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I just picked up a beat to shit distortion plus for 35 bucks, its sounds great. Problems: the led is constantly on, when the pedal is on and when it is off. Any pedal buffs know a simple fix? Is it the switch or just some shoddy wiring? Also, I can't open the damn thing. MXR apparently uses screws with SQUARE holes in them as opposed to phillips. W. T. F. Dunno how I can make a screwdriver to open the thing...

PICS BELOW

Are you sure they're not allan key/wrench holes?

I think the screws were replaced. I had a 70s Dist + and I had no problem getting to the battery with a regular screwdriver.

No, it's actually a SQUARE, I might try my allan wrench set on them when I can find it... but still. Bummer. And it isn't vintage, it has the powersupply bit, I played a vintage one there too, it had real screws but it was 60 bucks and battery only.

you'll need a robertson screwdriver.

usually if you buy one of those screwdrivers with a bunch of interchangeable heads there'll be a couple square ones in there.

fuuuuuu


I wish I could find something square to open it.

on the plus side, pedal sounds good. I just to need fix the annoying always on led.

robertson screws are more popular in canada than here in the states. but you can still buy the screwdrivers in most hardware stores.
otherwise just use a flat-head screwdriver and put it in diagonally across the square.

holy shit. I got it apart. I thought it was filthy on the outside... this pedal has seen it all.

pics to come and maybe you guys can help me fix it.

Upon opening I found filth n' foam.



Aw COME ON, $35 for TAPED electronics?











I dunno if you guys can tell me if this is modded or just shittily repaired, anything helps. and, HOW can I fix the constantly on LED?

Someone very crappily made it true-bypass. They didn't bother to make the LED work right.

Personally, I'd just finish the job. Get a 3PDT, switch the wires over, and use the extra lugs to control the LED.

GHETTO

3PDT that thing up. Replace any of those retarded taped wires.

I have (1) 3DPT coming in the mail but I was going to use it on the Behringer big muff, what sort of switch is used here? looks ordinary

it's a DPDT. If you want true bypass and LED switching, you need a 3PDT unless you want to fuck with Millenium Bypass (you don't)

Can I pretty easily mod it back it its original state? I'd actually be nice to not have a TB pedal because I don't have any buffers..

I'm an idiot, also - I ordered an Alpha DPDT instead of a 3DPT....

I don't know what the stock bypass scheme is I'm afraid.

LOL @ electrical taep

wait how could it have been tru bypass modded without the new switch? or is it just a failure?

cobascis wrote:wait how could it have been tru bypass modded without the new switch? or is it just a failure?

You can do true bypass with a DPDT if you don't care about having an LED. If you do, you need the extra pole on the switch to turn it on and off.

There's also a difference between output-only bypass (what the DIST+ is) and buffered bypass (like BOSS pedals). The DIST+ will definitely suck tone if it isn't true-bypass.

Will wrote:

cobascis wrote:wait how could it have been tru bypass modded without the new switch? or is it just a failure?

You can do true bypass with a DPDT if you don't care about having an LED. If you do, you need the extra pole on the switch to turn it on and off.

There's also a difference between output-only bypass (what the DIST+ is) and buffered bypass (like BOSS pedals). The DIST+ will definitely suck tone if it isn't true-bypass.

Oh, so it IS true bypass at the moment, but without the led (switchable). Huh. And it doesn't have a buffer so when it isn't trubypass it is a no WIN situation. I just removed tape and resoldered some stuff. The idiot cut the wires to short, thats why he had to add the bits, so I just resoldered his work because I have to wire to rewire it.

Anything else I should do while I have my iron out?

I tidied it up a bit. It is interesting, as you press the switch in the LED gets a lot brighter, and when you take your foot off it goes back to normal. huh.

NEWSFLASH: I was playing it and the LED died after I turned it off and on a few times. LOL.