Where to Source A Particular Footswitch Type...

Noise

Greetings all. I have a harebrained idea for a pedal but it seems locating the footswitch I need is very difficult in these lands;

Does anyone know where I can get a Normally Closed, soft touch, momentary switch without having to pay £10+ postage? They seem relatively common in the US for a few dollars, but $17 shipping, I see a shop in Spain, but similar deal. I admit to being a novice at the techy stuff, and surfing Mouser hurts my head, but it seems this switch type is very rare over here.

Cheers!

Winny_Pooh

@Danny1969 ;

Noise

Quick answer, thanks! I do have a couple of pedals from him, but as there's no components in the webshop I didn't think to ask. I'll give it a go.

Noise

Yeah, contact form for Bright Onion says;

Please note that due to high order levels we are only taking queries relating to our products available on the website and existing orders.

We are not taking on any custom orders.

Danny1969

I normally use these  

https://cpc.farnell.com/multicomp/mc7105/foot-pb-switch-dpdt-4a-125v-panel/dp/SW05660?st=footswitch

If you want normally closed, then open just use the centre and the side that goes open when pushed. 

Noise

Thank you.

I didn't realise it was possible to get similar functionality using a different switch. Like I said, complete novice. I started off wanting to make a killswitch using the below, which I just about can get my head around;

But what I want to try and do now is try to make a pedal similar to a circuit in some Teuffel, or David Torn's Ronin guitar. A momentary switch that introduces 60 cycle hum and noise. Heh. As I understand it, I could maybe pull it off with a similar set up to the above, but one change being a N.C switch. Are you saying I could accomplish the same using a DPDT N.O switch if I knew how to wire it?

ICBM

No, you need a normally-closed switch. You get the hum and noise by leaving an open circuit - which is why the above is the right way to wire a kill-switch, so you don't.

Danny1969

Yes you can use a DPDT momentary switch, just wire it so it shorts the tip to ground when pushed ... so one of the centre tags and the outside tag which shorts to the centre when the switch is pushed. 

Noise

Hehe. Thanks both. I obviously need to swot up on switches properly. Last question, so this is exactly the same thing as per my original question, just not the usual metal/pedal type?

https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=116_129_131&products_id=900

Danny1969

You need a push to make switch for a kill switch. 

When the switch isn't pressed the signal goes from guitar to amp 

When you press the switch the hot is shorted to ground and the signal is cut out and crucially, any noise is also cut out. You get silence. 
If you use a push to break switch then the signal will still cut out but there will be horrible buzz too. 

So push to make momentary action switch is what you need. You can use a DPDT one, you just only need half of it. 

Noise

Danny1969 said:

You need a push to make switch for a kill switch. 

When the switch isn't pressed the signal goes from guitar to amp 

When you press the switch the hot is shorted to ground and the signal is cut out and crucially, any noise is also cut out. You get silence. 
If you use a push to break switch then the signal will still cut out but there will be horrible buzz too. 

So push to make momentary action switch is what you need. You can use a DPDT one, you just only need half of it. 

Sorry buddy, I didn't write that post very well I guess. The killswitch diagram was just a mental reference point for my beginners mind. I was hoping to use as close to the same parts as possible (ie; stuff I already have, apart from a N.C switch) and/or modify the circuit to make a momentary 'noise inducer', I actually want the horrible buzz! As long as it's only when the footswitch is pressed.

I have a schematic of it as part of a larger circuit in a guitar, I just only understand basic diagrams at this point and wanted to try putting it in a pedal. No room in a Tele! I've also seen someone mention they did it (again in a guitar) by simply breaking the ground connection to the output jack.

It started as a mental idea I thought I could do cheaply, but those footswitches are really hard to find on these shores.

Danny1969

Oh ok yeah if you want that buzz then use a push to break switch. My own guitar, custom ordered from Sim's came with that kind of kill switch but I changed it for a push to make version because I hated that sound. 

I sell kill switch cables, these are normal guitar cables but with a tilt switch wired in, it basically allow you to muck around with the effect without modifying the guitar. A pedal doing the same thing is a good idea