Stupid question - stereo jacks

[JustinFun]

Ok, it's late and I should be asleep and I'm assuming as no one else has questioned this you're right, but I don't get it...

Downside, Certain pedals would always have to be first and have the initial power

any pedals that were first would not be able to have the stereo power on the input as a guitar would short their connections to ground.

Which also results in if you had specific pedals you changed in front of your chain, Dirt then Booster or vice versa. You could not flip flip since the inputs wouldn't have the 9 v connection.

Than if you say did have a mono input and stereo output the next pedal would HAVE to be setup to have stereo power input.

Basically you could never change the order of your first pedal without building a "later in chain version with passthrough power" and a "First in Chain"

Surely the order doesn't matter? So long as one of the pedals has +9v on the ring, you have +9v on all the ring connections (so long as you use stereo cables throughout). Similarly, why would a guitar input to the first pedal short the power to ground? So long as you use a stereo cable on the guitar the ring shouldn't be grounded (unless your guitar has a fairly esoteric jack socket)? You would have to use stereo sockets for input and output, and run a lead connecting both rings, but if you did that, and used stereo leads throughout, i can't see the problem (that said  I am quite tired...)

[peterg]

I concur that: a) there is a catch, and b) you don't get something for nothing.

Waaaaaayyyyyyy back in the old days, someone had a little piece in POLYPHONY, maybe around 1982 or 1982, about something he did with his MXR pedals.  I've described it here before, but its been a few years, so I'll describe it again.  Essentially, he removed the output jack from some of them, took the retaining nut off the input jack, slipped the threaded part through the hole where the output jack used to be, and then put the retaining nut on the inside of the first pedal, such that the input jack physically joined pedal 1 & 2.

IF one was to use a series of 1590A, or B, or BB, or whatever, AND you drill the jack holes at the exact same height for all of them, then one could do the same thing that fellow did for his MXR (1590B-based) pedals.

Obviously ONE of the pedals has to have somewhere to insert power into the constellation, but it would be solid, compact, and wouldn't need cables.

I'm having trouble picturing this... with the non-parallel sides of the Hammonds you'd end up with a circle/hoop of side by side pedals, what am i missing here?
dave

That sounds cool? If you put the switches, knobs, etc on the lid then all the controls would be on the outside off the wheel. You could create spokes and a hub and spill it around until you find the pedal you need! Kidding of course. Or am I?

[Mark Hammer]

I'm having trouble picturing this... with the non-parallel sides of the Hammonds you'd end up with a circle/hoop of side by side pedals, what am i missing here?
dave

Maybe what we're both missing is that MXR used Eddystone, rather than Hammond boxes.  And though their dimensions are near identical, perhaps the sides of the Eddystones met more flush than Hammonds?

[davent]

That's what i was wondering, never handled an MXR so i can only assume sides were parallel, in that case there's also the double ended offset  jacks that could be employed to build up a fairly solid string pedals.
dave

[Mark Hammer]

Alternatively, a soft washer between the sides of the boxes could accommodate any discrepancies in how straight the sides are.

[pappasmurfsharem]

Ok, it's late and I should be asleep and I'm assuming as no one else has questioned this you're right, but I don't get it...

Downside, Certain pedals would always have to be first and have the initial power

any pedals that were first would not be able to have the stereo power on the input as a guitar would short their connections to ground.

Which also results in if you had specific pedals you changed in front of your chain, Dirt then Booster or vice versa. You could not flip flip since the inputs wouldn't have the 9 v connection.

Than if you say did have a mono input and stereo output the next pedal would HAVE to be setup to have stereo power input.

Basically you could never change the order of your first pedal without building a "later in chain version with passthrough power" and a "First in Chain"

Surely the order doesn't matter? So long as one of the pedals has +9v on the ring, you have +9v on all the ring connections (so long as you use stereo cables throughout). Similarly, why would a guitar input to the first pedal short the power to ground? So long as you use a stereo cable on the guitar the ring shouldn't be grounded (unless your guitar has a fairly esoteric jack socket)? You would have to use stereo sockets for input and output, and run a lead connecting both rings, but if you did that, and used stereo leads throughout, i can't see the problem (that said  I am quite tired...)

Well you would have to plug a stereo cable from your guitar in to the input at that point order wouldn't matter. But if you used a mono cable from guitar to the first pedal in the chain the sleeve would connect the GND (Sleeve) and 9V(Ring). you would also need to run a stereo cable to your amp. The only decent stereo 1/4" cables I ussually come by with decent length are mogami and they are EXPEEEENSEEEV