Guitarnut Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I'm looking for a footswitch for my BC30. I've seen that the switch for the SoCal also works on the BC30 but damned if I can find either in stock anywhere. I'm to the point I could buy a third party switch or wire up my own. Anyone know the switch and wiring config? Is it just as simple as 2 on/off switches and a TRS plug? What 3rd party or other brand switches would work for me? Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I'm looking for a footswitch for my BC30. I've seen that the switch for the SoCal also works on the BC30 but damned if I can find either in stock anywhere. I'm to the point I could buy a third party switch or wire up my own. Anyone know the switch and wiring config? Is it just as simple as 2 on/off switches and a TRS plug? What 3rd party or other brand switches would work for me? Peace, Mark Where abouts on the planet are you? With no location on your profile it's difficult to recommend sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarnut Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 Where abouts on the planet are you? With no location on your profile it's difficult to recommend sources. I'm in the US. Indiana, specifically. I've seen the switch listed in the UK but figured I could find a substitute here in the States cheaper...maybe even build a custom switch myself. I have the schematic but I'm not sure how to interpret it. Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Hi Mark If you'd been in the UK I could have pointed you at a few sources - sorry can't help in this instance. I've noticed that it does look identical to the Marshall Two Button footswitch so maybe someone will be able to say if that would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuse Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 Hey Mark - I could be wrong, but doesn't the schematic look like it is just a 1/4" TRS jack? Can you try a generic foot switch at a local music store? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 When I bought my BC30, the store didn't have any Epi foorswitches. They did, however, have a Vox 2-button switch. We plugged it in to test, and it works perfectly --- the left button switches channels and the right turns the reverb on and off. I suspect a Fender switch would work fine too --- just test with your amp to make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobG Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 When I bought my BC30, the store didn't have any Epi foorswitches. They did, however, have a Vox 2-button switch. We plugged it in to test, and it works perfectly --- the left button switches channels and the right turns the reverb on and off. I suspect a Fender switch would work fine too --- just test with your amp to make sure. Bought mine from Sweetwater. Don't see it popping up on their website ans MF says it's discontinued. Might want to give Sweetwater a call...maybe they can help you out? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeks Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 What i'd do to determine proper wiring of plug to match that amp jack: 1.) Insert plug only without the screw-on cover, so you can touch the three solder terminals with a 'test wire'. 2.) The test wire is a jumper wire with two alligator clips... with one gater clip on each end of short test jumper wire. Now, CONNECT ONE GATOR CLIP to the GROUND TERMINAL of the PLUG (Main FRAME of the plug). 3.) Take the remaining GATOR CLIP of the test wire and briefly (momentarily) TOUCH one of the two OTHER SOLDER TERMINALS with the clip.... 4.) When briefly TOUCHING the terminals: OBSERVE.... 'if what is supposed to happen... ...HAPPENS!' Wholla.... you have discovered HOW to wire the plug. The schematic shows that the plug will have voltages passing through it that power-up the relay coils. WRITE IT DOWN ON PAPER after you wire it, so you can wire another if need be without testing next time. Heck, i used a sewing-machine foot switch and even old cassette tape-recorder foot-switches on amps and Casio keyboards... once you know the wiring... anything can be used for a silly switch. CHEEKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuse Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 What i'd do to determine proper wiring of plug to match that amp jack: 1.) Insert plug only without the screw-on cover, so you can touch the three solder terminals with a 'test wire'. 2.) The test wire is a jumper wire with two alligator clips... with one gater clip on each end of short test jumper wire. Now, CONNECT ONE GATOR CLIP to the GROUND TERMINAL of the PLUG (Main FRAME of the plug). 3.) Take the remaining GATOR CLIP of the test wire and briefly (momentarily) TOUCH one of the two OTHER SOLDER TERMINALS with the clip.... Can you explain to me.....what happens at node #3 and node #4 of the jack? It looks like #3 is not connected to anything.....? So I am not sure I understand how anything gets turned On/Off with that part of the switch. Thank You 4.) When briefly TOUCHING the terminals: OBSERVE.... 'if what is supposed to happen... ...HAPPENS!' Wholla.... you have discovered HOW to wire the plug. The schematic shows that the plug will have voltages passing through it that power-up the relay coils. WRITE IT DOWN ON PAPER after you wire it, so you can wire another if need be without testing next time. Heck, i used a sewing-machine foot switch and even old cassette tape-recorder foot-switches on amps and Casio keyboards... once you know the wiring... anything can be used for a silly switch. CHEEKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarnut Posted September 12, 2010 Author Share Posted September 12, 2010 What i'd do to determine proper wiring of plug to match that amp jack: 1.) Insert plug only without the screw-on cover, so you can touch the three solder terminals with a 'test wire'. 2.) The test wire is a jumper wire with two alligator clips... with one gater clip on each end of short test jumper wire. Now, CONNECT ONE GATOR CLIP to the GROUND TERMINAL of the PLUG (Main FRAME of the plug). 3.) Take the remaining GATOR CLIP of the test wire and briefly (momentarily) TOUCH one of the two OTHER SOLDER TERMINALS with the clip.... 4.) When briefly TOUCHING the terminals: OBSERVE.... 'if what is supposed to happen... ...HAPPENS!' Wholla.... you have discovered HOW to wire the plug. The schematic shows that the plug will have voltages passing through it that power-up the relay coils. WRITE IT DOWN ON PAPER after you wire it, so you can wire another if need be without testing next time. Heck, i used a sewing-machine foot switch and even old cassette tape-recorder foot-switches on amps and Casio keyboards... once you know the wiring... anything can be used for a silly switch. CHEEKS Thanks Cheeks. That's a great idea. I'll give it a try. I'm thinking that a standard 2 switch pedal is all I need. Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjlewis22 Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 After searching the net forever only to be stone-walled at every merchant who could have possibly had a footswitch, I gave up and sort of made my own. On the BC30, connecting the tip to to the sleeve (ground) will switch to the clean channel, which I determined by the method Cheeks described. Connecting the ring to the sleeve turns the reverb off. I had an old 1-button footswitch laying in a box. I dont really turn the reverb off so 1 button will get the job done. Being a 1-button, it had a mono jack which would have killed the reverb by default. So my first attempt was to tape over the area of the jack that would be the ring. Well, once I put the jack condom on it didnt fit in the hole anymore...I guess I'd never run into that problem before for obvious reasons... Anyway I had half of a stereo cable laying around so I just soldered that to the footswich wires and left the ring wire unconnected. Problem solved. I cant turn off the reverb but it changes channels perfectly. If I wasnt so lazy, I could build a proper footswitch with LEDs using 2 stomp-switches, I think. I think it would look like this: I dont guarantee that would work, but thats what I'd try first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeks Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 Quote from FUSE: Can you explain to me.....what happens at node #3 and node #4 of the jack? It looks like #3 is not connected to anything.....? So I am not sure I understand how anything gets turned On/Off with that part of the switch. Thank You Well, you are correct.... Lug 4 is just a 'contact' and lug 3 is indeed going nowhere. Typical switching wiring in circuits requires a 'common ground' and switching means you need more than one item TO SWITCH. Therefore, you would require at least 2 HOT WIRES TO SWITCH and BOTH would use the COMMON GROUND (both share the same ground). Now, IF you stare at the schematic long enough, and start to mentally trace the wiring... including the SHARED GROUND... things should start popping in your brain... Pins 1 & 2 are ALL GROUNDING... the other two pins 4 & 5 would be the actual HOT switching wires I'd say... BECAUSE... AFTER THE PLUG IS INSERTED... pins 4 & 5 would do their magic ! Pin 4 always at the ready... pin 5 would be released from contact FROM pin 6. CHEEKS ps - I use terms like: pin, terminal, lug, they are all solder terminals. All the same thing... (to me anyway...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefrs Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 The Laney 2-button foot switch works perfectly (that's what I use). So I'd imagine the common Marshall one would too. No LED or resistors involved - just two switches wired to a stereo jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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