older boss pedals that take 12 volt instead of 9 volt

[cyclopean]

so apparently my old bf-2 is meant to take twelve volts instead of the nine i've been giving it.

can anyone recommend a good but inexpensive twelve volt power supply that won't take up too much space on my power strip?

any other experiences with this?

 

[mkdaws32]

That’s funny - my old MIJ BF-2 took 9v - or maybe I was wrong too! Haven’t had it in years, but it’s a great pedal.

 

[mkdaws32]

You sure? I just looked up the Green and Black label MIJ versions and they both specify the Boss ACA-120 adapter to be used with it right on the label. That’s a 9v adapter.

 

[Guitarteach]

My Boss CS3 is an early 12v MIJ version. So they do exist.

I use a dip switch on my pedalpower PSU for 12v output. 9v barely activates it.

My CS3 says to use an ACA adaptor. There are lots of 12v supplies on amazon.

 

[mkdaws32]

My Boss CS3 is an early 12v MIJ version. So they do exist.

I use a dip switch on my pedalpower PSU for 12v output. 9v barely activates it.

My CS3 says to use an ACA adaptor. There are lots of 12v supplies on amazon.

Cool - never knew this. So your CS3 says to use an ACA adapter on the label, but it really needs 12v? Weird.

 

[schmee]

There are a ton of 12v adaptors out there, find one with the right polarity. Doesn't need to be big.
I used to have trouble finding a 9V supply that didn't actually read 12v with a Fluke meter.
A Radio Shack one I bought measured 13+ volts! I returned it.

 

[cyclopean]

i haven't pried it off of my pedal board yet. i was watching some gear video yesterday that said that.

 

[cyclopean]

at about 1:40.

 

[telemnemonics]

In addition to the few vintage pedals that require 12v or 18v (often flangers, chorus or delay which had a bbd that ran better on or required higher voltage and lacked headroom at lower voltage), AFAIK the old Boss 9v pedal power supply actually put out more than 9 volts but was called a 9v because it operated the pedals that took one 9v battery.
Many vintage pedals with a bbd chip required two 9v batteries for 18v, but I guess there were also some that were designed for 12v which wasn't possible from any combo of 9v batteries.
Of course voltage could be increased or decreased in the circuitry, but for various reasons including battery life we got some 18v pedals, and Boss sold an 11v or so power supply labeled as 9v.

 

[mkdaws32]

Very interesting and enlightening information! My BF2 always sounded great with an alkaline battery.

 

[radiocaster]

I think they only need 12V if using a single adapter, they work at 9V with a Christmas lights cable type thing, I think.

 

[8trackmind]

If you're handy with a soldering iron, it takes longer to get the cover off the back than it does to mod it for a 9v power supply.

 

[telemnemonics]

Old MIJ Boss pedals say AC adapter in one place and ACA adapter in another place. The ACA adapter was AFAIK putting out more than 9v and all those old MIJ pedals supposedly run better with the more correct vintage adapter but also run on a modern adapter.

Also AFAIK the old ACA voltage dropped once the latest ad of the pedal was connected, while a more modern regulated adapter will sag less cause the voltage output is regulated and doesn't vary with load.

Here’s three old MIJ Boss pedals, all of which came labeled AC adapter on the bottom but had a sticker saying ACA adapter by the plug, and the sticker may be missing on some.
There used to be discussions asking if you could run the old Boss pedals with the wrong new adapters.

 

[GuitarKid]

I alwys felt that my '85 SD-1 from Japan sounds a but "different". Is this beause i've always used the standard 9v power supply? Never tried 12v.

 

[1300 E Valencia]

Any Boss pedal which needs an ACA adapter will work fine on a daisy chain with any other standard 9 volt pedal.
IF used *by itself*, the ACA pedal will work better with an ACA type adapter. This includes isolated power supplies like VooDoo Lab stuff. This is why the VooDoo stuff has 12 volt outlets.

 

[cyclopean]

i think my vintage bf-2 sounds great, but i'm curious to hear if there's a difference if i up the voltage.

 

[telemnemonics]

Very interesting and enlightening information! My BF2 always sounded great with an alkaline battery.

If you run a boosted signal into the flanger it may add distortion caused by the bbd distorting.
Fulltone stopped making flangers or the choralflange because of this problem, because there were no high voltage high headroom bbd chips available any longer.

 

[cyclopean]

i run my flanger towards the end of my chain, and frequently after some fairly aggressive signal boosting, but it's a sound i like. i'm going for that christian death/samhain/japanese hardcore kinda thing.

 

[telemnemonics]

https://mojostompboxes.com/blogs/ar...ing-your-old-boss-pedal-aca-vs-psa-simplified

Here they say the old Boss requiring an ACA has a voltage reducing circuit and with a modern 9v adapter the pedal ends up getting the 9v reduced to 6v.
The battery clip does not connect to the voltage reducing circuitry.
See if it sounds any different on the battery vs the modern adapter?

 

[Guitarteach]

Cool - never knew this. So your CS3 says to use an ACA adapter on the label, but it really needs 12v? Weird.

ACA is unregulated 12v (vintage boss)
PSA is regulated 9v (newer boss)

My old CS3 is fine with a battery but needs 12v external.

https://mojostompboxes.com/blogs/ar...ing-your-old-boss-pedal-aca-vs-psa-simplified