Do I really need a matchbox if I have a multi FX?

[Harvey Richman]

Hi, I've never had the opportunity to use a matchbox and am wondering if its effect will really be noticable if I'm already using a modern multi effects unit. Thanks in advance for your replies.
Regards
Harvey Richman

[Michael Haselman]

I may be corrected, but I believe the Matchbox is for use with a pot volume pedal to match impedances so there's no signal loss. I used one when I had a pot pedal and it worked great, with effects. Then I got a Hilton pedal and the Matchbox has been sleeping in my pack-a-seat ever since. I do keep it, and the pot pedal, in case of emergencies, but none have happened yet.

[David Fields]

Harvery:
Are you speaking of the Black box by Sarno?

Dave

[Donny Hinson]

Most any effect will act as a "matching device" if it's between your pickup and the volume pedal. Some players say that a pot pedal hurts your sound, but it's really the modern, high-impedance pickup that causes most of the problem.

Notice that most all straight guitar players have volume pots in their guitars!

Now, do they have a tone problem or severe signal loss because of them?



As Yogi Berra once said...

"You can observe a lot just by watching."

[Harvey Richman]

Thanks to those who responded. Dave, I'm talking about the Goodrich matchbox which as I understand it is supposed to match impedance, act as a tone control and increase sustain.

Thanks Donny, I never even though of putting my FX unit before the volume pedal. I'll try it.

What I would like to get rid of is what I believe is called high end rolloff (as you cut back the volume, you lose more highs than lows). This is on an older BMI with stock pickup. This happens both with my pot pedal and with an old style light beam pedal. Maybe some of the newer volume pedals with active electronics rectify this, never used one.

Interestingly, I have a 70s strat and on it this phenomenon is very pronounced. On my 80s Japanese strat, which has lower output pickups (I think), it is much less noticable (I've never measured their resistances). Thanks guys.

[Ken Metcalf]

I use a Match box and the effect I like most is having a quick grab chicken beak tone and volume knob.
I also use a Hilton Vol. Pedal, which is a good tone and sustain effect surpassing the Goodrich Match Box.
in my feeble opinion. BUT...
I like the matchbox tone effect.

Kenny

[Erv Niehaus]

I use a Hilton pedal but still use a Goodrich Matchbox.
Primarily to have a volume and tone control right at my finger tips.

[Michael Haselman]

You guys have convinced me. I'm going to try the Matchbox with the Hilton tonight at the gig. I do like the idea of volume and tone at your fingertips.

[Bo Legg]

When I used the Matchbox I placed it after the pot type volume pedal and before the processor. This gave me the best results. The tone was more sensitive and the volume was better.

[David Mason]

I am a fan of the multieffects units - it seems like with this latest generation of PODxt and Digitech RP 150, 250 etc. they have finally reached the point where they sound better overall than what you can usually cobble together out of stompboxes. However, they're all made with guitar players in mind, who's pickups put out 6 - 12K. When you feed it an unadjustable 18K signal from a modern steel pickup, all the delicate balancing the engineers did within the effects unit go haywire.

So, I attenuate the steel guitar signal from my George L's, usually with a DOD compressor set not to compress or a little DOD stomp 6 or 7-band graphic EQ. I think one reason so many steel guitarists abhor effects is because when they've tried them, they were driving them so far out of their musical range with a high signal it naturally sounded awful. I don't think you specifically need a "Matchbox" brand pedal, just choose something that cuts the signal cleanly - a MXR brand "Dynacomp" or a Boss EQ won't work, because they in themselves can distort from the high output.

[John Billings]

"What I would like to get rid of is what I believe is called high end rolloff (as you cut back the volume, you lose more highs than lows)"
There is a way to remedy this. Many guitar players do it. As I recall, it takes a resistor and a cap mounted on the volume pedal pot. I actually did it to one of my Goodrich pot pedals, and it worked. But I'll be darned if I can remember how it was done. I'll bet Jim Sliff knows.

[Larry Robinson]

You can place a capacitor somewhere about .001 ufd accross the high end and the wiper of the volume control. I haven't used the cap with a resistor so I can't attest to this working. I have fixed the problem with just adding a capacitor. More info can be found at guitarnuts.com.

[Lee Baucum]

These are great units:

CLICK HERE