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Ferenc,
> I can't stand the fact that the jacks are wired
> to the circuit board instead of the unit shell.
> This has been the point of failure for both units
> now. Stupid engineering-- the unit has a heavy
> duty shell, but why did they bother?
I've got one word for you - cost.
Manufacturers long ago stopped using quality jacks
such as those made by Switchcraft. As far as I can
tell, Marshall was the first to use plastic 'import'
jacks that mounted directly on the circuit board.
(But I really could be wrong - that's just where I
first saw them, that's all.) Anyway, even though
these new jacks all failed miserably, they were so
much cheaper that they continued to be used, and are
still used today.
Consider: a plastic jack from Taiwan (or other Asian
country) might cost a builder 15 to 20 cents per unit,
in lots of 1,000. The cheapest Switchcraft jack you
can purchase right now, in lots of 1,000, is $1.29 - each!
But wait, it gets better: he not only saves money on the
raw parts, but he also saves even more due to not having
to pay someone to solder individual wires from a circuit
board to said jacks. Such a deal!
Now, put yourself in the position of a electronic gizmo
builder. Do you use the more expensive part and avoid
repairs (and sustain customer satisfaction), or do you
use the cheap stuff, fund most (but not all!) of those
pesky warranty claims that come in, and whistle all the
way to the bank? That's right, you got it the first time.
FWIW, about 40% of all my work over the last 8 years or
so has been jack related. It doesn't matter who made
the item, if it has plastic jacks, their gonna fail,
you can make book with Jimmy the Greek on that one. <g>
I often suggest replacing the bad part with an upgrade,
if there's space available to put in the panel-type
jacks. More than half my customers have made the switch,
you can guess why.
So it was a looooong word, sorry. <g>
unlunf
--- In , Ferenc Dobronyi <ferencnd@y...> wrote:
>
> While we are talking about effects, or fuzzes anyway,
> I have a question about delays. My second Danelectro
> delay went down right before a show last Friday, and I
> will not be buying another, despite the fact that is
> is a great sounding unit. I can't stand the fact that
> the jacks are wired to the circuit board instead of
> the unit shell. This has been the point of failure for
> both units now. Stupid engineering-- the unit has a
> heavy duty shell, but why did they bother?
> The feature I am really looking for is the high end
> roll of that gives a delay the analog sound, so I am
> wondering what other people are using. No I don't want
> to carry my echoplex around, just too fragile. Ivan,
> weren't you using an Akai Headrush for a while?
> Thanks,
> ferenc
>
