How to take out input/output and power sockets

[Pelskens]

I want to recase my drive pedals into 1 large wooden enclosure. For the most part very straightforward, but I have one question (only a little experience with guitar electronics, zero with pedal electronics...):
How should I take out the input and output sockets where I plug in my guitar cables; so I can solder the subsequent pedals directly together. Should I even take them out if I can just bypass them by soldering? How should I solder pedals together? I'm adding some pictures of 1 drive pedal. I haven't opened up the others yet, but I'm assuming it's very similar to this one...
I'm seeing (on the last picture, next to the lowest rubber band) 2 soldering points that say "IN" and "OUT", but I'm not sure if I would solder at these points I would bypass crucial downstream electronics?



I also want to relocate the socket for the power cable. Now my pedals have it at the side, whereas I want it at the top. So basically the same question: How to take out the socket so I can "drag" it to the top, and I guess connect it to its original location with a simple wire?

[blackieNYC]

At each point where the jack or pot leg is soldered to the board, you will solder instead a wire. The other end of that wire you solder to the pin that came from that exact point on the board.
Just be very careful and document each and every little step of the way. One jack/pot at a time, then test, repeat. 
That's all you need.  But the power jack will be a little different, if so just make sure youve identified the pos and neg of everything. 

[GibsonGM]

If you are putting them into a wooden box, you probably will want to do a search for SHIELDING.   You must shield the interior of the box with aluminum or copper foil, which is connected to ground.   This will prevent stray interference (NOISE) from coupling itself into your pedals.   It is very important...

   Welcome to the forum!  If you do not find shielding info, come back and we'll talk you through it.

[Pelskens]

Thanks for the replies! What confuses me is this: It seems as if the jack input/output sockets look like bugs with 6 legs, and so they're wired with all 6 to the board:-s Do my wires have to connect to all these 6? Are all of them electronically active, or rather extra physical support?
Also, which types of wires should I use?

[EBK]

Thanks for the replies! What confuses me is this: It seems as if the jack input/output sockets look like bugs with 6 legs, and so they're wired with all 6 to the board:-s Do my wires have to connect to all these 6? Are all of them electronically active, or rather extra physical support?
Also, which types of wires should I use?

Looks like your one jack has an extra switch on the sleeve contact.  Are there 7 legs from that jack to the board?

Looking again, it appears that on each jack, the tip and ring contacts form a NC switch and the sleeve contacts form a NO switch....

(Just thinking aloud.  I'm probably not adding much...  )

[GibsonGM]

If it's a 'regular' jack, one side of 3 'holes' will be one connection, and the other side will be the other connection.   So, one side will be signal, and one will be ground.

Do you have a multi meter?  You can use it to find out which is ground.  So the other row (called the "TIP", goes to plug tip) would be your signal side.  I'd recommend a stranded wire, about 20, 22 gauge....

[Ice-9]

If you want to rehouse this in a larger wooden enclose you may be able to do it without removing any of the jacks. You could use some 90 degree jack plugs on one end and add some new jack sockets to each end which would then mount in your new wooden enclosure (similar to how you connect pedals together with a patch lead). Similar thing for the psu jack. If you want to use a battery option  then you will just need to adjust the wiring a little.  For a neater job removing the jacks from the pcb is still easy enough to do with a soldering iron and a solder sucker or wick.

If you prefer to remove the sockets then do as said in one of the above posts with the wiring.

[Pelskens]

Thanks!
One more (really stupid) question before I dive into the work: how do I test which side of the jack is ground?:-s I have a multimeter but basically never used it. Which setting to put it on and where to put the black and red probes?

[antonis]

For ohm/continuity test it doesn't matter the colours of test leads...

Set your multimeter's selector to Ohm (Ω)* and press the button for continuity beeper (in this function is available..)

Then just place test leads between whatever you want to measure..
(depending on your meter quality, you should read from 0R2 to a some R..)


(*) Which of you guys is able to type the "Ω" symbol directly from his keyboard..?? 

[Pelskens]

Thanks for the reply!
But where exactly do I put my probes then?
One on the soldering point I suspect is ground; and the other one I guess on something that I know is ground... but what is that? Normally the metal case of the pedal, but if it's not in its case?

[antonis]

If you are testing the PCB soldered jacks, any known ground point should be fine...

Power supply jack is fine for that job and even fine is battery holder black cable (for an unluged power jack..)

[Pelskens]

rewired a couple of pedals and everything seems to be working fine, except these 2...

Top jack is output of pedal 1; Bottom jack is input of pedal 2.
Both jacks have 3 pieces of metal for sleeve (right), ring (middle) and tip (left).
I connected both tips (signal, grey wire) and both sleeves (ground, red/black wire).
I know that at the input jack ground (sleeve) and power supply (ring) should be connected, so I jumped them (grey wire).
When testing, everything works ONLY if I put a cable in the input of pedal 2. I don't have to put the other end of this cable in the output of pedal 1, so both pedals are connected by my jumper wires. However, since I do need the plug to connect sleeve and ring of jack 2, this jumper wire is not functional...
Any ideas, tips?

[Ice-9]

rewired a couple of pedals and everything seems to be working fine, except these 2...

Top jack is output of pedal 1; Bottom jack is input of pedal 2.
Both jacks have 3 pieces of metal for sleeve (right), ring (middle) and tip (left).
I connected both tips (signal, grey wire) and both sleeves (ground, red/black wire).
I know that at the input jack ground (sleeve) and power supply (ring) should be connected, so I jumped them (grey wire).
When testing, everything works ONLY if I put a cable in the input of pedal 2. I don't have to put the other end of this cable in the output of pedal 1, so both pedals are connected by my jumper wires. However, since I do need the plug to connect sleeve and ring of jack 2, this jumper wire is not functional...
Any ideas, tips?

Those jacks are switched, what this would mean is when no jack plug is inserted into the input jack socket the signal connections will be grounded via the connection that the springy connection makes with the other pin (switched). Insert a jack plug and you will see that this switch connection disengages.

You could put an insulating piece between the signal connection and its switch connection so that the do not touch and conduct or simply bend the connector up and away so that again it does not touch the switched connection. /thirdly just put an unwired jack plug in the jack socket.

[Pelskens]

Yes! Thanks!
I've put an insulating piece at where the tip usually sits, and that works perfectly!
I was going to take pictures of every step of the process, but I didn't...
This is where I'm at right now. Couple more pedals to go, and then some finishing...