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FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20243]

Tue, 04 March 2014 10:20

GENO6860
Messages: 3
Registered: March 2014

Junior Member

Hello, I am looking at an Kustom amp head that has the Harmonic Clipper on it. There is not a model number on the front as my K-200 or my K-150 Combo has. The tag on the back is stamped in the MODEL zone: 3-15L-4. The owner says he cannot test the effects (Trem, Harmonic Clipper) as he doesn't have the foot switch. The back has the 4 pin XLR plug (female) in it. I have seen one 4 pin wiring diagram on the forum here that is: Switchcraft A4M plug should work.
Pin 1 = ground
Pin 2 + Positive voltage for the lights on the lighted footswitch.
Pin 3 = Trem/Vib
Pin 4 = Reverb

My question is how would a feller wire a set-up that does the switching on this amp?

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20245 is a reply to message #20243]

Tue, 04 March 2014 13:05

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

That wiring list is for the later metalfront 150-250 series of amps. I think that the amp that you are talking about is basically the same as a K200A-4. Pleat will know for sure.

If it has four effects, each of the four pins turns one of the four effects: Reverb, Trem/Vibrato, Harmonic Clipper and Selective Boost. The ground is connected through the shell of the plug. Unfortunately the FX will not work unless you have a pedal to turn them on.

We've discussed this before, so I should know which pin turns on which effect, but I can't remember and will have to look it up.

As far as wiring up a switch, just wire it up so that each pin goes to one switch, and connect the other side of the switches to ground.

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20246 is a reply to message #20243]

Tue, 04 March 2014 14:34

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

The amp is a K200-4 model. Early models 3-15L-4 would indicate the amp was sold with a 3x15 JBL speaker cabinet and the - 4 is what effects it has.
I've never seen one with a 4 pin XLR female plug. Someone may have switched the original 4 pin XLR Male to a female connector. Since you mentioned you are looking at buying it, you can short each pin to ground to turn on the effects to make sure they work.

The wiring arrangement is pin 1 = Vib/trem, Pin 2 = boost, Pin 3 = clipper and pin 4 = reverb.

pleat

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20247 is a reply to message #20246]

Tue, 04 March 2014 14:35

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Forgot to mention the ground wire is made through the housing or case of the plug as ChicagoBill mentioned earlier.
pleat

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20248 is a reply to message #20247]

Tue, 04 March 2014 15:33

GENO6860
Messages: 3
Registered: March 2014

Junior Member

Thanks for all the help with that. Really appreciate it. Rather and try and find the all elusive original Kustom foot switch, I will just build a 4 switch unit that does the same thing. There is another small plug above the XLR plug receptacle. It looks like a plug for an older Fender floor switch...... a pin in the center and an area for the outside of whatever plugs into it to ground.

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20249 is a reply to message #20243]

Tue, 04 March 2014 16:30

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

The other connector is called an RCA jack. It is for connecting the amp to a tape recorder or other piece of audio equipment.

I've been working on building a footswitch for my K200A-4 head for about 5 years now. I have a shell, and the switches and the connector and the wire, but never seem to find the time to put it all together. Maybe this year...

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20254 is a reply to message #20243]

Wed, 05 March 2014 07:33

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

If you open up the head, the white wire is the tremolo, the red wire is the reverb, blue is boost and black is the clipper.
You can just short across all of these to ground and turn down the effects from the front panel controls for now
The last A head I made a foot switch for had a XLR from the factory.

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20256 is a reply to message #20243]

Wed, 05 March 2014 12:56

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

I think that they all had XLR connectors, but Pleat was referring to the fact that this one has a female jack and not a male one.

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20257 is a reply to message #20256]

Wed, 05 March 2014 14:04

GENO6860
Messages: 3
Registered: March 2014

Junior Member

Thanks again Senior Members. I love the sound of my Kustom amps and by finding you folks, I have a warm fuzzy that I can stay with those amps. On the plug, I have to plead stupid. I wasn't sure what end was the female and which one was the male. The amp head in question is untouched and that receptacle in the back would be referred to as the male, not the female as I stated in my original inquiry. Sorry for the confusion. Geno6860

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Re: FOOT SWITCH QUESTION [message #20260 is a reply to message #20243]

Thu, 06 March 2014 06:43

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

No problem!

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