Modification help to a Goodrich device.........help. Please!

Ray Anderson · From: Jenkins, Kentucky USA

I have a Goodrich Super Sustain (older version) that does not have an on/off switch. It uses 2 batteries ( 9 volt). I would like to install an input jack to use a power supply. My question is how many mA supply would be to power this unit? And can it be wired to be used by either batteries or power supply. Thanks in advance.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

As close to the vest as Goodrich plays things, I think the only way you'll find that info is with your own multimeter.
Turn it to the highest gain with the current flowing through the meter set to current, play a LOUD chord, see how much it soaks up.
If the batteries run in parallel, a 9 would work: if series, you'll want 18VDC, slightly tougher to find.
My fifteen minutes of Googling failed to turn up any specs other than the .03%THD and 15.5dB gain on the 7A
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I think a simpler solution would be to just install an on/off switch. I did that to my model 6A and the batteries last forever. I forget the last time I had to change them.

Ray Anderson · From: Jenkins, Kentucky USA

That's probably what I'll do Erv, I think I saw some with a LED in them. More practical I think. Idea

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Marginally. But its light lets you know you left it on.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ray Anderson · From: Jenkins, Kentucky USA

If I understand correctly LEDs are as Lane says very marginal on drain. Yes , Lane that was my thinking also. If it was left on, then the switch would be useless to install. Batteries are expensive and you never know when they are going to croak and it'd always when you don't think about carrying spares. Crying or Very sad

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I maybe would rather do the power supply mod (buying batteries does suck). With a toggle switch, you may turn it off when you are done playing, but when you put it in your pak-a-seat, or whatever you use to hold your accessories, something may identically trip the switch without you knowing and, BAM!!, dead battery when you set up to play again. The other option would be to still have the input jack disconnect the battery if you remove the plug. That way, if the switch does get tripped, the battery would still be disconnected. I assume you would disconnect the cable when packing it away.

On the subject of batteries, I have one device that if I don't unplug the cable from the input jack on breaks, I will get just over one 4 hour gig (not including time it is plugged in during setup before we start playing) out of a battery. When the battery starts getting weak, it distorts. That is even with Duracell and Energizer batteries. Since I now have to replace them every gig or every other gig, I just buy the store brand batteries from CVS, or Safeway (actually pretty good batteries), Ray-O-Vac (also pretty good). Doesn't make sense to pay substantially more for the big name brands when they aren't lasting any longer than the store or lower priced brands.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I would much rather have to replace a battery upon occasion than have to plug in another wall wart every time I set up.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I actually prefer batteries too. But in the devices that eat them up like my Roto-Choir and a Digitech Distortion Factory (that I don't use any more), it really gets expensive. I still use batteries now because the Dunlop DC Brick I used to use added a lot of buzz to the signal flow. No buzz on batteries.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The Goodrich devices generally are low current drain and batteries work OK. My MatchBro batteries will last for a year (If I don't forget to turn it off).

I have a power on/off switch I installed in my MatchBro. Before the MatchBro I had a MatchBox and installed a power on/off switch on it.

I didn't put an LED power indicator in mine. According to another recent thread there are now newer lower current LED's that would work.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

You're a pedal steel guitarist, dude - you can remember to turn a switch on and off. Really.

Or even, look at the switch.

They set these challenges up for us, you know.... Rolling Eyes

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I'll look inside my Roto-Choir and see if I have room for a mini switch (I doubt it). Does it matter if you put the switch in the red wire line, black wire line, or do you break both wires?
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Michael Hummel · From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Richard, I don't know about your specific device, but on all the Goodrich's that I've added the on/off switch, it was in series with the ground line that went to the jack that acted as the switch.

With that method, either removing the guitar cord or the on/off switch will control the power (and the guitar cord must be plugged in and the power switch set to on for the unit to have power).

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Jack, in this unit, the jacks are PC Board mounted, so it would be very difficult to do it that way. Looks as though there is room for a small switch. I am thinking that if I was to have a switch that was inline with the battery, having both positive and negative going through the switch, that it would work to totally disconnect the battery from the unit. I don't know much about DC current, do both legs have to be broken to cut power, or is it like AC Current, where one leg only has to be broken?
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Only one side of the battery needs to be "open" to power it off. Normally, I would break the negative lead.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Thanks Jack.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Doesn't just unplugging the cords turn the thing off? Neutral

At any rate, if you wanted to go the power supply route, practically any power supply would supply more than enough current to run the thing. (Just make sure the output voltage is close.)

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Donny, that's what I currently do.

The reason I would like a switch in my Roto Choir is so that I don't have to turn off my amp, unplug the cord, go on break, come back, plug it in, go turn on amp, etc.. I have come back from break and even at the beginning of the night, and forgotten to plug it back in. If I leave it plugged in all the time, the battery most likely will not last through a second gig. That gets expensive real quick. If I can find a power supply that won't introduce hum or buzz into my signal path, I will go that way. The DC Brick I had causes a lot of buzz, and the One Spot my guitar player uses adds buzz to signal also.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Batteries can be a useful and simple way around power supply problems, if that's what is easiest. Those cheaper multiple units are hit-or-miss depending on the effect, and effects can "talk" to each other through the chain cord thing. Like the two pickups on a guitar interact when the switch is in the middle... I had both an MXR Dynacomp and a Morley Wah that insisted you had to use the right, THEIR, power supply or terrible things would happen - and their power supplies were terrible things! Laughing

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

The DC Brick is not a cheap unit. Over $100.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

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