Bypass strips, volume pedals, and buffers...

QUESTION! So, Im thinking i would like a bypass strip for my pedalboard. My question is about how my passive EB volume pedal would work through the strip. I know for sure that i would want to purchase a good JHS buffer or something to throw in front of the strip, because i use fairly long cables.
I guess the real question is about buffering my volume pedal. Its passive, so i like to have something buffering it to keep it from sucking a noticeable amount of tone. I usually run the volume pedal about halfway through the chain. My question is, would a good buffer at the front of the strip be anough to buffer through my volume pedal, even when i have two or three pedal engaged in front of the volume pedal? I usually run my boss tuner right in front of the volume to buffer it, would a really nice buffer do good all the way from the front of the chain?
Does that make sense?

The Boss tuner (TU-2 ?) directly in front of your volume pedal has a buffered output already. There would be no advantage in putting a buffer in front of your chain regarding the volume pedal. However, it may help to buffer your guiitar pickups when feeding something else between your guitar and your volume pedal.

Before spending cash on a buffer, try using a Boss pedal in bypass as a buffer. If it helps in any way, maybe move your tuner to the front of the chain or persue a buffer in front. It's one of those 'try it and see' deals.

If your first pedal is a Fuzz Face or some other effect that works best with a direct guitar connection, you should hear that difference in the experiment above.

If your chain has True Bypass pedals, a buffer, or tuner, is usually best up front when long cables are used with a bypassed chain of pedals. Almost any pedal that is ON has a buffered output. Almost every Boss pedal (on or off) also has a buffered output. 'Buffer pedals' themselves are almost always unnecessary for that reason; they take up an extra space, and another $100.

The Boss tuner (TU-2 ?) directly in front of your volume pedal has a buffered output already. There would be no advantage in putting a buffer in front of your chain regarding the volume pedal. However, it may help to buffer your guiitar pickups when feeding something else between your guitar and your volume pedal.

Before spending cash on a buffer, try using a Boss pedal in bypass as a buffer. If it helps in any way, maybe move your tuner to the front of the chain or persue a buffer in front. It's one of those 'try it and see' deals.

If your first pedal is a Fuzz Face or some other effect that works best with a direct guitar connection, you should hear that difference in the experiment above.

If your chain has True Bypass pedals, a buffer, or tuner, is usually best up front when long cables are used with a bypassed chain of pedals. Almost any pedal that is ON has a buffered output. Almost every Boss pedal (on or off) also has a buffered output. 'Buffer pedals' themselves are almost always unnecessary for that reason; they take up an extra space, and another $100.

Do you think then that my TU-3's buffer is good enough to buffer my volume pedal through 2 or three other pedals?? Using a bypass strip, obviously it wont always be that way but i have a couple overdrives and a compressor in front of my volume pedal, and there are occasions when all of these might be on at once, so do you think running the tuner as a buffer up front would work well enough to buffer through to my volume pedal?

Do you think then that my TU-3's buffer is good enough to buffer my volume pedal through 2 or three other pedals?? Using a bypass strip, obviously it wont always be that way but i have a couple overdrives and a compressor in front of my volume pedal, and there are occasions when all of these might be on at once, so do you think running the tuner as a buffer up front would work well enough to buffer through to my volume pedal?

If your other pedals are on the buffer is moot.

Unless you think the sound is bad when you use the volume pedal with those 3 pedals "off" then I'd say it's fine.

I've seen some guys just run their volume pedal in one of the TB loops, should work fine. But... have you actually heard your VP suck a noticeable amount of tone?

I've used EB volume pedals on & off over the years, never heard the dreaded "tone suck" some folks rant about. And I seldom use pedals at home, so I'm pretty familiar with how my stuff sounds with just guitar/amp vs with my pedalboard at a gig... never heard a difference. As always, though, YMMV.

I had a guy tell me once that "just because you can't hear the tone suck doesn't mean it's not there." Hmmm... I guess he should know, as he sells aftermarket buffers for EB volume pedals. :rolleyes:

It seems like a waste of a loop to put the VP in its own loop--if you like running it directly after your Boss tuner, why not put them both in the same always-on loop? You'll never need to use them at the same time.

Might be a better idea to plug directly in to the tuner, then the strip and then into an always on buffer (stand alone buffer or buffered bypass effect). This will usually give you the most benefit from the buffered outputs. The TU tuners have a good built in buffer.....But the bottom line is what sounds better to your ear. Some folks like the high end roll off, some don't.