True bypass

jellybelly

Hi, I was wondering if any of you knew how to sort my small clone chorus so that it's true bypass like my small stone (my small stone is the newer cardboard box versions whereas my small clone is the older wooden one).

Also would any of you by chance know how to mod my small stone so it doesnt have that horrible volume drop when engaged?

cheers

Millarman

Well there's two ways - you could either swap the footswitch (which im assuming is a DPDT one) with a 3PDT one. This basically gives you a true bypass - try looking on http://www.geofex.com for info. The way I recommend though, which also helps with your volume problem is to by a bypass box (an effects loop box), or an A/B box. They're normally quite cheap, some don't need power. The idea is you have your effect chain on all the time, and so you can switch between - so, when off, its a direct route from guitar (or other effects) to amp, and when its on, you engage the small clone. Thats a bit long winded for just one effect - but what im suggesting is that you include a small cheap booster after the chorus in this extra chain, and voila, volume drop solved. Saves you modding your pedal with much less hassle with all the electronics etc. Hope this helps!

Btw hey everyone, first post 😁

jellybelly

yeah didnt really think of that, might be worth getting a loop pedal for all my pedals, the small clone at the moment is the only one besides my boss DD-3 that isnt true bypass and ive been told its a good idea to keep somthing with a buffer towards the end of my chain. Will look into it, cheers millarman, and welcome to the forum!

greenlee

i always thought you were supposed to put the buffer near the beginning of the chain.quoted directly from guitar effects pedals by dave hunter"a good buffer should help get your tone to the amp sounding much more like itself than that same tone passing through six pedals and many yard of wire.a good buffer can make an excellant,transparent crutch for your precious guitar signal.theres no shame in it.and if youve got eight or ten pedals in your chain,the way many players do these days,your straight,clean sound is very likely suffering badly without one."

"many,many players benifit from buffers without even knowing it.all boss and the bulk of ibanez and dod pedals contain a buffer stage,for example as do pedals from visualsound,many from roger mayer,and plenty of other quality makes,so if youve got one of these at or near the front of your pedalboard your benefiting from this already."

he goes on to say that a good buffer will drive around ten pedals.

Bob_the_godly_dude

Won't a good preamp booster act as a good buffer too? Making your own one of them is dead simple, I managed it, it's always good to have one at the very start of your chain anyway.

greenlee

yup.....at the front of a long chain they act as a buffer and line driver,or at the end to boost levels again after the signal drain of a bunch of pedals.

jellybelly

Well ive found that things generally sound better if the DD-3 is at the end anyway: having my rat near the beginning doesn't really help, but maybe proco dont make too good a buffer?

Mike

the RAT2 is true bypass.

jellybelly

Ive played a couple that are but mine isnt (well it doesnt let signal pass thru when its got no power to it anyway, which is what I always base it on) but it doesnt 'suck tone' like the boss pedals do

Mike

you've been reading too much internet.

the huge majority of Boss pedals sound great bypassed and you wouldn't notice the difference. a Couple of OLD SKOOL ones don't sound great (and the SD-1 to this date).

greenlee

all but one rat pedal has true bypass.it was made in 1987 and is easily identified because it has an LED light.

jellybelly

mine has an led...maybe ive got somthing worth more that I thought....and I know boss pedals arent that bad individually, its just when theres 4 or 5 that theres definitely a decrease in 'tone' (whatever that is). I think they make fairly decent buffers but not the best, though my ears arent that well trained (I can tell digitech are a bit rubbish at them though).

Maybe my rats got a probelm with its switch? it sticks a bit, would this prevent sound coming through?

triskadecaepyon

You can build small clones that have true bypass. I did that with the tonepad layout, as well as making a tremolo switch by cutting the clean signal mix.