I guess he could opt for a true bypass mod to get around the buffer right? Some people actually prefer the buffer to darken the tone I guess but I've never been a fan of buffers, or even an effects chain for that matter. When I run through like 5 pedals and none of them have true bypass when off it's like night and day vs pedals that do, or just no pedals to begin with. Does this one pedal really dampen the tone that much when off? It would make sense with a price of $35. Gotta admit those treble/bass controls come in handy though.