How do you get the GEQ module out of a Mark IV?

[sixtonoize]

Long story short, I traded some cash and gear for a Mark IV wide combo.
The guy I got it from said that there was a problem with the Bass knob on the Lead channel tone stack - that it didn't actually increase the bass, just made the tone loose and farty. I thought that (best case scenario) he just didn't know how to use a Mark-series amp or (worst case scenario) the pot would be easy to swap out.

Well, I was jamming on it tonight, and the tone stack definitely works just fine.
HOWEVER, the 80hz slider on the GEQ doesn't do a **** thing.

So, I pull the chassis to check it out, and lo and behold, there's a loose connection on the 80hz inductor. If you press down on it with something long and conductive, the slider works fine. If not, it has zero effect. So I need to pull the GEQ module to get to the side that's up against the faceplate, but Mesa doesn't use screws like a normal company, oh no...they use 6 or 7 little plastic studs and just snap the GEQ board in place. I don't really want to use brute force, but it's looking like the best option. I really don't want to destroy the GEQ board in the process.

So...little help here guys?

 

[JohnDNJ]

probably nothing more then plastic rivets...CAREFULLY drill them out, do your work and then
have some replacements ready to snap back in...any hardware or industrial supply place
like graingers should have them...Hell call mesa and have them send you a few

Granted i'm talking out of my *** here because I cant see it in front of me but you get the idea

 

[silentrage]

Actually would it be possible to squeeze the heads on those with a plier and push them through the hole? Then when you're done just push them in again?

 

[JohnDNJ]

Actually would it be possible to squeeze the heads on those with a plier and push them through the hole? Then when you're done just push them in again?

sure if they put that side up and they werent flush with the holes.

hard to say without seeing.

 

[sixtonoize]

It's sort of possible to squeeze the heads with pliers - only, there isn't a lot of space and each stud had 4 tabs on it - so if you squeeze 2 together, it squeezes the other two out.
I think I'm going to try to get some mini-Zip ties tomorrow and see if I can use those to squeeze the complete circumference of each stud all at once.

 

[kiff]

just a last resort idea... clip off the heads and then glue gun it when you're done?

 

[sixtonoize]

If it gets that bad, I'll call Mesa to get replacement studs and clip the little bastards off.
I'm sure that there's a more elegant solution, though.

 

[silentrage]

I think he wants to keep her stock.
Order those clips from mesa, and clip the suckers.