Interesting read, a bit too detailed for me :
http://screaminfx.com/tech/why-and-when-to-use-a-guitar-buffer-pedal.htm
Wizard has gotten into pedal building and so we started looking at making use out of some bits I collected.
The first thing I wanted to do was build a simple clean boost - no tone stack, no drive, just a volume boost. This was to serve two (similar) purposes - I want a boost for my passive instruments (guitar & bass), which are both rather soft compared to more modern humbuckers & active pups. I did try a Klon Centaur clone and really liked how it made my elk sound a lot less muddy and more 'stratty'.
Things got interesting when we tested a buffer circuit he made for his maribma's (impedance matching the piezo's to amps). We tested it on my transistor elk and I really liked how the buffer tightened up the low end and added a teeny bit of sparkle to the top end. Overall it 'tamed' a lot of the spikey nature of the amp - the amp responded more naturally to playing dynamics.
I hadn't really ever considered it, but all my cables are 15ft (5m) or longer (I have two gigging cables...8m each!) - I wouldn't have noticed as I have almost always played with some kinda buffered pedal between my amp (wah, boss, multi-fx). But with the elk I have only plugged straight in and after trying the klon - I've wanted to try and come up with something that work for that amp. I was thinking a a buffered boost (a very clean boost, want to avoid adding drive/clipping to the signal).
So we'll see how this all bolts together - since most pedals (non true bypass) come with always-on buffer (E.g. Almost every Boss pedal) and most people play with a longish cable (6m/20ft is fairly standard), it's the kinda thing you may notice, but not realise why when you are making up a pedal board.
For sure it's a minor thing, but for those seeking a that tone nirvana, it's a interesting topic?
