Height for Vox wah switch?

[jaysg]

I'm having intermittent switch problems with my wah.  I'm not sure whether the 316PP is flakey or whether it's not set high enough.  Any rules of thumb on setting the height?

[Seljer]

adjust the washers above it and below it until the switch gets to the right position (not so low that you can't press it but not so high that just moving your foot forward turns it on/off)

[jaysg]

I think I have it at the absolute lowest position to get clicks and I'm wondering if that's why it doesn't always engage.   It gets in a condition where every pole is open.

[lacto]

Raise the switch a little and see if that helps, but if it was working at this height then changed it is probably shot. Switches do not last forever on a wah pedal, sometimes only about a year depending on how much you use it.

[PNG123]

(sorry of i am hi-jacking the thread), but
From where can you buy a cheap Wah-Shell?

[Seljer]

(sorry of i am hi-jacking the thread), but
From where can you buy a cheap Wah-Shell?

You can try getting a broken one off ebay, or broken wahs in general. Other than that you can try some of the cheaper new wah wah pedals/volume pedals/expression pedals you can get and just gut the insides.

[jaysg]

Not sure what cheap is, but I think Small Bear and B.Y.O.C. sell shells that look like the Dunlop Cry Baby shell.  When they were out of favor, used Cry Baby's went for $15 to $25.

[PNG123]

Well i would say cheap ,being as much as an enclosure; 10-max20$,
Small bear sell for 38$ if i remeber well

[jaysg]

hmm...adjusted for an earlier click.  It works much better, however, I have to make a deliberate stomp to engage it cleanly.  It can go open if I hit it with a shallow.light press.  Interesting.  It never does this going to bypass -- only going to Wah.  Irritating.  I'd better start digging around for another one.

[boogietube]

Put a blue 3pdt switch in and true bypass it. They work better that way I've found. The actuation becomes a simple low pressure situation.

[jaysg]

Put a blue 3pdt switch in and true bypass it. They work better that way I've found. The actuation becomes a simple low pressure situation.

That is a thought.  I was under the impression they were too short, but maybe I misread something...and I could add an LED...you can never have too many LEDs going.  fwiw, it's true bypass already.

[Seljer]

The only gripe I have about wah switches is that slight click you get when it only hits the switch but doesn't push it down (eg: whenever you move the thing into the treble position)

Only the original Carling SPDT I've got is quiet, I bought a Carling DPDT and its noisy like other switches (the blue 3PDTs...)

[jaysg]

Only the original Carling SPDT I've got is quiet, I bought a Carling DPDT and its noisy like other switches (the blue 3PDTs...)

Assuming that you implemented true bypass with the DPDT, the reason for the extra switch noise would be that the circuit is always loading the signal with the stock SPDT and that's different that taking it completely off line.  I don't think the noise relates to the switch's quality.

[Seljer]

I mean the actual noise in real life (I don't really play at high volume ), the actual switching of it I hear through the amp is silent.

[boogietube]

You should play at higher volume! Crank it!

I use a 3pdt blue switch. You have to take off one nut I believe, and height is almost perfect.  I always drill a hole between the punchouts right in the center and put a blue led in with a black metal bezel. It's a tricky procedure but worth the effort.