Boss re-housing questions (LED mounting, DPDT, PCB support)

[Kirk A]

First post here...

Just acquired a working MIJ Boss CE-2 in a beaten, crushed housing. I plan to rehouse it myself, probably in a Hammond 1590 enclosure. I have a few questions...

1) What do you recommend to install in a plain box that would simulate the mounting surface/threads for the LED?

2) What DPDT or DP3T foot-switches do you like best? I see Stew-Mac offers a DP3T, but DPDT is sufficient to re-house the Boss with true-bypass. I've heard good things about Carling switches, but have no experience with them (or others).

3) In a plain box like the 1590, what do you recommend to support the board as well as keep it electrically isolated?

Thanks in advance for your tips and experience!

-Kirk

[Mark Hammer]

Keep the electronic switching.  You'll likely have to adapt the pedal anyway to keep it from popping when using a stompswitch, so better to just use an actuator like this - http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=32 - to move the microswitch.

[newfish]

If you're sure you want to re-house a 'vintage' pedal...  

For me, the LED would be re-mounted on the surface of the new case.  De-solder the original 3mm LED, and substitute two wires to a surface-mount LED, with an appropriate bezel to hold everything in place.

Am not sure about converting BOSS / Ibanez style switching to true-bypass, but the following link is an excellent place to start...

http://www.geofex.com/ - 'Technology of... BOSS / Ibanez style FET switching'.

GEOFX is a great place to start pretty much anything, to be honest...

As for electrical isolation of the PCB, there are a number of options - from thick paper / card cut to shape under the PCB itself (have seen this in older DOD pedals), to wrapping the PCB itself n electrical tape (not 'pretty', but works...), or you may wish to use 'proper' PCB stand-offs in the new housing...  available from pretty much any electrical retailer / eBay / wherever.  I've tended to use the 'fluffy' side of the velcro 'sandwich' on the inner face of pedal bases to isolate - but this has only been for Fuzzes / Boosters - nothing that static sensitive for what is basically a miniature carpet...

If your new housing has sufficient depth, could you use the original board-mounted Pots to hold everything in place?  You'll need some careful measuring to make sure everything fit, of couse.  I'd recommend making a cardboard template (or two!) to make sure the drilling is accurate - speaking from experience of re-housing a friend's Big Muff...

Hope you get sorted.

Cheers,

Ian.