What is true bypass and does it matter for your tone?True bypass is overrated — a good buffer often beats it. What it is Definition: True bypass switches both the input AND output away from the effect circuit, so bypassed the pedal is the next best thing to a plain guitar cable 1. The alternative: Buffered bypass runs the signal through an impedance-changing buffer even when off. Regular "bypass" (old Boss/wah style) only disconnects one side — that's the crude one to avoid 3,6. Does it matter? Not much, says our Guitar Doctor: Alan Ratcliffe calls the need for true bypass "highly overrated" — a well-designed quality buffer is often the better choice 2. Big boards need a buffer: A long chain of all-true-bypass pedals with long cables loses volume and top-end sparkle — the classic "tone suck". Fix: one good buffer near the start of the chain (and optionally one at the end) 3,4. Exceptions: Wahs and fuzzes are sensitive to input impedance and generally don't like buffers in front of them 3. Delays and reverbs actually work better buffered — true bypass cuts the trails dead when you switch off 3. Practical advice Trust your ears: Our Luthier in Residence Manfred-Klose found a non-true-bypass wah actually livened up his drive pedals — experiment before modding anything 5. Don't pay extra for it: When choosing between two overdrives, don't spend double just for true bypass 2. A well-built buffer can be as transparent as a cable and reduces noise too 6. Workaround: Pop a problematic non-TB pedal into a true-bypass loop switcher instead of modifying it 7. For the full explainer, Alan's article in 1 covers all the bypass types. From these forum threadsThe Truth About True Bypass (2010): Alan Ratcliffe's full explainer of all bypass typesHow important is true bypass? (2013): Alan's verdict: don't pay extra for true bypassBuffered vs. True bypass (2012): Buffer vs true bypass rules for big pedalboardsMisconception about true bypass (2011): Real-world 15-pedal board tone-loss story and fixTo true bypass or not (2011): Why a non-TB wah improved a JCM800 rigTone Suck from pedals? (2009): Diagnosing tone suck: buffer vs faulty cableTrue bypass looper thoughts? (2009): Using a looper to add true bypass without modding
