Splitter - 1 buffered, and 1 unbuffered?

[blackieNYC]

I need to split, but a couple of my pedals would probably prefer to see the guitar directly.  Will there be a performance loss if the outputs of the splitter are
1st out: a straight wire thru from the input, then out
2nd out: the input/#1output point into a buffer, then out
Can this be done without some slight sacrifice in fidelity? Would I lose some of the benefit of having the gtr go straight into the fuzz? I haven't come upon such a schematic. Would it be wise to make an extra-high impedance buffer, since it will be in parallel with the fuzz face or whatever effect is on the straight wire output?  I've only seen anything like this done with perhaps a tuner output, where fidelity is arguably less important on the tuner leg of the split.
It seems best to go with an op amp over a jfet.

[PRR]

> wise to make an extra-high impedance

I think most of the things that "prefer to see the guitar" are quite low impedance. So what's in parallel doesn't have to be real high. 

> only seen anything like this done with perhaps a tuner output, where fidelity is arguably less important on the tuner

Tuner usually gets a pretty full-fidelity signal; with modern chips that is as cheap as any lo-fi design.

You also have the example of an Active DI, where a naked signal goes to the player's amp and a buffered signal tapped-out to go to the recording mixer direct (obviously as clean as possible). Because it goes to a mixer it is customary for a DI to pad-down to mike level; but you could take it at unity gain to stay in guitar-cord mode.

[karbomusic]

I have a quad buffer where one of the four outputs has a switch allowing me to make it straight through. The intention was I wanted one output buffered and the other straight through for a fuzz which really is best connected directly to the guitar. However, when the FF loaded down the guitar, the buffer circuit saw it and I lost my tone on the buffered side so it didn't work. Or I completely missed something and my explanation was my caveman and incorrect assumption of what happened. I just know when I flipped the switch to send a naked signal to the fuzz, the tone on the buffered output went to crap.

[PRR]

> when the FF loaded down the guitar, the buffer circuit saw it and I lost my tone on the buffered side

As would be expected.

Can't eat it, and have it, both.

[karbomusic]

> when the FF loaded down the guitar, the buffer circuit saw it and I lost my tone on the buffered side

As would be expected.

Can't eat it, and have it, both.

Sure, I thought that is what the OP was trying to do. Maybe not though, I read it quickly.

[blackieNYC]

Ah, there's the downside. The FF has a fairly low input Z. I'll go with a two legged active splitter, and perhaps a switch or switching jack to give me the unsplit unbuffered option when I want it.  Thanks

[ashcat_lt]

Yep, the total impedance will never be bigger than the smallest of the parallel values, so...

Why not just stick an LPF after the buffered split in front of the FF?  You could try an inductive "pickup simulator" (or just an old pickup in series), but I'm not convinced that a simple cap to ground doesn't get you most of the way there a lot easier.  Oh wait...  That kinda requires a double buffer, or we're back in almost the same boat.

[blackieNYC]

I did build a pickup sim with half a transformer and a tone control.  It's in front of a Scrambler and it is awesome. Truth be told, I don't always have the FF (Fur Face, with tone)first, and it may be sacrilegious but.. I like the sound of it being crushed by a booster sometimes. Thanks all.

[karbomusic]

Yep, the total impedance will never be bigger than the smallest of the parallel values, so...

Why not just stick an LPF after the buffered split in front of the FF?  You could try an inductive "pickup simulator" (or just an old pickup in series), but I'm not convinced that a simple cap to ground doesn't get you most of the way there a lot easier.  Oh wait...  That kinda requires a double buffer, or we're back in almost the same boat.

Yea, I dorked around with it for about a week then came to the conclusion that a true fuzz/tubescreamer blend isn't very likely without one or the other suffering.