Guitar Hero controller switches

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Who here has a Guitar Hero controller?

It turns out that there are several different switches used. Someone noted on the wiki ages ago that "XM" switches were used, but I am not sure that this is true. Certainly, someone's produced 3D illustrations from memory of one, and it matches Xiang Min but not YH-B, but I've yet to see a photo depicting anything clearly identifiable as Xiang Min.

Switches so far:

Kwanda PB11C05:
First photo here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeybo ... itar_hero/

Identifiable by the Kwan Da logo. In fact, I'd already added PB11C05 to the wiki some months back after learning about Kwan Da from Microbee, and having seen the photo on Reddit last night, I compared the logo to Kwanda's and it was a match. Kwanda have confirmed that PB11C05 is indeed marked with their logo.

YH-B Alps clone?
I thought this was a replacement (as noted on the wiki) but now I'm not so sure, per an additional find, below. YH-B is confirmed to be used in the "The gammac controller used for Audition Online" according to the Reddit page above (I'm not finding much on that at all). Whether it was actually used in a GH controller, I do not know.

Unknown:
In most of the few photos that exist, you can't read what's written on the switches. For example:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=47441.0

Does that say "YH-B" or is that the Kwanda logo? Actually, it might be neither. It's got slits. None of YH, YH-B and PB11C05 have slits.

YH Alps clone:
Towards the bottom of this article:
http://www.fakeplasticrock.com/2009/09/ ... -5-guitar/

Labelled "YH" — presumably related to YH-B. Sadly, neither term exists on Google. Whoever makes YH and YH-B is extremely secretive, or long gone.


I'm curious now to see the PB11C05 and YH in detail. I don't think I'll get any samples from Kwanda of the PB11C05, and the YH doesn't officially exist.

Anyone got a controller lying around disused that can be disassembled for inspection?

There are photos suggesting that a third switch was used, but I'm never 100% sure which pictures are original, as people do sometimes replace switches. You can see the 3D diagrams here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Guitar- ... IX-SWITCH/

The depicted switches in the diagrams are not YH-B and presumably not YH, so I'm guessing they're Kwanda?

[deeyay]

I have a Guitar Hero controller next besides me that I have nothing against to open up. However I do not have a torx screwdriver home at the moment as they are all on my job. As soon as I get one I'll get back to you here if no one else chims in first.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Thanks. Note that even if anyone else does respond, you might not have the same switch as them — there seem to be at least three so far.

[deeyay]

Ok then I'll open it up anyway once I get the chance.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

OK, the Kwanda pictures are from a Guitar Hero II X-plorer guitar controller.

[deeyay]

Sorry to disappoint but I just force opened my Guitar Hero Controller by force with a regular screwdriver but all I see in their are crapy membrane switches. Guess different versions floats around.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

They're not discrete switches?

Never mind, hopefully others will find controllers with Alps clones in.

[deeyay]

Here they are...

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It uses those for the two strum switches too?

[deeyay]

Oh nope sorry completely forgot about the other ones. They seem to click in a whole other way so they must be "real" switches. However I can't seem to force open that area as the screws are more tight there.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

There are two strum switches. In most cases, they click, and are Alps clones. In some cases, they're linear microswitches.