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ok folks. I run a 10' guitar cable, and then like 9 true-bypass effects. About half the fx are connected with cranks and half with 6" cables. My cable run to my amp is 3'. Should I run a buffer at the front of my chain or not? If so, which buffer should I go with?

I should mention, I used to ALWAYS run a buffer before my chain, but that was when I was running like 10-20 fx and they weren't all true-bypass.

If you are running fuzz pedals then I would just run one at the end of your chain.

I would test with your ears. Play clean through your board with all the pedals off. Then plug straight into the amp and play. Can you hear a difference? Would you rather have that straight to amp clean tone? If so, then a buffer is for you. If no, then it doesn't matter. I can definitely hear a difference through my board, but I have one pedal that is always on at the end of the chain that seems to do the trick for me of keeping that lost high end. So I don't worry about it. If I wanted to not use that pedal though, I'd get a buffer for sure. I'm considering a buffered volume pedal anyway.

Yeah see here is the thing, I am running my board like this right now:
1. TIMMY
2. Fuzzhugger Magic Meter
3. Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom
4-9 moar pedalz.

I keep the volumes on 1-3 nearly maxed out, so that feeds a pretty hot level to the rest of my chain. I never play without one of 1-3 on. TIMMY is my clean boost, Fuzzhugger's are my dirts.

Also, I used to always believe that running at buffer at the BEGINNING of my chain was important, but now I am reading and you guys are saying to run one at the END? Don't most buffers um 'buffer' in both directions?

tuj wrote:
I keep the volumes on 1-3 nearly maxed out, so that feeds a pretty hot level to the rest of my chain. I never play without one of 1-3 on. TIMMY is my clean boost, Fuzzhugger's are my dirts.

Also, I used to always believe that running at buffer at the BEGINNING of my chain was important, but now I am reading and you guys are saying to run one at the END? Don't most buffers um 'buffer' in both directions?

By having any one of pedals 1 to 3 always on takes care of your front end buffering needs and sends a strong full signal through to your other pedals. The end buffer just takes that signal and sends it to the amp.

Some pedals (mostly old fuzz circuits) don't like having a buffer in front of them. Often that's the reasoning for end of the chain buffering. Other than that, it probably doesn't matter where it is.