Topmusicanswers
- What does a buffer do for guitar pedals?
- Does my pedal board need a buffer?
- Where should I put my buffer pedal?
What does a buffer do for guitar pedals?
What Is a Buffer Pedal? On a technical level, a buffer pedal is a tiny amplifier that isolates the incoming high impedance signal sent from the guitar into a unity level. Put simply, it preserves the strength of the signal running through your setup.
Does my pedal board need a buffer?
Buffer pedals are often unnecessary when connecting a guitar straight into an amp and even when using a few pedals. However, having a good buffer pedal at a low-signal-level point in the signal chain can make or break the sound and tone of a guitar through a pedalboard.
Where should I put my buffer pedal?
In general, placing a buffer before a fuzz pedal will cause the fuzz to sound thin or weak. This is because fuzzes need to see a high impedance signal at the input in order to sound correct. For this reason, it's generally best to place buffers or buffered-bypass pedals after fuzz pedals in your signal chain.
