Sarno Freeloader vs built in Strobostomp buffer

[Kirk Adolph]

 

[Eric Dahlhoff]

The variable load on the Freeloader acts like a mellow tone control. As you increase the load that the pickup sees (lower impedance) it rolls the highs off in a very nice way.
Note that the pickup has to be plugged directly into the Freeloader in order to work.

If you're handy with a soldering iron you can achieve the same effect with you Strobo Stomp. Just make up a box with a pot in it and put that in between the pickup and the Strobo.

[Jon Jaffe]

I use a Freeloader and a Stobostomp. I use the Strobostomp in Mute Mode in series with my volume pedal. There is a complete bypass when not in mute. I use the Freeloader for on-the-fly tone tweaking. The volume pedal and Strobostomp are in the effects loop.

[Dave Stagner]

I run my Strobostomp from the tuner out on my Freeloader. I don't like playing without the Freeloader! And I don't need either the buffer or a bypass - if I want the steel to stop making noise, that's what the volume pedal is for.

[Brad Sarno]

The impedance affects the main treble peak of the pickup's tone. Basically it's a bright-mellow control, and maxed at 1 Meg Ohm, that's brighter than you'd probably ever want. So that 5 Megs of the tuner's buffer, just way too high (harsh, bright) for steel pickups, just fine for piezo acoustic pickups.

Brad

[Kirk Adolph]

 

[Jon Jaffe]

Kirk, You do not have to deal with the Strobostomp buffer. There are three modes, and one is a complete bypass. Or you can use the tuner out on your volume pedal or the Freeloader. From the Stomp Mini Manual

True Bypass Operation
In this mode, the instrument signal flows through the tuner circuits only when muted by the stomp switch to enable silent tuning. When the tuner is bypassed or un-muted, both the input and the output are physically disconnected from the tuner circuit and the tuner is switched off. This allows the instrument signal to flow freely from input to output without any physical or electronic contact with the tuner’s internal circuits.

I tune maybe twice during a gig. When I set up the guitar, and sometimes along the the way.

[Brandon Mills]

I also use the Strobostomp in full bypass mode, but with a Hilton volume pedal. The biggest difference that I have appreciated is using a volume pedal that does not affect tone - such as the Hilton. Prior to that I used an Ibanez digital delay whose buffer was a good match for the tone that I enjoy. Someone has an SGF signature that says “everything affects everything”, and that is certainly true so it depends on what else you have in the signal chain.