Buffer before Ge pedals?? RM is crazy

[pietro_moog]

Hi guys. I have 3 Ge pedals: ToneBender mk3, FuzzFace, Rangemaster.
Every time they get a pedal in front of them, they get crazy! TB and FF are fine, I like them this way; but the RM is a mess! It sounds like a cooked wah and with a buffer before becomes a treble nightmare.
Why is that? What can i do about it? Should i embrace this and build a buffer inside, therefore adjusting LP and HI pass filters?

[midwayfair]

Explained in here: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fuzzface/fffram.htm
and here: http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/Rangemaster/drm.htm

It has to do with the low input impedance loading the guitar.

[pietro_moog]

Thanks!

[Muadzin]

You'd think that in this day and age, when they can send space probes to Pluto and beyond, that there would be a solution for finicky germanium transistor fuzzes so that you can place them wherever you want in the signal chain.

[Ralfg]

Have you seen the following article from amzfx?
http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm using a transformer to simulate pickups between input and output buffers.

And here is a gut shot of the Earthquaker Devices Eruptor, which might be actually using this technique.

[Muadzin]

Have you seen the following article from amzfx?
http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm using a transformer to simulate pickups between input and output buffers.

I've seen, I've experimented with it, it worked. Such a setup should be pretty much mandatory for fuzz designs IMO. At the least switchable in or out the circuit.

And here is a gut shot of the Earthquaker Devices Eruptor, which might be actually using this technique.

Another reason to love EQD.  Topmounts and possibly this impedance design!