is the EH HOG really true bypass?

[telebucker]

i just picked an EH HOG up, and when i got home i checked the bypass when it was toggled off and unplugged...nothing. not a sound.

so, i am wondering if i have received a bad model, or if these pedals are true bypass at all? they say that they are, but that they always power up in bypass mode, which makes me think the switching sounds suspect. am i wrong? can anyone help me, please?

 

[Showman]

Hi!

Maybe it has some kind of relay switching which needs power to switch to true bypass.

cheers,
Showman

 

[stinkfoot]

If it doesn't pass signal when powerless (switching it to bypass mode before powering off makes sure any relay system isn't left in active mode), it can't be true bypass. If it does pass signal, it may or may not be TB (that test is not an accurate way to verify true bypass wiring), but if it goes completely dead, you can be sure it is not.

/Andreas

 

[blood5150]

who cares, that pedal rocks. I have one.

 

[GovernorSilver]

My electric cello sounded just as good going into the HOG and back out again via the Direct Out (no processing) jack.

Of course you can always get a Barge Concepts or similiar product that will mix your straight guitar signal in parallel with the HOG. I use a Voodoo Labs Amp Selector to split my guitar signal so I don't have to worry about which pedals are "tone-suckin'" my guitar.

 

[Super Locrian]

A little thread-hijacking:

Could you HOG owners tell me a little about your experiences with the pedal - pros/cons, how versatile it is, etc. I'm really interested in this pedal, but I'd like to learn more about what it can (and can't) do. It seems it can really transform the guitar's sound into sustained, synth-like tones, but is there any downsides to it?

 

[WorkingClassDan]

The HOG is NOT True bypass.

In my experience: sounds weird. extremely versatile. You can create something no one has heard before. You have to really find a part in your song for it though. Probably more of a studio toy. Downsides: large, needs wallwart, complex, expensive...that's about it.

 

[GovernorSilver]

I like using it for organ-like drones/pads, especially with delay. Being able to control the volume of sustained chords with the expression pedal in this mode is very useful.

For cello (and most likely fretless guitar and slide guitar) it is a great practice tool, because I can set up a drone then practice modes against the drone. When I took Hindustani vocal class, we similarly practiced melodic patterns and such against a drone.

The wah sound is not a classic wah sound - you may or may not be able to get close by tweaking the hell out of the sliders. I basically like to use it to fade in harmonics with the expression pedal. It can get aggressive pretty quickly, so be careful when you adjust the filter sliders.

Some chords will cause warbling, which may or may not be desirable.

 

[giggedy]

I'm dying to get one of these, hopefully by summertime.

 

[blood5150]

here is my take....

1st if you get one, getting the optional foot controller is a must. It is the only way to save your presets. it'll run you another $120.00.

you can really make all kinds of sounds with this thing, I mean my presets vary from organ swells, harmonized lead tones, 12 string guitar sound, bass guitar sound and it even does a great Digitech Whammy impression with the expression pedal.

I havent even begun to really tap into this thing.

All this being said, in a live situation controlling the amount of effected sound vs. your original tone is a must. Here is a clip of me using one... I only used it on the solo and the mix was not that great... this was live on the air in Philadelphia.. they made us do one original and a cover....

http://www.radio1045.com/cc-common/...WRFF-FM&TRACK=me_against_myself_-_hands_down2

 

[Sentionaut]

The HOG rules, but you have to be careful with the settings. It can at times sound a bit shrill/brittle/digital.

 

[telebucker]

got the official word from EH--despite their information page claiming true bypass accessibility on the pedal, for sure it is Not true bypass. i guess i should have figured that one, but i was hoping there was some magnificent breakthrough in circuit design that i had not heard of. nope. not true bypass.

as for the pedal itself:
i do enjoy it. a few bad points--there is a tendency for some settings to trail off in an awkward fashion and the fade in/fade out function is not flexible enough for me; the sliders do not cut the effected signal completely out when they are all the way down; the optional extension board is not an option i would like to do without, and it costs; the paint sucks; the wah function is a joke and the complete footprint of pedal+expression pedal(included)+extension board is HUGE, but despite ALL of that, i really enjoy the pedal. i can only see myself pampering it like a kitten for the next three years as i explore its possibilities.

i do hear some tone loss going through the main out, so i will try hooking it up through the direct out and see if anything changes. even if it doesn't, it is staying on my board. its worth working around it.

 

[GovernorSilver]

Love/hate relationship seems to be the common theme with HOG owners.

I got mine off of ebay new, as well as the foot controller (the 6-button preset switcher). I forgot what I paid for the HOG exactly, but it was in the $350 to $400 range - which is what they go for new on ebay now. The preset switcher was $99.