Just built a J-FET output buffer for my wah and I don't like it!

[Burstbucker]

I just finished putting together a simple J-FET buffer for the output of my VOX wah-wah pedal so it would work better with my Fuzzface and I don't really care for it.
8^(

Yeah, it let's the wah effect through better with more low end when using the Fuzzface but it doesn't sound as good now when using it with a clean sound or with amp/pedal overdrive.  I'm not sure if this is the norm when buffering the output of a wah pedal or not, is it like a trade-off.  You end up tweaking the wah-wah for  Fuzz but at the expense of everything else?

I ended up taking out this little buffer circuit, it just isn't what I was expecting.  I know that Foxrox builds a wah buffer retro-fit board, I'm guessing his must work better then what I ended up with.  But I believe he also uses a J-FET too. 

[syndromet]

Many fuzzes don't like buffered effects at all.
Do you really need a buffer? I tried to include one in my wha, but decided I liked it better without.

[Satch12879]

Many fuzzes don't like buffered effects at all.
Do you really need a buffer? I tried to include one in my wha, but decided I liked it better without.

Yes, always.

[tcobretti]

I built in input buffer for mine, and basically did the geofex tweaks, and it sounds 100x better.  If you listen to Hendrix, he generally didn't use fuzz and wah at the same time.  On Voodoo Chile (slight return) you can hear him kick on the fuzz after the big wah intro.

[petemoore]

  Actually I thought that was a FF's gain being rolled on at the guitar volume...of course that wouldn't make sense if the Fuzz was after the wah.
  Use a bypass switch until you can figure out whether you want it on there or not, I have a Jfet output buffer on my wah, necessary for Fuzz Face After Wah in my case.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

You could put a pot wired as a variable resistor in series with the output of the buffer, then you can tweak the output impedance of the wah/buffer combo to whatever is best for the fuzz.

[B Tremblay]

The buffer at the bottom of this page - http://home-wrecker.com/wahmods.html - was specifically developed by Gez Paton to have an output impedance similar to a guitar.  I've built it and had good results.

[brett]

Hi
Paul and Brian's ideas are both good, but I'm not sure that you'll quite get that same variable loading on the pickups, which causes a noticable "sag and bloom" that includes tonal changes.  To ensure I get that full tonal dynamic, I keep my fuzzface and wah on separate effects lines.  (Which is a distinct pain in the rear)

Ideally, you would use a set of pickups  as an output device from the buffer, (or something, like a transformer with a lot of windings on the secondary), but is anybody going to go to that much trouble?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Brett, I love the series pickup loader!
On a completely different tangent, it strikes me as odd that the wah is before the fuzz. I would have them the other way around.. but whatever does the job.

[Paul Marossy]

What if you had an output buffer bypass switch?

[GibsonGM]

Hi Burst,

Just for the hell of it, you might try a 10k series resistor wired into the hot side of your fuzz input...did the trick for mine!  Lets the fuzz see the wah, doesn't change the wah at all since it's in the fuzz face, and does little to the tone of the fuzz, at least in my experience....

[tcobretti]

Petemoore: I have listened again and I think you are right.  I think the FF is on, but his guitar volume is low for the wah part.  Then he cranks the volume knob and goes crazy.  I now believe that the change in his tone the occurs very shortly after the band comes in is him switching pickups.  Your interpretation makes more sense anyway; how do you turn a wah off and a fuzz on at the same time?