Do you use batteries or power supply for your pedals?

**Tone2TheBone** · June 26th, 2007, 03:42 PM

I heard Swede brought back a lot of beer from his trip. We could all meet there and do this blind taste test? And we could try the battery thing too.

Robert**** · June 26th, 2007, 03:58 PM

Tone, that sounds like a great idea!

DVM, you are right. Take everything with a grain of salt, including me!

duhvoodooman*** · June 26th, 2007, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by tone2thebone

I heard Swede brought back a lot of beer from his trip. We could all meet there and do this blind taste test? And we could try the battery thing too.

Best idea put forth in this thread! And after a few beers, nobody will care about the battery thing anyway....

marnold*** · June 26th, 2007, 06:07 PM

I would love to see some true double-blind tests done on things like this, SS vs. tube, various caps in tone pots, heavier vs. lighter strings, etc. Thus far I have seen no one attempt this. It would seem to be an awesome experiment for a guitar magazine to do.

One of my other hobbies as you know is beer brewing. I want to train to be a judge. You learn that everybody tastes things slightly differently. Some can pick up certain off-flavors in very trace amounts. Others can't detect it even if it's about to knock over a mule. You have to train your palate to "look" for certain things. When the judging is going on you know nothing other than the style of beer attempted. This is to eliminate as much prejudice as possible. So not only are you trying to educate yourself, you are also trying to remove any preconceived notions you might have.

While I have not studied the matter, I would have to believe that there are similar differences in people's sense of hearing. My questions on these subjects would be: are there any real, perceptible differences in all of these things? If so, how many favor one over another? Are those favorites in keeping with what is generally accepted to be true (e.g. tube amps sound better)? Are certain differences in tone only perceptible by a certain minority of the population? Can professional musicians tell the difference? (How about record producers/mixers? Hard-core music fans? Causal audience members?)

Until such double-blind tests are run, we'll never even begin to know the answer. I've a feeling that some musicians and equipment companies might be afraid of the answers.

**WackyT** · June 26th, 2007, 08:15 PM

Anyone have a good source for NOS carbon batteries?

Spudman*** · June 26th, 2007, 10:33 PM

I hate to say it but in a few of my non modulation pedals I can really tell a difference between AC and DC. However, that doesn't sway me to NOT plug my stuff into a power adapter. The difference doesn't outweigh the convenience.

The main difference for me is touch and response. I can more feel a difference than hear a difference. The feel is more consistent for me if I leave everything plugged in....so I do.

By the way...I'm looking for some new old stock filtered AC adapters with the oil paper wrapped transformers. If anyone has any or know where I can get some then PM me.

**Jimi75** · June 27th, 2007, 07:54 AM

I know that Eric Johnson raised this whole discussion some time ago. This man knows a lot about sound and I believe that he has the most educated ears in music biz. Listen to his album Venus Isle, it took him 7 years to get that sound!

Here's some interesting stuff Eric said - can't believe that with the Fuzz Face screw.....hell yeah:

Eric Johnson started it all with the talk about batteries having an effect on the tone and so on...
Now everybody is careful about what batteries to use on vintage pedals, here are some more tips and rumors from EJ tone bag:

-Pre-amp tubes for Marshall and other three pre-amp tube amps (Bassman..): First Yugoslavian EI 7025 then 2 Chinese 12ax7's (neither is made anymore).
-Cables don´t sound the same both ways!!! Take your guitar chord and plug it into your amp and listen to it with your guitar's volume all the way up (doesn't matter what the amp volume is, but it should be to where it is clear), then take the chord, plug the end that was in your guitar into your amp and vice/versa and you will notice the VERY ANNOYING FACT THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND THE SAME!!!!! I wish they'd never told me that..... (thanks Rick)
-Fuzz Face: If you take the bottom screw out from the Fuzz Face you get a better tone, EJ had the bottom of his Fuzz Face tied with rubber-bands on ALC summer tour!! (now it´s also on Guitar Player but you read it here first .)

Robert**** · June 27th, 2007, 08:07 AM

Oh man, I've using my cables the wrong direction all these years!

No wonder I have always had bad tone...

**Jimi75** · June 27th, 2007, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Robert

Oh man, I've using my cables the wrong direction all these years!

No wonder I have always had bad tone...

Hey Rob, I bet that everybody who's reading this tries the cable thing at home!

Ya know what I'm gonna do when I come home..........it's turning cable time!

**Iago** · June 27th, 2007, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Jimi75

-Pre-amp tubes for Marshall and other three pre-amp tube amps (Bassman..): First Yugoslavian EI 7025 then 2 Chinese 12ax7's (neither is made anymore).
-Cables don´t sound the same both ways!!! Take your guitar chord and plug it into your amp and listen to it with your guitar's volume all the way up (doesn't matter what the amp volume is, but it should be to where it is clear), then take the chord, plug the end that was in your guitar into your amp and vice/versa and you will notice the VERY ANNOYING FACT THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND THE SAME!!!!! I wish they'd never told me that..... (thanks Rick)
-Fuzz Face: If you take the bottom screw out from the Fuzz Face you get a better tone, EJ had the bottom of his Fuzz Face tied with rubber-bands on ALC summer tour!! (now it´s also on Guitar Player but you read it here first .)

Hehhehe I think you got that from the Custom-Sounds website! I read it before... anyway, first time I heard him I thought "that's a really different tone" (and playing) but I highly doubt anyone else but him would hear a difference on his tone with the cable turned the other way. Same stuff about the fuzz-face bottom screw..

**Justaguyin_nc** · June 27th, 2007, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Robert

Oh man, I've using my cables the wrong direction all these years!

No wonder I have always had bad tone...

My tone gotta improve...my cables come with arrows so I can't put them backwards!!

**SuperSwede** · June 27th, 2007, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by tone2thebone

I heard Swede brought back a lot of beer from his trip. We could all meet there and do this blind taste test? And we could try the battery thing too.

Lol... 240 cans baby.
Ah well, to get back on topic..

I know by experience that a battery that gets low on power changes the sound of a pedal, no problems there. But a full (or near full) battery should output 9v just as an adapter? Perhaps the low-quality batteries that Robert speaks of outputs slightly less or more voltage?

Robert**** · June 27th, 2007, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Justaguyin_nc

My tone gotta improve...my cables come with arrows so I can't put them backwards!!

Wow, look at the length of that cable... you must be keeping your amp on your lap!

**LowEndWonder** · December 27th, 2007, 01:37 PM

Rather be safe than sorry!

:

View Poll Results: Do you use batteries with your pedals?

Thread: Do you use batteries or power supply for your pedals?

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Display

Power Supply!

Posting Permissions