Smallsound/Bigsound Mini Repair #2 // Gray Bench Electronics

Welcome back to the bench!
Today we're repairing the footswitch wiring on the SSBS Mini. Enjoy!
Brass pot shaft adapters: lovemyswitches...
#smallsoundbigsound #ssbsmini #guitarpedals #overdrive #distortion #electronics

[@joybuzzer]

My tip for desoldering a footswitch PCB cleanly and efficiently is to get the solder flowing, then give it a good hard tap on the table. Repeat 9 times. I use this method to clean up anything with massive gobs of solder such as footswitches, pots, or jacks. I have saved multiple dollars on solder wick.

[@MC-hx6nk]

Desoldering needles are really good for this sort of job. They can push debris through the hole and leave a clear path by pushing solder aside (pushing stainless steel though the joint/hole, it will not bond to the solder and can carefully be twisted loose and withdrawn - after solder cools). Considering the price of a set of these, everyone should at least try them, they save the day very often - and if modding is your thing, will prove useful. I don't use the needles for threading down component's legs (as is the main selling point), because of the next point... For thru-hole pad diameters so close to the wire diameter, it helps to have trimmed the wire with a cutter that has a scissor action (rather than what bevel cutters do, which is closer to an anvil cut). Bevel cutters flatten the round cross section of the wire, possibly hampering its exit and tearing out the thru-hole plating or pad. In pedal PCBs, the hole diameters are not typically large enough to accommodate a flattened lead (from trimming), with a desoldering needle around it, AND leave the thru-hole plating intact. EDIT: Hollow Desoldering Needles, should be your search term. And I am not a shareholder or anything weird like that 🙂

[@Loscha]

The initial view of the solder globs on that footswitch gave me almost physical pain. Jimmies Rustled. Another great repair job. Thanks again for taking the time to make these videos.

[@spacewolf9585]

Great job again, and it’s worth mentioning that a visual inspection before applying power will save components in small signal devices, and save lives working with high voltage circuits such as amplifiers.👍🤙🖖

[@martinreid1740]

A great repair with immaculate work and attention to detail.

[@TedSchoenling]

pet peeve is when builders use a mono-chrome scheme for wiring. I build all my pedals with colored wire that is coded to the purpose of the wire. Makes all my pedals easier to figure out at a glance Black ground Red +Voltage Green Input (circuit and pedal) blue outpout (circuit and pedal) White volume orange tone yellow gain brown bass purple mid grey treb and other colors for other things if I have more functions

[@CharlesWillisBonsai]

When I have several little wires in a row to solder on the pads for in/led/ground/out I'll solder one first. Then I'll put the rest of the wires into the holes and alligator clip them together with the first wire so that they don't move. It makes it a little bit easier for me.

[@TedSchoenling]

Love desoldering needles for this very issue

[@kadenshoemaker6669]

Please do a video on the maestro fz-1 please theirs no good videos dissecting the pedal telling us how to get that early 60s fuzz sound please

[@alga1309]

I'm going to give you a good one. Menatone Top Boost in a Can. There's no Aion pcb or Pedal pcb for this one, neither a teardwon

[@AngelarmSpartan777]

Did you happen to make sure that it still worked after you put the back plate on? With how close the lugs from the foot-switch pcb are to the plate. Just wondering, because I've had that happen before.

[@grundunterrecording4197]

Great effort on salvaging this one! Seriously though, how do you even get blobs of solder on there like that without it flowing in properly?

[@PhotoBoothSoundDesign]

They probably heated the solder and not the components or didn't apply enough overall heat. Common beginner mistakes.

[@TedSchoenling]

they could have been worried about damage and used too low a heat for too short a time... better to go to high heat and a short time

[@Topstone1]

persistence :|

[@MC-hx6nk]

@grundunterrecording4197 Looks like heat was applied to the lug - and that the switch PCB pads never even saw the iron.

[@SenfSenferson]

that switch soldering is criminal, looks like a 5 Year old did it

[@ckngmad1357]

I think it's time to buy microscope camera I can't see shit on component level It will be more interesting