Page 1 of 2

Pedal repair

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 1:45 pm
by kicker_of_elves
I have an OG Sovtek Big Muff with a busted footswitch that I'm finding impossible to get fixed. I had a guy who does some pretty neat custom builds take a whack at it, and he is throwing in the towel after a few months of trying to get a replacement switch or components to rebuild what's there. Does anybody have a recommend of a good pedal person? The wiring is all still intact, it's just the footswitch that is janked up and proving hard to work with.

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 3:18 pm
by Dr Tony Balls
You likely wont find a replacement for that switch, at least without cannibalizing another unit. Best to go with a more standard stomp switch and some kind of washer arrangement to accommodate the larger hole.

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2022 12:58 pm
by brownreasontolive
Unfortunately I've only seen these repaired one way - stealing the switch from a green Small Stone.
sadface

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2022 8:48 pm
by numberthirty
brownreasontolive wrote: Fri Jul 08, 2022 12:58 pm Unfortunately I've only seen these repaired one way - stealing the switch from a green Small Stone.
sadface
Thinking it over, it would seem like there must be some "Non-Functional..." units from that era on E-Bay with a switch that worked.

Past that, accounting for that there is someone with some pedal know-how in the picture...

Is there a reason not to just rehouse it if it is otherwise in solid shape?

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 8:01 am
by Dr Tony Balls
numberthirty wrote: Fri Jul 08, 2022 8:48 pm Is there a reason not to just rehouse it if it is otherwise in solid shape?
in my opinion there's no point to this. Its a vintage pedal that is worth ~$500, I wouldnt just scrap the housing to re-house it for use. There are plenty of other options that one could buy or have made that will sound identical, so i'd say that saving the functionality is not that important. Its more about saving the whole unit, in the most non-destructive way possible. I'd replace the switch with a more standard one, which would require use of a few washers to get it secure in the much larger hole of the mounting plate. I'd also save the original broken switch that way if it ever gets sold it comes with the original part. I'm sure one *could* re-use the original switch cap on a modern switch but it might be a lot of work to figure out.

Image

Image

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:45 pm
by Frankie99
Yeah, for regular use I’d also think Tony’s rec is the best way to go.

If you’re wanting perfect preservation as close to the original, you are prolly gonna have to cannibalize another unit, that’s is likely the only way.

I have a functioning one like this, but I’ve never jived with the sound. It’s good for A super mushy distorted sound, but there’s no clarity to it at all. It just kind of turns everything into a mess. I think I just need some one to go through it and clean it up or something.

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 9:41 am
by tommy
Here's maybe a replacement.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/223717949773

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 9:47 am
by Teacher's Pet
This popped up in an email I got yesterday and reminded me of this thread.
It's not a replacement but it could maybe come in handy?

I'm curious, what's special about this washer, is it just a snug fit for the switch? Or is it color/material?
Or is there nothing special about this washer?

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 10:09 am
by Nate Dort
There's nothing special about that washer, other than its size, i.e. the ratio of the outer diameter to the inner diameter is larger than a typical washer. You might refer to those as a "fender washer," not named after Leo, but because they are/were commonly used on car fenders.

They're useful if you happen to drill your switch hole too big when you're DIYing a pedal. Or for purely cosmetic reasons.

Re: Pedal repair

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:58 pm
by TylerDeadPine
Here's a switch, don't know why you would have a problem with it
Image