#167373  by Jon S.
 
I currently own three buffered guitars. Two have CAE Sound buffers (I believe both are CB-1's - it's been a while), one a Wald Electronics buffer. All three are keepers that do the job. I'm intrigued, though, by CAL's Redeemer buffer and considering it for a new project. I'm curious if anyone here has experience with the product?

It comes in various iterations. One is an Ai1 install kit that CAL describes as "[t]he same discrete circuit as found in the Redeemer Install, all in one simple jack, making installation as easy as replacing the jack in most guitars." At $44, this looks like a deal.

Another is a belt pack which CAL describes as, "The nearer you can put the Redeemer guitar buffer to your pick-ups the better, because any cable between your guitar and the Redeemer can start to suck your tone. That's why if you can install a Redeemer buffer circuit inside your guitar, it's the best way to go. But, sometimes you just can't. Or, maybe you have 6 guitars and don't want to buy 6 Redeemer kits."

I'm especially intrigued by a couple of specs CAL lists for its buffer bolded below (which seem to me to possibly represent upgrades over the buffers I currently own):

Transparent, flat frequency from 10Hz to 50kHz won't color your tone.
Crystal clear, flat phase response improves signal definition and image.
Super high input-Z more than 20Mohms, great for all pick-ups.
Rollback your volume without tone loss.
Low output-Z less than 75 ohms can drive hundreds of feet of cable, and...
Suppress cable noise, and...
Be used as a guitar signal splitter, and...
To plug directly into any mixer line input without using a tone killing DI box.
Extremely low distortion (appx. 0.0005% THD+N).
Extremely low noise (less than -125dBu).
Long battery life, 300+ hours with an alkaline battery (less than 3mA draw).
Dead battery mode allows enough signal so you can keep the show going.

3.6V to 24VDC for extra headroom.
Easy Installation kit, just two wires to connect the circuit.
Less than the cost of a high quality, low capacitance guitar cable.
Appx. 1" x 3/4" x 5/16"

I have no affiliation with CAL, in fact, I've never bought anything from them before nor do I know now of anyone else who has, hence my question.

https://www.creationaudiolabs.com/redeemer
 #167522  by search4sound
 
I have one from about 12 years ago, still works. I think I got it used on ebay, didn't know about the company but heard recently the owner or founder is religious, hence the first word in the name. I'll leave it at that.

I haven't compared it side by side to other buffers, but it keeps the signal bright and it eliminated squealing I was experiencing (apparently caused by crosstalk in the OBEL). If you have an OBEL or a large cavity (e.g. a trem), I would get a unit you install in the guitar.

Mine is smaller than a 9v battery, in a sealed case with colored wires protruding - these wire to the input, output, battery pos and neg, jack ground, and another ground labeled, "case". The battery lasts a long time, even though I'm always forgetting to unplug the guitar at home.

Mine sits in the cavity of my hardtail strat which is wired with an OBEL. I struggled to fit it plus a 9v battery in the cavity, and it was a pain to change the battery (I didn't do the alligator pick guard brass plate, and I don't change strings as often as I should). I ended up running battery wires out of the guitar and have a battery bag from my acoustic attached to the base of my guitar strap. I wired battery clips in series and have two 9v batteries so 18v - good headroom and no worry of batteries draining.

That being said, you can never go wrong with a Waldo buffer - Mike stands behind his product and uses high quality components for not that much money especially considering today's boutique prices.
 #167523  by Jon S.
 
search4sound wrote: Sun Jun 07, 2020 4:02 pmI haven't compared it side by side to other buffers, but it keeps the signal bright and it eliminated squealing I was experiencing (apparently caused by crosstalk in the OBEL). If you have an OBEL or a large cavity (e.g. a trem), I would get a unit you install in the guitar.

Mine sits in the cavity of my hardtail strat which is wired with an OBEL. I struggled to fit it plus a 9v battery in the cavity, and it was a pain to change the battery (I didn't do the alligator pick guard brass plate, and I don't change strings as often as I should). I ended up running battery wires out of the guitar and have a battery bag from my acoustic attached to the base of my guitar strap. I wired battery clips in series and have two 9v batteries so 18v - good headroom and no worry of batteries draining.
Re: the OBEL, I had the same experience when I added one to my Reverend Avenger and, as in your case, adding the buffer eliminated the squealing. That was a quite frustrating experience as, in the troubleshooting process, I slowly eliminated everything else from the circuit but nothing worked - until adding the buffer.

That's interesting how you wired yours in your Strat at 18V. In my Avenger, which of course is a strat-style guitar, to fit in the battery, I routed a small amount of wood from the trem cavity. It was quick and easy to do.