Statesman 6L6 pedal

Bought a statesman 6L6 2 X 12 combo used and recently received the FS-3N pedal for channel select from a different seller. When I plug it in the channel goes to drive and is not switchable to clean. The boost button and second volume button work. Any ideas? I have a gig in 24 1/2 hours... Thanks,

Keith

Hi.  I'm trying to find any info on the Statesman schematics to see how this footswitch is meant to work.  I am getting some pics where it has a TRS jack plug and some where it has a DIN plug fitted.  The H&K site suggests that it should be a TRS jack so we will run with that. [EDIT: I've found that the DIN version is not an FS-3N, it is the Duotone footswitch so that is cleared up.]

The pics I have found of the rear of the 6L6 2x12" combo show only a pair of jack sockets with 2 functions selected by each.  Think of it, a TRS jack has only 3 connections.  That would be a Ground/Common line and two other lines to carry the switching voltages.  If that is the norm I don't see how the FS-3N with three switches can work as a simple on/off switching system.  You can't pass 3 switched signals down 2 lines.  There must be some sort of level shifting going on to offer the amp more than an on/off type of action.

The manual says:

Statesman Manual wrote:Statesman offers two connectors for footswitches. The connector for the Hughes & Kettner FS-3N switches the channels, and in the DRIVE channel the BOOST on/off and 2ND VOLUME on/off. 2 way or 1 way foot switches can also be connected. With 2 way switches there is no access to the 2ND VOLUME, the 1 way switch only switches the channels. The second connection, e.g. for the Hughes & Kettner FS-2, turns the internal spring reverb or the FX-LOOP on/off. Here also the 1 way foot switch can be connected; in this case only the FX-LOOP is operated.

I think the best I can offer, taking into account your urgent need for a quick solution, is to suggest it looks like a simple dud switch in the footswitch.  At best it could be something like a twisted switch which has wound wiring together inside the unit.  Could you carefully open it up to have a look and post a couple of pictures of the inside wiring?  Do you have access to a multimeter where you can measure resistance?

thank you bordenbert. I am going to the gig with my 2 button Marshall pedal which provides channel switching and boost. The 3rd button, which works on the FS-3N gives access to 2nd volume which I can live without. I called the shop where I bought this used pedal today and it's warrantied so I will leave it in their hands next week. Thanks again. Cheers

Good result! Glad to hear someone in the music field can actually live with a compromise, well done you for that. If the footswitch is covered by warranty and the shop is easy to get to that makes perfect sense to me. Bear in mind it could still just about conceivably be the amp and not the pedal but it sounds very like a pedal fault to me. A switch is possible but perhaps less likely than a broken wire in the cable. Should be easy for them to check out anyway. I would take your amp too if that is at all possible. Let us know how this turns out please. We get so little info on these legacy amps nowadays it's always good to hear a bit more.

(Oh, I should have mentioned that I moved your thread into the Legacy forum where it should be. The "Anything Else To Talk About" area is intended to be just that, non-amplifier specific stuff which can be more general music info or it can even be topics right out of the ballpark. Your thread would be lost in there.)

Yes, I will let you know how it goes. I tried to post this in the pedal forum but that seems to be locked. Cheers

Had a long talk with myself and we both came up with these thoughts:

"... the 1 way switch only switches the channels." A switch with only one control wire on its Tip can be used but it only changes the channel. Therefore the channel switching MUST be on the Tip of the jack. The fact that your channel switching is faulty means you have a fault in the Tip side of your FS-3N. Could be the wire has snapped inside the cable which is common, or the switch for that has failed. That is very easy to troubleshoot and fix once you have the footswitch open. The shop should cope with that without any problem at all.

"With 2 way switches there is no access to the 2ND VOLUME..." That also means that the High/Low that a lone second switch can offer by itself is the On/Off for the Boost and it is carried on the Ring of the plug. (The Sleeve is of course the ground.) For a three switch unit, the 2nd Volume must be a more complex interaction added onto the Ring which is decoded inside the amp to give two control signals. This side of the unit is working fine so no complications there.

Just a little extra to make you feel better about them fixing it. Piece of cake if they know what they are doing as the complex bit is working and the simple ultra basic "Open Circuit/Short passed up its own wire" bit is not.