Making Vox Night Train footswitchable?

[groms]

Hi, I´m new here.
I´m considering buying the Night Train, but I´d like to find out if it´s possible to make it footswitchable first. I don´t know very much about schematics, so I hope some of you can answer this.

- Firstly, can the bright/thick switch be made footswitchable?

- Second, and maybe even more desirable; is it possible that a footswitch can both switch to thick AND bypass the gain-pot for max gain? That would mean making the Night Train into a 2-channel amp that can do both cleans and heavy overdrive.

- In case the second is possible, can it even be enhanced to include a switch (doesn´t need to be footswitch) to bypass the gain pot, so that I can choose between first and second option?

Thanks, and I hope it can be done. I really want this amp, but I need to be able to have both cleans and overdrive. I´d rather have the amp´s overdrive than use a pedal, so that´s the reason for the question.

Gunnar

[goodtone4u]

Hello,
That is the one thing the NT missed is remote footswitch feature.
All is possible if you are good at modifying or have a tech to help out.
The thick gain is too high to let run wide open. so you will need a second gain pot for Thick mode.
(Small front panel hole with a pot adjustable behind front panel?)
The front panel DPDT switch function could be changed to a small DPDT relay.
Then let the toggle switch switch only control the relay. An added rear panel foot switch jack could override front panel switch.
Not good idea to tap into DC filament supply for relay power. It is floating above ground by two 100 ohm resistors. It is best to add small additional 12VDC supply for relay circuit.
Not complicated mod in theory, but layout and placement of relay is critical not to upset the layout and get into noise and oscillation situations.
The big deal is where to put the second gain pot without messing up the cool looks.

My 2c

[Structo]

I haven't played through the Night Train yet but if it is the kind of amp that will clean up well with the guitar volume control you can make a kind of poor man's footswitch for it.

Buy a 1 Meg ohm linear pot, a DPST footswitch and a small enclosure like a stomp box size.
Two jacks one on each side.

What you do is wire it so in one switch position you are running through the pot to the output jack.
In the other switch position you are bypassing the pot and the signal flows through the box unimpeded.

So it's like having your guitar volume turned down to where it is clean, then when you step on the pedal, it goes full volume.
You can even wire in an led to indicate which way it is switched.
Works pretty darn good on an amp that cleans up.

[ampdoc1]

Structo

Simple!

I realized a few years ago that I could have the screaming tone of my TrainWreck clone, and just put a "clean" driver pedal in front (or a divider will work as well), and turn it down for the "clean" tone.

ampdoc1

[groms]

thanks for the answers.
I´ve made a few pedals (overdrives, tremolo, compressor), and worked a bit on the electronics in my guitars, so I think I could handle a relatively easy mod on an amp too. Maybe not if it´s very comlex. However, I dont´t know schematics very well, and also not how the components work together and in what order they should be. So I can´t figure out how to do these mods by my self, but I think I can do them if I someone helps me find out how.

Adding a second gain pot for thick mode sounds good, and I think that knob could be placed on the back of the amp.

Yes, making a "negative boost" pedal is an option. However, I´ve never liked rolling down guitar volume (and even less guitar tone), and I think a clean amp sounds a lot better than an overdriven amp with rolled-back guitar volume. Also, I think I would want the tone stack involved in the clean sound in the Night Train, and not in the overdrive.

If someone has any more ideas or thoughts on this mod, I´d be grateful