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Broken PN-2. Help?

C

chobbes

May 5, 2008
14
0
#1
I was fortunate enough to pick up a Boss PN-2 from E-Bay the other day. Unfortunately when testing it out, I notice that Output B produces like 10% of the volume it should, and pops loudly when the switch is depressed...but only when it's stepped on all the way. When I press the switch manually (from the inside, next to the battery compartment), there is no popping, so I suspect something is wrong with how something is seated. Seems like if I press hard on the bottom of the pedal, it'll make that loud popping noise.

I removed the four screws from the bottom and when the board of the unit is allowed to hang down a bit, then Output B is as loud as it normally should be. This is the first time I've opened up a Boss pedal, and I don't even know how to remove the inside from the housing.

Does anyone have an idea what might be wrong, and how to fix it? Thanks for your help!
 
#2
chobbes said:
when the board of the unit is allowed to hang down a bit, then Output B is as loud as it normally should be.
Click to expand...

It's either a metal part (like a tab of a pot, or a stray wire) contacting some part of the circuitboard where it shouldn't; or it's an intermittent connection (like a loose wire or a weak solder joint).

Test for the first thing by putting a piece of electrical tape around the top surface edge of the circuitboard and then pushing the board back into place; also by looking carefully to see if there are any protrusions that might make contact with the board.

Test for the second thing by wiggling all the wires while signal is passing through, as well as jiggling the cable plugs, and jiggling the circuitboard side to side.
 
#3
Hey Bongo, thanks for your super quick reply! Thanks to your help, I was able to fix the problem by covering up the bottom of the switch with electrical tape. My guess is the contacts on the bottom of the switch were shorting against something on the board. Electrical tape isn't the best solution, but the tremolo is at full volume now, and no more popping when stepping on the switch. Thanks for your help! You're a real asset to this board.
 
#5
Yeah, it's great! (Now that it's "fixed") If it makes you feel any better, I got it for about $160 shipped=\ It's nearly mint though...figured I don't know when I'd ever see another one, so I tried to shut out the cost and went for it.

The only problem now is that when it's engaged, there's a bit of noise, and I hear the tremolo working even when my bass is muted. Buffering the pedal with another doesn't seem to help with that. I read some reviews saying they had that problem too, but the strong tremolo was worth it. Is yours like that too?
 
#6
That swishing noise problem is common to many, many tremolos. I've owned several trems, and only one was free of that issue (Aramat Tubular Trem). A few of the super-high-end boutique trems like the Empress and Cusack are reputed to be free of the pulsing noise as well, but in general with a regular mass-production trem pedal I'd expect to hear it swishing.
 

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