TC Elec G-Major

[Easto]

I'm thinking of purchasing one of these off of eBay but I keep seeing people say that one of the knobs does not respond quickly when adjusted and sometimes you have to wait for the change to take effect(?). I see this described in about 30% of the items that are up for bid. Many sellers are stating that this is normal for this product.

Is this a problem on all versions or is it something that may have been addressed by a firmware update? Is there a particular version that I should stay away from?

Thanks
Easto

[Scottgman]

I bought one brand new a few months ago. I've recently started noticing this problem. When you turn the knob to scroll through the different parameters, it kind of "skips" or "slips." In other words, you turn the knob but the parameters don't scroll or it scrolls but kind of jumps around and skips parameters.

It is kind of annoying, but it just adds a couple seconds to the process and doesn't really interefere with the functionality (I can still edit all parameters). But it does make me worry about long-term reliability. Basically the knobs have kind of a "cheap" feel to them.

However, it is the best sounding processor I've owned.

[Easto]

Thanks for the reply!

I think I'm going to shoot off a email to TC's customer service and see what they have to say about this. I just don't think I should have to put up with that when purchasing a new item. I would think it's new and it should work correctly or they can replace it.

But again, thank you for your reply. I am very interested in the G-Major but I want to make sure that I'm happy with my purchase and am not returning one after another until I get one that I consider to be "new".

[Ed Dixon]

The real challenge with the G-Major is reliability. Many users find the units just not reliable. Mine is back to TC now for the third round of repair in less than 16 months. For a $500 box, that's a poor record, and one that seems more common that one might expect.

Ed

[Easto]

Thanks for the input Ed.

I would say that's a pretty poor record and when I hear things like that it tends to make me want to stay clear of this unit. BTW... do the same problems plague the G-Force?

Just for the record I did shoot off an email to TC's customer service and I'll let you know what they come back with.

[Easto]

Scottgman & Ed....

Below, in quotes, is the response I got from TC's Customer Service dept. I know you are both experiencing problems and if I can ask candidly... have your units been abused or are they well cared for?

I'm also a little surprised by there response. When they state "but If the unit is handled with extra care". I mean for crying out loud. Didn't they think that when they designed it that it would be taken out on the road?

From TC Elelctronic...
"I'll answer very honnestly

If you read about problems of the parameter wheel, this concerns the G-Major and not the G-Force (which you mention)
If you have thought of purchasing the G-Major :
If people have problem with the wheel, it is because the encoder is faulty, and not because of a software problem.
I am very surprised that the problem is being found on new units, because generally the fault is often due to a hit on the knob (by accident). I have to admit that the way the double encoder is mounted makes it a bit fragile and easy to damage but If the unit is handled with extra care, there should not be any problem.

Usually when people have bad encoders, we will repair under warranty. If units are out of warranty, we can send the part. (they can easily be changed by a technician)

Our user support G-Major is 3 years old and never had a problem with encoders. (but obviously it is not touring and stays in a rack).
Also we have over 15. 000 units sold and fortunately they don't all show the problem.

Hope that will help you.

Please let me know if you need more info,

regards"

[Scottgman]

Originally Posted by Easto

Scottgman & Ed....

Below, in quotes, is the response I got from TC's Customer Service dept. I know you are both experiencing problems and if I can ask candidly... have your units been abused or are they well cared for?

Yeah, mine has been well cared for. I take really good care of all my equipment. My G-Major has been racked since the day I took it out of the box.

But, again, my issue hasn't really escalated to the point that I would consider it a "problem." The unit sounds great and I don't regret buying it one bit. I am concerned about the long-term reliability of the G-Major, but the issues I'm experiencing are very minor and don't affect functionality at all.

If the parameter wheels pop-off and quit working-- I'll be pissed. Otherwise, it's just a minor annoyance.

Thanks for posting their response. It's encouraging that they acknowledge there is an issue with the parameter wheels.

[Easto]

Hey guys,

I even went to the extent of asking them what exactly the "encoder" was and what price it goes for. If I buy a used one off of eBay and the ad states that the unit has this problem I'd like to know that I can fix it with possibly a chip replacement or something like that.

[MOFO Pro]

Encoder is the knob mechanism... be hard to match it to stock without the actual part number... especially if they will send you one on request...