True Bypass

xtremehardy388

What exactly is true bypass? Also, does anyone know of any mods I can do to the following pedals?

Digitech X-Series Delay
Ibanez FL-9 Flange
Digitech X-Series Hyper Phase
DOD Ice Box Stereo Chorus FX64
BOSS OC-2
Behringer AM100(I need to get true bypass with this...or atleast elimiate the hiss sound)
BOSS DS-1
Ibanez TS-5 Tube Screamer
BOSS SD-1 Overdrive
BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver
Fender Blender
Dunlop GCB-95
Dunlop JD-4S Rotovibe
Danelectro Milkshake chorus.


I don't want to send them in but rather, do them at home in order to learn more about electronics.

armanHammer

True bypass BASICALLY means the input signal goes straight to the output (it's far more complicated I'm sure, someone can explain better). What goes in comes out.

versus Buffered Bypass (or "True hardwired bypass", "Hard bypass", "True hard bypass"), companies like to throw out these terms a lot. If it doesn't say "true bypass", it probably isn't.

This is where the signal is buffered (amplified or treated), so your sound isn't as true to what it originally was. Buffered bypass can be good if you have lots of cable (think 30 or 40 feet or more) because then it would make up for signal loss

But the problem seems to be that most buffers used are low quality, and 'suck tone' so to speak, usually they slice off some of the treble.




As far as mods, all your Boss drive pedals can be modded. Look up Monte Allums, or just google Boss effect pedal mods diy do it yourself, etc

Robert Keeley also offers mods on those boss pedals, but of course it costs a lot and you don't get to do it yourself.. also google AnalogMan

xtremehardy388

All right, I'm going to mod my rotovibe, SD-1, and Wah I think. Those are the easiest since I'm probably not going to be buying new chips.

All Those Yesterdays

If I had a little more time I'd look it up for you. Just google it.

Last time I remembered even like fulltone had instructions on there website to do true bypass's thru certain popular pedals (I could be wrong).

Obviously Vox and Cry baby wah's are the biggest tone suckers out there that need a bypass.

Novawind

Another option for you wah could be to get a looper pedal (loooper.com) or something similar. Just putting your wah in a true bypass loop would allow you to either choose to have it in the chain or just bypass it altogether. I'm not sure exactly whats involved in modding the wah pedal itself, so I don't know what would be more complicated.

Another note: most every boss/digitech style pedal that has a large metal "pedal switch" is buffered bypass. Some, but not all, pedals that have an MXR-style stomp switch are true bypass. You'd really have to find individual pedal specs to find out. I'm pretty sure none of your pedals are true bypass as is (stock). I remember you had a Fulltone '69 or '70 fuzz on there a while, back, that -would- be true bypass as Fulltone only makes higher-quality stuff.

samquigley

I'm relatively sure you can't make any Boss pedals true bypass. Keeley and Analogman do plenty of mods on them but none claim to be true bypass. The only way you can do it to the Ibanez 9-series is to pull a switch out of the new Maxon reissues, since no-one else makes those switches. That, or drill a hole and install another switch, like so:
http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=36
You'd better be sure true bypass is important to you, because it's gonna be a pain in the arse to do.

xtremehardy388

Yeah, I had a fulltone on their but that was old science teachers' pedal. I heard the FL-9 was analog AND true bypass. I moded the SD-1 and it sounds AMAZING. The rotovibe sounds a lot more intense from just some tweaking. The wah has a major mid boost so it's not 'whiney' on the highs. I have my old DS-1 which I don't know if I'll mod. I have a new one I'm keeping stock so I have room to messup on the old on. The main problem I am noticing is that I have a TON of feedback when I am playing clean because I have so much stuff in my chain (I'll throw a picture up in a little while of my new board), and I need to get rid of that withouth buying another pedal. I remember last year, I wrote that I found my final set up and everyone replied that it would change. You were all right

ianvomsaal

True Bypass has basically been covered here so . . . on to BOSS PEDALS.

I love my Boss Pedals, but unfortunately BOSS Pedals are NOT "TRUE BYPASS".
And unfortunately there's not enough room in them to MOD them to make them True Bypass.
Yes, even Keeley Modified Boss Pedals aren't true Bypass, and he can't make them T.B. (Robert told me so himself).
I'm sure you can find his thoughs on true bypass somewhere on his website.
However - Keeley Modified pedals do sound VERY VERY good.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal