Wanna look under some hoods?
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:55 pm
Hey dudes, I was reading that thread on HCFX about top mounted jacks and batteries and all that cool stuff and I thought maybe it would be cool to show how I do that and clear up any misconceptions about it. I didn't want to get into on HCFX, too many wankers there, (no offense to you awesome guys who frequent there!), but top mounted jacks aren't impossible or unreasonable or a compromise in terms of the circuit or the build or any dumb reason like that and they don't require smd components, although smd flippin rules. It takes a bit longer to wire a pedal like that but I think some pedal wiring schemes are worth the extra effort vs being able to throw a pedal together in less than a minute.
So here's what my small box builds look like with top mounted jacks:
Basically you just have to use the enclosed Switchcraft jacks like the B112X, which are top notch jacks and have a slim profile. They sit right above the top pots but they don't touch them and it's definitely a super tight fit and takes a bit longer to put together. I don't like in and out jacks or stompswitches or power jacks being mounted to pcbs anyway though so I'm happy to wire it like that. (Don't get your undies in a bunch about that last sentence, some of my favourite pedal peers and mentors do it that way and it's a-ok, it's just not for everybody, like white chocolate or black licorice or Satan.)
So here's what my small box builds look like with top mounted jacks:
- Frazz Dazzler 2010
- Cleanness 2010
- Tremolessence 2010
- mini-RRR 2010
Basically you just have to use the enclosed Switchcraft jacks like the B112X, which are top notch jacks and have a slim profile. They sit right above the top pots but they don't touch them and it's definitely a super tight fit and takes a bit longer to put together. I don't like in and out jacks or stompswitches or power jacks being mounted to pcbs anyway though so I'm happy to wire it like that. (Don't get your undies in a bunch about that last sentence, some of my favourite pedal peers and mentors do it that way and it's a-ok, it's just not for everybody, like white chocolate or black licorice or Satan.)
Your layouts are wonderful, Ryan. 
