B
Badfinger
New member
Good Day. I’d like to offer this as a possible solution to problems any of you might be having with the Boss series of guitar/bass pedals.
I have owned the same Super Overdrive and Chorus pedals for more than 20 years now. They have served me well and still operate perfectly despite years of use.
However, about 10 years ago I started having problems with the Chorus. It would stop working completely or cut in and out when I stepped on it. I took it to a repairman who could not get it to malfunction, and even took it apart and checked the components. Everything checked out fine. The next time I used it I had the same problems so I decided to take it apart myself and have a look.
That’s when I noticed there is a thin sheet of plastic between the circuit board on the bottom and the bottom plate of the metal case. Presumably, this is there to keep the circuit board insulated form the case. However, I noticed the plastic sheet was perforated in many places, and then it hit me: after years of stomping on by my size 14 foot, the pedal had acquired a certain amount of flex, and the circuit board had punched some holes through the plastic, resulting in the board shorting out against the bottom of the case. What made it so hard to diagnose was the fact that this did not happen when the pedal was activated by hand on the technician’s workbench; it only happened when the full weight of the foot was upon it.
The solution was simple: A strip or two of duct tape on the inside of the case bottom. Be sure to trim it well so it doesn’t interfere with the secure replacement of the bottom. I have never had a problem with this pedal since. It might even be something you would want to do as a preventive measure. For all I know the newer pedals have addressed this problem; I still use the 20+ year old ones.
I hope this has been helpful to somebody.
I have owned the same Super Overdrive and Chorus pedals for more than 20 years now. They have served me well and still operate perfectly despite years of use.
However, about 10 years ago I started having problems with the Chorus. It would stop working completely or cut in and out when I stepped on it. I took it to a repairman who could not get it to malfunction, and even took it apart and checked the components. Everything checked out fine. The next time I used it I had the same problems so I decided to take it apart myself and have a look.
That’s when I noticed there is a thin sheet of plastic between the circuit board on the bottom and the bottom plate of the metal case. Presumably, this is there to keep the circuit board insulated form the case. However, I noticed the plastic sheet was perforated in many places, and then it hit me: after years of stomping on by my size 14 foot, the pedal had acquired a certain amount of flex, and the circuit board had punched some holes through the plastic, resulting in the board shorting out against the bottom of the case. What made it so hard to diagnose was the fact that this did not happen when the pedal was activated by hand on the technician’s workbench; it only happened when the full weight of the foot was upon it.
The solution was simple: A strip or two of duct tape on the inside of the case bottom. Be sure to trim it well so it doesn’t interfere with the secure replacement of the bottom. I have never had a problem with this pedal since. It might even be something you would want to do as a preventive measure. For all I know the newer pedals have addressed this problem; I still use the 20+ year old ones.
I hope this has been helpful to somebody.
