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walrus121
Silver Member
USA
187 Posts |
 Posted - 11/08/2005 : 02:56:09
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Hey all,
This may set a record for the most boring topic on the whole forum, but I thought that I would write it. Actually, I found the markings-inside-the-case topic to be more boring than this, so I take that back. I set my MIJ BF-2 and my MIT CE-2 side-by-side on my desk today, and I noted a couple of differences:
- The jacks are higher up on the BF-2 than they are on the CE-2
- The top of the control panel is taller on the BF-2 than on the CE-2
I loosened the jacks on the BF-2 but could not make a significant change in height.
I compared the BF-2 to my MIJ GE-7. Control panels are about the same height. Jacks are still higher up on the BF-2 than on the GE-7. The GE-7 has a six-digit number starting with a "5" and the BF-2 has a six-digit number starting with a "1," so the BF-2 is significantly older. Control panel is the same height.
I noticed that the rubber on the bottom plate was sticking out more on the bottom than on the other two, so I removed the plates to compare the rubber height. The total thickness of rubber and metal is slightly greater on the BF-2 plate, but not enough to account for the substantial difference in jack height. Put the bottomless pedals side-by-side, the jacks are all now even. That would lead me to believe that that the mounting studs inside the cases are positioned differently. It does appear that the studs are deeper in the GE-7 than they are in the BF-2. I guess this might give you all another way to date your pedals. It's just a little annoying that I can't use a straight male-to-male adapter to connect the BF-2 and the CE-2 (actually, I was, but now I won't because I don't want to bend the thing).
Why would Roland bother changing such a subtle element that in a way makes their pedals incompatible? I guess we can go back to the ACA and PSA discussion. |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 03:13:30
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I never noticed this myself. But I inadvertently got around the problem by making my own effect patch cables -- for two side-by-side Boss pedals, I used a pair of right angle Switchcraft plugs with a short length of microphone cable -- mabye two inches or so of cable separating the plugs. I could then bend the cable 180 degrees to where the two plugs were back to back, get the two Boss pedals about an inch apart (pretty much the same distance as a double male adapter), and the play in the cable would compensate for any height difference in the jacks.
And I've also had a mixture of pedals anyway -- currently my phaser is a Maestro PS-1, and my flanger is a Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress, and then there's a Morley volume pedal (one of the old '70s big chrome ones) and a Thomas Organ Cry Baby, so it was never going to be a perfect symmetric lineup of identical pedals to begin with for me.
But that's interesting about the dimensional differences in the Boss enclosures -- at first glance, you'd think that they were all identical.
C.K.
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walrus121
Silver Member
USA
187 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 03:22:36
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quote:
Originally posted by stahlhart
I never noticed this myself. But I inadvertently got around the problem by making my own effect patch cables -- for two side-by-side Boss pedals, I used a pair of right angle Switchcraft plugs with a short length of microphone cable -- mabye two inches or so of cable separating the plugs. I could then bend the cable 180 degrees to where the two plugs were back to back, get the two Boss pedals about an inch apart (pretty much the same distance as a double male adapter), and the play in the cable would compensate for any height difference in the jacks.
Two inches? Wow. That's intense. I usually cut the cable to be six inches long, I guess that leaves four inches in between. Why would you use microphone cable though? It's built for low impedance. I have about 5-6 feet of cable left after I took my 18' cable down to 10'. |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 13:16:44
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Walrus, you discoveries are not really boring, I have noticed similar things before, and get this feeling that some pedals may be manufactered in different factories. If fact I find it hard to believe that all those pedals come from the same factory, they must have different ones in different locations, and thinking about all these slight differences in height of Jacks, different grids and Tnumbers inside the metal cases all adds up to this assumption.
I guess from a technical point of view it is not necessary to have all these differences, but they may just occur when you start producing your pedals in different factories, where machines may differ a little as well.
And indeed, as you mentioned before, when you are aware of these differences, it can give you some more clues about the age of the pedal you are dealing with. |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 17:53:27
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quote:
Originally posted by walrus121
Two inches? Wow. That's intense. I usually cut the cable to be six inches long, I guess that leaves four inches in between. Why would you use microphone cable though? It's built for low impedance. I have about 5-6 feet of cable left after I took my 18' cable down to 10'.
By "microphone cable", I meant just standard 1/4", black, shielded 2-conductor cable; the stuff they make guitar cords with.
After having enough length in the cable, after attaching the plugs, to bend it so that the two jacks were pointing in opposite directions, I didn't see the point in having any additional length in the shielded cable. It was pretty much a homemade 1/4" double-male adapter.
But for this short a run of wire, I wouldn't think that the cable's impedance characteristics would make much difference... (?)
C.K.
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Evolution of cases, jacks, control panel height
