Fixed my Amp Footswitch (pix)

Pickups, pedals, amps, cabs, combos

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Doog
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Post by Doog »

I've built a true bypass loop into the casing, and threw out the PCBs since I had a 2nd, functioning Bluesbreaker and doubt I'd be able/be bothered to track down some new jacks to replace the broken ones.

In retrospect, I kinda wish I'd kept the guts.. but my Tokai "Metaldriver" sounds way close and is more flexible, so no real loss here.
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Gavin
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Post by Gavin »

Fuck. I put the new switch in and tried it and it doesn't work. I get the clean coming out when the pedal is off, when it's on I get the light coming on but no sound at all. Is it possible to put these switches in upside down?
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euan
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Post by euan »

There should only be one way to put it in if you use the ring that stops the switch spinning. So you should have the notch in the shaft of the switch facing the back of the pedal.
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Gavin
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Post by Gavin »

Don't have that ring with this switch. There is a groove in hte thread htough, I put that facing up.
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euan
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Post by euan »

Gavin wrote:Don't have that ring with this switch. There is a groove in hte thread htough, I put that facing up.
It doesn't? Sounds like the switch might have already been replaced.
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Gavin
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Post by Gavin »

Yeah, it was. It had a non pcb mounted switch on there. I reckon it's probably just my piss poor soldering skillz, I'm gonna take off the solder and try again.
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euan
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Post by euan »

A good solder joint should be shiny, always the best way to tell. And you could try continuity testing the switch.
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Gavin
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Post by Gavin »

Ok, now that the switch is pcb mounted, how the fuck do I get it off the pcb to try it the other way round? I can only heat up one pin at a time and I can't get all the solder off with the solder sucker.
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euan
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Post by euan »

Is there not enough solder for it to suck up? In that case sometimes I add a little bit more solder for the sucker to work. A bit like when you are trying to untighten a screw, you tighten it a little first.

I tend not to use a sucker and copper braid instead. It works a lot better.
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Gavin
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Post by Gavin »

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It's fucking glued on there. I'm not gonna keep fucking with it 'cause if I do it's gonna go from needing fixed to being fucked. I dunno what I'm gonna do now, I'll have to find someone better at this stuff than me.
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Mike
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Post by Mike »

Sounds a little tricky.

You might wanna hop out and get some soldering braid - getting multipin stuffout of PCBs can be a real pain, just go slow and get rid of as much solder as possible in short bursts - you don't want to overheat the solder pads as they will come away from teh PCB