PSA - The Dunlop 535QAR is buffered bypass (advertised as "true hardwired)

Z

zizyphus

New member
Hey team!

I just got a great new toy, the dunlop 535QAR mini. It is ALMOST everything I've wanted in a wah, but it's buffered and it will mess with your fuzz / treble booster if you put it in the front of your signal path

I've always loved the tones from Dunlop wahs (except maybe the basic GCB95), and the 535Q was one of my favorites. However, I hate how finnicky it is to engage these wahs on the fly, and because of that, have often used other wahs with automatic engagement features like Morley or the Wahter.

Anyway, I thought that 535QAR, with the auto-engagement feature was exactly what I've always wanted. It's advertised as having "true hardwired" bypass. Whatever that is supposed to mean, it definitely has a buffer, and considerably screwed with the tone I get from my fuzz and treble booster until i figured out what had gone wrong.

I ended up just putting the wah further downstream in the signal chain, and it sounds fantastic! It's a great little wah with some lovely tones, and I do like having a buffer going in the front end of my amp, now that I've placed it properly and have fixed the buffer-into-fuzz problem.

This is my signal change:
Axe -> Analogman Sun Lion -> Wah -> Mesa Mark v:25 -> (FX loop (Truetone H2O -> Tuner))

Just thought I'd share. And I do highly recommend the pedal!
 
I've had the JP wah for a few months now but haven't used it with a fuzz or anything finicky. It's also listed as true-hardwire.
From my research that's their "transitional" way to say true-bypass so as to not make the older pedal models hardwire bypass seem as bad.
On some of the newest models they are printing it true-bypass as they should, but true-hardwire is the same, and the old models just say hardwire.
 
I wonder if the full size is also a buffered bypass...I don't use a fuzz pedal, so it might not affect me at all, but I was looking at the 535Q full size wah.
 
There have been several board revisions of the full sized 535Q wah. The new ones are true bypass. Some of the older ones are half-assed bypass and suck tone noticeably - you can rewire them to be true bypass (I did and it's not too hard to do) but it involves cutting and stripping some thin wires out of a ribbon cable.

Dunlop has a long history of using weaselly BS language regarding their bypasses - I don't trust anything they say unless I've traced the circuit.
 
GuitarStv said:
There have been several board revisions of the full sized 535Q wah. The new ones are true bypass. Some of the older ones are half-assed bypass and suck tone noticeably - you can rewire them to be true bypass (I did and it's not too hard to do) but it involves cutting and stripping some thin wires out of a ribbon cable.

Dunlop has a long history of using weaselly BS language regarding their bypasses - I don't trust anything they say unless I've traced the circuit.
Click to expand...

Well, crap...how do I know if it is a newer one? Is there something to look for if I buy it used?
 
fair enough. i usually buy local and try and check things out in person before i buy. i know most people arent that way these days though
 
jeremy said:
pull the battery. if it still passes sound when its off, its really true bypass
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this isn't a reliable test for true bypass.

Dunlop used a really half-assed bypass for ages (including on the early crybaby pedals) where in they bypass mode they kept the whole (unpowered) circuit hanging off of the guitar signal - this mostly prevented the effect from sounding but added a lot of capacitance to your tone. It also would remain bypassed when unpowered. Let them save a dollar or two by buying a cheaper switch though . . .
 
Mincer said:
Well, crap...how do I know if it is a newer one? Is there something to look for if I buy it used?
Click to expand...

If you're buying used, ask for the revision number written on the circuit board (just need to open the pedal and read what's written there). The true bypass models from what I've seen seem to have started on rev F boards.

If you want to mod an older one to be true bypass you just need a 3pdt stomp switch and to follow this tutorial: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/dunlop-535q-wah-led-mod.1168208/
 
GuitarStv said:
Unfortunately, this isn't a reliable test for true bypass.

Dunlop used a really half-assed bypass for ages (including on the early crybaby pedals) where in they bypass mode they kept the whole (unpowered) circuit hanging off of the guitar signal - this mostly prevented the effect from sounding but added a lot of capacitance to your tone. It also would remain bypassed when unpowered. Let them save a dollar or two by buying a cheaper switch though . . .
Click to expand...

gotcha. if you pull the battery on a pedal and it works, you know for sure it is true bypass. though from what you say sounds like you may get false negatives when a company like dunlop gets "inventive" with their wiring
 
jeremy said:
gotcha. if you pull the battery on a pedal and it works, you know for sure it is true bypass. though from what you say sounds like you may get false negatives when a company like dunlop gets "inventive" with their wiring
Click to expand...


Basically this is what Dunlop uses and calls 'true hardwire bypass' (see how the whole circuit is still impacting the signal?):
spdt1.gif


And this is real true bypass where it's clean as plugging into a few extra inches of cable:
bypass1.gif


Both work without power (because neither depend on buffered switching). Dunlop often does the former because it allows them to use a slightly cheaper component for the footswitch.
 
So does anyone know about their newer EQ-6? It always says true-bypass in the descriptions but in the manual it says true-hardwire still.
 
GuitarStv said:
Basically this is what Dunlop uses and calls 'true hardwire bypass' (see how the whole circuit is still impacting the signal?):
spdt1.gif


And this is real true bypass where it's clean as plugging into a few extra inches of cable:
bypass1.gif


Both work without power (because neither depend on buffered switching). Dunlop often does the former because it allows them to use a slightly cheaper component for the footswitch.
Click to expand...

This diagram helps a lot...thanks!
 
dave74 said:
So does anyone know about their newer EQ-6? It always says true-bypass in the descriptions but in the manual it says true-hardwire still.
Click to expand...

https://www.jimdunlop.com/mxr-six-band-eq/

According to Dunlop:
"The MXR Six Band EQ covers all the essential guitar frequencies and has been upgraded with noise-reduction circuitry, true bypass switching, brighter LEDs for increased visibility, and a lightweight aluminum housing."

I think your odds are good given that they didn't use their 'true hardwire bypass' switching language . . . but I haven't traced the circuit to be sure.
 
GuitarStv said:
https://www.jimdunlop.com/mxr-six-band-eq/

According to Dunlop:
"The MXR Six Band EQ covers all the essential guitar frequencies and has been upgraded with noise-reduction circuitry, true bypass switching, brighter LEDs for increased visibility, and a lightweight aluminum housing."

I think your odds are good given that they didn't use their 'true hardwire bypass' switching language . . . but I haven't traced the circuit to be sure.
Click to expand...

Well that's just it, they do say it's true-hardwire in the manual, but it's always described as upgraded to true-bypass. Same with the micro flanger, described as upgraded to true-bypass but still listed as true-hardwire it's own manual/pdf.

https://www.jimdunlop.com/content/manuals/M109S.pdf
 
Just to be clear on the manual I just linked ^^^,,,,,on the left side it says true bypass, and on the right under specs it says true-hardwire.
Same thing exactly with the micro-flanger manual.
 
dave74 said:
Just to be clear on the manual I just linked ^^^,,,,,on the left side it says true bypass, and on the right under specs it says true-hardwire.
Same thing exactly with the micro-flanger manual.
Click to expand...

Yeah . . . sounds like someone needs to trace the circuit to be sure. Unfortunately, Dunlop has a shady past when reporting this kind of thing.
 
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