Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Polarity

  1. #1
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Polarity

    Friends, I’m replacing some pedals and was offered a Fulltone Octafuzz. I understand it has a reverse polarity (center positive), and all my other pedals are center negative, and so is the one spot source I currently use (typical daisy chain).

    I understand that though VisualSound issues a reverse polarity adapter with the Onespot source, I’m not supposed to mix pedals with different polarities in the same power chain, right?

    What would be the best option? Powering the Octafuzz with a battery? I have a single plug 9v power supply that came with my EHX Soul Food, I could also use it with the adapter but I am guessing I could have grounding issues.

  2. #2
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Ten miles from the Mexican Frontier, in Arizona
    Posts
    7,297

    Re: Polarity

    According to Fulltone, the service life of a battery is only about twenty hours in the Octafuzz......

    https://www.fulltone.com/sites/defau..._4-16-2014.pdf

    IMO the most efficient method of powering this pedal is to use a reverse-polarity 9VDC power supply.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  3. #3
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Polarity

    I'd just flip the wires. Done.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  4. #4
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    11,288

    Re: Polarity

    Yep. Just flip the wires on a separate or isolated power supply. I use a reverse polarity adapter on a separate isolated output on my power supply.

    The problem with using a battery in a pedal that's on a pedalboard (if you're using it on a pedalboard) is that you have to remember to disconnect the input every time you're don't using it or the battery will drain. I used to go through that with a Fulltone '69 Pedal. I remembered to unplug the pedal most of the time. Sometimes I'd go to use it and the batter was dead.

  5. #5
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Polarity

    I tried the pedal with a battery this evening. Plugged in first with the amp clean, and then slightly overdriven.

    It really is something special. Maybe the best fuzz I’ve ever tried. The octave thing is ok and all but when I switched it to just Fuzz, my oh my. Hairy, fat and gorgeous, perfect for the kind of powerful riffs and phrasing I like.

    This little box is just too good to be in a chain with other effects I’ll keep it for gigs they focus on fuzzy stuff and play it straight into the amp, or alongside a Wah, if anything.

    I really liked this pedal as much as my RAT.
    Last edited by S. Cane; 05-13-2020 at 09:53 AM.

  6. #6
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Polarity

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    Yep. Just flip the wires on a separate or isolated power supply. I use a reverse polarity adapter on a separate isolated output on my power supply.

    The problem with using a battery in a pedal that's on a pedalboard (if you're using it on a pedalboard) is that you have to remember to disconnect the input every time you're don't using it or the battery will drain. I used to go through that with a Fulltone '69 Pedal. I remembered to unplug the pedal most of the time. Sometimes I'd go to use it and the batter was dead.
    Not sure why you'd need a separate power supply.

    On a newer pedal the jack is often wave soldered to the board. If you're handy you can cut and jump the traces on the board in about 5 minutes. If the jack inside the pedal is wired then it's a quick fix. just swap the two wires.

    Gender changers are usually a bad idea, they stick out too far and are prone to failure.(Except for the two-prong adapters that you merely flip to change gender) .

    If I couldn't swap inside the pedal I'd take the plug, cut the wires, slide some heat shrink up them, flip and re-solder and then slide the heat shrink over the joints and shrink it. There's also new a new product that has low heat solder built into the heat shrink and you can solder with a match or heat gun as you heat shrink. I was skeptical until my friend show me them in action.

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  7. #7
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    11,288

    Re: Polarity

    I'm just going by the recommendations of the pedal and power supply makers along with what makes sense to me. The Octafuzz, Soul Bender and '69 pedal use PNP transistors. I assume the pedal's power filtering is opposite as well and I'm not interested in taking a chance experimenting with my pedals and power supply. Many manufacturers have now addressed this issue in their pedals that contain PNP transistors.

    I'm using an inline polarity reversing cable- it's a couple of inches long, does not stick out and should not be prone to failure when used with a pedalboard.

  8. #8
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Polarity

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I'm just going by the recommendations of the pedal and power supply makers along with what makes sense to me. The Octafuzz, Soul Bender and '69 pedal use PNP transistors. I assume the pedal's power filtering is opposite as well and I'm not interested in taking a chance experimenting with my pedals and power supply. Many manufacturers have now addressed this issue in their pedals that contain PNP transistors.

    I'm using an inline polarity reversing cable- it's a couple of inches long, does not stick out and should not be prone to failure when used with a pedalboard.
    Transistor type won't matter as long as you run the proper voltage and polarity. The filtering is electrolytic caps on good pedals and again, as long as the voltage and polarity is correct it' doesn't matter. All power supplies use electrons from the same supplier.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •