Keeley blues driver true bypass vs buffered

The original pedal was a great design that features tubelike amp stages, tube amp tone stacks, and a variety of tone shaping circuits to bring out the best in any guitars pickups. Connect any effect to this unit that is old school and not true bypass. Blues driver keeley mod vs waza craft vs katana blues. Keeley katana blues drive guitar effects pedal musician. Nowadays, of course, guitarists are treated to almost limitless. True bypass vs buffers is a delicate matter with different opinions. The keeley katana blues drive is ts variant with the katana. The malekko 616 has a button to switch from true bypass to buffered if you want trails. Sep 16, 2005 this is an incredibly small true bypass looper box from keeley electronics. It is housed in a beautifully powdercoated and rugged enclosure, includes true bypass switching, and features a 2year limited lifetime warranty with worldclass keeley customer support. Keeley truebypass looper and switcher guitar effects. Jun 25, 2019 for those who need it, the pedal has a sidemounted toggle switch for buffered or truebypass operation. Were not here to debate the sound quality of true bypass vs. Ask a group of guitarists what their preference is, and youll likely get a bunch.

Alongside putting an end to the notorious popping issues and letting long delay and reverb trails soar even after the pedal is turned off, buffered bypass also helps combat the problem of quality loss. Pure confectionary hard rock and blues in a minichassis pedal. Clean chord work, blues, blues rock, rock overview keeley has proposed to take a standard boss blues driver bd2 and upgrade several of its components, change its clipping saturation simulation characteristics, and widen its frequency range to be more transparent. Discussion in the buzz box started by thin lizzy, aug 14, 2012. Between the keeley bd2 and the waza, that i own, the waza has more range and openness even on the classic switch, the custom side is similar to the keeley fat switch, but the gain is smoother, and again, more range increase and just better. Take for instance a 15 ft guitar cable linked to ten pedals, each linked by a 2 ft cable, and then onto the amp by a 30 ft cable. Its impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of true. The circuit has an allanalog signal path, and the true bypass switch is relay based to. As soon as another buffered pedal is placed after it boss, tube screamer, whatever, it becomes invisible to anything after that buffered pedal. It was perfect for players of strats and teles who wanted just a small push without being muddy.

Guitar buffer pedal knowledge true bypass vs buffered pedals. True bypass vs buffered effects pedals effects pedal. If all pedals have true bypass, and are off, then the total cable length. That same design is also available via the micro toggle on the super phat mod. You can even change the bypass from true to buffered in the setup menu, which is pretty cool and weird at the same time. There are thousands of effects pedals on the market today to choose from to sculpt your tone, and within that myriad of choices lies another one. The issue of what is, and what is the difference, between true bypass and a buffered circuit pedal sort of befuddled me a few years back when true. The issue of what is, and what is the difference, between true bypass and a buffered. It requires a very sensitive ear to actually hear the difference between plugged straight in and true bypass pedals between guitar and amp. I had been wanting to get into the business one way or another, and it just so. The keeley bd2 was the first mod that had a switch. Blues driver keeley mod vs waza craft vs katana blues drive.

The true bypass function, which is promoted by some, can create dreadful problems with a system that uses many pedals. The keeley blues driver and the mxr are not true bypass, though the latter is hardware bypass. The third and last part of the six string sensei absolute one stop guide to the guitar pedal board has to do with truebypass vs. The mxr carbon copy and all the current ehx analog delays dont have this feature.

The keeley mod also has sweeter highend than the boss blues driver. Keeley katana blues drive guitar effects pedal musicians. This time, lets take a look at what buffered bypass and true bypass pedals will do in your pedal train. Waza pedals are true bypass and have top components, vs keeley modded ones. Like many things in the guitar effects world, there is some disagreement about the benefits of true bypass, with some players preferring a buffered bypass to preserve their. But these pop a bit, especially with a higher gain pedal. On the other hand, even with true bypass pedals, once you string. This will help me make constant improvements to better your experience. Buffered vs true by pass pedals 2 reasons you need a buffer dylantalkstone.

A thorough comparison of the classic boss bd2 blues driver overdrive, its waza craft version, and two other pedals based on the famous phat mod done by robert keeley the keeley super phat mod. Ive been looking up over the internet about the buffered and true bypass pedals and almost all explanations are with respect to guitars and how the highs can be maintained with buffered pedals. With the slight boost, it was called the phat mode. The option of switching between true bypass and buffered is also very useful as it allows you to choose whether your signal is affected by the pedal or not. Blues driver keeley mod vs waza craft vs katana blues drive discussion in effects, pedals, strings.

If you want something really special get the keeley mod on the blues driver i have it and its. Driving it home the 15 best overdrive pedals 2020 pmt online. So back when true bypass was an issue, most of the big manufacturers moved to buffered circuits. Comparison of the keeley modded bluesdriver verses the factory boss blues driver guitar effects pedal. In praise of the humble, underrated boss blues driver. Simply put, a buffer is a unity gain amplifier meaning that it does make the signal any louder or softer that isolates the input from the output and transforms the signal from high impedance to low impedance. An optional secondary phat mod adds a switch for introducing more bass into the tone. Keeley has proposed to take a standard boss blues driver bd2 and upgrade several of its components, change its clipping saturation simulation characteristics, and widen its frequency range to be more transparent. Its impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of true continue reading. After the super boutique bb preamp and the more mundane boss sd1, the next tube screamer alternative to be featured on guitar tone overload is somewhere in the middle. For those who need it, the pedal has a sidemounted toggle switch for buffered or truebypass operation.

The pedal electronically acts on the signal and does its thing to your tone, be it modifying frequencies, amplifying, or whatever its supposed to do. Put simply, a buffer for guitar is an electronic device that takes a highimpedance signal and converts it into a lowimpedance signal. So now even the cheapest mass manufactured stompboxes can be built with true bypass. Oct 04, 2017 true bypass is a thing, buffers are a thing. It was done to give players two modes of bass response. The keeley mod upgrades all the components for a warmer, more dynamic tone. The trex tonebug overdrive go look up the gearmandude demo for this one on youtube and tell me that you dont immediately fall in love with it. We do have some of the popular clickless true bypass modules in stock, and we can use them with the stock momentary switch to true bypass a boss or ibanez pedal. No doubt, the sugar drive is smooth in its overdriven and boosted tones, but whats just as important is that it sounds fantastic when stacked or paired with just about any other overdrive or distortion pedal. The boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod takes midrange overdriven character of the original factory pedal and infuses it with new handselected circuitry and components for. David vs goliath boss bd2 vs bd2w waza craft youtube. Boss blues drive vs keeley phat mod bluesdriver fat pedal. Keeley truebypass looper and switcher guitar effects pedal. True bypass vs buffered effects pedals effects pedal tutorials.

I have heard mixed opinions about this topic, and am not sure which side is correct. A great basic boss pedal and it suped up cousin, modified by robert keeley, the effects wizard. Most of the bufferedbypass pedals use a single transistor bufferdriver at the beginning and. Buffer discussion in effects bg started by meursault42, mar 29, 2012. Keeley electronics releases the katana blues drive 201409.

Set the gain high and let your guitars volume control or your pick attack do the work. What are the differences between buffered and true bypass. The reality is that different players have different favourite pedals built by different manufacturers and where you have a mix of true bypass and buffered pedals in your setup, using a buffered pedal right at the start of the chain such as a buffered tuner will help maintain signal quality through the chain. Importance of true bypass to ts9 effects and processors. All transistors have an operating function curve that the ac signal follows. First is the od1, which is actually a boss circuit from 1977. Sep 22, 2014 like all of keeley electronics designs, the katana drive is handbuilt in the usa using the finest components and construction techniques. May 15, 2015 this can feel weird if you are expecting the natural decay of the delay or even the reverb. Dec 12, 2005 both these pedals are cheap and a worthy investment imo. With the super phat mod, you now have all of our refinementsthe very best of toneshaping electronics and modern features like truebypass.

Funny story, some of my friends, they stick to their non true bypass pedal because when theyre off, they make the overall sound a bit darker and that balance pretty well with their strats. Ulbrick modded ibanez ts9 vs keeley modded boss br2 blues driver duration. Connect any effect to the true bypass looper and switcher guitar effects pedal that is old school and not true bypass. Which, depending on the pedal, can be a highlysoughtafter feature. Buffered and unbuffered pedals nearby seemed to have no affect on the ed, unlike the tube driver.

Its impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of true bypass coming from a wide range of manufacturers. I placed the ed a few different places in the signal chain. In a true bypass sometimes called hard bypass pedal, when the pedal is off, your signal is routed directly from the input jack to the output jack, without going through any of the pedals circuitry. The blues driver not only quickly captured its targeted audience, but its versatility and character helped it to transcend genres equally as hastily. Different tools for your tone june 29, 2016 2 comments there are thousands of effects pedals on the market today to choose from to sculpt your tone, and within that myriad of choices lies another one. If you want something really special get the keeley mod on the blues driver i have it and its very good, i have a crowther bluesberry hotcake as well but it gets a bit muddy and im leaning more towards the keeley bd these days. I will likely drop the blues driver although could use it. This will fit in the tightest of pedal boards and offer you a dramatic improvement in tone. This can feel weird if you are expecting the natural decay of the delay or even the reverb. Best thing is to go and try them, its all personal. The keeley compressor is one of the most wellloved compression pedals around. Buffered bypass effects pedals keep you in the circuit and process your signal even if the pedal is off. You also get lo and hi modes courtesy of the mini toggle switch and, just for the record, truebypass switching. So all true bypass can be an issue, so lets move on to the other kinda of pedal.

Like all of keeley electronics designs, the katana drive is handbuilt in the usa using the finest components and construction techniques. Curious as to whether hed like the sound of truebypass, weaver ordered a keeley blues driver mod a modified boss bd2 blues driver overdrive. The modded version adds a phat switch that beefs up the bottom end a bit and gives a little warmth. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30yearold tube amps. Donner pedals owners thread page 5 telecaster guitar forum. This is an incredibly small true bypass looper box from keeley electronics. Guitar buffer pedal knowledge true bypass vs buffered. Strat players often get on well with the blues driver, because the pedal. Whether its arguing over silicon vs germanium transistors, humbuckers vs singlecoil pickups or whether or not valves need replacing every year in a tube amp they dont, somehow the discussion as to whether true bypass is better than buffered seems to come up in conversation all the time. If you want any clarification on true bypass and buffered pedals, check this page out. Connect any effect to the truebypass looper and switcher guitar effects pedal that is old school and not truebypass. Buffered output on pedals fender stratocaster guitar forum. Bd2 blues driver guitar pedal the perfect tone for blues the bd2 blues driver delivers the creamy, yet crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar.

For example, how can i change the bd2 from true bypass to buffered. Note that the ts9 is buffered bypass, though you can get it modded if you need it to be true bypass. The rich harmonics and responsive controls make it a great overdrive for capturing that hallowed classicrock sound of an amp pushed to 11, while its hplp switch affords it considerable versatility. Get the guaranteed best price on switch effects pedals like the keeley truebypass looper and switcher guitar effects pedal at musicians friend. Steinhardts signature pedal with keeley electronics is a dualformat design. Jun 24, 2014 were not here to debate the sound quality of true bypass vs. How important is it that i get my ts9 changed to true bypass. Different tools for your tone june 29, 2016 2 comments. Apr 10, 2017 buffered bypass helps combat most of the issues that guitar players experienced with true bypass, mentioned above.

Imagine his surprise when he excitedly tore open the package to find an ibanez tube screamer inside. Buffered and true bypass refer to how the pedal behaves when it is disengaged or bypassed. It stays more or less stays faithful to the ocd its even true bypass, but there. Unlike a guitar cable, a pedal in true bp shouldnt even change the capacitive load though some no doubt do, despite the. If youre talking about running a keeley compressor with no other pedals, then theres probably no need for a buffer.

As you crank up the level andor drive knobs on the red dirt, youre effectively. The boss bd2 blues driver is an extremely popular overdrive pedal, set up as a competitor to the ts9 tubescreamer. Like many things in the guitar effects world, there is some disagreement about the benefits of true bypass, with some players preferring a buffered bypass to preserve their original tone. A pedal with buffered bypass means that it has a buffer within its internal circuitry. The keeley super phat mod is our famous mod now perfected with amazing sounding jfets that emulate old tube amps in a unique way. Apr 28, 2020 in addition to the expected volume, drive, and tone knobs, theres the nineway selector switch. We know that the way to stand out as a pedal manufacturer is to offer a specialized feature that. Buffered vs true by pass pedals 2 reasons you need a buffer. Between the boss bd2 blues driver and a tube screamer. Boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod reverb. Oct 18, 2011 brad paisleys former guitar tech, chad weaver, attests to the rapidity of keeleys success. Nov 15, 2014 what you hear when stacking a bunch of buffered pedals is the accumulation of nonlinearity signal distortion. Most of the buffered bypass pedals use a single transistor buffer driver at the beginning and end of the circuit.

Similarly, if you have a mix of true bypass and buffered pedals in your chain, then that first buffer at the front is only serving any purpose if there are true bypass pedals immediately after it. Whether or not you should choose buffered or true byapss, when pedals have both, depends on what you need. The ocd has a reputation as one of the best stackinastompbox overdrive pedals. Our famous mod to your pedal with the added benefit of a 3pdt true bypass footswitch. If you have a few extra bucks to spend, robert keeley offers a modded version of the original boss bd2 blues driver. Back in the day, if a guitarist was looking to add a little extra dirt to their tone, especially at low volumes, there was only a small selection of pedals to reach for in order to get the job donemaybe a boss od1 or, depending on how far back were going, a tone bender fuzz. At the time of its creation people, werent commonly using buffers or.

The keeley boss blues driver bd2 phat mod overdrive pedal if you are familiar with the original boss bd2, you probably wont notice any difference from just taking a quick look at the outside besides the added phat switch and the blue led and thats to be expected as most of the magic in the mod takes place on the inside. A truebypass pedal is one that completely and mechanically disconnects your guitars lead signal from the pedals circuit so that none of it is touching the pedals circuit. If youre looking at a ts9 you can get a used bbe green screamer for much less and it is the same pedal except it is true bypass rather than buffered. Buffered bypass helps combat most of the issues that guitar players experienced with true bypass, mentioned above. The switch is a standard clicky true bypass, but its in a pedalboardfriendly mxrsized enclosure. This is an incredibly small truebypass looper box from keeley electronics. In particular vintage wahs, echoes, phasers, fuzz face type pedals, etc. Buffered bypass its impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of true bypass coming from a wide range of manufacturers. Born in the boss factories and modified in the workshop of mister keeley, the boss bd2 blues driver overdrive is not a tube screamer copy but a different machine as you will gather from the demo videos below. Your point about putting a buffered pedal early in the chain should perhaps be phrased a bit differently. This was with 2 metres of cable to the pedal and 3 metres to the amp. That wider use also colluded with a growing pedal mod movement, as the bd2 was a prime candidate for tweaking due to its affordable price and solid tone. The truth about true bypass and buffered guitar pedals. I have one true bypass pedal and it sounds just as good as all of the rest.