simple footswitch for an Epiphone amp?

[markr04]

My used Epiphone amp didn't come with a footswitch. It's just to turn the overdrive on and off. 1/4" jack.

Is this simple? Will you kindly point me to a project/schematic?

Thanks!!

Mark

[David]

My used Epiphone amp didn't come with a footswitch. It's just to turn the overdrive on and off. 1/4" jack.

Is this simple? Will you kindly point me to a project/schematic?

Thanks!!

Mark

Yup, it's pretty simple.  SPST pushbutton latching switch from hardware or home improvement store.  Shielded cable.  Male phone plug.  Cable leads fasten to switch terminals.  Box it up.  You be done.

[cab42]

Hi there

I was going to post a similar question. However I have few more issues.

I have few DPDT switches I would like to use for switching between OD and normal channels as well as Reverb on/off on my amp (Guyatone Flip2000)

I can switch OD/normal (the wiring is found by trial and error) but it gives large pop when I switch.

I can't make the reverb on/off work.

Can anyone help with the wiring?

You can find a schematic for the amp here if that is of any help:

http://w1.303.telia.com/~u30331993/ga2000_schema.jpg

It could be fantastic if it was possible to include a LED indicator. If someone can help me with that I will instantly start a fan-club ;-)

I'm quite a beginner and is currently working on the NPN Booster in the kindergarten section (Beginner project that is), so please keep it simple

Regards

Carsten

[David]

Hi there

I was going to post a similar question. However I have few more issues.

I have few DPDT switches I would like to use for switching between OD and normal channels as well as Reverb on/off on my amp (Guyatone Flip2000)

I can switch OD/normal (the wiring is found by trial and error) but it gives large pop when I switch.

I can't make the reverb on/off work.

Can anyone help with the wiring?

You can find a schematic for the amp here if that is of any help:

http://w1.303.telia.com/~u30331993/ga2000_schema.jpg

It could be fantastic if it was possible to include a LED indicator. If someone can help me with that I will instantly start a fan-club ;-)

I'm quite a beginner and is currently working on the NPN Booster in the kindergarten section (Beginner project that is), so please keep it simple

Regards

Carsten

Open up your fan club because I've got your solution too.  I'm going to make you hunt for it, though.  You need to find a thread from 6 to 12 weeks ago where I pointed someone to a place on www.jt30.com where a guy named John Atchley had posted directions on how to make an ABY box.  You're going to do something very similar.  You have a stereo 1/4 jack to plug into your footswitch outlet on your amp.  This jack is connected to shielded 2-conductor (XLR) cable.  Inside your switch box, one side of each switch goes to shield (ground).  Each hot goes to the other switch terminal.  This would be for your standard SPST configuration.  You can implement LEDs with DPDT switches.  I leave you to figure that out.

[Mark Hammer]

The chips indicated in the schematic are the equivalent of 4016 quad SPST switches (which are similar but not absolutely identical to CD4066's).

What that means for you is that none of the remote switching involving those chips is carrying actual audio signal.  While it is probably good practice to make any cable going to your remote switching pedal shielded, it is not absolutely necessary or necessary that the shielding be top notch.

The reverb, on the other hand, is shut off by grounding the return wire from the springs.  The remote footpedal for that consists of a shielded cable and a SPST footswitch.  Note that the reverb signal doesn't HAVE to pass through that cable on the way to the recovery and mixing stage.  However, the wire which you will ground to cancel the reverb shouldn't be functioning like a radio antenna when you reverb is on, so it needs to be well shielded to prevent picking up unwanted signal.

If you wish to make a combination OD/reverb footswitch unit, the smart thing is to use good shielded *stereo* cable that will meet the needs of the reverb footswitch.  Un/Grounding one of the two leads to the shielding will cancel/enable the overdrive, and un/grounding the other will enable/cancel the reverb.

Integrating an indicator LED into the amp may be tricky, however it may be fairly easy to put one on the footswitch assembly itself, which may actually be where you want/need it.

Leave room for a 9v battery in the footswitch housing.  Though you don't need it for switching purposes, use DPDT footswitches.  The second set of contacts will be used to provide/remove power from the battery to your indicator LEDs.  I would recommend high brightness ones (>2000mcd) for both visibility and longer battery life.  Stick a 20k trimpot and 2.2k series resistor between the battery and LED, tune the trimpot for least brightness required for visibility, and use the second set of contacts on the footswitch to return the other connection of the LED to battery ground.

[David]

The chips indicated in the schematic are the equivalent of 4016 quad SPST switches (which are similar but not absolutely identical to CD4066's).

What that means for you is that none of the remote switching involving those chips is carrying actual audio signal.  While it is probably good practice to make any cable going to your remote switching pedal shielded, it is not absolutely necessary or necessary that the shielding be top notch.

The reverb, on the other hand, is shut off by grounding the return wire from the springs.  The remote footpedal for that consists of a shielded cable and a SPST footswitch.  Note that the reverb signal doesn't HAVE to pass through that cable on the way to the recovery and mixing stage.  However, the wire which you will ground to cancel the reverb shouldn't be functioning like a radio antenna when you reverb is on, so it needs to be well shielded to prevent picking up unwanted signal.

If you wish to make a combination OD/reverb footswitch unit, the smart thing is to use good shielded *stereo* cable that will meet the needs of the reverb footswitch.  Un/Grounding one of the two leads to the shielding will cancel/enable the overdrive, and un/grounding the other will enable/cancel the reverb.

Integrating an indicator LED into the amp may be tricky, however it may be fairly easy to put one on the footswitch assembly itself, which may actually be where you want/need it.

Leave room for a 9v battery in the footswitch housing.  Though you don't need it for switching purposes, use DPDT footswitches.  The second set of contacts will be used to provide/remove power from the battery to your indicator LEDs.  I would recommend high brightness ones (>2000mcd) for both visibility and longer battery life.  Stick a 20k trimpot and 2.2k series resistor between the battery and LED, tune the trimpot for least brightness required for visibility, and use the second set of contacts on the footswitch to return the other connection of the LED to battery ground.

Uhhh... yeah, yeah -- what he said!   :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

[cab42]

David & Mark

Thank you for your answers.

I even think I understand what is going on.

I'll think I will make a drawing so I have something to work with. Then I also have documented my work to show to you if I completely fail.

Regards

Carsten

[David]

Give Mark the credit for this one.  His answer was better than mine because I didn't look at the amp schematic.  That'll teach me to not do my due diligence!

[Mark Hammer]

It is very easy to think that you understand something, and then when you get into it you realize it is different, or more complicated, than you thought.

DO NOT BE ASHAMED to ask more questions if you find yourself confused in the middle of it.  That's why we're here.

The important thing to remember is that, even though they work a different way, grounding the connections for each of these effects will cancel them.

One of the things I like to do is parallel a momentary and a latched switch.  So, one is the kind of switch where you step once, then step again to change it back, and the other is the kind of switch where it goes back once you take your foot off.  If you have one of each type in parallel, then you can do the grounding using one switch or the other.  Obviously, if the latched switch is grounded/closed, then pressing the other one does nothing, but if the latched one is open, you can use the momentary one.

Why is this a good thing?  Because sometimes you want an effect just for a moment, for a riff.  Stepping twice takes coordination, but lifting your foot off is easy to do.  I like this for using delays by switching the input and leaving the output connected.  That way I can have a riff continue repeating at the output but only add something new when I press down.  Such a feature may be of no use to you, but I mention it just in case it is.

[markr04]

Thanks for all of your input guys. I ended up ordering a $15 footswitch from Guitar Center. If it's the size I think it is, I can mod it with a 3PDT and LED for clean/dirty status.

[cab42]

Hello again

I have now build a prototype of the footswitch as I understood your posts.

It actually works for switching between OD and Normal, but not for Reverb on/off. Should the reverb switch be build differently?

This is how I wired:



Is that what you expected me to do? And why does'nt it work for the reverb?

I know the resistor value is quite high, but that was what I had at hand. I also tried a 340 ohm but then I could have used the LED as headlight for my car.  Next time I come near an electronics store I will by the resistors Mark specified.

Reading Marks comment of understandig, I came to think of this (Quoting STM in another thread):

>My all time favorite Murphy's law:
>"If you think everything is going well, it's because you don't have the >slightest idea of what's going on!"

Regards

Carsten

[Phorhas]

How about the marshall 5-pin swtiches, Anyone got an idea how are they connected?