OCD solved ..... NOT !!!

[Fret Wire]

Those switchcraft jacks ? I consider those far more reliable then the waffer body open frame jacks most people use.

I consider the opposite true. I use both types of Switchcrafts depending on the ckt board size and layout, and I prefer the open frame 11's & 12's for reliability. Their track record is proven. Most of my 25-50 yr old amps still have their original open frame jacks, needing nothing more than just a good Deoxit cleaning. Just my 2 cents.

I guess Fuller replaces the whole board. It might seem more expensive, but any low wage worker can replace it, as opposed to real ckt debugging, which would require more man-hours.

These OCD threads are boring and pointless, since there is no schematic, and no real discussion of the ckt's merits.

Personally I don't see anything special in this thread except maybe its abilty to start another flame war. Move along folks. Nothing to see here.

Folks will still discuss this as they please, unless the moderators say otherwise, so passing on the thread is still the best option. And the last couple of OCD threads did not have any flame wars, an improvement over the first couple.

At least this thread doesn't have the jealous line "Fuller's soundclips sound good because of all his exotic gear". Someone said that on a previous OCD thread. That was embarassing, IMHO. Since when is an LP, Strat, and Fender/Marshall amps exotic equipment? Fuller's soundclips sound good because he can play well, and did enough session work to know his way around mike placement and recording techniques.

Sooner or later someone will trace it out, and everyone will build clones. Then some will mod it to sound like every other distortion, and be real happy. Then a few will go over to H-C, claim they "cracked the secret", sell clones for $125, and in effect, become a mini-version of what they say they despise Fuller for. :wink:

Just my humble, sarcastic opinion.

[Doug_H]

I saw/heard an ocd and tube tape echo last weekend. The construction quality is stellar. Soundwise, nothing made me want to rush out and buy either one. But a) it was late in the afternoon and everything was starting to sound the same, b) I'm happy with my echo/distortion situation, and c) I don't have the $ for them anyway. I will say they both sounded good.

IMO he charges a fair price for a good product. AFAIC his history with Jack is none of my business.

It doesn't bother me if he wants to goop his stuff. I know a few builders, guys with the highest integrity and big hearts, good friends, people you would seek out whether they had anything to do with music electronics or not.  And they goop their stuff. Why? Because everyone and his brother is in the pedal market these days and cloning is a fact of life. No, gooping doesn't guarantee any security. But it can help slow down the "rip off and clone" process enough for someone to get a product out the door and recoup some of their costs before having to compete with someone else over their  own idea. Or at least it gives the builder a warm fuzzy feeling they are doing that, whether they actually are or not.

IMO these guys aren't worried about an "anti-goop backlash" from the diy community. The diy community is not their target market anyway.

Don't like it? First, thank the ripoff artists who have the builders all paranoid. Then, take what you have learned on  this board and apply it.  You would be surprised at what good sounds you can get from your own ideas. If you don't believe me, look at all the wonderful ideas that have already been submitted and shared by this community. Pretty soon you realize you don't really care what is in the latest Fuzzomatic 3000 pedal anyway.

Talk about what you want, but IMO it's time to move on to another subject.

Doug

[The Tone God]

I consider the opposite true. I use both types of Switchcrafts depending on the ckt board size and layout, and I prefer the open frame 11's & 12's for reliability. Their track record is proven. Most of my 25-50 yr old amps still have their original open frame jacks, needing nothing more than just a good Deoxit cleaning. Just my 2 cents.

The quality of those jacks I find are directly related to the waffer material. The fiber board that is used in alot of the older ones are good. The more modern hard plastic ones suck. The other factor is the threaded collar attachment. Some of the modern ones have a friction clamp/rivot type system that losens, moves, makes bad ground contact, etc. I personally can't trust the quality anymore. Way too many failures.

I never have had a failure of the black plastic switchcraft jacks. There are lower quality and imitation versions that are not as good but I don't use those.

Just my opinion.

Andrew

[Fret Wire]

I have experienced the waffer/collar attachment problems on immitation jacks. You're right, cheap materials/assembly does lead to failure. Also spring tension failure is a problem with cheap jacks. For all the techincal advances in metallurgy,  the proper heat treatment of leaf type springs is still much of an art.

[Melanhead]

hmmmm ... isn't this fun ... didn't mean stir anything up, just like a good mystery ... the only drag is this one may never be solved