Hybrid TS9 & Expression Pedal

product26 · May 8th, 2008, 12:02 PM

previously i had a nice multi-effects board that could allow the expression pedal to control the amount gain on a patch. I made use of this quite a bit. Volume knobs and volume pedals do not achieve the same effect, and i miss being able to do it.

Later today I will be purchasing both an original crybaby wah and an ibanez ts9... $70 for the pair! both are said to be in excellent condition.

here is my plan...

gut both of them & put the TS9 internals in to the crybaby. rig the gain pot up to be controlled by the action of the pedal, and the toe-up switch to activate the ts9.

Also, sell the TS9 shell and crybaby internals on ebay to make some money back :)

I would rather combine the two than add an expression pedal jack to the TS9, simply because it would save space.

any thoughts or suggestions?

Wardpike · May 8th, 2008, 02:04 PM

Sounds like a fantastic plan! So, you'll drill two holes in the front for the tone and output volume, and use the rocker-action pot for the gain input on the TS9? This is a fantastic idea...it's been done before, but never with a TS9 not I'm familiar with.

Let us know how it turns out. Great idea!

Cheers!
Ward

Josh M · May 8th, 2008, 06:32 PM

Check this out.
http://www.music123.com/Tone-in-Prog...75542.Music123

markinlondon · May 8th, 2008, 06:50 PM

Anyone remember the Electro Harmonix Hotfoot pedal? It had a flexible drive shaft operated by the treadle that you connected to the pot shaft of your choice for real time control. Here's one for sale, sit down before reading the price.

http://www.tonefrenzy.com/store/Elec..._HOT_FOOT.html

markinlondon · May 8th, 2008, 06:52 PM

Oh, I hadn't checked Josh's link. Looks like the wheel has been reinvented yet again

Chrismeyer · May 8th, 2008, 07:02 PM

That pedal thing Josh posted is awesome!
Sweet idea!

Jenix · May 8th, 2008, 09:22 PM

product26's is still going to be really cool. It'll be fun explaining to other guitarist what it is and how you did it.

product26 · May 9th, 2008, 04:06 AM

Well sure enough... $70. The crybaby still had the protective plastic on the bottom, logo plate and even the sticker on the top.... years old but still brand new... and it was only $25

the tube screamer is in excellent shape, only a tiny ding and tiny chip in the paint.

I have already gutted both, and test fitted the TS9 internals in the crybaby. Wires have been desoldered (there's no turning back now). the crybaby switch now turns on/off the TS9, now all i need to do is get the pot wired up, drill a couple holes and extend the 6 wires for the tone and volume.

that "3rd hand" pedal is really awesome.... but it costs $80 and mine was only $70. :)

I will post some pictures of the progress and final product later on.

product26 · May 9th, 2008, 04:07 AM

oh... anybody know where i can get seasick-green paint? Kinda thought it would be neat to paint the crybaby housing the same color as the TS9...

product26 · May 11th, 2008, 07:24 PM

OK, here's my dilemma. The pot that is in the crybaby is a 100k pot. The pots in the ts9 are 500k. When the pot is wired up it does work, but i only get a very small range of distortion, from none to very little. I also noticed that without the original 500k pot installed there is MUCH MUCH more gain than with the 500k pot turned all the way up. Since the ts9s 500k pot is way to small to use in the crybaby housing, I need to get a new one. Would it be possible to get a value other than 500k to get more gain out of the pedal? (like how it is with no pot hooked up)

Dilemma #2, the cheap radio shack power jack that i picked up has already crapped out (metal prong bent inside)

Any suggestions on where I should get a new pot and power jack? I found a 470k "high gain/crybaby" pot on ebay that would work, but it is $25, and that is how much i spent on the crybaby to begin with!

anyway, this is where I am at... I have all holes drilled, routed the power jack, tone and level pots/knobs up to where the crybaby logo plate was. And drilled a hole for the LED up top (even got a nice LED mount)
I decided to extend the existing wires rather than replacing them, reducing the risk of damaging the ts9 board. (if i get too much buzz and noise i will redo the wiring, but I thought I would start this way.) The photo was before the switch was wired up, but it is now.

I put a spacer, some foam and a protective film under the board to keep it save and secure.

MBradford6288 · May 12th, 2008, 12:34 AM

For the jacks I would get switchcraft, a stereo on the input and mono on the output, using the secong lug on the input to engage/disengage your battery ground(turns the pedal on and off). It's all about switchcraft.

product26 · May 13th, 2008, 02:54 PM

anybody have any suggestion on the pot?

MBradford6288 · May 13th, 2008, 07:34 PM

Haven't actually opened up a crybaby. Does the shaft of the pot have a sleeve? Is it one piece? If it is, you'll probably have to make something custom, if not, then please post a pic of just the pot without the sleeve and I will probably be able to help you.

Wardpike · May 13th, 2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by product26

anybody have any suggestion on the pot?

I think it's possible to take the existing 100 pot apart, remove the carbon ring, and replace it with the carbon ring out of another 500k or 1meg carbon pot and re-assemble and re-install.

product26 · May 31st, 2008, 03:33 AM

well.... I ordered a new 1000k pot (military grade) , wired her all up and finally got to play a song with it today.

I really only built this pedal for one song, can you believe that?
but it payed off! I was able to dial in the tone i wanted, and crank up the gain as the song progressed!

I LOVE IT!

Now all i need to do is widen the power jack hole to install the new/better one, clean up the wiring a little & rock!

Also still debating on painting it a different color or not....

May 8th, 2008, 12:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	Hybrid TS9 & Expression Pedal previously i had a nice multi-effects board that could allow the expression pedal to control the amount gain on a patch. I made use of this quite a bit. Volume knobs and volume pedals do not achieve the same effect, and i miss being able to do it. Later today I will be purchasing both an original crybaby wah and an ibanez ts9... $70 for the pair! both are said to be in excellent condition. here is my plan... gut both of them & put the TS9 internals in to the crybaby. rig the gain pot up to be controlled by the action of the pedal, and the toe-up switch to activate the ts9. Also, sell the TS9 shell and crybaby internals on ebay to make some money back :) I would rather combine the two than add an expression pedal jack to the TS9, simply because it would save space. any thoughts or suggestions?

May 8th, 2008, 06:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
markinlondon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wellington, NZ Age: 48 Posts: 426	Anyone remember the Electro Harmonix Hotfoot pedal? It had a flexible drive shaft operated by the treadle that you connected to the pot shaft of your choice for real time control. Here's one for sale, sit down before reading the price. http://www.tonefrenzy.com/store/Elec..._HOT_FOOT.html __________________ Helping to invent english country dance guitar since 1981.

May 8th, 2008, 06:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
markinlondon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wellington, NZ Age: 48 Posts: 426	Oh, I hadn't checked Josh's link. Looks like the wheel has been reinvented yet again __________________ Helping to invent english country dance guitar since 1981.

May 8th, 2008, 09:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jenix Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: J town Age: 18 Posts: 201	product26's is still going to be really cool. It'll be fun explaining to other guitarist what it is and how you did it. __________________ 2000 MIM tele std. Vox AC15CC USA Ovation Big Baby Taylor - Takamine Classical Some people sing in the shower, I play guitar...

May 12th, 2008, 12:34 AM	#11 (permalink)
MBradford6288 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 123	For the jacks I would get switchcraft, a stereo on the input and mono on the output, using the secong lug on the input to engage/disengage your battery ground(turns the pedal on and off). It's all about switchcraft. __________________ Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune. -Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930) Music makes one feel so romantic - at least it always gets on one's nerves - which is the same thing nowadays. -Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

May 8th, 2008, 02:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Wardpike Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: St. John's, Newfoundland Age: 43 Posts: 583	Sounds like a fantastic plan! So, you'll drill two holes in the front for the tone and output volume, and use the rocker-action pot for the gain input on the TS9? This is a fantastic idea...it's been done before, but never with a TS9 not I'm familiar with. Let us know how it turns out. Great idea! Cheers! Ward

May 8th, 2008, 06:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Josh M TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Auburn Alabama Age: 22 Posts: 31	Check this out. http://www.music123.com/Tone-in-Prog...75542.Music123

May 8th, 2008, 07:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
Chrismeyer Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Age: 33 Posts: 562	That pedal thing Josh posted is awesome! Sweet idea!

May 9th, 2008, 04:06 AM	#8 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	Well sure enough... $70. The crybaby still had the protective plastic on the bottom, logo plate and even the sticker on the top.... years old but still brand new... and it was only $25 the tube screamer is in excellent shape, only a tiny ding and tiny chip in the paint. I have already gutted both, and test fitted the TS9 internals in the crybaby. Wires have been desoldered (there's no turning back now). the crybaby switch now turns on/off the TS9, now all i need to do is get the pot wired up, drill a couple holes and extend the 6 wires for the tone and volume. that "3rd hand" pedal is really awesome.... but it costs $80 and mine was only $70. :) I will post some pictures of the progress and final product later on.

May 9th, 2008, 04:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	oh... anybody know where i can get seasick-green paint? Kinda thought it would be neat to paint the crybaby housing the same color as the TS9...

May 11th, 2008, 07:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	OK, here's my dilemma. The pot that is in the crybaby is a 100k pot. The pots in the ts9 are 500k. When the pot is wired up it does work, but i only get a very small range of distortion, from none to very little. I also noticed that without the original 500k pot installed there is MUCH MUCH more gain than with the 500k pot turned all the way up. Since the ts9s 500k pot is way to small to use in the crybaby housing, I need to get a new one. Would it be possible to get a value other than 500k to get more gain out of the pedal? (like how it is with no pot hooked up) Dilemma #2, the cheap radio shack power jack that i picked up has already crapped out (metal prong bent inside) Any suggestions on where I should get a new pot and power jack? I found a 470k "high gain/crybaby" pot on ebay that would work, but it is $25, and that is how much i spent on the crybaby to begin with! anyway, this is where I am at... I have all holes drilled, routed the power jack, tone and level pots/knobs up to where the crybaby logo plate was. And drilled a hole for the LED up top (even got a nice LED mount) I decided to extend the existing wires rather than replacing them, reducing the risk of damaging the ts9 board. (if i get too much buzz and noise i will redo the wiring, but I thought I would start this way.) The photo was before the switch was wired up, but it is now. I put a spacer, some foam and a protective film under the board to keep it save and secure.

May 13th, 2008, 02:54 PM	#12 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	anybody have any suggestion on the pot?

May 13th, 2008, 07:34 PM	#13 (permalink)
MBradford6288 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 123	Haven't actually opened up a crybaby. Does the shaft of the pot have a sleeve? Is it one piece? If it is, you'll probably have to make something custom, if not, then please post a pic of just the pot without the sleeve and I will probably be able to help you. __________________ Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune. -Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930) Music makes one feel so romantic - at least it always gets on one's nerves - which is the same thing nowadays. -Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

May 31st, 2008, 03:33 AM	#15 (permalink)
product26 TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: idaho Posts: 34	well.... I ordered a new 1000k pot (military grade) , wired her all up and finally got to play a song with it today. I really only built this pedal for one song, can you believe that? but it payed off! I was able to dial in the tone i wanted, and crank up the gain as the song progressed! I LOVE IT! Now all i need to do is widen the power jack hole to install the new/better one, clean up the wiring a little & rock! Also still debating on painting it a different color or not....