AC adapters are rated for an input voltage and output voltage. Match the input voltage to your area (i.e. 220V), and the output voltage to the pedal. As long as the input voltage matches, you will always get the rated output (i.e., if it’s rated for a 220VAC input and 18VDC output, don’t give it 120VAC).

In other words, you don’t necessarily need an EHX brand adapter. But you do need to be careful to match the output and plug specs.

Here are the guidelines regardless of what you go with:

1) Make sure you match the barrel plug size. I’m not sure what the Flanger Hoax uses, but I’m guessing it’s a 2.5mm? Tends to be the popular choice on the larger pedals, but I could be wrong for the Hoax.

2) Make sure you match the polarity.

3) Make sure the adapter you use puts out 18VDC. I’d suggest hunting down a local equivalent to the UK adapter you’ve got. Again, don’t worry about the brand too much as long as the specs match.

4) Make sure it puts out REGULATED DC. A lot of third-party adapters not designed specifically for pedals aren’t regulated. There are some old pedals which ran off of non-regulated adapters, but 99% of modern pedals demand a regulated supply, or you’ll have problems.

5) Make sure it puts out at least what the pedal requires. Unfortunately, EHX isn’t knowing for publishing their pedal current usage specs… so I’d advise getting an adapter which is rated for the same amount of current or more.

Let’s see… I’ve owned:

Big Muff (USA)
Big Muff (Russian)
Little Big Muff
Bass Big Muff
Stereo Clone Theory
Stereo Pulsar
Stereo Electric Mistress
Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai
#1 Echo
Bass Micro Synthesizer
Bassballs (XO)
Octave Multiplexer (XO)
Small Stone (Classic)
Small Clone
Small Stone (Nano)
Soul Preacher

But I’ve used several others extensively. After all, you need more than a few minutes to discover whether a particular EHX pedal is right for you:

Micro Q-Tron
Stereo Polyphase
Double Muff
English Muff’n
Germanium OD
Graphic Fuzz (Classic)
Knockout (XO)
Micro POG
POG
Nano Clone

Currently, I just have a Stereo Electric Mistress. It’s the most-often-used pedal on my board.

You’ve apparently never used the Stereo Electric Mistress. It sounds better than analog.

IMO, of course.

To the topic: It depends on the effect type. For some, analog is preferred. In the case of fuzz, it’s really more of a practical matter – the results are tried and true with analog approaches, plus it’s cheaper and simpler. But considering what you can coax out of a bit crusher or digital fuzz pedal, I would never exclude a digital distortion pedal from consideration. It’s all a matter of what I need at the time.

For amplification, I also prefer analog, although I’ve heard some really amazing results from high-end digital amp modeling. My preference has less to do with the modeling and more to do with the interface, however. All I really need in a live situation is a great-sounding two-channel amp. Digital amps tend to complicate that. While they’re fun to play with, heaven forbid you ever need to tweak all of your channels live. I guess it’s not as much of an issue with guitar, but with bass, we’re constantly adjusting our amps to new rooms and venues.

But now that I think about it, all I’ve had to tweak nowadays is my master volume knob. I love my current rig.

For most other effects, I’d never limit myself to analog. Personal experience dictates that digital is my preference for delay; you can simply do so much more with digital delays. For pitch shifting, definitely digital as well (Bass Whammy, Micro POG, etc.). And for chorus and flanging, the newly-digitized Mistress stole my heart.

AFAIK, the Bass Big Muff is supposed to be an updated version of the green Sovtek Big Muff that’s optimized for bass (so it’s not identical, but it takes its sonic inspiration from it). But I can’t see why it wouldn’t rock on guitar. After all, the Little Big Muff kicks butt on both ends of the spectrum.

You’re welcome. :thumb:

I agree, too. If we were all Telecaster-wielding, chicken-pickin’ guitarists, maybe we wouldn’t be complaining.

It really should at least get mentioned in the manual, as the Preacher works really well with other instruments IF the trimpot is adjusted.

FWIW, the number of stages actually isn’t that important. It’s my understanding that it’s largely arbitrary unless you’re looking within the same brand, and even then, it’s not a perfect guide. It does mean something, but the value and shift of each stage will vary from one circuit design to another.

Even phasers with the same number of stages won’t sound alike in terms of depth. My favorite comparison: the MXR Phase 90 versus the EHX Small Stone. Both are 4-stage phasers. But the Small Stone offers some control over feedback (via the Color switch), and that’s why it can get so much deeper. :thumb:

I’ve known bassists who have used 10 and 12 stage phasers that didn’t sound as deep as the Small Stone, to their ears. However, those other phasers do offer a very different character to their sound, although it doesn’t have much to do with the number of stages.

I haven’t tried this, but perhaps you could get somewhat close to a WM sound by adjusting the VOLT and BIAS knobs on the Germanium OD. You can get “gated fuzz” sounds out of that thing.

IME, it works well on bass, but there was something about the sound I just didn’t like (which is weird for me, as I like the strange). I should probably pick one up again just for experimentation, as I originally tested it with gear far from my own.