Shoutbox

sysmalakian: Birthday month starts now!
362 days ago

diceophonic: Vampiro Classics 2024 reissue
343 days ago

SabedLeepski: Sunburn Surf Fest for some scorching hot surf music: https://sunb...
300 days ago

skeeter: I know a Polish sound guy.
228 days ago

skeeter: I know a Czech one too!
228 days ago

PatGall: Surfybear metal settings
148 days ago

Pyronauts: Happy Tanks-Kicking!
126 days ago

midwestsurfguy: Merry Christmas!
95 days ago

sysmalakian: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
88 days ago

SabedLeepski: Surfin‘ Europe, for surf (related) gigs and events in Europe Big Razz https://sunb...
49 days ago

Please login or register to shout.

Current Polls

No polls at this time. Check out our past polls.

Current Contests

No contests at this time. Check out our past contests.

Donations

Help us meet our monthly goal:

100%

100%

Donate Now

Cake March Birthdays Cake
SG101 Banner

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Need Technical expertise...

New Topic
Page 1 of 1

Hey everybody… A question for you all. I have the tonemaster deluxe reverb. I love it! Now for the technical question… I would like to rig up a foot switch for the tremolo only. I never turn the reverb off (why would you! Right!) And I have an ocd type aversion to looking at a button I never use! I know... we all have our version of crazy. That’s why we play music... so the regular humans can’t see it! Any help at all would be appreciated. I’m kind of a Luddite technically speaking, so don’t be afraid to be really basic. Thanks in advance!

www.instagram.com/_the.outer.limits_
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX7iIpcAvL8In2HY9I7QoPw
www.theouterlimits.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/vertigogo.surf

Not the answer you're looking for I suspect, but i think taking it to a tech for the mod would be the best solution. Taking into account the time, stress, potential damage you could do, it's probably the most cost effective solution.

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

Could you post a pic of the back of the amp where the footswitch plugs in?

I just looked it up and found it's a 1/4 jack, so it would use a tip-ring-sleeve 1/4" plug. So the big question is which wire controls the vibrato. What I would do first is get a basic one button switch and plug it in and see if it controls the vibrato (that would be if the signal goes through the tip) and doesn't change the reverb. It's possible that you could just keep using that as is, as long as it keeps the reverb on.

So what I would do next is get a cable with a TRS jack on one end and exposed wires on the other (like a stereo headphone cable), then try out the three different ways to combine three wires to see which two turn the vibrato on/off. You can do this safely by taping two wires together and then plug into the amp before turning the amp on.

Once you've identified the right two wires, tape the other one off with electrical tape, and then wire those two wires into your one button switch.

So cool. Thanks. I had a similar idea, really appreciate the feedback.

www.instagram.com/_the.outer.limits_
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX7iIpcAvL8In2HY9I7QoPw
www.theouterlimits.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/vertigogo.surf

I realise I’m late to the party but I only just saw this post. I just tried a couple different switches on my tonemaster. First I tried a two button switch off a deluxe reissue which works but must be wired reverse to the tonemaster as the reverb is turned on with the vib switch. Using a single button switch off a blues jnr I was expecting it to turn off one of the effects but it seems to control both?!? For me I don’t use either on the amp just found it interesting.

Most likely the sleeve is ground. Ya got two other choices. Try one, see what it does and you'll either get reverb or tremolo.

On Most Fender amp foot switches, the reverb activation conductor is shielded.

Ed

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

Do you have access to an older contemporary style foot switch? If one of those works, I'd see how big the guts are. If you can fit it all, you could buy a vintage style single button footswitch and install the modern parts in it, hiding the reverb one inside.

Edit: I asked about the older contemporary switch because they're $20, and it would cost twice as much to buy and hack up a TM switch.

Neptune Trojans

Last edited: Feb 09, 2021 23:08:30

I'm going to follow up because I was digging around this morning and it looks like the footswitch only uses a TS cable. Since that's the case AND it's got LEDs, there's some kind of fancy stuff going through that cable.

I think your best bet (though expensive) it to try to rehouse a genuine TM footswitch and to hide the vibrato switch and (if you have to) the LEDs inside the new housing. Still not sure what it will fit in, though, because I haven't taken apart my TM footswitch.

Neptune Trojans

Page 1 of 1
Top