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Post subject: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:55 pm
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I just got my Squier MIDI guitar and was lucky enough to find a Best Buy that had a Mad Catz MIDI Pro adapter in stock. What I've found is that the low E and A strings are dead. They pick up the frets, but don't pick up when I pluck the string. The other 4 strings work fine.

I've tried adjusting the pickup height and that doesn't fix the problem. I saw the pictures of the 6 screws under the cover in the battery compartment, but it is not clear at all what these strings do. There are 6 screws, so I gave the ones that are closest to the low E string a few turns each direction and nothing.

Are other experiencing dead strings? Is there a solution, or should I take this back to Best Buy?


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:45 pm
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If the strings are totally dead you more than likely have an issue with the guitar itself. The pickup is where the string strum is detected, and odds are that's where the problem lies.

The adjustments are to correct strings that are not picking up as well as others. Not repair strings that are totally dead. But there are still a few things to try before taking it back as a defect. Try changing out the batteries and also cycling the on/off switch, not likely to be the problem, but weak batteries can cause plenty of problems. Also check to see if there may be an issue with the midi cable. Try to wiggle it while strumming either dead string to see if there's any change.
Here's the link for Fender's support site on the Squier....

http://www.fender.com/support/articles. ... n=articles

If you don't get anything to show up from the above info or the support link I'd return it as a dud.


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:22 am
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Ok those screws in the battery compartment adjust the pots. One way increases sensitivity, the other way decreases. Before you start messing with them mark their original positions, or write down how many times you turn them. Each screw corresponds with a string, so just adjust the two that you need to. If you look in the manual I think it explains which way does what.
If that doesn't work you might want to consider a new MIDI cable, the one it came with is complete crap.
Edit: the guy above me is right, weak batteries can cause some weird stuff, and the ones that came with mine wouldn't even turn it on -_-

Hope this helped!


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:48 pm
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Counter clockwise increase sensitivity and cw decreases, The screws are in line according to the string positions on the guitar front. Take it slow, like half turn at a time and then test and the string so on. Write down the number of turns to keep track of your starting position.
I wouldn't go more than 2 full turns in either direction to be safe.

When it comes to batteries, don't use rechargeables to test it with. They only put out 1.2 volts each, whereas regular batteries put out 1.5. Since it uses three that would be an output of 3.6 for rechargeables and 4.5 for normal batteries. That voltage drop could be more than enough to cause problems.


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:43 pm
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Fender has a great 5 year warranty. They replaced my amp with no problems.


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:50 am
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The sensitivity setting wasn't the problem. I could never get the E (6) or A string to register turning the screws in the battery compartment over 2 turns in both directions from the original position. One of the Best Buy stores in the SF Bay Area had a guitar in stock so I drove over and exchanged the effective guitar. The new one works fine.

It does make me a little worried that 2 pickups would have been defective in a brand new guitar. Presumably Fender tests these before they leave the factory. The original guitar was shipped to me direct and there was no damage on the packaging. So, two string pickups on one guitar must have been right on the edge of failing when they left the factory, and normal shipping handling caused them to fail. That doesn't say much about the robustness of the components and/or the guitar. I guess I'll need to treat this guitar like it's made of thin crystal.


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:18 pm
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I wouldn't be overly concerned.
Just because you got one out of the box defect that doesn't correlate to the quality or durability of the guitars overall. Anything that's mass-produced can have defects out of the box. Just one dead unit can be caused by plenty of different factors. Just because an item is supposed to be tested doesn't mean it did get tested.
If you hear of large numbers of an item having the same problem then you should worry, (Like the 360 RROD problem). Yours is the first Squier I've heard of with a totally dead pickup out of the box.


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:46 am
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If it were a single dead pickup, I'd agree. However, there were 2 out of 6 dead pickups. The odds of that happening on a single guitar, and yet not having a quality problem with the pickups are pretty long. Perhaps I'm just a "lucky" guy and I should go out and buy a lottery ticket:).


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:43 am
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My D string missing a lot of notes. I raised the pickup and it helped. I also removed the battery cover but I do not see the 6 screws mentioned in a previous post. Can someone post a picture of this adjustment?


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:50 am
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nevermind.... found it


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:17 pm
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I just got the Stratocaster Guitar and Controller and I’m having the same problem but with all the strings. All the frets register, some with a little problems, but they do register, but when I pluck the strings nothing happens. I’m not a guitar player, so I don’t have an amp or a PC MIDI Adapter, just the one for the Xbox 360, so I have no way of confirming if the guitar works under other conditions other than the game.

Another thing is that I live in Puerto Rico and this guitar is not available for purchase locally, I had to buy it on ebay, so any return or exchange is going to be expensive and complicated, and the warranty information indicate that it only applies when purchase from an Authorized Squier Dealer and that I have to take it to them.

Can anyone give me any advice??


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Post subject: Re: Rock Band 3 Squier Dead Strings
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:55 am
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I can't find those six screws.

Can anyone guide me to a picture?


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