Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

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hand solo
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:06 am

Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

Post by hand solo » Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:25 am

want to sand and refin my rough looking Opus 3...what is the correct color stain to use?

in another post , Minwax Gunstock was used to refin a MoogerFooger.

also is any clearcoat required / needed after staining? if so, seems like it would be a

satin , as opposed to gloss finish.

also, my lowest key on the Opus needs replacing....are these keys found anywhere?

finally, got my replacement slider kit in from Technology Transplant (Hong Kong)...took a while to get

to the states, but my tech guy was happy and it really is a pretty good price.

EMwhite
Posts: 1649
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:22 pm
Location: Middlesex

Re: Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

Post by EMwhite » Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:35 pm

Just curious; how long is "a while" (to get the slider set).

This has been discussed before (I think) but the part #'s in the manual for the Opus map to nothing. So short of pulling each slider, measuring the size, and taking a stab at the type by measuring resistance and detecting whether log or exp type, the Tech Transplant might be the best option.

Frankly, I don't have the energy for any of it, but I do relish the idea of having smoothness and clarity instead of scratchy [insert expletive].
'76 Minimoog, Taurus 3, Oberheim FVS + Son of 2-voice; Sequential ProOne; Juno 106; Moog Model 15; Kurzweil 250; Hammond M3; and a handful of Fender Basses Flickr!

kaseijin
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:01 pm
Location: Austin, Tx

Re: Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

Post by kaseijin » Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:29 pm

My slider set from Technology Transplant took 3 weeks, if I recall correctly. It was worth it. My old sliders were horribly gunked-up and, while they could be disassembled and cleaned, it is MUCH easier to just de-solder and replace.
Roland SH-09 / Farfisa Combo Compact / Korg MS-2000B / Moog Voyager PE / Moog Opus 3 / Akai MPC 500

kaseijin
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:01 pm
Location: Austin, Tx

Re: Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

Post by kaseijin » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:53 am

Oh, something else:

The wood on the Opus was actually maple. I wasn't a huge fan of the super-dark, sort of mud-like stain that was on the chassis when I got mine...and it was in really rough shape anyway, so I figured I'd just make it a color I liked.

Tried a natural stain. Tried a walnut. Tried whitewashing it to get that 'lunar' look. In the end, I settled with a light maple stain. It's a lot more blonde than the original, but I like it a whole lot, and it shows the wood in a way that is consistent with vintage synths. The maple end cheeks even ended up having a pretty nice flame pattern. Pretty sure there are pics on here in another thread.

I guess the thrust of what I'm saying is -- you're spending all this time refurbishing this instrument, don't be afraid to customize it a bit!

(edit: And yes, I used a minwax satin clear coat.)
Roland SH-09 / Farfisa Combo Compact / Korg MS-2000B / Moog Voyager PE / Moog Opus 3 / Akai MPC 500

hand solo
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:06 am

Re: Refinishing Opus 3 Case, Parts,Technology Transplant

Post by hand solo » Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:09 pm

thanks...may try a couple of different stains

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