How to Make a Guitar Amp Footswitch for Under $8

As a guitar player there is a lot of equipment that is necessary for playing music. A guitar and an amp are the basics. However there are many effects, tuners, and other resources that make a guitar player's life better and easier. However there are some pieces of equipment that would be useful but often the price can not be justified. Footswitches are one such example.

Footswitches of various types exist for different purposes. In the broadest terms there are two types of footswitches: 1) momentary footswitches (which are input devices used to trigger effects or set the tempo for effects) and 2) latching/on-off footswitches for switching between sources (such as an amp channel footswitch). Momentary switches are used for setting tempos on delay pedals and other effects or for engaging an effect or the like only for the duration that the switch is depressed. An on-off switch is used for switching channels on amps, more often than not.

Both of these types of footswitches are readily available but with one drawback: they are often overpriced. The truth is with some basic tools you can build your own custom footswitch (of either type) for much less than they are available at retail. I am going to show you how to do just that. But before we jump in, let's talk about the materials we will need.

Materials Needed:

Soldering iron/gun

Solder

Drill with various bits for making holes in the chassis

De-soldering braid

Momentary or SPDT On-Off Switch (Radio Shack)

1/4" Stereo Jack (Radio Shack)

Two strands of wire

Sharpie (or similar marker)

Damp sponge

Chassis

The toughest part of this process will be finding the right chassis. I have used everything from mint tins (such as Altoids) to tape measure cases (just remove the guts and insert your switch and jack). Be creative. Don't limit yourself to just square or rectangle. Make yours one-of-a-kind. Just be sure that it is large enough to house the jack and switch (these components are small so it should not be too hard to find just the right housing.

These materials are going to allow us to create a basic footswitch unit consisting of a single switch and a single jack. To use the unit, just plug a 1/4" cable into the unit and the other end into the equipment it is controlling and you are done! This is a great design because it allows you, the user, to determine how much cable you need by simply using any length of cable you would like for connecting your custom footswitch to your equipment, be it an amp, a drum machine, or an effects pedal.

Wire

There is no specific requirements for the type of wire you use for this part. Just make sure it is sheathed and that you have two separate strands. I have known do-it-yourselfers use everything from wire they cut from a stereo speaker to wire from the electrical cord of a lamp. Just your basic wire will suffice.

Soldering

As you begin you will want to turn on your soldering tool and let it warm up. Keep the damp sponge handy so that you can wipe off the heated tip of your soldering tool. This keeps it clean and allows for easier soldering. I will not go into the details of soldering in this article. There are numerous articles and videos online that can show you how to solder. But just be sure you have a De-soldering braid to help you undo a soldering mistake should you make one.

How To Begin
Begin by analyzing your chassis of choice to determine where you would like the jack and switch to be located. Also determine if any parts of it need to be modified (other than drilling the necessary holes). This may include removal of the chassis's "insides" if needed, opening the chassis in order to insert your new components, and just generally considering how you would like the final product to look and/or operate.

Once you have determined where the switch and jack will be located, mark those spots with a Sharpie. Now determine the size hole you will need by measuring the width of the switch and jack. You may be able to "eyeball" it by holding various bits up to the switch and see which one seems to be right. Or sometimes the packaging of the switch/jack will tell the size. Use the correct bit to drill holes into the chassis at the two locations you just marked. Be careful not to allow the drill bit to split or crack your chassis.

Wiring the Components

Whether you solder the wire to the jack and switch before or after inserting them in the chassis will depend upon the nature of the chassis. Unfortunately this is a determination I can not make for you. Just remember that in order to secure the switch and jack you will need to remove the nut and washer (included), insert the component into the hole then replace the nut/washer back on; so at whatever point you do this step, be sure you can easily secure the nut and washer by hand.

Warning: This seems obvious but it is worth mentioning. It will be difficult (if not impossible) to insert your jack and switch into the holes of the chassis if the wire has been connected to both. So you must insert them into the chassis before completing the soldering process.

As for wiring the jack and switch together, you will need your soldering tool, solder, and the wire. The easy part about this project is that it makes no difference which poles on the switch go to which poles on the jack (the poles are the small tabs each of which has a small hole through it).

Begin by stripping the sheathing off each end of each wire. Take your first wire and insert the unsheathed bit through the hole of one of the poles on either the jack or the switch (does not matter which you do first). Then bend end of the wire back on itself thus hooking the wire back around the tab. Apply solder to the pole and wire at about where the hole is. Let the solder cool for a few seconds and double-check that the wire has been secured to the pole.

Now all you do is repeat this same process for the other three connections so that when you are done you have each of the switch poles connected via wire to each of the poles of the jack thus creating a circuit through which a signal will travel. Allow all four connections to cool and then insure that they are all secure.

I assume that your jack and switch will already be inserted into the chassis at this point, so all that is left is to close up the chassis and test your new footswitch. Plug a ¼" guitar cable or patch cable into the jack and the other end into your amp, stompbox or other equipment. Test the switch to see if it produces the desired result. If so, you are finished. If not, you may have to disassemble the unit and double-check your soldering connections. It may even be necessary to re-do the soldered joints. This is where the de-soldering braid will come in handy. Hold the braid to the soldered joint and apply the iron to the braid and you will see the braid begin to "soak up" the solder and undoing the joint. You can now re-solder the wire to the pole.

This is an easy project that can fulfill a very real need for musicians. Just be creative and have fun. Make your footswitch truly your own. Make it one of a kind! Goo luck!