Using batteries to power guitar pedals is a popular option, but it can work out expensive if you keep having to replace them. I did a test to figure out exactly how long 9V batteries actually last in guitar pedals, and will be deep diving into the different types of pedals and why this matters.
If you’re just looking for the quick answer, here it is…
On average, a 9V battery in a guitar pedal will last for 15-30 hours. Reverb, delay and looper pedals usually only last around 5-10 hours on a 9V battery. Overdrive, modulation, fuzz, compression and boost pedals usually last around 50 hours.
Guitar Pedal Battery Life Experiment
I tested 5 different guitar pedals to find out how long they lasted with a 9V battery:
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
- Boss OS-2 Distortion Overdrive
- Boss Chromatic Tuner
- Boss Digital Reverb
- Boss Chromatic Tuner
Current Draw
Each of these pedals have a different current draw. The amount of current the pedal requires affects how long the battery lasts. Here’s the current draw specification provided by the manufacture for each pedal.
| Pedal | Current Draw |
| Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer | 8 mA |
| Boss OS-2 | 12 mA |
| Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner | 30 mA |
| Boss RV-6 Digital Reverb | 95 mA |
| Boss RC-5 Loop Station | 170 mA |
As you can see from the table above, the current draw for different pedals ranges considerable, so the battery life of different pedals also varies massively as well.
Batteries Used
I used Duracell 9V alkaline batteries for this test which have a capacity of 550 mAh.
Most decent 9V alkaline batteries have a capacity of roughly 500-600 mAh, so I though the Duracell ones would be a good option for the test and seem to be one of the most popular choices worldwide.
Some 9V batteries have more than this (e.g. Energizer Ultimate batteries which have a 750 mAh capacity) so consider this when choosing pedal batteries.
The Results
I recorded how long the battery lasted when the pedal was active rather than just plugged in. If your guitar pedals are plugged in but not actually active, the battery will drain but not as quickly and will be much closer to the expected battery life.
Here is a table showing how long the batteries actually lasted, and also how long they should have lasted according to the current draw specification given above. To calculate how long the guitar pedals were expected to last I divided the battery capacity (692 mAh) by the current draw.
As you can see, the actual battery life was less than the expected battery life which is no real surprise. Some pedals did better than others in terms of their expected vs actual battery life.
| Pedal | Expected Battery Life | Actual Battery Life |
| Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer | 68.8 hours | 60.2 hours |
| Boss OS-2 | 45.8 hours | 40.8 hours |
| Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner | 18.3 hours | 18.2 hours |
| Boss RV-6 Digital Reverb | 5.8 hours | 4.8 hours |
| Boss RC-5 Loop Station | 3.2 hours | 2.3 hours |
Do Guitar Pedal Batteries Drain When Plugged In?
Guitar pedal batteries will drain if they are connected to the amp in the signal chain, even if they are not activated. It is important to always turn off and unplug your guitar pedals after use.
I worked this out pretty quickly when I left my tuner pedal plugged into the amp and guitar so I didn’t have to plug everything in the next day and noticed the new 9V I had just put in had totally drained.
Batteries vs Power Supplies
So when should you avoid using batteries and opt for a mains power supply (using an AC adapter, or DC power supply) instead.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of using batteries to power pedals as they work out more expensive in the long run and are not good for the environment.
Let’s work out the cost.
Say you have 4 pedals which on average draw 30 mA. This means you’ll be able to use each pedal for around 15 hours in practical terms before replacing the 9V battery in each of them. A 4 pack of 9V Duracell batteries costs around $10. So after every 15 hours of playing you’ll be spending $10 on batteries.
A good isolated DC power supply like this TrueTone 1 Spot CS7 (Guitar Center link) costs $132 and powers 7 pedals. If you don’t add any more pedals and just stick with your four pedals then you’ll break even after 200 hours of playing.
Check out my guide to the different methods of powering guitar pedals for a comparison of the alternatives.
Pedal Types and Battery Life
There’s a big variation in the current draws and hence, battery life for different pedals.
In the tables below I’ve listed some of the most popular types and models of pedals and their expected battery life.
I couldn’t test every pedal like I did in the experiment described above, but you should anticipate that the pedals will last less than this. The tables below state the maximum battery life using a 9V battery with a 550 mAh capacity.
Overdrive, Fuzz and Distortion
Fuzz and overdrive pedals have a fairly low current draw in comparison to other pedal types so the battery typically lasts longer. On average, fuzz and distortion pedals last for approximately 60-80 hours using a 9V battery.
Distortion pedals are usually more power hungry than overdrive pedals and typically last for 15-20 hours with a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Boss Blues Drive BD-2 | 61.1 hours | 9 mA |
| Fulltone ODC Drive | 68.8 hours | 8 mA |
| Wampler Tumnus | 27.5 hours | 20 mA |
| ProCo Rat 2 | 183.1 hours | 3 mA |
| Boss Metal Zone MT-2 | 18.3 hours | 30 mA |
| Fender Pugilist | 6.3 hours | 88 mA |
| Electro-Harmonix Big Muff | 183.1 hours | 3 mA |
| Jimi Dunlop Fuzz Face | 161.8 hours | 3.4 mA |
Reverb
Most reverb pedals will not take batteries as they require too much power. Very few reverb pedals use 9V batteries. Some that do are the the TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2, and the Boss RV-6, however they typically drain a 9V battery in just a few hours.
Delay
Delay pedals use a lot of power and drain 9V batteries quite quickly. On average, delay pedal usually last for 5-10 hours on a 9V battery. This is often why delay pedals are powered using a DC power supply or AC adapter into the mains as opposed to batteries.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| TC Flashback | 6.4 hours | 86 mA |
| Ibanez AD9 | 36.7 hours | 15 mA |
| Boss DD-8 | 8.4 hours | 65 mA |
Compression
Compressor pedals usually last 20-50 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Behringer CL9 | 18.3 hours | 30 mA |
| Wampler Ego | 39.3 hours | 14 mA |
| Xotic SP | 110 hours | 5 mA |
EQ
EQ pedals typically last 30-50 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Joyo JF-11 | 36.7 hours | 15 mA |
| Boss GE-7 | 55.0 hours | 10 mA |
| MXR M109S | 37.9 hours | 14.5 mA |
Boost
Boost pedals typically last upwards of 50 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| TC Electronic Spark | 34.4 hours | 16 mA |
| Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 | 550.0 hours | 1 mA |
| Xotic EP-3 | 110.0 hours | 5 mA |
Wah
Wah pedals use very little power and can last hundreds of hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 | 550.0 hours | 1 mA |
| Vox V847-A | 550.0 hours | 1 mA |
| Boss PW-3 | 22.0 hours | 25 mA |
Modulation
Modulation pedals typically last 40-80 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| MX4 Phase 90 | 110.0 hours | 5 mA |
| Boss BF-3 Flanger | 11.0 hours | 50 mA |
| Electro-Harmonix Neoclone Chorus | 45.8 hours | 12 mA |
| Boss TR-2 Tremolo | 27.5 hours | 20 mA |
Octave
Octave pedals generally last 5-12 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Electro-Harmonix Nano POG | 22.0 hours | 25 mA |
| Boss OC-5 | 10.0 hours | 55 mA |
| T-Rex Quint Machine | 4.4 hours | 125 mA |
Tuner
Tuner pedals typically last 5-15 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| TC Electronic PolyTune 3 | 5.5 hours | 100 mA |
| Donner DT-1 | 6.1 hours | 90 mA |
| Korg Pitchblack | 27.5 hours | 20 mA |
Noise Gate
Noise gate pedals usually last 25-35 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| MXR Smart Gate | 36.7 hours | 15 mA |
| Electro-Harmonix Silencer | 25.0 hours | 22 mA |
| Boss NS-2 | 27.5 hours | 20 mA |
Looper
Looper pedals typically only last 4-7 hours on a 9V battery.
| Pedal | Maximum Battery Life | Current Draw |
| Electro-Harmonix 360 | 6.1 hours | 90 mA |
| TC Electronic Ditto | 7.2 hours | 76 mA |