunt for those knobs, I make it at 82? you need. Say you get 82 of these...
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.as ... rm=KEYWORD
That'll cost you $98.40, a tidy sum for just a few knobs. Something to consider.

Well the P/S shouldn't be hard, just need to replace the main capacitors, regulators, get a multimeter, test and calibrate it to what it should be.

hmm, if I was you I'd have another hunt for those knobs, I make it at 82? you need. Say you get 82 of these...
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.as ... rm=KEYWORD
That'll cost you $98.40, a tidy sum for just a few knobs. Something to consider.