Skip to main content

XB/PS Les Paul Revival Kit Installation Guide

Introduction​

This is an instructional guide for the RetroCultMods Revival Kit for the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 Les Paul. This build can be completed in under an hour and a half, but can take longer if you are thorough with the cleaning process. If you run into any issues during the build or have questions, click here!

Parts Included​

  • Revival Kit Zeroboard (Strumboard/PCB)
  • Revival Kit Fretboard
  • Replacement D-Pad Board for XB/PS Les Paul
  • Replacement Start/Select board for XB/PS Les Paul
  • USB-C Port Assembly for Les Paul
  • 3D Printed Translucent Strumbar for Les Paul
  • 5x 3D Printed Translucent Frets
  • 3D Printed Kit Hardware
  • Hall Effect Whammy Assembly
    • Kits ordered before September 9th, 2026 have the potentiometer Whammy Assembly. This has a specific set of instructions in the whammy install section.
  • Switch Puller
  • Color Coded Wires and Auth Cable
  • 10 foot nylon braided USB-A to USB-C cable
  • Tube of lubricant

Required Tools (not included)​

Step-by-Step Installation Guide​

1. Opening the Guitar​

Flip the controller over so the Red Octane sticker on the back of the body is visible. The type of screws used on the outside shells will depend on the model of your guitar:

Body Screws

Rear body shell – 11x T10 screws

Front Body Screws

Front body shell (near neck) - 4x PH1 screws

Neck Screws

Rear neck shell – 9x T10 screws

Ensure that all screws are removed, and open the shell.

Once the shell begins to open, slowly move down the rest of the shell until it pops open completely.
Repeat this process for the neck, using the opening at the neck connector and working towards the headstock. If the shell seems to get stuck, DO NOT FORCE IT. Check to make sure you have removed all of the screws before continuing to pry the shell.

2. Removal of Original Parts​

Now its time to remove the stock boards that will be replaced with the new boards included in the kit.

Internal Body Screws

Remove the 4x screws on the stock Strumboard.

Remove the 2x screws on the stock Start/Select Board.

Remove the 4x screws on the stock D-Pad Input board.

Remove the 2x screws on the RJ11 port.

Internal Neck Screws

Remove the 2x screws from the stock Fretboard.

Whammy

Wiggle the wires near the whammy potentiometer until they break free or use scissors to cut the wires.

Once all the screws are removed, remove all of the stock boards. DO NOT REMOVE THE WHAMMY COMPONENTS.

3. (Optional) Clean Your Guitar​

In this step, we take a little bit of time to clean some parts of the guitar. We suggest being more thorough in your cleaning, as your guitar may have finger grime from way back in the day! A bit of rubbing alcohol and/or soap and water can go a long way. Make sure the parts are fully dry if you clean with soap and water. Pro tip: Toothbrush, Dawn soap, and water.

4. Test Your Revival Kit​

Before installing the Revival Zeroboard/Strumboard and Revival Fretboard, they should be tested for proper functionality.

  1. Gather the Revival Kit Fretboard, 3 white wires, and 10ft USB-C cable

  2. Plug the Revival Fretboard into the Revival Zeroboard/Strumboard using the three included white cables. Make sure that each connection goes to the proper port. It is suggested to go one by one while installing.

    Plug in Fret 1, Fret 2, and RGB to the Revival Fretboard

    Plug in Fret 1, Fret 2, and RGB to the Revival Strumboard

  3. Plug your Revival Zeroboard/Strumboard into your computer, using the USB-C to USB-A cable included in the Revival Kit. You will plug it into the vertical USB-C port on the Zeroboard.

  4. Open the RCM Programming Tool (click here to go to the download page). If the following screen appears for you, make sure to switch the DEVICE TYPE to "Revival Kit". Click Erase and Configure. Do not touch the device while it is being programmed.

  5. Once the firmware writing is complete, this screen will appear:

  6. Scroll down to the list of all inputs and then start pressing the fret and strum switches. The respective switches will light up and so will the input in the RCM Programming Tool. Verify that all of the inputs and switches work properly. If not, contact support.

5. Prepping the New Strumbar (RGB Only)​

IF YOU DID NOT ORDER THE 3D PRINTED CLEAR STRUM BAR, SKIP THIS STEP. Before installing the new Strumboard, we need to transfer some pieces of the stock strumbar over to the new one:

  1. Gather the 3D printed strum bar, tube of lubricant, and 3D printed bits from the bag of screws

  2. Remove the two black strum bar brackets, then pull the strum bar assembly out of the guitar.

  3. Remove the metal strumrod by pulling it out of the stock strumbar.

  4. Remove both of the circular spacers on each end of the strumbar. You can easily remove these by pushing them out with your finger from the inside of the strumbar.

  5. Remove the four rubber pads on each foot of the strumbar. These can be lifted straight out of their slots.

  6. Make sure you have all the stock parts you need:

    • 1x Metal strumrod

    • 2x Circular spacers

    • 4x Rubber pads

  7. Find the white tube of lubricant and apply a very small amount on each end of the metal strumrod, where it makes contacts with the circular spacers. Use for finger or a qtip to spread the lubricant out; we want only a thin layer of lubricant on the ends of the strumrod!

  8. Put all of these parts into the new strumbar, in the same places as the stock strumbar. Insert the rubber pads into the slots in each of the feet of the new strumbar, insert the spacers into the circular cutouts on each end of the new strumbar, then insert the metal strumrod through the spacers.

  9. If the strumbar slides up and down the metal rod too much for your liking, then you can install the wide, thin spacers included on the end of the component piece to fill in the gap. Place these under the stock strumbar spacers. You may need to stack multiple on each end to get your desired tolerance!

6. Installing the Revival Zeroboard (strumboard)​

  1. Gather flush cutters, the newly assembled strum bar, 2x black strum bar brackets (original), and small strum switch inserts from the 3D printed bits in the bag of screws

  2. Using flush cutters, remove these two posts on the rear body shell:

  3. Slide the metal rod into the new strumbar. Then place the new strumbar into the slot that the stock strumbar sat in. Put the black brackets back into place.

  4. Separate the small strum switch inserts from the component piece and slot them into the stems of the strum switches. This is needed for a tighter strumbar feel.

  5. Place the new strumboard on top of the black brackets, then screw in the new strumboard. If the stock screws are stripped, you can use the replacement Long Screws provided in the kit. Make sure each screw is snug, but do not over-tighten them, or you may scratch away the soldermask of the new strumboard!

7. Installing the Revival Fretboard​

  1. Gather the Revival Kit Fretboard, Translucent Frets, 3 White Wires, and 2 Long Screws.

  2. Connect one end of each of the White Wires into the RGB, FRET1, and FRET2 connectors on the Fretboard. Connect the other end of each White Wire to the corresponding RGB, FRET1, and FRET2 connectors on the Strumboard. We recommend doing one wire at a time to prevent mixing them up.

    Plug in Fret 1, Fret 2, and RGB to the Revival Fretboard

    Plug in Fret 1, Fret 2, and RGB to the Revival Strumboard

  3. Remove the stock silicone pad and frets if they are still in the fret slots. Wipe the inside of the fret slots clean if they are dirty. Then apply a small amount of lubricant to your finger or a qtip and lightly coat the inside of the fret slots with lubricant. Make sure to wipe away any excess lubricant that may have spilled to the front of the neck shell!

  4. Insert the translucent 3D printed frets provided in the kit. These frets must be used even if you do not want to use LEDs; the stock frets will not fit with the new Fretboard.

  5. Place the new Fretboard onto the screw standoffs that the stock fretboard used to sit on (the red switches and white connectors should be facing down towards the Translucent Frets. Use 2 Long Screws to secure the new Fretboard.

  6. Route the White Wires through the neck and down through the body. Make sure they are clear of any screw standoffs so they are not damaged when reinstalling the neck shell. Using a bit of tape to hold down the wires internally can help with management.

8. Installing the Start/Select Board​

  1. Gather the XB/PS Les Paul Start/Select Board (labeled 1B) and 2 Long Screws. Stock screws can also be used if they are not stripped

  2. Make sure the rubber dome pads are still in place, then install the XB/PS Start/Select Board where the stock input board used to sit. Use the stock screws or included Long Screws to secure it.

  3. Connect a red wire into the white connectors on the XB/PS Les Paul Start/Select board.

  4. Connect the other end of the red wire into its matching connectors on the Zeroboard. Double check the labels on each board and make sure the wire is going to the matching connector.

9. Installing the D-Pad Input Board​

  1. Gather the new Dpad board (labelled 2A), the small Joystick shim, and 2 Long Screws.

  2. Use the stock or replacement screws to secure the new Dpad board where the stock board previous sat. Make sure that the rubber dome pads for the directional inputs and the guide button are still attached to the plastic buttons.

  3. Plug in a Red Wire into the DPAD1 connector and a Red Wire into the DPAD2 connector.

  4. Plug the other end of each Red Wire into their corresponding DPAD1 and DPAD2 connectors on the new Strumboard.

10. Installing the USB-C Port Assembly​

  1. Gather the USB-C board, bracket, and shroud. Gather 2 Short Screws and 2 Long Screws.

    For Xbox models, use the bracket with the X on it. For Playstations models, use the other bracket.

    Note: some Xbox models use the Playstation bracket.

  2. Pre-install two short screws into the bracket from the bottom until they start to poke out of the other side.

  3. Line up the USB-C board into the top of the bracket, ensuring the screws go through the holes in the board. Push the shroud on top of the USB-C connector on the board.

  4. Finish screwing in the short screws from the bottom of the bracket. You will want to press the shroud down onto the connector while you finish installing the screws.

  5. Use two long screws to mount the assembled USB-C module where the RJ-11 port used to sit.

  6. Plug one end of the Yellow Cable into the white connector of the USB-C module.

  7. Plug the other end of the Yellow Cable into the white connector on the Strumboard labelled USB.

11. Installing the Authentication Cable (optional)​

  1. Gather the Authentication cable.

  2. Remove the two screws on the battery board, then remove the battery board with the two metal battery contacts.

  3. On the opposite body shell, find the two battery supports for the board we just removed. Press on one side of the support until it snaps off. Do this for both supports.

  4. Route the Authentication cable through the slot for the battery compartment.

  5. Plug the white connector end of the Authentication cable into the white connector on the Strumboard labelled AUTH.

12. Assembling the Whammy​

Revival Kits ordered after September 8th, 2026 have the new hall effect whammy sensor design.

  1. Gather the following parts: Hall Effect sensor, Magnet Bracket, Adhesive pad, and black connector cable.

  2. Peel back the red film on the adhesive pad and place it on the empty area of the Hall Effect Whammy board. Tweezers will make this much easier!

  3. Peel the white film on the adhesive pad and position the board onto the inner shell of the guitar with the black rectangular sensor close to the edge of the black plastic whammy assembly as pictured. Make sure the board and the assembly are not touching.

  4. Locate the magnet bracket and slide the magnet into the slot on the front of the bracket. Push it in until it is about flush with the opening of the slot.

  5. Line up the seam on the underside of the bracket to the thin wall in the center of the whammy assembly. Press the bracket down onto the assembly as far as it will go.

  6. Connect one end of the black wire to the connector on the sensor board.

  7. Connect the black wire to the WHAMMY connector on the Zeroboard.

The following video is a guide for installing the previous whammy design.

13. Test Inputs​

  1. Plug your guitar into your computer using the new USB-C port you installed!

  2. Open the RCM Programming Tool on your computer (click here to go to the download page) If the following screen appears for you, make sure to switch the DEVICE TYPE to "Revival Kit". Click Erase and Configure. Do not touch the device while it is being programmed.

  3. You will then be brought to this screen, click Configure.

  4. Scroll down to the list of all inputs and then start pressing the frets and clicking the strum bar. The respective switches will light up and so will the input in the RCM Programming Tool. Verify that all of the inputs and switches work properly. If not, contact support.

14. Closing the Guitar​

You're almost done! Once you have ensured that each input works, we can close up the guitar! Make sure none of the wires are in the way of any plastic standoffs, as this will damage them when closing the shell. We would recommend taping down the wires to ensure they are out of the way and not draped across any of the boards. With the front body and neck shell facing down, put the rear neck shell onto the front neck shell. You may need to apply pressure to close the shell. If you feel like part of the shell will not snap into place, open it up and double check that there is nothing blocking the standoffs. Repeat for the body shell. DON'T FORGET THE STRAP PEGS! After both sides of the body are connected, install all of the screws you removed earlier:

Body Screws

Rear body shell – 11x T10 screws

Neck Screws

Rear neck shell – 9x T10 screws

15. Calibrate Tilt and Whammy​

Tilt​

  1. Open the RCM Programming Tool

  2. Plug the guitar into your computer

  3. Click the Configure button

  4. Click the Tilt dropdown menu

  5. Click Calibrate

  6. Posture the guitar in your normal playing position, then click Next. After that, posture the guitar in the height that you would like for tilt to activate and hold it in that position while clicking Next again. Your tilt should now be calibrated!

  7. If you feel like the tilt needs to be adjusted, just calibrate again!

Whammy​

  1. Click the Whammy dropdown menu.

  2. Click Calibrate.

  3. Without touching the whammy bar, click Next. Then, push the whammy bar further in (like furthest activated) without pushing too hard to damage it. Hold it in that position, then click Next.

  4. Now you're setting the Deadzone. The Deadzone is where the whammy begins activation. So you want to make it to where the whammy cannot actuate unless you intentionally press it inwards. Once you've set that, click Next.

  5. You're done! If you find that the deadzone isn't quite right, you can adjust it via the slider or by recalibrating.

16. Configure Fret and Strum Bar Colors​

  1. Open RCM Programming Tool if you do not already have it open

  2. Scroll to the fret and strum inputs and click the arrow to reveal the color selectors for your chosen input.

  3. Click on the arrow for the pressed or released LED color to open the color picker menu:

  4. Change this to whatever color you want!

  5. Click Save Settings when you've configured all of the colors that you want.

15. Finishing Up, Factory Resets and Updates​

To wrap up this installation, the last things to know are how to factory reset and/or update the guitar.