Korg Forums

Purchased my PA3x 5 years ago brand new and the rubber surfaces around the joystick and screen are becoming sticky.

As read on multiple posts, many users are experiencing the same issue, which proves that defected or poor quality rubber
was used during the manufacturing of this highly rated keyboard.

Rubber lifespan of 5 years on a $5K keyboard?? In an area with much contact and rubbing??
This is very disappointing from Korg and as a reputable company should have taken care of this DEFECT.

The rubbers on my 26 year old Ultimate Keyboard stand are still intact and solid!!

Contacted KORG who didn't even bother to provide a solution. They recommended to follow amateur non-solutions (e.g. rubbing alcohol)
in posts by other sufferers with the same issue, at MY OWN RISK! Great customer care by KORG!

My keyboard is mint condition and have to take extra care using the joystick and screen buttons as this will damage the sticky/disintegrating rubber.
Apart from this, I don’t find it fair as this will dramatically decrease the value of my keyboard which I purchased brand new.

I believe Korg used similar rubber around the PA4x joystick. I was thinking of upgrading to the PA4x, but this issue has made me change my mind.

I can confirm that rubbing with a cloth with some methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) worked well on mine. Just go gently around printed text areas.

Reuben wrote:I can confirm that rubbing with a cloth with some methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) worked well on mine. Just go gently around printed text areas.

Hi Reuben
Thank you for your advice. As I also live in Sydney, can you please provide the name of the product used?

It was stock standard methylated spirits from Bunnings hardware.
The cloth needs to be quite wet with metho and keep rubbing gently for a minute or two in each section as it takes time to soften and come away.
It seems to be the hotter more humid places that have this problem. I've noticed they tend to be people in Florida, Sydney, South Africa.

Hi,
Happened to mine over a year ago, I lived in Port Stephens at the time. I was getting ready to sell, went on a weeks holiday, came back, was about to put an ad on eBay, touched the screen surround, and it was really sticky.

Tried wiping it with alcohol I think, just smudged writing and the plastic.
End of my sale.

Jnero7 wrote:Purchased my PA3x 5 years ago brand new and the rubber surfaces around the joystick and screen are becoming sticky.

I believe Korg used similar rubber around the PA4x joystick. I was thinking of upgrading to the PA4x, but this issue has made me change my mind.

The white plastic around the joystick appears to be the same, don’t know if it is, or isn’t, But , that part is not sticky at all on my PA3x and never has been,
only the dark rubbery plastic on the screen surround , and the area with the switches, ribbon and joystick. Not the white plastic.
I can’t remember what that area felt like before it got sticky.

Reuben wrote: It seems to be the hotter more humid places that have this problem. I've noticed they tend to be people in Florida, Sydney, South Africa.

I think you may be right, John. I've never heard of this problem up here in the Great White North. Even in high summer, which never materialised this year anyway, we barely reach 30C, and then only for a day ot two. And humidity isn't really a factor.