Putting a switchable buffer inside guitar?

ThePrettyDamned

How easy or hard would this be? 

I was wondering if a push push or push pull pot could be used to switch an onboard buffer on or off in, say, a thinline telecaster.  I don't know where I would find room for such a thing, presumably the PCB's are teeeny so I could make up a cornish buffer clone, insulate it and mount it on a mini switch or push/push.

@ICBM? ;

I ask because of a genuine use. I loved the noises the Zoom Ultra Fuzz could do with the volume and tone controls, but post buffer this doesn't happen.  I'd use it first in chain and switch the buffer on and off as needed. 

Failing that, I could make one up in a small enclosure and make it footswitchable but it'll be a shitty true bypass switch because I don't have the electrical knowledge to wire anything cleverer up. Maybe a DPDT. 

timhulio

How often are you going to be switching a buffer on and off? I'd say chuck in a 3PDT. Stuff in guitars always sounds fun, but then you've got to worry about onboard batteries (and where to put them) or phantom power.

ThePrettyDamned

timhulio said:

How often are you going to be switching a buffer on and off? I'd say chuck in a 3PDT. Stuff in guitars always sounds fun, but then you've got to worry about onboard batteries (and where to put them) or phantom power.

Yeah, that's my worry. 

Will a standard true bypass switch pop? Most I've used pop, so I avoid them like the plague. 

It's literally *just* for the fuzz - I love having it unbuffered for solos and intros but buffered to remove the oscillations for riffing and chord work. 

I'm probably worrying too much and should learn to control it. 

timhulio

Yeah the switch may pop, depending upon the application and whether any pull-down resistors are used. Perhaps build a tiny Millenium I bypass circuit on a piece of vero board. It's less than half a dozen parts.

ThePrettyDamned

Might look into that.

Giving a touch more thought I do *not* want it in my guitar - too complicated, battery space, switching etc. It could fit into a teensy box.

ICBM

Why not just get a true bypass clean boost pedal and set it to no-boost? That will effectively be a buffer.

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM;695961" said:

Why not just get a true bypass clean boost pedal and set it to no-boost? That will effectively be a buffer.

And the winner is the man who told me I have a reason to get the TC electronic spark boost