What's the best way to tame a Bender fuzz circuit (aside from putting it first in the chain)?

[DeadCell]

I bought a EQD HoofReaper fuzz a little while back but have gotten zero use out of the Reaper (Bender) side due to it spitting and sputtering.

I have a volume pedal that's off the board, which is the first pedal in the chain. The Bender circuit doesn't like it. Tried it after a wah, overdrive, tuner.... same result.

Would a buffer sort it out or should I look into selling it and picking up a Hoof on its own?

 

[saltbird]

Buffers shouldn't be an issue with a modern designed fuzz circuit. Does the pedal sound like something is wrong with it?

Honestly if you can't find a sound you like in a pedal on its own, then there's pretty much no point in dedicating another pedal just to make it usable. The tonebender just might not suit your style.

For me on the other hand, the tonebender circuit is the only fuzz I've found that I like, but I don't use fuzz much to begin with. Also the Firefly's voltage bias control makes it infinitely more useful. I can't emphasize that enough.

 

[DeadCell]

Buffers shouldn't be an issue with a modern designed fuzz circuit. Does the pedal sound like something is wrong with it?

Honestly if you can't find a sound you like in a pedal on its own, then there's pretty much no point in dedicating another pedal just to make it usable. The tonebender just might not suit your style.

For me on the other hand, the tonebender circuit is the only fuzz I've found that I like, but I don't use fuzz much to begin with. Also the Firefly's voltage bias control makes it infinitely more useful. I can't emphasize that enough.

Nope, the pedal works fine when my guitar is plugged directly into it. But if any pedals are in front of it, it sounds horrible. I've heard this was a pretty common Bender issue, and it sounds like EQD didn't do anything to correct that problem with ththe circuit.

 

[tubekingsley]

Nope, the pedal works fine when my guitar is plugged directly into it. But if any pedals are in front of it, it sounds horrible. I've heard this was a pretty common Bender issue, and it sounds like EQD didn't do anything to correct that problem with ththe circuit.

You mean having turned off, true bypass pedals before it, sounds drastically different than guitar > pedal > amp ? Cause it shouldn't render the pedal useless, NOT being first thing after guitar. Are your volume pedal and wah both true bypass, for certain?

 

[Birds in Hell]

It's just the nature of those kind of germanium fuzz circuits, you either love them so much you build your rig around those quirks (my preference!) or find something else. I think selling the Reaper and going with the sole Hoof sounds like a good idea for your situation.

 

[DeadCell]

You mean having turned off, true bypass pedals before it, sounds drastically different than guitar > pedal > amp ? Cause it shouldn't render the pedal useless, NOT being first thing after guitar. Are your volume pedal and wah both true bypass, for certain?

Volume is a MVP and wah is a Crybaby Mini. Not sure if those are true bypass or not

 

[Purple_Plexi]

Yeah, the Tone Reaper doesn't like anything in front of it, it has to be first in chain. The octave is good there too.

Volume is a MVP and wah is a Crybaby Mini. Not sure if those are true bypass or not

A pedal is true bypass only until you turn it on

 

[saltbird]

Damn, that's weird. The wah, tuner, overdrive, and volume pedals must all be buffered right? I don't have that problem at all with the Firefly so I know the problem can be remedied circuit-wise as far as tonebenders go.

Is it an older version of the pedal? I'm surprised EQD wouldn't have that fixed.

Nope, the pedal works fine when my guitar is plugged directly into it. But if any pedals are in front of it, it sounds horrible. I've heard this was a pretty common Bender issue, and it sounds like EQD didn't do anything to correct that problem with ththe circuit.

 

[DeadCell]

Yeah, the Tone Reaper doesn't like anything in front of it, it has to be first in chain. The octave is good there too.


A pedal is true bypass only until you turn it on

Good point lol. But the volume is active at all times.

 

[DeadCell]

Damn, that's weird. The wah, tuner, overdrive, and volume pedals must all be buffered right? I don't have that problem at all with the Firefly so I know the problem can be remedied circuit-wise as far as tonebenders go.

Is it an older version of the pedal? I'm surprised EQD wouldn't have that fixed.

Not certain. I bought it in 2016. I assume they haven't made any revisions to the circuit since it was released. Of course, they retired the Tone Reaper. That circuit is only available in the HoofReaper or Cloven HoofReaper.

 

[tubekingsley]

Volume is a MVP and wah is a Crybaby Mini. Not sure if those are true bypass or not

What tuner and overdrive pedal do you use ? I'm not of the belief that running turned off, true bypass pedals before it, is causing so much disfunction. Sure, it's best to run silicon/germanium right after your guitar pickups, but turned off true bypass pedals shouldn't be causing that- although, I suppose it's possible with that particular pedal. I have 6 germanium/silicon fuzz/rangemaster pedals on my board, with a true bypass wah, and univibe pedal in the chain before the fuzz ever shows up- it's fine, and I'm talking finicky, old school fuzz pedals. Stick one, 1M ohm buffered pedal before em', and most of them would sound horible. That's why I think you're inadvertently running a buffered pedal, before the Hoof Reaper

 

[DeadCell]

What tuner do you use ?

Korg Pitchblack

 

[Purple_Plexi]

Korg Pitchblack

If you want to have a tuner first in chain, before the Hoof Reaper, it has to be true bypass. I don't know if the Pitchblack is.

 

[tubekingsley]

Korg Pitchblack

The MVP is buffered, the mini wah and Pitch Black tuner are true bypass. If you run the turned off, tuner before the Reaper, and it starts sputtering, and sounds drastically different than on it's own- then I don't know what to say. I'm assuming you're using passive pickups, and not say, EMG, for example. If you have problems with only the turner before the Reaper, and use passive pickups- I would say try someone else's guitar, and a different cable. Kinda baffling...

 

[DeadCell]

The MVP is buffered, the mini wah and Pitch Black tuner are true bypass. If you run the turned off, tuner before the Reaper, and it starts sputtering, I don't know what to say. I'm assuming you're using passive pickups, and not say, EMG, for example. If you have problems with only the turner before the Reaper, and use passive pickups- I would say try someone else's guitar, and a different cable. Kinda baffling...

Nope. Using passive pickups. PRS 59/09s to be exact. I'll trying rewiring the board again and see.

 

[tubekingsley]

Nope. Using passive pickups. PRS 59/09s to be exact. I'll trying rewiring the board again and see.

An Octavio effect, which the Hoof Reaper has (stomp switchable), especially likes to see guitar pickups- but running a true bypass pedal before my Octavio style pedals, doesnt seem to alter the sound, and I'm an extremely critical listener. I'd shoot an email to EQD.

 

[DeadCell]

An Octavio effect, which the Hoof Reaper has (stomp switchable), especially likes to see guitar pickups- but running a true bypass pedal before my Octavio style pedals, doesnt seem to alter the sound, and I'm an extremely critical listener. I'd shoot an email to EQD.

Sounds like a plan. If this is an issue (not part of the design) then I'd feel bad about dumping this on somebody else. The problem needs to be fixed.

 

[Purple_Plexi]

the pedal works fine when my guitar is plugged directly into it

What's the issue?

 

[DeadCell]

What's the issue?

That it doesn't work fine when other pedals are in the chain before it.

 

[Purple_Plexi]

That it doesn't work fine when other pedals are in the chain before it.

It was designed to be that way. Sorry it's not working out for you.