I'm building a J5Mk1 and I'm wondering whether to install the simple effects loop.
I'm not sure yet if I'll make a lot of use of it but it seems easier to include it now rather than add it later. On the other hand there are many references to the sensitivity of the underlying High Octane design to lead dress and I'm too much of a newbie to know if having the added signal cable lengths running right across the chassis adds significantly to that sensitivity.
Martin has also posted that the signal voltage at the send of the J5Mk1 is too high for most effect units when the master is turned up more then 1/3.
I'm wondering about the simple loop's usefulness for adding a little delay or reverb from a simple pedal, at modest practice volumes, to cleanish amp settings.
Does anyone have any experience doing this and advice about pros and cons?
If I do put the effects loop in does it matter which end of the send and return cables is chosen for their respective shield connections to ground?
(I think somewhere, maybe on an AX84 forum, I've seen a general recommendation to ground the 'source' end of a shield. On my J5MK1 I'd like to do the shield grounding at the jacks end simply because there's more room there for a newbie like me to wave the soldering iron about ....)
I also have a newbie build question.
The Manual (Revision 2.1c) says capacitors C7 and C8 need to be grounded separately, using two green wires to the star ground point. Since their negative leads are already joined at the main board is it really necessary to do this. Isn't a single wire from their joined main board connection to star ground enough (and consistent with the Schematic)?
Chris