If you see this, run.

Exhibit A: the Gibson Robot guitar, with broken electronics. Despite our status as a long-time Gibson warranty center, this should have scared me. The new Robot Guitar is not one to practice electronics troubleshooting on. Nor is it a good idea to pull off the protective plastic film from the pickguard without first looking under the bridge (you'd have to take the strings off, then pry the bridge upward to even see these ribbon connectors). Fortunately for me, the customer found this out before I did. Nevertheless, I somehow agreed to troubleshoot it. Possibly out of a sense of duty to the great Gibson company, or possibly just as an act of masochism. I got lucky on this one, but there are always others. Beware the Ides of Gibson!