Cheers. I also have a question about these tubes - do you just replace them or do they need calibrating or anything like that?
I don’t want to dissuade anyone from buying nice tools, but my basic Bondhus set has been in my toolbox since the very early ‘90s:
95% of the time, I use the Xaomi/Wiha branded version of this screwdriver set for disassemblying electronic music gear.
You will almost certainly need to mail order the DeoxIT, unless you have a shop that specializes in electronics. If they don’t sell $150+ soldering stations, they probably won’t sell DeoxIT.
Also, spend some time reading through the DeoxIT website to ensure that you are purchasing the correct product for the task.
(it looks like there may not be any DeoxIT dealers in Switzerland at all)
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Tubes should not need replacement, if they do you will have poor performance and noise that accompanies it. If it is not broken, don’t fix it, that is a good addage to use in this situation.
However, if you must replace them, you can buy tubes in “matched” pairs although in this case probably not needed. The synth doesn’t see as much juice as a guitar amp or any old tube gear where high power is a concern and it’s not as precision a use of the tubes as something like a mic preamp or studio applications.
You can find the specific type of tube and just replace it based on that, but if you can and choose to buy a matched pair there is nothing wrong with that. Also, tubes range greatly in cost, you don’t need the most expensive tubes but I would be cautious about buying from anywhere that does not test tubes before selling them, basically anyone who doesn’t deal with that as a specific part of their business or is not an electronics supplier who will warranty them.
There are a lot of sellers that deal only in tubes because it’s such a specific thing but I just think they probably do not require replacement, there are still amps with tubes made in the 1960’s going on the original valves so I don’t see the situation with yours being dire. I can’t say for sure but you’ll likely know if they’re bad, if they sound bad or don’t light up, and if they don’t I would make sure it’s the tubes themselves that are bad and not the connection before replacing.
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Another Bondhus fan! Note that their gold hex keys are slightly larger in section that their silver ones. Agreed on Wiha screwdrivers, esp for electronics.
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Right. Face plate has been removed and cleaned. Knobs etc. have been cleaned too. All looking good so far.
I then removed the next plate and got a bit nervous as I felt out of my depth having to disconnect some ribbon cables and so bottled it! Overall it doesn’t look too bad in there but the pads are really gross. Not sure what to do next…
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I kind of like the clinical no face plate look.
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Is this the stuff I need to give the pots and fader a clean?
Agreed that the raw aluminum w/o faceplate is the bomb. The single EH 12AX7 is a nice touch.
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yes but just look for this one also to add a bit more lubrication after the flushing is finished, it should be very inexpensive.
you shouldn’t have any problem finding it with the part number F100L-L2C
also, here is a pdf file showing the various Caig deoxit products compared.
I’m currently in the middle of refurbishing a beat up EMX-1. Knobs have been worn through the paint straight to the plastic, the rubber buttons look like the ceiling of the smoking room of a 70’s karaoke bar, the buttons themselves barely work, with the transport strip completely dead (ie no Play / Pause etc) and the insides were filled with all kinds of … interesting … organic crud.
All pots are now lubricated (I used Kontakt 61) and move without resistance, the board is scrubbed and cleaned, the rubber buttons are sitting in a hydrogen peroxide bath (not really recommended, this might trigger earlier disintegration of the rubber pads) with the test buttons coming out snow white like fresh from the pack.
I’m sort of sad about the state of this particular machine as I once had an EMX-1 that was handled with extra care and was shiny af. But, hopefully I can get this thing close to presentable.
This thread has been a real treat as I’m biting my nails when trying to figure out how to not brick this machine while cleaning the insides …
did you take a bunch of pics? I started a thread about taking things apart to clean or service and putting them back together but no one seems to like to take their stuff apart and service it the way that I do. If you have a pic of it broken down, and one of it built back up to post when you’re done that would be awesome.
I wish I could try the peroxide trick with these stained pads but they have print on them and I’m pretty confident that would lift the print off. I was also a bit hesitant because I didn’t want to have to add more conductive paint to the back of the contact area on the pads either.
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I took only comparison photo of the rubber pads before bleaching just for science. I did an RM1x refurbishing a while back and took a lot of shots of the insides. This EMX-1 looked like someone sacrificed a cat inside so I just started scrubbing immediately instead of documenting it. 
You can use an airtight clear container and leave the hydrogen peroxide in a separate [cup] and just let the fumes touch the buttons. Then just flood the container with UV light and it should do the trick. It will take a bit longer but it’s lot less destructive than the full bath.
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Are you using regular drugstore hydrogen peroxide or did you have to get the food grade?
I’m using a strong mix that comes with a hair bleaching package. Just some basic Loreal bleach-like-eminem box. It’s gelatenous so it works well.
well hair peroxide is peroxide bleach, am I wrong that it’s different from hydrogen peroxide or is it just stronger but the same thing?
Actually I googled it, I guess it’s the same thing just in a much less concentrated amount. So I would need some hair peroxide and then do it by exposure to the gases. interesting, that’s also how you relic metal guitar parts with toilet bowl cleaner or something.
Yes, hydrogen peroxide = bleach. The hydrogen peroxide is just used as an activator, the real magic comes from UV + heat.
Unfortunately I haven’t been in a science class in 25 years so you’ll forgive me if I’m taking notes 
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Same.
Lots of help on YouTube on the subject, search for “RetroBrite”.
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they use that to make 8 bit nintendo NES systems white/light grey again don’t they?
Cheers, thanks for the tips. Its not destructive to silicone as far as you know as long as I avoid direct contact?
Yes, exactly that process.
It is. Exposing the rubber pads to the UV light + hydrogen peroxide will most likely speed up the deterioration process (both will start to break down the oils in the rubber/plastic) and shorten their lifespan (would need to know the exact plastic mix used for the EMX-1 rubber pads to know how they will affect the composition in long-term).
But at least they’ll be sugar white, so you’ll got that going for you, which is nice.
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