New (broken) pedal day!

[Arpeggiator]

Haha, great! Because it needed more black

[Arpeggiator]

That dodgy solder joint (circled in yellow above) is on C12... if there is a problem with that joint, it could definitely affect the LFO.

I just resoldered it, no change. At least that means that I can work a soldering iron

[laurie]

Haha, great! Because it needed more black

Yeah. Really

[laurie]

I just resoldered it, no change. At least that means that I can work a soldering iron

If you need the service notes, private message me with your email address.

The LFO cap is the next likely culprit.

Do you have access to a scope? If not they are quite cheap for a basic one on Amazon.

[Arpeggiator]

Thanks, Laurie. I just sent you a PM.

Might be a good reason to finally get a scope, after all.

[laurie]

I'd change the 15uF tantalum first. See if that helps?

[fuzzbuzzfuzz]

This one arrived yesterday as a "junk" purchase on the basis of the output jack being dodgy. I have others but as this was rare and I recall liking the sound I though "snap it up".

Plugged in to test, what a great sound, right up my alley, crisp focused drive with a soft edge. But of course, the jack kept cutting out and the "Check" LED didn't light up.

Over to the workbench in the cold, shuffled through all my spare jacks. Of course, this size (Japanese?) is a narrower diameter than say Switchcraft, or common type on most western pedals, how frustrating!  And also of a particular type. (Shield emerges as a tab on the top). Found a sub in the parts bin, fiddled and swore as I replaced and resoldered the ground connections across (that pesky one hard wire they've threaded through all the parts - ouch. 

And volia.... ground noise! urgh. I took the whole thing apart, ripped out the LED and went to bed annoyed!     :oops: 

So it's probably because my sub jack is an old part and not a good one, and I need to redo the ground wire more carefully. But part of me thinks go the whole hog and true bypass LED the sucker, since it's already rather "vintage" and worn. Hmm? 

As a side note I despise those plastic "box" jacks, they - and DC input jacks - are the most common breakage point on many of the Japanese pedals, and having to bore out the side holes to accommodate standard jacks is a massive pain. Not only that but they seem to come in a confusing array of types and configurations. Plastic jacks, plastic connectors....no thank you! 

*On the other hand I should be grateful for the "junk" I have bought and revived because of those pesky things!

** I have a Maxon CS-505 with the same issue that I have yet to finish..oh time where art thou?!

[Pepe]

I had left the old jack inside. I have never had a reason to replace a single jack in the last years (only the three uncommon ones of a vintage Marshall Guv'nor, because the plastic threads were worn out).

I had taken my trumpet mouthpiece brush and isopropyl alcohol and swirled it inside the jack. In the case of the over 55-year-old Schaller Fuzz that wasn't completely sufficient, so I put the alcohol on the plug of a 30cm patch cable, plugged it in the jack and waved the pedal so that the cable swirled in high frequency for many dozen times. That worked wonders.

[laurie]

Those jacks look somewhat standard... I'm sure I have something like them. Maybe Switchcraft 112 or 113?

[fuzzbuzzfuzz]

I had left the old jack inside. I have never had a reason to replace a single jack in the last years (only the three uncommon ones of a vintage Marshall Guv'nor, because the plastic threads were worn out).

I had taken my trumpet mouthpiece brush and isopropyl alcohol and swirled it inside the jack. In the case of the over 55-year-old Schaller Fuzz that wasn't completely sufficient, so I put the alcohol on the plug of a 30cm patch cable, plugged it in the jack and waved the pedal so that the cable swirled in high frequency for many dozen times. That worked wonders.

Whether by manufacturing or type those jacks simply break/fracture/disintegrate (those in Japanese pedals). Usually the tip. Metal > plastic. Hence the need to replace. In the lower picture the greenish looking metal part, the plastic is missing, that's the part that has fractured and fallen to bits.

To be fair they are almost 50 years old!

The diameter is smaller than Switchcraft or those found on common pedals or replacements. I have purchased some in the past that have the correct diameter - of the plastic box type - however the layout of the tip/sleeve etc. is different, so I'm usually studying them for an age trying to determine the correct wiring. I much prefer the metal type for ruggedness.