How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

marty_the_westie

marty_the_westie

New member
My current pedal board consists of the following: Boss TU2 --> Dunlop Crybaby--> Guyatone compressor --> Boss DS1 --> Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive --> Boss GE7. Out of those, only the Sparkle Drive has a true bypass as far as I know. How much do you think my tone is being affected? In normal playing conditions, the compressor, 1 or the other of the drive pedals, and the E.Q. are always on. That leaves the tuner, wah, and the DS1 that could affect the tone. What is everyone's opinion on this?
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

I think the Crybaby is probably affecting your tone the worst. I personally can't stand pedals that aren't true bypass, or that affect my tone. If I'm going to spend so much on an amp and cab, why let something like a little box on the ground mess it up?
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

IMO it really depends on how many pedals you use or how long your cable run is. If you use 5 or 6 pedals or a couple of 20' cables, you don't want all your pedals to be true bypass, a couple of buffers are a MUST. True bypass isn't as big of a deal as most people make it out to be IMO, they have their place just as non-TB pedals do.
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

True bypass is great,but not always a must..Depends on the pedal and the circuit? The FET circuits in most of today's popular pedals like the Boss and Ibanez lines do a pretty good job...A wah will kill your overall volume and take highs away because the guitar has to go through that primitive circuit and it's a pedal very low in output also..A buffer is a good idea or having a bypass pedal for the wah or any of the pedals you feel suck away your tone..

Check out the bypass box that Artie was showing all of us recently...
 
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Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

I run about five pedals, two true bypass and three boss. the boss pedals dont seem to affect the tone too much, So true bypass there isnt too important. It is important on wah pedals though, as people have said, they really drain your tone when off.
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

krankguitarist said:
I run about five pedals, two true bypass and three boss. the boss pedals dont seem to affect the tone too much, So true bypass there isnt too important. It is important on wah pedals though, as people have said, they really drain your tone when off.
Click to expand...

Wahs are the worst tone drainers and a true bypass mod is a great thing on wahs that don't have it..
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

I will only use true bypass pedals and low capacitance cable... laugh at me all you want. I have this thing where I want the full signal to go through virtually uninterrupted. If that means I have more highs and I need to tone it down from the amp, I will, but atleast I'll sleep better at night knowing that I have a pure path to my $2000 amp. I don't think anybody "wants" to lose the response and feel of a direct signal path and that's why true bypass was created in the first place.
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

it doesnt matter to me- if you like the tone coming out, who cares? if there is a noise problem, then yeah, fix it. if there isn't, it is just voodoo. my line 6 dl4 can be used in true or non modes- i use it in non, so the delays trail off when i shut the pedal off. i hear no tone difference, and it is my ears i trust, not marketing.
tube screamers aren't true bypass, yet they are highly sought after (I love my TS7).
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

the_Chris said:
I will only use true bypass pedals and low capacitance cable... laugh at me all you want. I have this thing where I want the full signal to go through virtually uninterrupted. If that means I have more highs and I need to tone it down from the amp, I will, but atleast I'll sleep better at night knowing that I have a pure path to my $2000 amp. I don't think anybody "wants" to lose the response and feel of a direct signal path and that's why true bypass was created in the first place.
Click to expand...

LOL.....I feel your pain brother...Nothing wrong with your mindset..I'm just like you brother! :newangel: :)
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

I use tons of pedals, and I've sold lots too. The only one I sold for sucking out my tone is the Dunlop Crybaby 95Q wah. It was unbelievable how much it sucked from my tone. I will eventually buy one of John's true bypass (I think?) Vox 847's.
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

It is nice with true bypass, but as long as I can get the sound I am after, I really dont care.
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

I've A/B'd all of my pedals through my PSM-5, and I honestly can't hear any significant difference between the signal with the effects loop, and the signal straight to the amp. I have heard that wah pedals are really loud and noisy, but my 595Q seems to be an exception to this?
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

Call me indecisive but I don't think there's a single answer to this question. Consider these two threads:
The general solution seems to be some combination of:
  • Limiting amount of cable and jacks in an unbuffered signal path.
  • Using quality buffers to push the signal through longer runs
  • Using low capacitance cable to reduce high end loss
  • Bypassing tone sucking circuits (buffered or not) using either internal true bypass switching or an external looping box.
 
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Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

Boleslaw Gers 666 said:
I use tons of pedals, and I've sold lots too. The only one I sold for sucking out my tone is the Dunlop Crybaby 95Q wah. It was unbelievable how much it sucked from my tone. I will eventually buy one of John's true bypass (I think?) Vox 847's.
Click to expand...

True bypass "is" part of the many mods done to the Vox 847 wah...
 
Re: How improtant is a true bypass on your pedals?

Has anyone here had any experience with the Morley wahs? They have a buffer but I don't know how well it works.
 
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