Dinosaural - Analogue guitar effects pedals and professional audio sales service and repair

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: Any questions about Lovetone that are not strictly related to technical or repair work as outlined on this website must be referred to Lovetone, not Dinosaural.

I want to buy a Lovetone Meatball, Cheese Source and/or a Dinosaural Tube Bender

We no longer sell the Meatball or Cheese Source pedals. We have now sold our last Tube Benders and will not be making any more. We have stopped selling product altogether for the foreseeable future.

I want to buy a Dinosaural Tube Bender/Lovetone Ring Stinger/Wobulator/ "?" Flanger/ etc.
The other (earlier) Lovetone pedals including the "Wobulator", "Ring Stinger", "?" Flanger/a.k.a. "Flange with no Name", "Doppelganger", and the smaller-format "Big Cheese" and "Brown Source" pedals, as well as the Lovetone pedal boards are all now discontinued. Please DO NOT enquire about these as we do not have any of them left for sale. We unfortunately cannot source any discontinued product for customers via third parties, so you'd need to search for them second-hand yourself. We wish you the best of luck in doing so!

Can I use voltages higher than 12 volts DC on my Lovetone pedals?
Lovetone pedals are designed to work on 9 volts dc but can be used up to 12 volts, where the available headroom (signal swing available before clipping) from the pedal will be slightly greater. This results in a cleaner and often slightly louder sound. As many engineers and producers use Lovetone pedals for recording, this can be advantageous as bigger signal levels are generally involved. In some pedals with modulating LEDs the range of sweep will also be slightly extended on 12 volts. 9 volt operation is fine, however, for guitars, basses and other "instrument level" equipment.

The circuitry in Lovetone pedals is only designed to be run safely up to 12 volts, and has only been tested up to this limit. The performance, therefore, cannot be guaranteed above 12 volts, nor is there any advantage likely to be gained by exceeding 12 volts. Irreversible damage to the internal components due to over-voltage and current flow would eventually occur, and also any warranty would be voided.

Can you recommend a suitable power supply/wall wart/ac-dc adaptor for my Lovetone pedals, especially in the US?
I have been told that the following Radio Shack adaptor works well: Catalog No 273-1667; 120 volt ac input, variable regulated dc output selectable between 3-12 volts, 800mA max current; The only caveat being that it is a little bulky. A US customer has brought it to my attention that the "Godlyke Power All" is an affordable, small and flexible unit (http://www.godlyke.com/powerall/powerall.asp?item=102) I'm also told that the cables that come directly from the Godlyke supply are the ones to use, in particular the black standard "tip negative" connector. . See also the "Links" page for a link to Voodoolab in the US who make a supply that is useful for multiple effects, and again -I am told- works well with Lovetone pedals. In the UK, Maplin Electronics (sales hotline: 0870 429 6000, or mailto: sales@maplin.co.uk) sell a suitable supply: The Uniross UNI 1200R, the part code for which is VN10L. The price including VAT is around Ł14.99 and shipping is extra.

Note: Earlier Lovetone pedals (pre 1999-ish) require a 3.5mm mini jack plug; the later and latest ones require an oriental-style barrel socket, with 2.1mm (internal) and 5.5mm (external) diameter dimensions (Dinosaural sells these - see price list) With the Uniross supply mentioned above, use the green-tipped oriental-style barrel connector for recent Lovetone pedals, and the 3.5 mm mini jack (cut back the insulating rubber at the base of the shaft by a couple of mm for better contact) for the early Lovetone pedals and Dinosaural Tube Bender.

I need a manual for my Lovetone pedal
Dinosaural does not supply replacement manuals for Lovetone pedals. You'll need to contact Lovetone direct to get one of these, and there would be a fee: email Vlad at: info@lovetone.com or telephone/fax +44 (0) 1491 571411.

What are the Dimensions of the Lovetone Meatball-sized pedals?
The footprint is 200mm (just under 8") wide by 180 mm (approx 7"). The pedal tilts backward towards the top at the rear by an extra 10mm, so 180 becomes 190mm (approx 7,1/2") in that front-to-back sense. The maximum height is 83mm (approx 3, Ľ") at the back, including the thickness of the rubber mat (3mm or 1/8" approx). There is a rapid slope down from this towards the narrower front of the pedal.

I want a schematic (circuit diagram) for my Lovetone®/Dinosaural® pedal
Schematics are not available; all repair work is done for both brands of product exclusively by Dinosaural, who are under no obligation to supply such information.

How long does it take to repair most pedals?
This depends on the individual pedal and fault, but the majority of repairs will take 1-2 hour’s labour and don’t tend to cost much in parts, if at all. The customer will be informed if a part (e.g. a footswitch) needs replacing. Some jobs could take an extra hour or two if the fault is particularly tricky, as does occasionally happen. All repair work is assessed first and discussed with the customer, so that the extent of eventual cost to them will be made known before going any further. It is therefore important that a good written description of exactly what the pedal is and isn’t doing is provided at the earliest opportunity. This enables a decision to be made as to whether or not the fault can be fixed by the user (soldering iron and basic tools might be required, people often know someone with these things if they don’t have them themselves, or use the services of a local Tech). If the pedal still needs sending in, then the fault description assists in speeding up the diagnosis and thereby reducing the potential labour charge to the customer.

All customers are urged to also read through the Terms and Conditions page, as many questions (particularly on our procedures) are answered there too.