PolyChorus busted... help me possibly fix it?

AndyVX

Hey there,

So my PolyChorus has half stopped working. When engaged, it works fine, when it's not I get no sound.

I've never fixed anything like this before, so I'm not really sure what to do/what to look for. Any advice/tips?

Thanks a bunch.

byronbrassballs

Okay, see below 😉

Doog

It's likely to be the footswitch, it's pretty common on the reissue Polys. If you can solder, it's a dead easy fix- just buy a new footswitch, and solder it in as the previous one was.

I'm not certain what sort of footswitch you need, it might be a "DPDT", although I'm not sure if the newer Polychoruses have true bypass ala the new Big Muffs/Small Clones etc.

Someone like Mike (from the boards, not Analog Mike) should be able to help ya.

Tex-Czech

Double poll double throw DPDT is what you need I really wouldn't worry about askin around cause thats your problem, 99% sure. Go to an electronic store, no best buy or radio shack or frys, a real deal shop, but then most of those places have a 25-100$ minimum purchase.

Try http://www.Torresengineering.com

AndyVX

Ok, thanks for the help everyone. I'll look into getting a new footswitch.

I must say though, this is probably the cheapest made pedal! It hasn't even had any stage use yet, just some home recording and playing in the garage use.

Mike

Look at how many lugs the switch has - if it has 6 you need a DPDT switch, if it's got 9 you need a 3PDT switch.

You can still have true bypass with a DPDT switch, you just need to be creative about how you buffer the LED switching.

triskadecaepyon

Polychourus's are notorious for bad switches, espeically the stereo versions. Usually the polychourus's are built like tanks too... i.e. reverse bias diode protection, potted components, switchcraft jacks, etc.

paul_

i was just looking at mine again for the first time in years and thinking about how i'd like to use it. it still has the switching problem of course. i don't feel like putting a new switch in because i already have. twice.

Doog

WHY DOES THE POLYCHORUS KILL FOOTSWITCHES?! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!

Mike

It is bizarre isn't it? The Electric Mistress, Big Muff etc are all constructed similarly and don't have the same problem?

mumblyjoe

How do they break? Do they simply do nothing when they are pressed or does the actually switching mechanism just stop working?

Probably sounds like there is a high amount of current running through the switch and each time it is pressed, there is a spark of sorts on the brushes/contacts. Probably over time these contacts are just being burnt off, must be at a much faster rate than other pedals.

Heres an idea, get somewhere to do some multi readings on a PC and some other EH pedals

superfuzz

yeah my deluxe electeic mistres was the same thing, only backwords, it worked clean, but wouldnt flange. so i got huffy and wrote a letter to ehx, well an email, than pluged in, it worked, so i didnt ship it back to them. should have though. but im about to think about buying a deluxe memory man, that is if people tell me otherwise, but i like the tone of the one i tried out alot, but ehx stuff is big, and craps out.

BanditGuitarist1

i got a deluxe memory man! its awesome as all hell man i got these settings that sound like the whole world is being swirled down a drain during a hurricane people love it! Sadly it overloads the pedal so u have to manually shut it down after ur done lol

Doog

Can't you just turn the feedback control down so it stops oscillating?

superfuzz

BanditGuitarist1 said: i got a deluxe memory man! its awesome as all hell man i got these settings that sound like the whole world is being swirled down a drain during a hurricane people love it! Sadly it overloads the pedal so u have to manually shut it down after ur done lol

see i was wondering what that overload led was trying to tell me at guitar center, i had it sounding super cool, and im aware its really awesome. im just not sure how reliable it is, and if theres a better delay pedal for less. so if that red light that says overload comes on, you have to use the "off" toggle in the top left corner? that might be a bit of a buzzkill for me, since i planed on useing it in my new bands, and my dear old noise band that im going to try to get back together.