What gauge and type of wire you use??
Posted: 16 Feb 2008, 00:28
i've been curious about what kind of wire is best for stompboxes, solid or strander?, silver or copper? what awg to get?
thanks.
thanks.
Stranded wire is less likely to break when flexed and is generally more reliable. A solid wire really should be substantially heavier to offset the flexing problem and even a small nick from stripping will promote a break point. Solid is easier to route and dress neatly, stranded just takes a few moments longer to get to stay in place.
Silver is only an advantage if that particular form of mojo appeals to you.
Teflon insulation appeals to people who have trouble soldering cleanly - it has no reputation for mojo except among those who are swayed by ANY applied adjective or any part that costs more or seems somehow "special."
At the voltages, currents and temperatures we work at almost any gauge will work. Almost all the pedals you see use something in the 20 - 24 gauge range. I use 22ga stranded for almost all of my pedal wiring, easy enough to handle, fits in the same size holes I drill for through-lead components. I avoid solid wire except in special cases like creating a buss or such and then it's more like 18ga.
You can get solid wire nice and straight by chucking one end up in a drill and clamping the other in a vise or such and spinning it in one direction (stop before it kinks) and then back in the other. Stranded will tend to keep the curl that it was first spooled up with. You'll find that twisting with your fingers as you wire things up can persuade it to follow the desired path.
Easiest thing if you're just starting out is to get the Velleman kit of stranded wire, something like 10 - 20 feet of some 8 different colors for not much money. Enough to build a bunch of pedals and get you started.
Ron