Pedalboard tone suckage woes
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- Bg
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Pedalboard tone suckage woes
And before JB jumps in accusing my moulded patch leads, please read on.
So have spent a bit of time today trying to figure out my tone suckage.
My pedalboard is now basically - guitar lead (freedom cable) - switchblade plus - guitar lead 2 (freedom cable) amp.
Tone suck.
guitar lead (freedom etc) amp, no suckage.
guitar lead 2 (freedom etc) amp, no suckage.
guitar lead (etc) - fuzziebro fuzz- guitar lead 2 - amp, suckage.
and vice versa.
I've not tried with any other pedal yet as I literally have a short fuse nowadays when it comes to things like this not working (playing through the Pod Go instead). I should probably try two different guitar leads (etc) but they're all in the basement, and I was hoping somebody would give me an answer without me needing to move further than necessary.
Hive mind please?
So have spent a bit of time today trying to figure out my tone suckage.
My pedalboard is now basically - guitar lead (freedom cable) - switchblade plus - guitar lead 2 (freedom cable) amp.
Tone suck.
guitar lead (freedom etc) amp, no suckage.
guitar lead 2 (freedom etc) amp, no suckage.
guitar lead (etc) - fuzziebro fuzz- guitar lead 2 - amp, suckage.
and vice versa.
I've not tried with any other pedal yet as I literally have a short fuse nowadays when it comes to things like this not working (playing through the Pod Go instead). I should probably try two different guitar leads (etc) but they're all in the basement, and I was hoping somebody would give me an answer without me needing to move further than necessary.
Hive mind please?
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- jeremyb
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
Guitar lead 2 is likely faulty, my guess is either poor shield connection on one of the plugs, or a light short to earth, or something else in the cable thats perhaps causing a rise in capacitance which is then killing your toan.
Check the resistance from tip to sleeve on both ends, as well as tip to tip and sleeve to sleeve, if they're all zero then check the solder connections look ok, wire not frayed etc...
Check the resistance from tip to sleeve on both ends, as well as tip to tip and sleeve to sleeve, if they're all zero then check the solder connections look ok, wire not frayed etc...
Just keep me where the light is
- NippleWrestler
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
depending on the pedal's bypass, you can lose high end (tone suck) that way.
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
yeah I know that, just perplexed why a Switchblade Plus would be killing tone when its not got a reputation for being a tone sucker, this was just through the switchblade... no pedals attached. Both freedom cables fine by themselves.
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- rickenbackerkid
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
In theory, 2 cables is doubling the capacitance, and if the switchblade/fuzz is a true bypass, then you're running through two cables. Solution is a buffered pedal.
However, if your hearing tone suckle from just two cables, either sounding is wrong or you have the ears of a god, because I certainly couldn't hear that. Unless the cables are coilies?
However, if your hearing tone suckle from just two cables, either sounding is wrong or you have the ears of a god, because I certainly couldn't hear that. Unless the cables are coilies?
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
I have ears of lead, so yeah its monstrous if I can hear itrickenbackerkid wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 7:16 pm In theory, 2 cables is doubling the capacitance, and if the switchblade/fuzz is a true bypass, then you're running through two cables. Solution is a buffered pedal.
However, if your hearing tone suckle from just two cables, either sounding is wrong or you have the ears of a god, because I certainly couldn't hear that. Unless the cables are coilies?

1st test, go and get more leads from the basement.
2nd test, buy some new leads - all of mine are freedom cables made by Rob, that gives you an idea how old they are.
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
is it odd that lead 2 sounds fine straight to the amp though?
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- robthemac
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- Cdog
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
This!rickenbackerkid wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 7:16 pm 2 cables is doubling the capacitance, and if the switchblade/fuzz is a true bypass, then you're running through two cables. Solution is a buffered pedal.
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
So where to put the buffer, in front of the switchblade as its the first (and only pedal at the moment), and will it fuck up my geranium pedals as apparently they like to be first at everything, not least the chelsea flower show.
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
I’ve had bad experiences with pedals like switch blade sucking tone. I fixed (at the time) by using a boss tuner as the first pedal because it is buffered
- Cdog
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
Buffer early in the chain. When I had a germanium fuzz on the board, I buffered right after it. Like kiwiaxe, I just used a boss tuner.
- jeremyb
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
If you had another lead handy you could A/B them with the switchblade

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- Bg
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Re: Pedalboard tone suckage woes
The irony being that the switchblade has a 'tuner out'

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