Amp Footpedal

[12milluz]

So I have this Fender Frontman 15G pratice amp. SO there is this little button for to activate the overdrive. The problem is, it is really small and inbetween knobs, so when I want to switch from clean to OD mid song, i cant tap it with my foot. So I want to make an external pedal. I know this is simple, but is there anything I should know before hand?

[Pushtone]

I had a look at the owners manual and it doesn't list a FS input.
I googled image searched it and I have seen the rear panel, it does not have one.

So I don't consider this "simple" since you will have to remove the amp's PCB from the chassis and start de-soldering/jumping off the PCB.
But I'm afraid it gets worse than that.

I feel the low cost of that amp means the switch is the type that audio passes through.
If it were a relay or opticoupler type system Fender would have provided a FW jack.

If there is audio going through the switch that would be bad news because the audio would have to travel out to your external footswitch and back, which could open the signal up to, extra resistance and capacitance as well as RFI.

I would also audio probe it first to see it there is audio at the switch pads. If not , then...
I guess I would would get it all taken apart and solder/alligator clip some test wires onto the switch pads.
Then try shorting the wires together to see if they switch channels.



You know.... (alternative suggestion coming your way)

Many DIY distortion/OD pedals sound way better that what Fender has ever produced.
Build a distortion pedal and set the amp to it's clean sound.
Then stomp away.

Or get an amp with a FS jack.

[12milluz]

Well, it does seem much harder now, but I do understand what you are saying. I guess I'm just gonna make myself a simple Electra distortion.

[CGDARK]

I took a look at the schematic and the front panel selector (a DPDT) switch between two audio signals so it would not be practical to build a footswitch, because "the audio would have to travel out to your external footswitch and back" as Pushtone said. If you really want a footswitch you can add a dpdt relay or a pair of optos to the circuit, but that's is a little more complcated.

CG