# Offboard Components Recommendations



## manfesto (Feb 2, 2021)

Did a quick search and didn’t see a similar thread, apologies if I missed it, but I was putting together a parts order and was thinking I’d share the offboard parts that I use and ways they make my builds easier to build and/or more reliable.

If anyone has other suggestions we could keep the thread going? Lots of these parts have been referenced elsewhere in the forum, maybe collecting them all in one spot might not be so bad.

*From Mouser:*

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/593-2000C
*SMB_200_CTP LED lens* - a match for the "3mm LED Lens Type #1" that PPCB used to sell, fits perfectly in the 11/64" hole on Tayda pre-drilled enclosures, and I like the fresnel lens look over a round bezel, personally.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/538-25001-0802
*Molex 25001-0802 jumper cable* - it's 2" long pre-stripped pieces of 8-conductor jumper cable, I cut these in half and use them for PPCB 3PDT breakout boards, it's almost life-changingly  convenient.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/575-91743103
*Mill-Max TO-5 transistor socket* - these are basically the go-to transistor socket recommendation, and I've not found a better price on them than at Mouser



*From StompBoxParts*:

https://stompboxparts.com/jacks/1-4-stereo-enclosed-jack-lock-teeth-panel-mount/
*1/4" Stereo Jack with Locking Teeth* - these jacks have teeth that stab into the wall of the enclosure when you tighten them, so they'll never come loose, and you don't have to sand down the paint around the jack to get that ground connection. I've switched to using these jacks pretty much exclusively for anything that doesn't need a switched jack.

https://stompboxparts.com/switches/3pdt-footswitch-pro-latching/
*SBP 3PDT Footswitch Pro* - these 3PDTs have a softer click than most three-dollar switches, take heat like a champ, fit PPCB breakout boards perfectly, and are a buck cheaper than the Gorva Pro Switch (that, in my experience, didn't fit the PPCB breakout board and wasn't noticeably softer to click)

https://stompboxparts.com/switches/metal-footswitch-washer-10-pack/
*Metal Footswitch washer* - I prefer these over the white nylon washers.

https://stompboxparts.com/semiconductors/v3207d-and-v3102d-bbd-clock-sockets-pack/
*Fancy ICs* - Also, as of right now, StompBoxParts seems to have the best prices on Belton Bricks ($13 for the BTDR-2H, $15 for the BTDR-3H), Spin FV-1s ($14), and V3207/V3102 BBD sets for the Ceasar Chorus ($2.75 for the set)



*From Tayda:*

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/hardware/enclosures/drilled-enclosures-for-pedalpcb.html
I mean, the pre-drilled 125Bs *gotta* be on this list, right? Biggest time-saver in the whole process for me (although I do still have to drill one hole bigger - the hole for the DC jack, because of the next step below).

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/dc-power-jack-2-1mm-enclosed-frame-with-switch-external.html
*2.1mm external switched DC jack* - I like the external jack because I don't have to desolder the jack to remove the PCB from the enclosure, and I've had lots of issues with the mini jacks (they're stiff, I've had multiple fail, I've melted more than a few trying to do reworks). I *have* had an issue with the nuts these jacks come with stripping and not properly tightening, so I do have a bag of "Outie" DC Jack Nuts from SBP when this happens.

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			https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C5QWCG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KhDeGbKEYKSD5
		


Also, not an offboard component recommendation, but I eventually stopped borrowing work’s automatic wire stripper and got one of these off of Amazon which seems to be of comparable quality. I *hate* stripping wire because I am only human and can’t do it nearly as quickly or repeatably-accurate as an actual tool can


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## peccary (Feb 2, 2021)

I'm a Switchcraft fan boy, but have recently switched to the Lumbergs from LMS. They feel nice and secure like the Switchcraft, but are much smaller.









						1/4" Mono Jack - Lumberg KLBM 3
					

Same day shipping and awesome prices for guitar pedal parts! A family owned business with AMAZING customer service.




					lovemyswitches.com
				




I also like these little DC jacks as well. I've not used the Lumberg ones but I can say that the no names are nice and tight, which I like, and they also take up very little room. They do require to be desoldered to be removed though, but I like the way they look and how tight they fit.









						Thinline 2.1mm DC Power Jack
					

Choose a “thinline” style 2.1mm DC jack and save space in your next guitar pedal build. Our thinline jack features a flat barrel for easy install.




					lovemyswitches.com


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## manfesto (Feb 2, 2021)

peccary said:


> I'm a Switchcraft fan boy, but have recently switched to the Lumbergs from LMS. They feel nice and secure like the Switchcraft, but are much smaller.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Coincidentally the one time I ponied up to try Lumbergs was the one time I had a failure (dude’s cable end got caught *under* the bended part of the tip contact when he inserted it, and it permanently deformed it). Like, the logical part of my brain *knows* it’s a coincidence and even Switchcraft makes duds sometimes, but *knock on wood* haven’t had a bad SBP jack since switching to them (and I really love the teeth)

Are LMS’s mini DC jacks any different from the similar Tayda ones? Didn’t enjoy the issues I had with the Tayda minis.


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## peccary (Feb 2, 2021)

manfesto said:


> Coincidentally the one time I ponied up to try Lumbergs was the one time I had a failure (dude’s cable end got caught *under* the bended part of the tip contact when he inserted it, and it permanently deformed it). Like, the logical part of my brain *knows* it’s a coincidence and even Switchcraft makes duds sometimes, but *knock on wood* haven’t had a bad SBP jack since switching to them (and I really love the teeth)
> 
> Are LMS’s mini DC jacks any different from the similar Tayda ones? Didn’t enjoy the issues I had with the Tayda minis.



I've never tried the Tayda ones - I use Tayda for enclosures and components. For switches and jacks I go with companies who focus more specifically on those things. I just trust LMS to carry good shit, I guess.


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## StompBoxParts (Feb 3, 2021)

manfesto said:


> *From StompBoxParts*:
> 
> https://stompboxparts.com/jacks/1-4-stereo-enclosed-jack-lock-teeth-panel-mount/
> *1/4" Stereo Jack with Locking Teeth* - these jacks have teeth that stab into the wall of the enclosure when you tighten them, so they'll never come loose, and you don't have to sand down the paint around the jack to get that ground connection. I've switched to using these jacks pretty much exclusively for anything that doesn't need a switched jack.



Thank you for the kind words, @manfesto !

These teeth jacks are my very favorite jacks around. Would anyone have interest in these in any other configurations? Such as TS or TRS switched? We thought about a TS (2 lug) but the cost difference is negligible so we stuck with TRS (I usually snip off the ring lug). I'm gonna take a guess that the current TRS configuration covers most DIY applications but would be curious to hear other opinions.


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## fig (Feb 3, 2021)

Stomp Box Parts said:


> Thank you for the kind words, @manfesto !
> 
> These teeth jacks are my very favorite jacks around. Would anyone have interest in these in any other configurations? Such as TS or TRS switched? We thought about a TS (2 lug) but the cost difference is negligible so we stuck with TRS (I usually snip off the ring lug). I'm gonna take a guess that the current TRS configuration covers most DIY applications but would be curious to hear other opinions.


Just reduced your inventory by 24


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## manfesto (Feb 3, 2021)

Stomp Box Parts said:


> Thank you for the kind words, @manfesto !
> 
> These teeth jacks are my very favorite jacks around. Would anyone have interest in these in any other configurations? Such as TS or TRS switched? We thought about a TS (2 lug) but the cost difference is negligible so we stuck with TRS (I usually snip off the ring lug). I'm gonna take a guess that the current TRS configuration covers most DIY applications but would be curious to hear other opinions.


I wouldn’t need a ton of them myself but I’d definitely buy some switched TRS to keep on hand!


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## peccary (Feb 3, 2021)

manfesto said:


> Coincidentally the one time I ponied up to try Lumbergs was the one time I had a failure (dude’s cable end got caught *under* the bended part of the tip contact when he inserted it, and it permanently deformed it). Like, the logical part of my brain *knows* it’s a coincidence and even Switchcraft makes duds sometimes, but *knock on wood* haven’t had a bad SBP jack since switching to them (and I really love the teeth)
> 
> Are LMS’s mini DC jacks any different from the similar Tayda ones? Didn’t enjoy the issues I had with the Tayda minis.



I forgot to ask last night - what are the issues you had with the Tayda jacks?

Also wondering about your experience with the LED lenses. I see people using them but I always assumed that they would be easily busted up by getting stepped on so I've stayed away, but I'm wondering if I should get a few and give them a shot.


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## manfesto (Feb 3, 2021)

peccary said:


> I forgot to ask last night - what are the issues you had with the Tayda jacks?
> 
> Also wondering about your experience with the LED lenses. I see people using them but I always assumed that they would be easily busted up by getting stepped on so I've stayed away, but I'm wondering if I should get a few and give them a shot.


It's stiff to insert the DC jack, and I've melted more than a few few trying to do rework. I've also had a few that failed after a few weeks' use (could be related to the stiffness of insertion, people inserting with more force that they think necessary). Haven't had any issues with the outie DC jacks, knock on wood.

The LED lenses can be inserted just about flush so little chance of getting stomped on, and I think they look sharp!


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## peccary (Feb 14, 2021)

manfesto said:


> It's stiff to insert the DC jack, and I've melted more than a few few trying to do rework. I've also had a few that failed after a few weeks' use (could be related to the stiffness of insertion, people inserting with more force that they think necessary). Haven't had any issues with the outie DC jacks, knock on wood.
> 
> The LED lenses can be inserted just about flush so little chance of getting stomped on, and I think they look sharp!



After this conversation I had to buy some of the Lumberg DC jacks to give them a shot to see how they compared to the no-names. I was able to use one on a build I finished tonight.

While they are tight, they are not as tight as the no-names I got from LMS. They are also slightly smaller, which I like. Very snug night be a good way to describe their bite. No way are they slipping out but it's not a death grip like the ones I was using before. I know it's a test sample of one, but figured I'd drop an update.


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## SYLV9ST9R (Mar 9, 2021)

manfesto said:


> https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/593-2000C
> *SMB_200_CTP LED lens* - a match for the "3mm LED Lens Type #1" that PPCB used to sell, fits perfectly in the 11/64" hole on Tayda pre-drilled enclosures, and I like the fresnel lens look over a round bezel, personally.


Thanks for this (and all the suggestions), can't believe I just did a Mouser order (for a non-pedal related project) and forgot about your post. These and the molex cables would have been great.
I wish those lenses were still available on PPCB's site, as I mostly use the pre-drilled from Tayda (it's a shame they don't have them in stock IMO). I'll stick with the similar 5mm one from Tayda for now, the worst scenario that happened was I drilled the hole a hair too big and hot glued the lens inside.
And I'll echo the sentiment about the small 2.1mm DC jacks from Tayda. They're not great. I've used some in my builds, but I tend to use the bigger plastic ones more and more.


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## slacjs (Mar 22, 2021)

Anyone have any recommendations on 1/4" jacks from mouser? I'm in Asia and mouser is one of the few places that will ship here for cheap. I've tried these from tayda:









						6.35mm 1/4" Mono Phone Jack Socket Lumberg Brand KLBM 3
					

KARL LUMBERG - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




but I've not had much luck with them. I've used them in 2 pedals and both pedals has a dodgy connection on one side. 

Cheers


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## Barry (Mar 22, 2021)

slacjs said:


> Anyone have any recommendations on 1/4" jacks from mouser? I'm in Asia and mouser is one of the few places that will ship here for cheap. I've tried these from tayda:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've used dozens of those and never had an issue, unless the tip leg of the jack was pushed against a pot making it hard or impossible to insert a cable


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## untamedfrontier (Mar 22, 2021)

manfesto said:


> Coincidentally the one time I ponied up to try Lumbergs was the one time I had a failure (dude’s cable end got caught *under* the bended part of the tip contact when he inserted it, and it permanently deformed it).


I've been using Lumbergs for a bit, and have experienced this a few times, and it happened on both jacks for the pyro. I really do like them and it's a shame, but I'm definitely going to be using something else from now on because lord knows it's gonna fail at the worst time


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## TheSin (Mar 22, 2021)

manfesto said:


> Coincidentally the one time I ponied up to try Lumbergs was the one time I had a failure (dude’s cable end got caught *under* the bended part of the tip contact when he inserted it, and it permanently deformed it). Like, the logical part of my brain *knows* it’s a coincidence and even Switchcraft makes duds sometimes, but *knock on wood* haven’t had a bad SBP jack since switching to them (and I really love the teeth)
> 
> Are LMS’s mini DC jacks any different from the similar Tayda ones? Didn’t enjoy the issues I had with the Tayda minis.


I’ve had this happen as well on a couple Lumberg’s from another source, so glad to hear it’s not just me. I stopped buying them after that and just use the cheapies from Tayda. They seem to work fine for my projects.


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## finebyfine (Mar 22, 2021)

slacjs said:


> Anyone have any recommendations on 1/4" jacks from mouser? I'm in Asia and mouser is one of the few places that will ship here for cheap. I've tried these from tayda:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I really like the shrouded / enclosed ones like this:





There's a handful of different manufacturers of the same version on mouser but here's one link. I tend to find that open frame jacks end up taking up more _valuable _space in an enclosure because of how they have to be positioned to not short out against the enclosure. Kind of a bummer that these feel cheap because it's really my only complaint about them. You can even take out any pin other than the sleeve and put it back in which I find handy for soldering and shrink wrapping the connections.


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## fig (Mar 22, 2021)

I agree with @finebyfine, these are the way to go.

You can also top load 4 on a 125B for a SND/RTN loop. 

StompBoxParts has the mono for .75


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## peccary (Mar 22, 2021)

finebyfine said:


> I really like the shrouded / enclosed ones like this:
> 
> View attachment 10532
> 
> There's a handful of different manufacturers of the same version on mouser but here's one link. I tend to find that open frame jacks end up taking up more _valuable _space in an enclosure because of how they have to be positioned to not short out against the enclosure. Kind of a bummer that these feel cheap because it's really my only complaint about them. You can even take out any pin other than the sleeve and put it back in which I find handy for soldering and shrink wrapping the connections.



The Lumberg jacks solder tabs can be in the way a bit, but they can be bent in pretty easily - I usually use the end of a screwdriver to press them down. 

The issue people are having where the inside tip bending worries me a little, though - I've used these jacks on 6 or so pedals and not had any issues like that, but I know that's a small number of builds compared to what a lot of you are doing, so it may just be a matter of time. I'll likely continue to use them till they give me problems, though.


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## finebyfine (Mar 22, 2021)

@peccary ah my bad I confused the lumberg phone jacks with the switchcraft ones that don’t have any plastic. I’ve only used those two enough times to have a preference but I remember being pretty shocked at the strength of center pin on switchcrafts for what it’s worth.



manfesto said:


> https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/593-2000C
> *SMB_200_CTP LED lens*



Still waiting for delivery but I’m pretty sure I found these on aliexpress for 10¢ a pop, I’ll update if it’s a complete match


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## peccary (Mar 22, 2021)

finebyfine said:


> @peccary ah my bad I confused the lumberg phone jacks with the switchcraft ones that don’t have any plastic. I’ve only used those two enough times to have a preference but I remember being pretty shocked at the strength of center pin on switchcrafts for what it’s worth.
> 
> 
> 
> Still waiting for delivery but I’m pretty sure I found these on aliexpress for 10¢ a pop, I’ll update if it’s a complete match



I've got a bag of Switchcraft I keep around as that's what I put in my instruments when doing work on them, but like you said - they take up a lot of space and are all flared out, even if they aren't that deep. Switchcraft feel the best to me - they are very secure and still smooth somehow. The Lumbergs are very secure feeling, which is why I like them, but are not as smooth when pulling the jack out. 

I'm sure those longer square ones you and others have posted (and that I've seen in numerous builds) are fine, but I just don't like the way they look. I like the simple mono jack, kept in a relatively small footprint - everything looks nice and tidy. If I switch from Lumbergs I think I'm going to have a hard time finding something else I like.


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## finebyfine (Mar 22, 2021)

peccary said:


> I just don't like the way they look. I like the simple mono jack, kept in a relatively small footprint - everything looks nice and tidy. If I switch from Lumbergs I think I'm going to have a hard time finding something else I like.



Tooootally feel that. It's funny how dedicated we get to small things in this, but I guess that's a lot of being a guitar nerd in general too. I have a whole grip of box film caps that I go out of my way to not use because I used them in a build that I absolutely butchered the circuit board on and it reminds me of it. They were cheap so it's no loss but it always cracks me up when I find myself going "no, no, not _that_ 100nf"


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## manfesto (Apr 14, 2021)

PSA @StompBoxParts now carries pre-cut 2” 8-conductor ribbon cable, similar to the Molex 2” ribbon cable in my original post but even cheaper.

cut ‘em in half and they’re perfect for 3PDT breakout boards!









						Ribbon Cable - 8 pin - 2"
					

8 pin 2" ribbon cable - Stomp Box Parts - 4 pin ribbon cable




					stompboxparts.com


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## finebyfine (May 4, 2021)

finebyfine said:


> manfesto said:
> 
> 
> > https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/593-2000C
> ...



Ended up being an exact match. AliExpress link. 13¢ each. There's probably other sellers selling more for less per, but I didn't want too many in case I didn't like them. I ordered March 16th and they came yesterday but I also used the slowest, free shipping option.


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## manfesto (May 4, 2021)

finebyfine said:


> Ended up being an exact match. AliExpress link. 13¢ each. There's probably other sellers selling more for less per, but I didn't want too many in case I didn't like them. I ordered March 16th and they came yesterday but I also used the slowest, free shipping option.
> 
> View attachment 11534
> View attachment 11535


Awesome! 100% gonna stock up on ‘em


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## finebyfine (May 7, 2021)

manfesto said:


> Awesome! 100% gonna stock up on ‘em



Just for further proof they fit, here’s one in a tayda predrilled enclosure


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## manfesto (May 8, 2021)

finebyfine said:


> Just for further proof they fit, here’s one in a tayda predrilled enclosure
> 
> View attachment 11656


Got 100 on the way! Should be here in June, thanks for the heads up!


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## Chris411 (May 9, 2021)

Reading this thread, I thought I'd post something about LED lenses.  I'll just link to that thread: 


			https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/led-lenses.6591/


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## giovanni (Apr 30, 2022)

manfesto said:


> PSA @StompBoxParts now carries pre-cut 2” 8-conductor ribbon cable, similar to the Molex 2” ribbon cable in my original post but even cheaper.
> 
> cut ‘em in half and they’re perfect for 3PDT breakout boards!
> 
> ...


I got these of Digikey which end up being cheaper, but you have to strip them yourself, which is a PITA:






						8125/04 100 3M | Cables, Wires | DigiKey
					

Order today, ships today. 8125/04 100 – Flat Ribbon Cable Gray 4 Conductors 0.100" (2.54mm) Flat Cable 1.00' (304.80mm) from 3M. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.




					www.digikey.com
				









						8125/06 100 3M | Cables, Wires | DigiKey
					

Order today, ships today. 8125/06 100 – Flat Ribbon Cable Gray 6 Conductors 0.100" (2.54mm) Flat Cable 1.00' (304.80mm) from 3M. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.




					www.digikey.com


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