Crybaby stiff switches?

[olddawg]

So I've been using a Crybaby wah of and on for years. I'm in a situation now where I'm stomping one off and on several times live several times in a couple of songs. Same old problem. You have to stomp it just right to get it to switch. The switch is just stiff. IMHE, if you don't have an old pedal with a switch that's worn to shit, they are always a bitch. Does anyone know how to loosen that switch up so I'm not always fighting it, stomping the crap out of it, and hoping for the best? I don't really want to switch to a Bad Horsey.

[J M Fahey]

1) remove switch
2) put it in a glass glass and cover it in kerosene (paraffin for the Limeys )
3) let it bubble , then rest for 1 hour so kerosene dissolves or at least softens grime/rust and push it on/off 100 times (or as much as your finger can stand it) so combined scratching/pushing cleans it; you should see grime float in formerly clean kerosene.
4) if you want to relubricate it without disassembly, shake it, let it dry for 1 day wrapped in newspaper so kerosene drips out or evaporates and then put it again in same glass, now with "one finger" of motor oil, any leftover you have in your garage.

Again let it drip wrapped in newspaper, wipe it clean outside with a paper towel and re-mount.

As good as new, although worn loose, *that* you canīt solve.

[olddawg]

1) remove switch
2) put it in a glass glass and cover it in kerosene (paraffin for the Limeys )
3) let it bubble , then rest for 1 hour so kerosene dissolves or at least softens grime/rust and push it on/off 100 times (or as much as your finger can stand it) so combined scratching/pushing cleans it; you should see grime float in formerly clean kerosene.
4) if you want to relubricate it without disassembly, shake it, let it dry for 1 day wrapped in newspaper so kerosene drips out or evaporates and then put it again in same glass, now with "one finger" of motor oil, any leftover you have in your garage.

Again let it drip wrapped in newspaper, wipe it clean outside with a paper towel and re-mount.

As good as new, although worn loose, *that* you canīt solve.

Thanks Juan... but this is a NEW switch. It's a problem I've always had with Crybabies unless I luck out and have an old worn switch.... New switches are just stiff and require a lot of force to toggle!

[Jazz P Bass]

For whatever reason, Crybaby pedals have always used a 100lb force switch.

I do know that switch manufacturers have a spec for 'actuating force'.

Maybe if you went to Digikey or Mouser and looked up toggle switches.
Both companies usually have datasheets.

[pdf64]

With mine, the heavy force necessary to actuate the switch was due to need to compress the rubber stoppers, which give a soft limit to the toe-down travel.
The remedy was to raise the switch up (so that it protrudes further out of the bottom enclosure), by means of moving the nuts further down the switch bushing / lowering the height of the rubber stoppers a tiny bit, with a craft knife etc.

[Enzo]

What he said^^^^

You have to be sure to note the difference between the switch being stiff, and having to push HARD to work the switch. Juan tells how to loosen up a stiff switch. And new switches are not exempt. Switches and controls have lube put in them, and that lube can be sticky. Ever have a stiff turning control on an amp, spray Deoxit into it to clean and now it spins freely? A grease like Vaseline is sometimes put in them for feel. And you can remove that, and relube with a lighter oil.

But the adjustment on the mounting is also important. If the switch is half a thread off, it can mean you have to bury your tow into it to depress the switch. Mount the switch too high, and you can wah too vigorously and turn it off when you didn't mean to. But adjustment is simple, a nut above and below the chassis sets the position, so move them.

[Leo_Gnardo]

With mine, the heavy force necessary to actuate the switch was due to need to compress the rubber stoppers, which give a soft limit to the toe-down travel.
The remedy was to raise the switch up (so that it protrudes further out of the bottom enclosure), by means of moving the nuts further down the switch bushing / lowering the height of the rubber stoppers a tiny bit, with a craft knife etc.

What pdf64 said ^^^ plus new switches aren't 100% good switches as I've been chagrined to find. I s'pose you could put them thru Juan's kerosene & motor oil treatment to try & make 'em work right. Or just swap out for another switch which may work out better for you. There's a number of push switches on the market now, ranging from Carling (presumably the best but not always) to cheapo MIC ones that sometimes work a treat in spite of low price & presumptive low quality due to country of origin.

I'd try the height adjustment first, and if that doesn't work then swap in a new one.

[Mark Hammer]

There is a flexible pad on the underside of the treadle. When the switch is first installed, the two nuts on the inside and outside of the chassis are adjusted to provide an appropriate height for the push-button/actuator of the switch. Over time, the pad on the underside of the treadle can get squished in and the installed height of the switch becomes inappropriate for the distance it will need to be pressed down to do the switching.

The solution is generally to loosen the retaining hex nut of the switch on the inside, so that the outside nut can be adjusted. Give the outside nut a half or full turn to raise it a wee bit, then tighten the inside nut to hold the switch in place. A person may have to make such height adjustments several time over the lifetime of the pedal. Happily, it does not require any soldering or other electronic modification, just some nut loosening and tightening.

[g1]

If this is not an issue with the rubber pad, some of the switches Fender (0028714000) had a much softer action. Not sure about the physical aspects of retrofitting in a crybaby though.

[olddawg]

Thanks for the response guys... I've had about 5 Crybabies in my life. And I've done all of these switch height adjustments, pad trimmings, etc in the past. The only thing I haven't done is Jaun's reverse potting procedure. I might try that. But if I have to take the switch out, I might as well replace it. I seems like the consensus is what I have always suspected. It's a luck of the draw with mechanical tolerances of the parts and the build. Kind of like a guitar. I had one Crybaby years ago that worked effortlessly. (It was stolen of course) I wish I had a hundred switches and I could pick the one that took the least impact to latch. If I can't sort it out, I may go the Steve Vai route. I used one of those big AC powered, big as small car, Morley Power/Fuzz/Wahs for years back in the day, but they are like a Crybaby on steroids and noisy.

[tbonuss]

Oy. That stupid switch. If only a Morley sounded like a Cry Baby. Anyhow, I've just done some stuff to one I've had for over 25 years (still waiting for the switch to loosen up BTW) and am considering adding a step ON switch like this:


I don't know much about it, other than the momentary switch there makes sense to me. More sense than having a stomp switch where you can't easily stomp...

[olddawg]

Oy. That stupid switch. If only a Morley sounded like a Cry Baby. Anyhow, I've just done some stuff to one I've had for over 25 years (still waiting for the switch to loosen up BTW) and am considering adding a step ON switch like this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]41703[/ATTACH]
I don't know much about it, other than the momentary switch there makes sense to me. More sense than having a stomp switch where you can't easily stomp...

That's a good idea. But I think it would have to activate a relay or something.

[smallbearelec]

The idea depends on your foot being down on the treadle to hold a momentary DPDT switch in its active state. A guy wrote to me and asked if I could recommend a switch. I don't stock this style, but I did a little fishing and saw this one at Mouser:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...v9VRglCTGUo%3d

I also wonder if a tactile switch:

DPDT Momentary PCB Mount - Small Bear Electronics

with a cap:

Tactile Switch Caps - Small Bear Electronics

could be made to work.

Yet another possibility is this Alpha 3PDT stomper:

Alpha SF17020F-0302-24R-L 3PDT Long Bushing - Small Bear Electronics

I asked them to make it with a long bushing like the Carling. I have sold a few hundred and have had no complaints. Maybe you would like the action of that one.

[tbonuss]

That's a good idea. But I think it would have to activate a relay or something.

Found this:
Foot-on-pedal / True Bypass crybaby wah mod

[Guitarist]

The momentary switch is a great idea. But a simpler installation would be nice.