Hey Guys
I'm super excited so I saw on LetGo in my area that there is a Roland Juno G someone is trying to get rid of. Now they are asking $400 for it.. obviously it's used but they said everything but a volume slider is alittle sketchy but also listed the part needed to fix. Ive never worked on a synth nor do I have any special tools outside the basic screw drivers and hammer .. stuff like that.. I made a low offer of $200 for it 1. Because I can't really afford more then that right now and 2. It needs alot of love.. looks like it's been sitting in a attic or something for a hot minute. Now my question is whats the highest you would pay for one if you were making a offer? Given the knowledge I told you. I listened to the demos on youtube and I love the way it sounds and it also has over 1,000 sounds plus you can get expansions for it.. I know this person will probably say "NO" for the $200 and try to call my bluff but I think this would be a great first analog gear if I can get it for the right price. Oh and if anyone has any knowledge on why my $200 offer would be justified I'd love to hear your input since you can actually have convos on the application and I can say why well this will probably need replaced or double check that this feature works..

 

So far I've found out that the screens go on these.. there are fixes for them but it's hard finding new screens

 

Frank $400 is not a bad price. Paying $200 is a steal. Two things, it is not analog. It is RS PCM or sample based. And it has nothing to do with Roland's Juno synths of the 80's. The LCD is an expensive replacement $100-$300. The fader can be replaced or fixed. Open it up, take out the board and send it to me. I will fix it for you. Whatever you do, DON'T use any type of spray on the fader or knobs. That is not the way to go about it. If you want analog for cheap, try to get something like the Deepmind 12. Used they go for $200-$500.

 

Personally, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, once stuff starts to go on a synth it can become more trouble than it's worth to maintain. Although, if you can get it for the price you've offered it might be worth a punt, but honestly, i can't see them letting it go that cheap. That's just me though, i'm wary of buying synths second-hand, unless i can spend some time checking out the connections and whatnot.

Have you considered the Behringer Deepmind series? That's one I went for - 12/6 voices of real Analogue sound (Juno G is sample and synthisis) it's great value for the money and was designed using the classic Juno D series line of synths as it's inspiration. It's not multi-timbral, so only one sound can be played at once though.

The thing I find with whether a synth is suitable for someone comes down to what music you intend to make. As an example the original Korg Minilogue is a great cheap first synth if you're into chilled laid back music, it has a cold metallic, almost distant sound that would not be everyones cup of tea but if that's your thing it goes to those places, it's also laid out in the classic subtractive synthisis way that makes it good for learning about synthisis on, again if that's you thing. For someboby else the Korg Electribes series might be a better route into buying hardware as these can be picked up pretty cheap these days and can do quite a lot for the money.

Anyway, I'm rambling now! If you can get it for anywhere near your opening offer, i'd say go for it, but I'd be surprised. Good luck.

anyway,

 

I'm really interested in why you wouldn't use any type of contact/lubing spray on faders and knobs? I've never had problems with that. I use a contact spray with a bit of lube in it that evaporates in a couple of minutes and leaves a thin trace of greasy film behind. While it's drying off I turn the crackly knob or fader all the way several times. That usually does the trick.

Although, the best is to dry clean, or use a little bit of pure alcohol [vodka will do joke] the trace with a cotton tip or similar, which leaves the graphite contact intact, just cleans the dirt. Graphite layer is the reason why it is not good to overdo it - drown it in alcohol or some kind of spray, because when you lose the graphite layer - you lose the contact, and you don't want that.

Regarding Juno-G, as others have said it is not an analogue. Not even close/ It's not exactly built like a tank, either. No love from me. But for a good price it could be a nice MIDI keyboard [?] depending on if the knobs send MIDI CCs/sys or not., and you could surely find some good or even great sounds on it to use in a song anyway. It can't be that bad.

However, for that kind of money, some Behringer real analogue replica like Pro-1, MonoPoly, Model-D, or Deepmind 12 would be much better IMHO, if you're going for a real analogue synth that won't leave you pennyless.

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Feb 3, 2021

Without getting off topic here. When I said, don't use any type of spray on faders and knobs, Am simply giving a warning to those that have no experience doing it. I have seen people using alcohol* and WD40 too many times. Knowing what to do and what to use is very important. The grease that comes prepacked with knobs and faders with be liquefied with the cleaners. As a result. with the passage of time they become dry and stiff. When that happens you are left with the need to replace or re-lube the faders or knobs. What do you use to re-lube? That is another problematic issue for those without prior experience. Not all faders and knobs use the same lubricant. Some lubricant will lower the impedance of switches. Some others will decrease the lifespan of faders and knobs according to the material used to manufacture it. In sum, for someone that does not know what she or he is doing, it is not as simple as grabbing a can and spraying the intended target.

*Alcohol: I will stay away from it for cleaning faders. Distilled water does the job without damaging anything.

 

Last edited: Feb 3, 2021

That, yes. Just get rid of the dirt, not the graphite. Very good point about the lube. I have no solution for that, so I just use a contact spray. WD40 is a no-no because it' too greasy and changes impedance, indeed. Thanks for a reply. It's not that much off-topic since the guy said faders and knobs have to be refurbished.

That screen can be worrisome. I replaced the one on my S3200 and K2000. Akai one was pretty cheap [$20-30 on e-bay], but the one for K2000 was $150. He can just hope the thing hasn't been used that much, so the screen will last a couple of years at least.

Cheers!

 

Re: solvents. I've used acetone for ages, it dries in seconds and leaves no residue. Nasty stuff but it has worked wonders for mixers and old gear.

 

But wouldn't acetone dissolve the graphite, too? What does the cotton look like after cleaning? If it's black, then it's no good.

 

Super hard to find at times. Super expensive. And the cost of labor.

Again, there is no need for using anything like acetone on faders. Distilled water will work 99% of times and it is non-abrasive.

 

Ok, I've never personally had issues with this, but that doesn't mean there might be. In short: I do not really know. As said, it has worked for me personally, and if there are any resources regarding this, I'd be thankful to learn.

 

True but acetone is not abrasive either and it gets rid of the grease. But I'm not arguing this point, your approach is valid. And seeing that I'm getting way off topic we should probably start a new thread about cleaning knobs

 

Yeah im gonna hold on my price .. if they ask for my highest im willing to go ill say $250 and that's my final offer .. im still waiting to hear back from them.
I probably would of used alcohol to lightly clean it so im glad you said something @The Pirate .. this guy lives close enough to me I can give it a once over if he says yes...I watched a video of a guy taking one apart doesn't seem to complicated.. just gotta make sure you don't pull on any ribbons or bump the circuit board. I'll keep ya guys posted if he takes my offer or not.

 

I love roland stuff but unless you want to take it to gigs I'd go with an Arturia controller they come with analogue lab with like thousands of patches but obviously you'll need a computer. for 350$ you can get one with 88 keys.

 

Great idea!