Mesa T-Verb Custom Footswitch Help

[J Silva]

I have a Mesa Trem-O-Verb amp. This amp has 4 stomp box type footswitches to control channel switching, tremolo, reverb and fx loop. Mesa never made an all inclusive box for this amp so what you end up with is 4 boxes and 4 cables. I think that should be an OSHA hazard!!!

Anyway, I was wanting to build a custom stomp box with 4 switches and 4 (or 5 if possible) LEDs to control each of the functions. The channels are called Red/Orange so two LEDs to show which channel I'm on would be great. The other 3 LEDs would be on/off indicators of the tremolo, reverb and f/x loop.

I am a newbie so simple instructions and parts list would be appreciated. To me this seems like a rather simple task but again I am but a newbie.


Thanks in advance...

 

[Michael]

Man u said exactly what ive been wanting. But u hit the nail onthe head its defently a custom job. I actully msged Michael Wolf (mesa customer service) about it and he sujested instead of buying the 4 foot swtiches i get. This is what he wrote:

Hello Michael!


We do get asked for a multi- button footswitch for the Tremoverb, but we never
did make one. My best suggestion here would be to get a couple of the Boss
FS5-L footswitches, ( which can be joined together side by side). One
footswitch will be necessary for each function you siwh to control. ( for the
reverb on/off, it is necessary to use a shielded guitar cord, so that it will
not cause a source of hum).

Now i looked over at boss's site but couldn't find ****. I thought of askin some guy here in australia to make me one but im lazy, LOL i wish boogie mate a genuin one.

 

[4nkam]

It's EXTREMELY easy to build one with just the switches, but LEDs require a little more work. At the bare minimum (Without LEDs), you need:

-4 1/4" female jacks
-4 switches
-1 enclosure/box
-4 regular guitar cables

Now you could also just use one long custom cable from the box to the amp, then it would split into 8 sets of 2 wires, meaning 4 functions. Then just wire those to 1/4" male plugs.

I like using the normal cables method though, you have a few more cables, but it's pretty easy to just replace one in a hurry if you need to.

All you do is solder two wires from the switch to the 1/4" female jacks, then plug your cable into one of the jacks, then the other end goes into the tverb's jack for the function you wish to switch.

I have momentary switches installed in my switcher too, so I can can a quick channel change, quick reverb, etc by just holding a switch down.

MJ

 

[J Silva]

I have momentary switches installed in my switcher too, so I can can a quick channel change, quick reverb, etc by just holding a switch down.

So how do you select multiple items like reverb and tremolo at the same time? Step on both buttons?

Michael... The Boss FS5-L would be the same as having the 4 separate Mesa Boxes. You would still have (4) FS5-L switches plus 4 cables.

 

[strumminsix]

If you start this project, I'd suggest you contact the guys at http://www.pedalboards.com/ and see if you could get a 4 switch looper with just the hardware and no guts.

 

[tele_jas]

My T-verb head came with a custom made pedal with 3 switches on it. I'll take a picture of it tonight when I get home and post it so you can get an idea of what mine looks like.

It looks like the guy took a Marshall or Peavey foot switch stomp box or made a metal box out of some sturdy metal and then drilled 3 holes in the top of it and put 3 a/b switches in it and then made a special 30 ft cable to connect to the switches......that cable has 3 individual smaller cables in it that connect to each switch. I don't use one for the reverb, so I use one for Tremolo, one for the Channel and then one for the FX loop (which I have a volume pedal, set at a lower volume, in the loop for a volume boost when I kick off the loop).

The only pic I have right now isn't a verry good one of the pedal, but you can kind of get an idea of what I'm talking about until I post some pics of the actual pedal.

 

[tele_jas]

PS...... The only thing it's lacking that would make it perfect is LED's in it. So right now I turn around to look at my amp almost every time I step on the pedal to make sure it's switched before I start playing.

 

[4nkam]

I have momentary switches installed in my switcher too, so I can can a quick channel change, quick reverb, etc by just holding a switch down.

So how do you select multiple items like reverb and tremolo at the same time? Step on both buttons?

I have separate switches for each function, PLUS the momentary switches. So if I wanted reverb and trem, yeah you just hit both at the same time and they are on. Or if you just want one on for a quick second, step on the momentary for a quick second

You could get fancier and use something like the axess function switcher and do it all via midi though.

MJ

 

[tele_jas]

Here's the pics of my footswitch I promised earlier..... It may not be what you're wanting, but here it is anyways..... Thats just a Dual Rectifier sticker on the top of it and I wrote what the buttons did with the blue metallic marker.

 

[J Silva]

What do the guts look like?

 

[tele_jas]

It's just got the inside of the switch with 2 leads coming off of each one to the master cable and then fed through the hole in the back. I won't be able to take a picture of it for a few days now with the holidays and my gigs this weekend all cutting it pretty close in time to make it to all of 'em. I'll try to though.

 

[J Silva]

That's cool, I got what you're saying. Sounds pretty basic which is good for an electronics novice like myself.

I did find a Fender footswith with Channel, F/X Loop, Reverb and Tremolo lables and LEDs for each. I was thinking of using that as a donor footswitch... the switches are even latching. Then all I would have to do is gut it and re-wire it.

Do you use a separate switch for the Reverb?

 

[tele_jas]

I really have no need to switch it off, so I just leave the Reverb on all the time. We have 2 other guitars in my band going, so the reverb gets pretty covered up on my rythms, and my leads are bumped up enough for the reverb to be noticed. If I were the only guitarist, I'd use the A/B switch I've had for over 10 years to switch it (or the original T-verb channel swithcer). Plus, I don't have a lot of reverb to drown my sound (nat saying you do), just a hint of it.

Or

I only use Tremolo on 1 or 2 songs, I could just not use it since most people wouldn't notice and use that button for Reverb if I wanted.