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Topic: Question about buffers/impedance matching circuits |
Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 19 Jun 2008 5:58 pm |
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Hello,
I have a general question about the nature of impedance matching buffer circuits. I have some effect pedals that sound great with my Stratocaster but not so great with my pedal steel. It has been suggested that I put a MatchBox before the pedals to match my guitar's impedance to the pedals. I understand that impedance matching devices, like the MatchBox, are commonly refered to as buffers. What I would like to know is if the buffer circuit that is in some pedals, like some Boss pedals, will do the same thing as a MatchBox. I am thinking of putting a Boss TU-2 stompbox style tuner as the first pedal on a pedal board, and I'm wondering if that pedal will provide the same buffer that a MatchBox will, and improve the sound of my pedal steel through multiple pedals as a MatchBox would, thus providing me a tuner that eliminates the need to use a MatchBox?
(Obviously I have a lay understanding of buffers  )
Thank you, your help is appreciated.
Cliff |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 20 Jun 2008 3:13 am
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| It may help to try your pedals both in front, and behind the volume pedal, as some of them (like a delay or reverb) work better between the pedal and the amp. That said, just about any device with a low level preamp will perform the same job as a matchbox used between your pickup and volume pedal(though some pedals don't allow you to control the gain). Also, some of the reason that steels are limited, tonally, is that they've only got one pickup, and that one's quite close to the bridge. Consequently, you'll never get the tonal variation or versatility out of a steel's sound that you're used to hearing with a 2 or 3 pickup guitar. The effects, when used on a steel, will do what they normally do on a straight guitar, but they're just more limited. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 21 Jun 2008 8:27 am
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What Donny said, but.....
If you let us know what pedals you're using, we could probably suggest a better effects chain for you. Some pedals that you might think are buffered may not be, and some pedals prefer to be placed differently in the chain.
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Artie McEwan |
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