Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

[PFDarkside]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Wahs are an odd one. If you’ve got a Fuzz Face or Tonebender, you know it’s going to act differently after a buffer. Wahs can act odd depending on if they have an integrated buffer (Dunlop style), fuzz friendly output buffer and true bypass. A true vintage style wah tends to not like a buffer, but most Wahs today aren’t like this.

My personal preference now is to go:
Wah (True Bypass with Fuzz Friendly Buffer)
Univibe
Fuzz
Buffer
Remainder of board

Having the Univibe and Fuzz in a TB looper ahead of the buffer reduces some of the variability too.

In the OP’s case, I’d stick some sort of buffer in front of the looper just to see if it improves.

Also, a Klon style circuit is an overdrive, it’s not affected by a buffer.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Also, a Klon style circuit is an overdrive, it’s not affected by a buffer.

Ok.

I thought aside the fuzz circuit, that germanium transistors work best straight from guitar output as well.

Or does Klon only have germanium diodes?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Ok.

I thought aside the fuzz circuit, that germanium transistors work best straight from guitar output as well.

Or does Klon only have germanium diodes?

Yes, just germanium clipping diodes.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

.

Also, a Klon style circuit is an overdrive, it’s not affected by a buffer.

Plus the Klon has its own buffer.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

A klon is not really an overdrive...oh well it is a variation of an oldschool distortion...the opamp gets some beatings, and the diodes participates when the gain knob is set for more dirt....
But they are soldered to the ground like a DOD 250 or a MXR Dist+...add some extra voltage and some clean blend, some toneknob and you got yourself a Klon(roughly explained)....it gets more and more middy when the gain is dialed up..

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

A klon is not really an overdrive...oh well it is a variation of an oldschool distortion...the opamp gets some beatings, and the diodes participates when the gain knob is set for more dirt....
But they are soldered to the ground like a DOD 250 or a MXR Dist+...add some extra voltage and some clean blend, some toneknob and you got yourself a Klon(roughly explained)....it gets more and more middy when the gain is dialed up..

Yes, for his question, it’s not a Ge Fuzz that is super impedance sensitive.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Well add either a buffer or a pedal with buffered bypas at the start, otherwise it makes little sense and the dullness will still be present.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Allright, I will put it first in the chain. Thanks everybody!

 

[chadd]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

I was rebuilding my pedal board the other day for the millionth time and played direct into the amp at rehearsal. I was wondering why my tone sounded so drab all of a sudden and kept tweaking the amp all night. After I sussed out a bad cable, I played with and without the buffer to see if I was actually getting anything out of it. I was blown away by how much more high end I was getting by only adding a buffer out of my wireless. I'm a big believer in them again after that simple test.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

That’s interesting.... your wireless should be outputting a low impedance signal already that should drive the cable. Which one?

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

I was rebuilding my pedal board the other day for the millionth time and played direct into the amp at rehearsal. I was wondering why my tone sounded so drab all of a sudden and kept tweaking the amp all night. After I sussed out a bad cable, I played with and without the buffer to see if I was actually getting anything out of it. I was blown away by how much more high end I was getting by only adding a buffer out of my wireless. I'm a big believer in them again after that simple test.

Saw a rig rundown on Angus Young recently, and it turns out one of his tone secrets is the enhancement from a certain wireless system that is long gone from the market. His tech had to finally get a custom clone box with that circuit in it, as their old wireless units were just becoming intermittent, and replacements are impossible to find. Wish I could remember what brand it was, I just made a mental note that it was an important part of Angus's tone.
Al

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Saw a rig rundown on Angus Young recently, and it turns out one of his tone secrets is the enhancement from a certain wireless system that is long gone from the market. His tech had to finally get a custom clone box with that circuit in it, as their old wireless units were just becoming intermittent, and replacements are impossible to find. Wish I could remember what brand it was, I just made a mental note that it was an important part of Angus's tone.
Al

Schaffer-Vega.

Older link I have boomarked ... https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/angus-youngs-classic-tone-in-a-box

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Schaffer-Vega.

Older link I have boomarked ... https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/angus-youngs-classic-tone-in-a-box

It's cool that they are making them again, I bet the custom box I saw in the rig rundown was an early version of that recent one, it was very rough looking in comparison, but was similar to the tower version they are selling. Probably the prototype. I think there will be a bigger market for the less expensive pedal. Thanks for the link.
Al

 

[LLL]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

The Schaffer-Vega wireless (sans wireless part) clone is made by a guy called SoloDallas.

He posted about this project years ago on the metroamp forum.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

You know, I never really heard about buffer pedals until a few years ago. I have to admit, I never (and still don't) think about it.

 

[dave74]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

I'd much rather just use a pedal that can actually do an effect as well as buffer. (as first and/or last in the chain)
For me it's either a Boss phaser or a utility pedal like a switcher/gate/tuner.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Been using the buffer for a while now as a first pedal in the chain, its awesome! I build myself a DIY buffer that is supposed to be the best one out there and I like it a lot. I recommend this to anyone.

 

[mantis]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Yes to buffer pedals but NO to tc electronics Bonafide Buffer. I think it sucks I had one and hated it. It barely made any noticeable difference and my tone was dark as ****.
I was into the whole true bypass thing, got deep into TCE pedals and really ran with it. I went from having a great sounding rig to one that you barely could hear the high end. I hate to juice up the treble on all my pedals and the amp channels. This sounded like ass so I got the Bonafide buffer and turned on the Hall of Fame's buffer at the end of my signal chain.
I use the 4 cable method meaning I used my guitar amps effects loop. I put all my Modulation style pedals in there with a volume pedal as the first in the chain Chorus Delay Reverb was all in there in that order. Out front of my amp was OD pedals and the Buffer. I figured having a beginning and ending buffer this should correct the issue.
I was running all Guitar center special cables for my pathway and in the pedals I made jumpers with Planet waves. Then I went Mogami Silver and gold and that helped out the darkness I was experiencing.
I use to use alot of Boss effects but wanted to move away from them as I have used them since the late 70's early 80's. That was a mistake.
I replaced the Hall of Fame with a Boss DD7 and instantly got some of my high end back. The built in Buffer in that pedal really made a difference. So much I started to move away from TCE modulation and went back to Boss and my sound got so much better and more like when I plug my guitar right into the front of my amp with no pedals at all.
I then moved into a MS-3 from Boss and that didn't do it for me as I didn't care for the internal effects sound vs stand alone pedals so I grabbed a ES-5 and really loved it. I grew right out of that and moved to the Boss ES-8 and I love that thing to death. It has built in Buffers and I use the Input Buffer as I have the Boss RV-500 at the end of my signal chain for some clean stuff n loop 8 and I use the DD-500 in Loop 7 and that's on just about all the time. I rarely move away from it so I use the Buffer in that for my end Buffer. OR in Loop 6 I have a Boss Waza analog delay and that could be my delay depending on my mood and that buffer is fantastic. My sound with those pedals in the loops and switching between them I loose no tone.
I use a few TCE pedals I like the tuner, Spark and Sentry Noise Gate but I do NOT use the Bufferes in them. They suck ass. But I like the pedals so I rely on Boss for my Buffer needs.
If you use just pedals no switcher then I suggest a Wazacraft Tuner from Boss out front and watch the magic of the Buffer go to work. Then at the end of your signal chain a Boss Reverb or Delay pedal of your choice and clean up the back end and restore what's yours, not want the stupid pedals are going to suck out and the length of your cables.
On the cable front buy high quality cables like Mogami , they make a huge difference especially in longer runs. Resistance sucks ass so don't allow your ****ty quality cables ruin your tone. Cables don't make tone better they just preserve it when you use higher quality models. You don't have to use Mogami but at least buy low resistance cables and try to keep your signal path as short as possible. Longer cables really kill your tone. Let your controls contour your tone not your wiring and effects.

 

[mantis]

Re: Buffer pedals, yay or nay? How do you use them.

Just a few shots over the years of changing out pedals and adding the switcher