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Author Topic: Thinking about onboard buffers
smgear

Posts: 170
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Post Thinking about onboard buffers
on: September 1, 2012, 08:34
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I was just reading about buffers in one of Brian Wampler's books. It seems pretty ideal to have a buffer in line before 'most' effects and especially in situations where you are running straight into the amp. So I think it makes sense to have a buffer wired into the guitar. After some googling, I found a few different circuit variations - both onboard and off. I don't pretend to understand all the differences, but I'll probably just try Brian's basic circuit and see how it goes.

But this leads to another question. If I add this to the onboard toolkit, do I want to have it at the end of the effects chain, or at the beginning? I can see potential advantages and disadvantages in either position. Of course you could do two, but that would probably be overkill so I'll probably just put it at the end of the chain.

Have any of you tried this?
mwseniff

Posts: 149
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Post Re: Thinking about onboard buffers
on: September 1, 2012, 08:58
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The buffer would work best at the front of the chain. Putting it in the guitar would buffer the pickup output giving the flatest response eliminating the effects of the guitar cable and everything else after it. You may or may not like the sound, there is a current fad to actually use the guitar cord's capacitive effects to roll off highs and get a more vintage tone. There are a lot of vendors now supplying coiled guitar cables at outrageous prices for boutique guitar cables for their HF rolloff effects. Many modern well designed fx pedals have input buffers already inside to give a good signal to the rest of the circuit, but that only works if the fx pedal is on. As for folk using buffers, any active guitar pickup (like EMGs) is basically buffered. If you like the sound of active pickups you would probably like a buffer in you guitar. There are kits available to add these to your guitar. Some folks like them some don't. YMMV
Digital-
Larry

Posts: 192
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Post Re: Thinking about onboard buffers
on: September 1, 2012, 09:06
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You can always tweak the basic resonance of your pickups by putting a cap to ground prior to going to the buffer. It's fortunate for manufacturers that such fads come and go... I should become more cynical and try to think of one!

If what you're asking is whether to buffer your pickups before they hit the first stage in your on board effects chain that depends on what it is. Maybe it already has a high input impedance. And maybe the last thing in your chain already has a low output impedance, in which case there's no need to rebuffer it.

If your first effect has a bipolar input, either for buffering or an actual gain stage, I'd suggest replacing it with a JFET which will do the same thing but have a way higher input impedance removing the need for a separate buffer. Of course you can't just plop a JFET in place of a bipolar. If you give me an example I'll try to come up with a suitable design approach.
joe
Administrator
Posts: 224
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Post Re: Thinking about onboard buffers
on: September 1, 2012, 13:44
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Quote from mwseniff on September 1, 2012, 08:58
The buffer would work best at the front of the chain. Putting it in the guitar would buffer the pickup output giving the flatest response eliminating the effects of the guitar cable and everything else after it. You may or may not like the sound, there is a current fad to actually use the guitar cord's capacitive effects to roll off highs and get a more vintage tone. There are a lot of vendors now supplying coiled guitar cables at outrageous prices for boutique guitar cables for their HF rolloff effects. Many modern well designed fx pedals have input buffers already inside to give a good signal to the rest of the circuit, but that only works if the fx pedal is on. As for folk using buffers, any active guitar pickup (like EMGs) is basically buffered. If you like the sound of active pickups you would probably like a buffer in you guitar. There are kits available to add these to your guitar. Some folks like them some don't. YMMV

My advice would be to experiment with a buffer before committing to a particular scheme. Hey, I know: build the tonefiend DIY booster with a switchable buffer, and try it out with your fave gear!

Here are some quick-and-dirty generalizations:

• Yes, the buffer often works best at the beginning of the signal chain — but sometimes at the end, too.
• It can make funky vintage effects sound a lot better. The benefits, if any, tend to be subtler with modern pedals.
• You sometimes get a bit more sparkle out of modulation and delay effects.
• The tend to RUIN the sound of Fuzz Faces, or other fuzzes based on that general topology.
• mwseniff is correct as usual: If you like retro tones, you may prefer the non-buffered sound.
• Not only are active pickups already "buffered," but so are many stompboxes, especially Boss and Ibanez pedals (if, that is, the pedal is switched on).
• The first place I'd try adding a buffer is before the first stompbox — unless you have anything Fuzz Face-related, in which case, put it after.

Summary: Sometimes it makes a little difference. Sometimes not. Try and see!

Yes, you could totally build a cool little buffer and fit it into the guitar — but make it switchable in case you ever use a Fuzz Face! 🙂
bear

Posts: 153
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Post Re: Thinking about onboard buffers
on: September 1, 2012, 15:16
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I thought standard Boss and Ibanez pedals had the buffer always on, even when switched off. I've never looked too hard at the circuits, though, so I could be wrong.
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