Modifying vintage Boss pedal power adapters from ACA to PSA

  • Thread starter Thread starter psychodave
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psychodave
psychodave
Well-known member
Do any of you guys modify your vintage Boss pedals to accept the newer Boss PSA power adapters? I have a few vintage pedals and while it’s not difficult to use a 12 volt supply jack, it is certainly easier to modify and use a 9 volt adapter. I guess the only issue is when selling the vintage pedal. People might not like that it’s not original.

Thoughts?

Here are links to what I’m talking about

https://stinkfoot.se/archives/726

https://stompboxelectronics.com/2022/11/06/convert-your-boss-aca-pedal-to-psa/
 
I think like the guy said in the first article, tape the original parts inside the pedal, so a collector can have it OG if they must. Otherwise, I’d be all about modding it and making it easily useful.
 
Don’t really see the point when all the power supplies these days have selectable voltage options- at least the ones I have. But if you know you plan to keep them long term and it makes your life easier - why not?
 
I just did almost all mine. Still on the fence with the Dimension C.
 
psychodave said:
Do any of you guys modify your vintage Boss pedals to accept the newer Boss PSA power adapters? I have a few vintage pedals and while it’s not difficult to use a 12 volt supply jack, it is certainly easier to modify and use a 9 volt adapter. I guess the only issue is when selling the vintage pedal. People might not like that it’s not original.

Thoughts?

Here are links to what I’m talking about

https://stinkfoot.se/archives/726

https://stompboxelectronics.com/2022/11/06/convert-your-boss-aca-pedal-to-psa/
Click to expand...
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057550055489

Pete can do anything. Great guy.
 
I did my GE-7 years ago, but forget the entire process. I also did the noise mod around the same time.

I remember it was pretty simple. I think you jumped a zener diode and maybe changed 1 resistor.
 
psychodave said:
I’m in the fence with doing it to a CE-2.
Click to expand...
I did my CE-2 silver screw whatever, OC-2,
SD-1’s, GE-7 CS-2. Still have 2 Dimension C’s and another CE-2. As long as you can solder cleanly, shoukd be easy enought to reverse.
I just took the two components and taped them inside the battery area. Easy enough to put back.
I figure I will be gone by the time the next person can fret over it 😁
 
Greazygeo said:
I did my CE-2 silver screw whatever, OC-2,
SD-1’s, GE-7 CS-2. Still have 2 Dimension C’s and another CE-2. As long as you can solder cleanly, shoukd be easy enought to reverse.
I just took the two components and taped them inside the battery area. Easy enough to put back.
I figure I will be gone by the time the next person can fret over it 😁
Click to expand...
I was just going to solder a jumper over each component and call it a day. Leave the parts in. Current will follow the path of least resistance.
 
12v ACA-style pedals will run perfectly off of a PSA adapter, or any 9v as long as they are daisy-chained with at least one regular 9v pedal in the chain also.
 
psychodave said:
I was just going to solder a jumper over each component and call it a day. Leave the parts in. Current will follow the path of least resistance.
Click to expand...
Inguess you can do it that way. I preferred to remove the components and solder in the jumpers.
 
dave74 said:
12v ACA-style pedals will run perfectly off of a PSA adapter, or any 9v as long as they are daisy-chained with at least one regular 9v pedal in the chain also.
Click to expand...
And the led doesn’t light up. Did that for many years.
 
Greazygeo said:
And the led doesn’t light up. Did that for many years.
Click to expand...
No it does if you do it correctly. It works perfectly to full strength. I do it all the time with Boss 12v pedals.


If you are using separate wall-warts and/or using a pro-level source with isolated grounds;
Say you have one or two, or a few old-style 12v Boss pedals. Just run a small daisy-chain cable from one of your 9v outlets into your 12v pedals and at least one single standard 9v/PSA pedals of any brand.

You just need one of the pedals within the daisy-chain to be standard. This doesn't mean you have to run the entire board with daisy-chains lol.
If you just had one 12v pedal then buy a "single into double" Y cable for a few dollars and run the 12v in daisy with just one of your standard 9v pedals.
 
I only have one old SD1 which is ACA, and I haven’t bothered to since all my 9v pedals on my pedalboard are on a daisy chain. The pedal just grounds though the other (non-ACA) pedal so the SD1 gets full 9v.

Try it, plug an ACA pedal into a daisy chain with no other pedals, turn it on and observe the dim LED. Then plug in the non ACA pedal to the daisy chain and watch that LED come up to full brightness
 
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