building a footswitch for turninig the distirtion on the amp

[tabber]

hello.
i am really new here.
i have a nice amplifier with distortion in it.
is was wondering if anyone could help me know how to build a footswitch that will turn the distortion on my amp and shut it down.
something like fender sells:
http://www.fenderusa.com/store/enter.php?department=bitsnpieces_ampfootswitches&product=0994052000

anyone?

thanks
tabber

[petemoore]

  It could be you have a Stereo Jack for switching in the back of the amp and no pedal to go with it...usually these amps have an alternate 'voltage to ground' switch on the front of the amp so the channels can be switched and selected without having the footswitch.
  Often what it is is just a sleeve of Stereo jack that is ground, then when the tip is connected to the sleeve you get 'other side' [channel 2 switches back to channel 1 or vice versa] [or reverb goes on or off]. These are easy to wire like that and simply cant' be messed up....either the ground connection is made and it works or it isn't and it doesn't..

[The Tone God]

Fender almost always puts the schematic for the footswitch on the amp schematic so go find the schematic and build the footswitch from that.

Andrew

[AzzR]

I built a footswitch for my fender FM65R and it works fine. To if you want to test to see if this design works works with your amp (as long as your amp is only a single channel footswitch) plu your lead into the foorswitch jack and connect the tip and the sleeve. If the channel switches then hook it up to a stompswitch and off you go.

Dream

[tabber]

Thank you all guys!
i built the switch according to your explanations.
it works great!
all i need to do now is to build a proper solid BOX to put it in.

interesting thing though:
On my Laney TF50 Amp, in order for the switch to work, the distortion button on the amp must be turned on, and the footswitch can turn it off.
On my Fender FM25R, the distortion button on the amp itself has to be off, and the footswitch can turn it on.

thanks again guys
Tabber