On board Preamp

[Ben N]

Yeah, batteries are a pain in a Strat, but a standard 9v does just barely fit in this one.  One of the attractions of the single JFET is the possibility of building it onto the push-pull (which is where the current eq is, although that is a store-bought SMT opamp design).  Aron, a switchable lead-boost was what I had in mind, but also keeping the benefits of the buffer (no muddiness with the vol down) in rhythm mode.  The guitar has a set of Bill Lawrence pups, so it is quiet enough for this kind of thing.  I wouldn't think of preamping a standard noisy Strat.

Mark, those lithium battery alternatives sound really interesting.  Higher possible voltage means more headroom and better S/N.  Lower current could also mean some sag in boost mode, no?  I have to try this.

Ben

[aron]

Aron, a switchable lead-boost was what I had in mind, but also keeping the benefits of the buffer (no muddiness with the vol down) in rhythm mode.

Funny how once you DIY, then you start doing things that people were so against in the 80's. :-)

Yep, just switch the output from the source vs. the drain; buffer or boost.

[TheBigMan]

Here's a possible alternative, dunno how they are for this application though.
http://www.acegadgets.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=191
23A battery, 12V and pretty wee.  I only discovered it yesterday when the one in my multimeter went flat, but it may be a nice alternative for some more headroom and it's much smaller than a 9V.

[Mark Hammer]

Yeah, those are the sorts of 12v batteries I was talking about.  I see them in "dollar stores" here for...you guessed it, a dollar.

[Paul Marossy]

I used one of those little 12V batteries in my green Ibanez. Not much room for a 9V battery in the control cavity, as you can see.