I have several Roland keyboards that need some maintenance of their contact strips and boards. How do you clean them? with a dry rag. q-tip and alcohol, or some other chemical? I see several opinions… Thanks in advance.
I clean contacts with isopropyl alcohol (99%) using Q-tips. Always works well for me. As for the contact strips or pots I would use contact spray. Whenever I use contact spray cleaner to clean pots and sliders I make sure to to work the slider or pot for a good minute or longer. I’m not sure about deoxit but the older stuff use to grind down to a finer and finer abrasive, eventually to near nothing. If you didn’t follow through it would crystallize and ruin the contact. Newer stuff like deoxit might not do that.
Thanks… I have heard horor stories about using Deoxit on the contact strips, others say alcohol, some say rub them dry. I believe most of the issues are with the rubber strips (which I am ordering a complete replacement set today). I’ll try light alcohol as described when I open it back up to be safe.
Yeah…keep alcohol away from any rubber as it will dry it out in a hurry and even cause it to crack. I have used watered down alcohol on rubber before in a pinch. Even (though some might cringe) on the pinch roller on cassette decks and the roller on printers. I did it quick to remove built up grunge and wiped it dry in a hurry and it works fine.
There is special rubber cleaner solution as well. I’m not sure about electronic application.
Good luck!