Is there a better buffer than the Axess BS-2?

[KennyM]

Originally Posted by Leftyman

I currently have the Pete Cornish buffer. I think it is great, although it is very subtle and pretty pricey. I have been looking for other buffers because I feel guilty and stupid for having a $300 pedal on my board just to add a little high-end sparkle. The Lovepedal interests me because I know Sean makes good stuff and it is tiny. I run a minimal pedalboard, yet still notice a difference.

I feel what your saying paying so much for a buffer. If you're like me however, you'll try something else and feel like your strings are dead and/or your tubes got weak.

I built a secondary pedalboard and bought a radial buffer for it. I kept rearranging everything and couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something just seemed wrong. Finally threw one of my Cornish pedals on the board and all was right in the world again. Ordered up an LD-1 for it the same day.

As I mentioned I think the tone differences are very subtle when you actually A/B them. Still, I would bet that every single person using one of Pete's buffers or pedals for a couple of months would feel this same thing I did if you pull it off your board. Believe me, I would have happily thrown a cheaper buffer on there as it was just for a little throw around board.

[Loop-Master]

The EP-3 Echoplex has a hell of a buffer. Didn't someone clone that buffer and put it in a pedal form?

[BluesHarp]

Pete's buffer gets the highest praise up here.. the high prices have scared me away but Im coming around to where its the next big thing to try. ( after climbing mount landgraff, bjfe, klon, toneczar.. I need another challenge )

[JKoeth]

The Cornish LD-1 is the best I've owned which includes Lovepedal, Lehle, Axess & The MDEQ.

[Whalestone]

Originally Posted by Loop-Master

The EP-3 Echoplex has a hell of a buffer. Didn't someone clone that buffer and put it in a pedal form?

That would be the EP-PRE by ClinchFX:
http://www.clinchfx.com/ep-pre

[missing_dave]

Originally Posted by entraind

I'm really digging the Lovepedal mini-buffer, very transparent.

read through the thread hoping to hear a bit more on this one..

the radial seems cool too with the dragster feature.

[lochry]

Originally Posted by thesedaze

+1 I use mine in the effects loop

+ ! for the Missing Link. Pricey, but after selling my BS-2, Valvulator, clean boost, eq, and a couple of ODs -- all replaced by the Link -- came out way ahead.

[Leftyman]

I have recently been looking into the Tone Freak Buff Puff since it has a boost and you can fine tune the high end. Anything Friedman is involved in seems to be good.

[PlexiBreath]

Those of you that like the Cornish buffer, surely it must be because you like the sparkly sheen it gives the guitar's tone, which is valid and understandable. But the last thing it is is transparent.

I don't like buffers because I can always hear what they are doing to the signal. So I bought the Cornish buffer hoping that with the Cornish reputation maybe the price was warranted if I could end up with a buffer that didn't color my tone. Expensive mistake. To be fair, the color the Cornish buffer gives is actually a pleasant sheen that overlays the guitar's tone. But for me I don't want that color, or any other color coming from a buffer.

So, I still would like a buffer and am open to all advice on one that truly is transparent, I've heard great things about the Axcess and the Lehle, but then I also heard great things about the Cornish, so I'm gun shy at this point. I don't care if the solution means a higher voltage power supply for more headroom or if it drives up the price.

Now, to further complicate this search, what I really need in a buffer is a buffer/splitter, so that I can take the output of my pedal board and sent that as separate buffered signals to two amps, (no ground loops or weird loading). No extra frills like boost or anti-lock-brakes, just a simple buffer to split and send a mono signal two amps.

Discuss.....
and may perpetual groovyness abound.

[JKoeth]

Originally Posted by PlexiBreath

Those of you that like the Cornish buffer, surely it must be because you like the sparkly sheen it gives the guitar's tone, which is valid and understandable. But the last thing it is is transparent.

I don't like buffers because I can always hear what they are doing to the signal. So I bought the Cornish buffer hoping that with the Cornish reputation maybe the price was warranted if I could end up with a buffer that didn't color my tone. Expensive mistake. To be fair, the color the Cornish buffer gives is actually a pleasant sheen that overlays the guitar's tone. But for me I don't want that color, or any other color coming from a buffer.

So, I still would like a buffer and am open to all advice on one that truly is transparent, I've heard great things about the Axcess and the Lehle, but then I also heard great things about the Cornish, so I'm gun shy at this point. I don't care if the solution means a higher voltage power supply for more headroom or if it drives up the price.

Now, to further complicate this search, what I really need in a buffer is a buffer/splitter, so that I can take the output of my pedal board and sent that as separate buffered signals to two amps, (no ground loops or weird loading). No extra frills like boost or anti-lock-brakes, just a simple buffer to split and send a mono signal two amps.

Discuss.....
and may perpetual groovyness abound.

Well, I've tried the Cornish, Axess and Lehle and the best to my ears was the Cornish by a long shot. ALL buffers will color your tone.

I would say the next one to try would be one of the radials. I have heard they are the some of the best and you can try one from a retailer that has a return policy.

[JKoeth]

Try the radial Twin City.

http://www.tonebone.com/bones-twincity.htm

[JKoeth]

Or the Switchbone:

http://www.tonebone.com/tb-switchbone.htm

[frontingbravery]

I haven't used anything that I like better than my Axess BS2.

[PlexiBreath]

I just went to the Axess website and it looks like they are looking for someone to buy the company, so I don't know if that's a path open to me.

I'm looking with interest at the Barber B-Buff, I like that it's running at 24 volts for the headroom needed for transparency. I'd probably get two and build them into a box with a Jensen 1:1 isolating transformer to split the signal to run to each buffer, just my initial thought.

[scuff]

2 really good one :

Suhr Koko boost with a great buffer
Custon audio electronics mxr boost at 0 you hear only the buffer.