Can I safely use a 18v adapter on TS clone pedal....

  • Thread starter Thread starter apophis
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apophis

Well-known member
If i plugged my 18 v adaptor into my overdrive and it works and sounds fine, does that mean that the voltage is safe for this specific pedal? would it burn instantly if it was not safe for it or can it still burn after a few minutes of use? Any info would be appreciated... :rock:
 
It honestly depends on who built it and what they specified as the power source. Some do use 12 or 18 volts for higher headroom. I don't think I'd try it unless I knew the specs of it first.
 
it's a clone, no brand or specs. Tried it at 18 and worked and sounds great just don't want to risk the damage by letting it run more time. I only tried it for like 30 seconds lol
 
There are some that can take the extra voltage just fine, but without knowing any of the specs it's a choice that you have to make.
 
Ibanez and Maxon tubescreamers are generally fine at 12V, but I wouldn't want to try them at 18V. Most of the time the electrolytic caps are rated for 15V, so at 18V, you are exceeding the rating of the caps.

I did try my Maxon OD-9 at 12V and didn't notice much of a difference, so I just went back to running it at 9V.

You can always get an 18V to 9V adapter, like this: http://store.truetone.com/18v-to-9v-con ... -spot-pro/
 
Depends on the pedals component specifications.
 
are the caps the easiest things to fry? they seem fine so far
 
Here' what you need to know:

1) What opamp/chip is being used? If it's a straight JRC4558 it will be fine at 18v, but no more. Most similar dual opamps can run at 18v also (Burr Brown, TL072 etc...)

2) What voltages are your electrolytic caps rated for? Usually they'll up to 16v, around 50v or more. This will be clearly marked on the capacitor, both the capacitance value and the max voltage it can take. (Caps can be marked at the same value, but handle different voltages, EG: you could have two 3.3uf caps, one is a 16v, the other a 65v. This is what you need to know.)

3) Resistors and box/poly caps will be fine. Don't worry about these.

Post a gut shot if you can.
 
candletears7 is 100% correct, the opamp and electrolytic caps are usually all you have to worry about as the other caps and resistors can take the extra voltage with no problem. So if you're electrolytic caps are rated at 25v you can run it at 18v no problem. The RC4559P is also fine at 18v as it can actually handle a max supply voltage of 30v....but don't go running the pedal at 30v lol.
 
What's the point? :confused: Are you trying to avoid buying the proper power supply?
 
No, i have a 9 v supply also. But sounds thicker and clearer at 18v
 
1813aqov5wc2jjpg.jpg



Yah .... most gizmos sound great right before they Blow Up.

U could prolly hardwire your pedal to 460VAC 3 phase but i don't recommend that.
 
Chester Nimitz":3n0iay1h said:
1813aqov5wc2jjpg.jpg



Yah .... most gizmos sound great right before they Blow Up.

U could prolly hardwire you pedal to 460VAC 3 phase but i don't recommend that.
Click to expand...

:lol: :LOL: :rock:
 
That pedal will be fine at 18v.
Running dirt pedals at 18v is akin to an 50w amp vs a 100w amp.
There's some extra headroom and depth sure, but I don't need to tell anyone how a 2203 sounds/feels different to a 2204 and vice versa.
It all comes down to personal preference.
I like distortion pedals at 18v but prefer overdrive pedals at 9v cos of the compression they have.
 
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