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,→True vs. Buffered Bypass
=== True vs. Buffered Bypass ===
There's a lot of debate as to which is better - true or buffered bypass. ''True bypass'' means the signal coming from the guitar is passed directly into the output of the stomp device when the device is set to bypass mode (essentially means it is off). ''Buffered bypass'' means the signal is received by the device and run through a transformer or low power amplifier in the device, even when it is in bypass mode. True bypass should basically be invisible, as though it was physically removed from the signal chain, while buffered bypass will have some impact on the signal.
Now, which is better? Well, that depends. Passive pickups output a high impedance signal, at least on peaks. Trying to send that load through a lengthy instrument cable will lead to attenuation of high frequency components. In other words, it will dull the tone of your guitar signal compared to a shorter cable. This can be avoided by using a most buffered bypass pedals, which will output a low impedance signal which will retain its frequency response through a longer stretch of cable.
Not all buffered bypass pedals are the same, however. A poorly designed bypass (or a pedal with a weak battery) may sound like its doing awful things to the signal, adding noise or altering the frequency response. Also, some devices are designed to receive the guitar's high impedance signal as part of how they work. Some wah pedals and many fuzzboxes are intentionally low impedance, creating an odd kind of distortion when fed a high impedance signal. Placing a buffered bypass pedal in front of such devices will prevent them from doing so. This may simply be a matter of arranging your devices in a certain order vs. using alternate devices.