Cat hair in Roland Keyboard!!!

August 28, 2013 8:10 AM

hey everyone. A while back I took my Roland Keyboard into the shop and was told there was cat hair between and or under the keys. The man fixed the keys and told me to protect the keyboard from this. And I did, for a while. I know this makes me sound like an idiot, but as time went on, I completely ignored the man's advice, and now it's happened again. I do not want to take the keyboard in to be fixed (at least not by the same guy) and was wondering if there was a way I could clean it from home. If anyone is aware what kind of tools i might need, I would appreciate it. I am not going to let this happen again it if I can fix it. If anyone can help, it would be awesome!
posted by Thanquol180 to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Have you tried using a compressed air duster to spray under each key?
posted by oceanjesse at 8:14 AM on August 28, 2013 [3 favorites]

Is the only reason you don't want to take it back to that guy because you feel silly about letting it happen again? Don't worry about it, that guy's got to eat too. Take it in and have it cleaned again.

I promise, he won't lecture you. He'll swipe your card and be happy for the business.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:21 AM on August 28, 2013 [13 favorites]

I think it is time you lay down the law and make the cat pay for it.

Having it done by the same guy is no big deal as RB pointed out. Just mumble something about the darn cat and move on.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:19 AM on August 28, 2013 [8 favorites]

Don't pay somebody, do it yourself! How about getting the manual for your particular Roland keyboard and seeing that helps you figure out how to take it apart for cleaning at home? You could also check out Roland forums.
posted by Rob Rockets at 9:34 AM on August 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Most keyboards, controllers, synths, etc. are not terribly complicated to disassemble, at least enough to get at the action of the keys and vacuum. I'd see about taking the bottom panel off and getting in there with a shop vac.
posted by stenseng at 10:01 AM on August 28, 2013

I don't know about Roland brand keyboards specifically, but it has been my experience that keyboards come apart very easily and are very easy to clean. I regularly get all sorts of horrible things in my keyboard. (Most recently, about a quarter of a cup of metamucil powder.) The keys themselves are usually very easy to pop off. To remember where they all go I just take a picture of the keyboard before I start taking the keys off, and then I just take 'em all off and clean with compressed air, qtips, etc.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 10:44 AM on August 28, 2013

Before you go after the insides with a shop-vac, stretch a nylon stocking over the inlet so you don't accidentally suck up parts.
posted by plinth at 11:10 AM on August 28, 2013 [5 favorites]

canned air and a paint brush with some alcohol or water on it. get the paint brush wet, make sure it is a stiff bristled one that way it will hold up over time and catch all the cat hair. I do this periodically at work because my office is like a dust magnet. god only knows how much i am inhaling. try it and see what happens.
posted by Jewel98 at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2013

Response by poster: Thank you all for your feedback!. I am gonna go back to the same guy to have it fixed. thanks again for everything! You guys go beyond the call of duty! :)
posted by Thanquol180 at 4:23 PM on August 31, 2013