HI: Scott
I also have the FC5 & FC7 very good footswitches.
All metal construction, & are reasonable priced.
You could buy an extra FC5 for a spare but I
don't think you'll need it for many years.
Denny
PS: Like DonM said he's had his for over 10 years & they
still work.

[This message has been edited by dlstarry (edited 12-20-2002).]

Scott,

the Boss FS-5U pedals connect by a sliding track channel (Tongue & Groove), they also have 1/4" jack inputs (Not Hot Wired)for more options.
http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=37

The FC$ is like a piano pedal and the FC5 is just a flat tin box affair. I have the FC5. It's half the price of the FC4. You might also want to have the FC7 as well since you can use both at once for the extra functions. Go bananas and get the FC9 stereo pedal as well though if that's the case go for the MFC10 which will do all the functions and more.

Bryan

Isn't there a multiple functions pedal that can be bought?

I am using the FC-5 pedal.

I have something more to say at the latched Boss pedal.
We are using it to switch on/off our reverb.
Yes indeed it's built like a tank, but there is a small minor problem with it.
It has a small switch located at the back to switch the led on when making contact YES or NO.
I had to solder this switch at 1 position to be sure making contact is always led=on and breaking contact is always led=off.

René

Many thanks again to everyone for your advice and further clarification re foot pedal purchasing options. After checking out all your above recommendations, I decided to purchase the Yamaha FC5, especially after hearing that DonM's FC5 has lasted for over 10 years and is STILL working.

I purchased the FC5 for $13.49 US dollars. Though the Boss FS-5U certainly is well constructed and looks rugged, it surprisingly doesn't even include a required cord (1/4"). In addition, the Boss pedal list price is $39.50 ($26.99 sale price), so adding a required cable would cost even MORE.

René, I believe the switch you are referring to at the back of the FS-5U is called a polarity switch. What's nice about the PSR & Tyros keyboards is that they allow you to set the polarity (+/-) for each foot pedal, on the keyboard itself, so a physical switch on the foot pedal itself is not required, or as René points out, not recommended, especially if it can easily be inadvertantly switched over to the wrong setting by mistake.

btw: Thanks to MacAllcock for his detailed explanation of the way momentary switches work.

Scott