footswitch for Boss pedals

[Greg M.]

does anyone know where I could find a replacement footswitch for a Boss pedal--specifically CS-3?  I have a workable one in it but sometimes I have to step on it twice to get it to work.  Thanks

[Impaler]

Small Bear Electronics has them. Order online here

http://www.smallbearelec.com

[phillip]

Small Bear Electronics has them:

www.smallbearelec.com

They're listed in the "Switches For Bypass and Control" section of the stock page as "SMK Switch" and they're only $1.75 each...it's almost worth buying a couple to have around just in case.

Phillip

[smoguzbenjamin]

You could also try ripping apart an old computer keyboard. Loads of SPST momentary switches in there!

[Mark Hammer]

Note that the momentary footswitch for just about ANY stompbox that uses CMOS-based or FET-based switching DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LOCATED IN THE PEDAL ITSELF.  All the switch does is ground a contact.  If you can direct that contact outside the box to a remote switch, and assure that the switch is connected to the same ground as the pedal, you can use any sort of switch you want, just about anywhere you want.  Hell, for that matter you could use a bloody mercury switch, mounted on the guitar body that turned your fuzz on and when you rhythmically tilted your guitar up and down à la Judas Priest, or built into a headband that enabled a flanger as you bobbed your head up and down like Andrew WK (although that's a little fast if you ask me), or you could have a bunch of lowprofile membrane switches mounted on the guitar itself and thin gauge multi-conductor cable tie-wrapped to the guitar cable, or you could run a multi-conductor cable off to the side and have a sound-guy do your pedal switching for you.  

The possibilities are endless.  All you'd need to do is drill a small hole in the side of the pedal for a mini phone jack (earphone size) and run leads from the contacts at the bottom of the switch to the jack lugs, making sure to keep the ground connection as ground.  From there you can route the switching connections with a patch cable or make yourself a "snake" with a bunch of mini phone plugs at the end.  There is generally enough room inside such pedals for a wee jack like that and as long as it is done neatly I can't see it detracting from the resale value of the pedal.

[Ansil]

did you know a TPDT switch will fit nicely in a boss pedal.  TRUE bypass :)

[kroushl]

Holy shit, Mark, you kinda went off on that one A little excited?

heheheh

Later,
Brad

[smoguzbenjamin]

I think if you wanted a 3PDT switch in a boss would mean drilling, and killing the aesthetics of the BOSS The BOSS switching scheme isn't that bad on tone sucking.

[petemoore]

Old AMC motorcars used a mercury switch for the hood and trunk lights.
 Nice littel switches...perfect for that Gooseneck, just below dashboard level light...auto switched when you tilt it!!!

[Mark Hammer]

Brad,

Too much friggin coffee I guess.  About 3 years ago I was off for 2nd language training just across the street from the patent office.  Just as well I'm not there today, eh? :wink:

Seriously, though, the simplicity of the switching scheme used in many commercial boxes is truly underexploited.  We get so used to seeing them there all lined up in a row on the ground, with their treadles side by side and those knobs just out of reach, that we think it HAS to be that way.

It doesn't.  Rise up and free yourselves!  Buy a hunk of electrical channeling from Home Depot, and a bunch of doorbell switches and make yourself a remote switching box.

What IF you had the controls of some of your favourite pedals at waist height?  Even more importantly, what controls would you add on if you knew in advance you could have them at waist (or chest) height?

(Oops, coffee's working again....settle down Hammer, settle down, easy big fella)

[Ansil]

I think if you wanted a 3PDT switch in a boss would mean drilling, and killing the aesthetics of the BOSS ;) The BOSS switching scheme isn't that bad on tone sucking.

no it fits just fine under the foot pad there ben where the old switch was..  just like i said. :lol:

[toneman]

And..........................
...............................
U know U can get the sw from the maker---
BOSS/RolandUS.
they're in L.A.
i know that's where i get pedal & G-synth schematics.

staytuned
tone

[niftydog]

switching scheme used in many commercial boxes is truly underexploited

funny how obvious ideas need some encouragement from time to time...

you're giving me dangerous ideas here Mark.

I'm picturing a PIC controled switching and routing system that you could program with sequences and "set ups".

It could switch pedals on and off for you, or re-route your signal for you.. all on the fly via a bank of momentary switches...

Like a multieffects unit does, but rather than being all inside a DSP chip, it uses REAL pedals instead of software!

Then, you could get REALLY crazy.  There's such a thing as a "digital potentiometer" chip.  Replace all your pots with these and WHAMMO!  The mind boggles...

Hmm... I need a final project for my engineering degree too... I wonder...

[Hal]

back to the origional question - my CE-2 sometimes didn't switch right, like I'd have to hit is a couple of times.  It turned out not to be the switch, but the little rubber thing abound the thumb screw was missing.  I took my from my DS-1 and now it switches fine.  (its in my rig, the DS-1 Isn't).  

just a thought.

[will]

The BOSS switching scheme isn't that bad on tone sucking.

Except when your battery dies.  We were doing a concert for about 150 people a month ago and our rhythm guitarist sound just died out in the middle of a song. It took him about 15 min to find out his BOSS CE-5 chorus which was turned off at the time was not letting signal pass to his amp. Boss effects are always on. His tongue testing of battery strength is not very good.

Regards,
Will

[Mark Hammer]

Quick recap:

Pros of solid-state switching w/buffers:  cheap switches w/long functional life, quiet, expandable, remote switching capabilities, guarantee of low impedance presented to next device in line

Cons of solid-state switching w/buffers: always "on" so cumulative noise and bandwidth loss as number of devices increases, no way of sidestepping power loss issues

Pros of hard-wire switches: positive feel, complete dissociation from circuit so no cumulative hiss or bandwidth loss, easy to install, guaranteed quality bypass signal in spite of power issues

Cons of hard-wire switches:  output impedance issues of preceding device passed on to next device, limited in number of simultaneous switching actions, cannot be situated remotely or easily slaved to secondary switching device, not cheap, takes more internal space.

[smoguzbenjamin]

I use a wallwart, boss pedals have protection against ground loops

Ansil, good call on the 3PDT switches whenever one of my boss pedals dies I'll try that :mrgreen:

[jplaudio]

I use a wallwart, boss pedals have protection against ground loops
/quote]

what?  :?:  protection?

[smoguzbenjamin]

A ground loop causes hum, right? What boss does (I believe) is have a diode in series with the -power pin so current can't go in the pedal through the ground part of the DC jack, therefore stopping ground loops which cause hum.

[phillip]

The newer Boss pedals don't have the resistor and diode in series with the negative connection of the DC power jack anymore.  (At least the SD-1 and DS-1 don't have them anymore.)  Now they're replaced with jumper wires.  I guess those two parts constituted too much of a power loss or something...or maybe they're trying to save a few cents per pedal

I've become a huge fan of the Boss JFET switching...those two buffers are great.  The only bad thing is that they'll eat batteries like nobody's business, but I've started using the DC adapter all the time now, so that's no big deal.  The guy who came up with the JFET switching was a friggin' genius  

Phillip