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"Sticky Rollers"

Question: What do you know about getting a sticky left-hand thumb roller rolling smoothly again? A student of mine has one of the new EWI's. The roller just above the serrated pair does not consistantly roll!

Answer: I've had good success with a product called "lock ease". It is a graphited lubricant that comes in a small blue bottle and is available at most hardware stores. I keep a bottle on hand for sticky or squeaky rollers. Put about three drops of it on the screw that mounts the roller and work it in for a few minutes. This seems to cure the majority of problems. It is also possible that the roller is too tight or some of the "lock tite" that Akai uses on all of the screws is actually preventing the rolling motion. Try loosening the mounting screw slightly and then retightening to the point where it works freely. If this doesn't do it, it is possible the roller's bearing has gone completely dry. This will sometimes necessitate the replacement of the roller. Rollers are available from IMC (International Music Co.) at: 1316 East Lancaster, Fort Worth, TX 76102; (800) 336-5627, (817) 336-5114.