Refurbishing And Modding A Guitar Hero Xplorer(FULL BUILD)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- A Viewer, Anorak00, sent me their xplorer to be modded with mech frets and a usb-c port, eliminating the stock cable, and I went a little extra and cleaned the whole thing down real well and painted the pick guard black to match the rest of the accents as well as the whammy to spruce it up a bit. All in all a really fun build
Thanks so much for the video - please could you help me a little -
• Do you have any further tips on incorporating a usb-c port that you have come across since uploading this video?
• Please could you share your advice on using epoxy resin to bond plastic parts together (i have never used it before, not sure which kind/brand to buy)
• Do you have any advice for replacement whammy parts? for example if you receive a guitar and the whammy is missing, or the spring is broke, what advice would you give to someone who doesn't have any spare parts laying around?
• Do you have any tips/products that you use for touching up parts of the black plastic (e.g. the neck) that are scratched or marked?
Also not a question but it's nice to hear your take on avoiding aspartame - sweeteners are so bad for our microbiome, it's a shame that something so unhealthy is so commercialized
I'll try and answer all as I always love helping. My only real tip now that I've added a few of these, gotta get the more expensive boards(usually only a few dollars more and sadly don't know brands) of the usb-c solder point type. Reason being, the cheaper ones have snapped off from usual play where the others have had no issues. Also if not mentioned in video, 90 degree cable is a must(the weight is better distributed and doesn't strain the port)
Epoxy resin. So for epoxy there really isn't a bad brand or option out there. My favorites are JB weld or Gorilla as those are most common in stores and work great. It's also very simple to use with those types of brands that release both parts equally. Just gotta mix it and follow the directions. I usually do some test pieces before I go to town on something bigger.
As for whammy parts I still haven't found a good potentiometer to replace the stock ones, I honestly just have so many guitars and parts I seemingly never run out when I have to replace faulty whammy sensors. As for any plastic parts themselves if you're referring to that, ebay/etsy has a lot of 3D printed parts. For stuff like the spring, I usually will toss a rubber band on the inside and wrap it around a screw post some tape. Seems kinda silly and hard to visualize but all we are looking for is to put some tension on the pivot point. Also I'm sure reddit or others would know the part number for an outright replacement.
So as for black parts, and really parts in general I have never messed with any buffing or scratch removal techniques. For any guitars that go out I just take the time to sand smooth and repaint. But for personal stuff I just use for playing a good cleaning and maybe even a sticker or vinyl to cover stuff up.(I have a very expensive RB Jaguar that has a DEEP scratch in it but I wanna keep those stock, so I tossed a huge Fender lego sticker over the scratch. It looks cool and is practical, so just tossing an idea out there.)
And finally how I avoid artifical sweeteners and soda in general isn't really a trick or anything, it's just what my body prefers. Regular soda is just too sweet and it is hard to take down, and artifical especially aspartame, gives me such a bad taste in my mouth and makes me extremely drowsy. So it's pretty natural for me to just like water only, sparkling water took a lot of forcing myself to do drink it and I now like it. That and discipline, since I have 3 kids I have to be really smart about what they consume, especially when I didn't consider my own health until I got sick of being big and unhealthy.
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe dude you are a living legend thank you so much for this invaluable information, i can't put into words how much i appreciate it - thank you so much!
I've been really wanting to convert one of my xplorers to usb c. I would love this style of implementation and I also have a floppy whammy bar.
I have a PC GH3 xplorer box. It’s currently posted on the clonehero subreddit if you want to see a picture. Comment on that post if you’re interested.
Dude!!! It looks so good!! Thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙏
So now that i am home and can answer more than just a couple quips here and there. anyone trying to get mods done by this man. please reach out he's super approachable about it. the pricing was fair and just especially for the work that he did. ALL i asked him for was the mechanical frets that i provided and the USB C mod that i feel should be at this point in the game the number 1 mod that everyone gets done to their XP guitars USB c cords are EVERY WHERE. he actually went above and beyond to address some of the smaller stuff to really make me a lot more confident in the build. so kudos there! i can't wait to get the guitar home to try it out :D and thank you so much again! it looks fantastic!!
the difference in pin out based on the cable being plugged in different ways is because usb c has 4 data lines
hey my xplorer strum bar doesnt go all the way up. it goes down fine but not all the way up, any ideas?
Could be a number of things. Two biggest culprits are either debris caught between the strum bar and switches or body of guitar. I've had some of the rubber stoppers fall out and get jammed between(rare, but possible) other being strum switch is out and needs to be replaced. If so you can do it yourself, or there is a person on etsy who sells new strum boards with switches and a special connector that requires no soldering
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe yeah like the switches seem fine because i can strum up and down on songs and it registers but the strum bar just doesn't go all teh way up if i push it up, i was thinking of taking it apart and seeing if there was debris but not sure how risky it is to open it up
I need a tune up on an original GH wired and an original GH Strat wireless that i bought when they first came out. Can you help me out?!
i just picked up a pc variant of the gh3 xplorer in the box for 75 and its honestly nearer mint than anything i've seen.
how can I get ahold of you to do some work on controllers i have
This is awesome, how do I send you my xplorer to fix up?
I think my comment may have been removed as it had a link in it but I use a set of helping hands that have blue knobly arms is the best way to describe it they have a good weighted base and heat shrink around the clips the clips do occasionally come out but some glue can sort that
Hey, i just picked up a Xplorer guitar for xbox 360 that i have been using for clone hero id love ylfor you to mod it for me, similar to this one. Mine is complete and works well just want to mod it out.
Do you still build?????
Woow! it´s a really nice work!
great video, thanks! can I install a 6 wire fret board on this guitar? if so do you have a wiring diagram any help will be appreciated.
You can with an arduino or other micro controller but due to the mother board if you share any of the commons(there are 3 total) When you press one it will press the other. I suppose diodes and other measures could be used but it would get so complicated it's not worth it with stock motherboard.
thank you sir, subscribed.
do you still sell and do that stuff also could you put world tour buttons in a wii les paul??
I do but also on a break right now. As for the buttons, if it's the frets and they came out of another wii guitar, they should fit well
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe do you send buttons if so do you have world your all red buttons
Where can I get my X-Plorer fixed and mended properly?
Cool video, I really liked the part about connecting cables instead of soldering straight to the pcb, I burnt one trying to repair a wii cable not too long ago, I feel like trying to fix it instead of replacing it could have actually worked.
Btw, how do you feel about yellow fret switches as opposed as opposed to red ones? I am going to do my first mechanical frets mod but it seems like most people use red ones.
Also, I'm kind of a newbie so I meant to ask, are the rainbow cables JST cables? sry that I'm asking but I really was wondering if any cable would work or if I should try to go for a specific type.
Personally I dig blue, yellow and orange the most as they have the most force. Reds are nice but are 20g less of force and I like having full feedback feel compared to the rest. Also the ribbon is just an off brand 24g cable. On top of taking some from work I got a set on ebay by just searching for color coded ribbon cable
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe cool, then I'll give the yellow ones a go, I thought I was getting red so I was a bit worried at first when I saw it was a different color, now I really want to try them out lol. Btw, how do you feel about the wires from an ethernet cable for connecting to the frets? I forgot to add the rainbow one to the cart when I bought the frets so i was hoping I could make it work with an ethernet one.
@@Thantibus that should be fine. The amperage is so low that an ethernet cable should be suffice, especially considering the 8 conductors will be just enough.
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe Hi im wondering is there any way to get the Explorer guitar to work with rock band 4 it's one
I miss that guitar my favorite
And all gh
And equipment is breaking so frustrating
Hi im wondering is there any way to get the Explorer guitar to work with rock band 4 it's one
I miss that guitar my favorite
And all gh
And equipment is breaking so frustrating
It can be made to work with different internals. Not overly hard and I definitely could do it
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe so the USB C 1 that you made dus it working on rock band 4 Xbox One
/ series X I am disabled and it easier if my neck is a lot shorter it was some reason all the other Guitar Hero guitars spacing issues for some reason on the Frets and I'm not reading them I'm thinking of hitting another button I never had that problem when I was younger but I need a guitar that works and has mechanical Frets and a new key switches for the soundbar it sucks when your equipment doesn't work
Could you post all the parts for this?
What kind of USB PCB is that? I was trying to follow along but I think I bought the wrong one because now my guitar doesn't work. Thanks brother
My explorer still works fantastic, but I've been getting into doing really fast trips, and other higher-level tapping stuff, so I was wondering what kind of upgrade I can do to my friends to where I'll be more likely to hit more notes consistently?
Is it the mechanical frets?
@titanpolus5088 yeah mechanical is the way to go. Some nice heavy 70s with or without the audible click. Rebound is great on those. There are also hacks/tricks that people do where they cut slits into the silicone and it helps too. I dont have any but there are videos out there
You would be really sad. About 5 years ago I bought a guitar hero 2 explorer in box at a thrift store for $18. The box was in rough shape so I threw it away 😅
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe I've done that and it did help, but I've improved since then..
How can I send mine to you to fix the whammy bar and make it USB C??
Can you mod a wireless guitar to a wired guitar for ps3??? Please need help
Hey Nick, i was wondering, have you ever done a lp strum bar transplant into a gh5 guitar? Or world tour? I wanna try but i was looking for possible reference point before i start. Thanks so much!
Years ago I did and it was a lot of work. Never even made a face plate to match. It also looked super silly with a shorter strum bar. A much better option these days is to just use a 3D printed strum bar that is in the style of the LP. I have many strums for lp and xp that mimic the world tour lip, so I don't see why going in opposite direction wouldn't yield the results you want
Hey! Have you heard of an xplorer having the issue of "as soon as i raise it up to trigger the Z axis, and press buttons simultaneously" it locks up and requires a cable disconnect + reconnect to work again? I have that issue, was wondering if there is a clear reason why it happens and if its fixable
I wonder if there is an issue with the cable or main circuit board but have never really experienced that
Quick question, For the fret buttons, how did you get the rubber strip to fit back into the fret buttons? The rubber strip seems too big to fit back into the slot.
It should fall into place pretty well on its own. It just sits on top of the buttons though and sandwiches between the circuit board and buttons
Yeah I realize that now, I thought it had to fit into the button space. Thank you!
How much do u charge my explore needs new cable ??
how would i go about replacing my cord that allows the g tar to be plugged in?
Either replace it with any standard data usb cable, or put a usb port on. If you take the guitar apart you'll see the colors for the cable match most all usb colors and its as easy as wiring the new cable to where the old one went
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe would I be able to take out that white box that the wires feed into? i have taken the g tar apart and diagnosed that the problem is that the wire coming out of the xplorer is frayed
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe oooh, tysm!
Hey there, do you know what I would have to do to fix my tilt sensor? it's too sensitive and always uses power whenever I get it
My apologies if this is a dumb question, but do you still do send-ins like this?
Sure do!
www.etsy.com/listing/1351353028/ghrb-controller-repairconversiontrade-in
Okay I was body swapping an explorer to a Kramer and got the body work all done and got to my usb cable that I was changing to a 4 pin quick disconnect well the guitars factory cable has 5 pins vs a standard usb end only has 4 pins so anybody with clarification on that would be awesome and I think some how in the process something got pissed off because I can no longer get the board to work I’ve done many body swaps and never had this issue everything on the board looks fine but it’s just pissed off no lights or anything
is it working with 4 pin board?
hay bud do u still do guitar hero controller mod installs ?
Jeans up, mommy.
i have some real serious gripes with the xplorer. like as the only real plug and play option its alright but everyone swears by it like its the end-all-be-all. i think its massively overrated and the fact that i was fooled into overpaying for one is unreal. i bought an "untested" one that had a broken breakaway connector for 40 dollars and i swapped it with my rockband cable that still has the breakaway. i managed to conserve the black strain relief part where it goes into the guitar so it looks oem but when i plugged it in to try it had quadruple overstrum. now i have to drop more money on switches. the added insult to injury was the fact that the seller left the 5 dollar salvation army sticker on. the v i built for cheaper is better than this and has way less problems and i got suckered into believing which guitars are "bad" and which are "good"
As much as I love xp's I actually agree a lot with this. I especially dislike people that buy thrift store junk and think it's worth way more than they paid. I'd say that the issues with it aren't so much the guitar as a whole, just the individual situation but it does suck to experience that. I mean even as much as I like the xplorers as a lefty I feel like they had no consideration for left handed players as I can only play it standing up. If you ever want, on top of doing commissions and send ins I also do trade ins. If you don't like it that much you can send it in as is on a big discount for something different. That way I'm not losing anything really and thus can offer a bigger discount since I'm not really losing stock. Plus what's mentioned is easy fix on my end so it wouldn't bring the trade in value down
Absolutely agreed. I have many guitars - Rock Band ones are obviously bad, but all of my GH controllers have strengths and weaknesses. The only one that's a straight downgrade is IMO the GH5 one with the huge strumbar because I think the strumbar feels bad. The Xplorers have nice tactility but their body is horribly uncomfortable - I actually prefer my GH2 Gibsons because they're just more comfortable for putting on your leg. I should mod one of those to be USB... they are not great as PS2 controllers...
Any thoughts on where to download drivers?
How do we send stuff to you, and how much do u charge?
I can be reached through email or discord.
email is nickslife@live.com
discord is ninjapwnsatlife #5769
Been thinking about buying one of these for pc clone hero 120 bucks but wired break away and rare now adays i might have to
Let me stop you here... Ok. Trust me. Trust me. They tried to make a guitar keyboard, they made this .. No no no no no, you like music, you need an instrument. No more rock star, or whatever that is, guitar hero. No no no. You are getting a dg1,dg7, and a dg-20, and _______ . So... I don't ever want to see this abomination again, or else I will castrate myself like a yule log, and work at a grocery store
What temp do you use on your soldering iron
I'm right at 650 F
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe thanks!
just took my xplorer apart the second screw on the fret board is literally stripped and not even screwed in all the way.. FROM the factory
Do you have a website / store
ninjapwnscustoms.etsy.com
Could you do this with a wireless guitar??
I have a few send ins coming up, I'll try and get them on video
I’d definitely send you mine too if it’s possible!!! I think I might have an overstrum problem too but I’m not sure
Hey man! I have a guitar that i just bought for 100$ of course after 2 hours it wont turn off… its a wired xplorer xbox 360 guitar for pc. I would totally pay you to troubleshoot/fix/ and mod it for me!
For sure. To clarify what do you mean it won't turn off?
@@ninjapwnsatlyfe sorry, i mean it wont turn on. I was in the middle of a song last night and it just shut off. I tried 3 different dongles and the only thing that happened was it would turn on for half a second and my computer would say “usb not recognized or corrupted” if it is easier i could email or message you. If you think it is fixable i will pay you for it! So annoyed i only got to play it for an hour!
@@memeoff47 yeah you can email me at nickslife@live.com, and we can discuss it further. Seems like no real issue to fix
I still have the box for pc
Almost forgot👋👏👏
Sorry but please stop drinking in your video i cannot watch this. Try hydrating beforehand.