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Momentary FS recommendations?


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I'm looking for recommendations for a good, durable Dual Momentary Footswitch, please. I mainly use them to control different FX parameters or switch between operating Modes on my Boss MFX & Looper.

 

The only pieces of Boss gear that have regularly failed on me have been the footswitches, both the FS-5L Latch FS, and the FS-5U Unlatch (Momentary) FS. In fairness, I don't think Boss really makes them - I've seen the same product sold as a generic FS under the name Bespeco or something similar - but nonetheless, they give out after normal, not even heavy use. Most recently, one of them started randomly flipping my GT-10 between Play Mode and Tuner/Bypass Mode a while back. Fortunately, I discovered this while sitting at home, not during a performance.

 

The Boss footswitches aren't terribly expensive, and they haven't all failed on me, but this is probably the fourth one that's developed the exact same problem. I know there are plenty of Dual Footswitches out there for Channel & Reverb switching on Amps, but they're generally Latch/Toggle style switches, and the Boss DSP favors Momentary Switches for the GT-10 & RC-50; just to be perverse, the GT-3 requires the FS-5L. Inexpensive as they are, their failure rate has been consistent enough that I'd really like to try something else. FWIW, I'm good to my gear: everything lives in a case or heavy-duty travel bag when it's not in active use, I keep everything clean, dry and properly powered, so it's not dirt, moisture or any of those likely issues. To be honest, I haven't wanted to even try Boss' FS-6 Dual Footswitch, because I suspect one side or the other will fail, if it's built with the same kind of switch as the others.

 

So, favorite footswitches, anyone? What do you like?

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I have 2 of the FS-5U footswitches, using with my Roland Cube amp. So far so good but your experience with these is not promising.

I am also able to use my Boss GA-FC(B) with the Cube (I got that with my Katana), but it has 6 footswitches and I have no idea how you would program it since the connecting cable is TRS 1/4".

 

That at least has more standard footswitches that would be easy to replace, plus there are already spares. Kinda big of you only need a couple though...

I've had no problem with it either but I've only had it for a couple of years.

 

Will be watching this thread to see what others suggest. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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@KuruPrionz - Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at the GA-FC, and I'm not certain how it would behave with the GT-10? It doesn't seem that the added switches would give me any added benefit, within the DSP architecture of the GT-3 or GT-10. BTW, the CTL (Control) In jack on the GT series is a TRS jack, and I use a TRS-to-Dual-TS cable to connect 2 FS units that way.

 

FWIW, I've had my GT-3 since July 2001, and I've used up maybe 2 FS-5L's with it, both of which I'd since replaced. OTOH, I've only had my GT-10 since 2012, and been through another 2 or 3 FS-5U's with it, looking back through my receipt file. The one that's malfunctioning now will make it 3 or 4, although if memory serves, it will be #4. That's another $120+/- in just under 8 years. Not enough to break the bank, but I've had other FS's from other companies last much longer, under regular use.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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