Hey Brad, that's my "FreeLoader" but that ain't my steel!
Yes, I believe the "FreeLoader " to be essential to tone when playing a variety of venues as I do.
I still like my "Blackbox" too!
Doug,
I need all the help I can get!
I've been using my new Freeloader for a good while now, and it's exactly what I was hoping for, you can easily dial in just the right warmth or bite from song to song, or to compensate for differences in venue or room sound. Way to go, Brad!
I picked up a freeloader from Brad a couple month's ago. Stopped at Jim Palenscar's and he put a Tonealigner in my new MSA. This is without a doubt the best sound I've ever gotten. The little Red Box is so easy to use and does the trick. It seemed no matter what steel or amp I used that high end was raspy. The RB takes care of that. Highly recommended.
I picked mine up from Brad at the ISGC and have had a few weeks to work with this device. Guys, let me tell you that it's everything Tommy, Mark and Tom say it is. I have mine patched between my steel and Hilton pedal and then to a Fender Vibrasonic "custom" all tube amp. The tone is just downright amazing! Also, I want to add that Brad's workmanship and customer service is fantastic.
Hey Tommy B, that's great! Thanks for the kind words, and I'm so glad you're liking it.
Steve, true, it is a buffer as is a Matchbox, in that sense it does help to maintain clarity and presence of the pickup's signal as it travels thru cables and volume pedals on the way to the amplifier. But the FreeLoader's method of controlling the tone is done by "variable loading". No tone capacitor is involved, but instead the coil of the pickup itself takes part in the tone control function. Every pickup has a treble peak. The FreeLoader directly controls how tall or short that treble peak is without also dumping the frequencies that live above that treble peak.
The the actual buffer circuit is extremely pure and minimal using one single discrete transistor (no opamps) and a couple of high quality audio capacitors.
So the end result is a very clean and smooth buffer without an overly crisp top end, and a tremendous amount of control over the actual tone response of the pickup itself.
Essentially it's a transistor version of the Black Box.
Youtube would be the exact place to show any interested steel player the difference in playing with and without the FreeLoader. I bet many of us would like to hear it.
Heiko, I don't think the bandwidth is wide enough on youtube to give a just comparison.
Tommy B is right about improving the sound of a 112. I tried it with my 112 (before I sold it) and it did help. It also helped with a NV-1000. The effect to me is subtle and hard to describe but, like someone else said about a black box post. You can really tell when you take it out of the signal path.
I'm not trying to blow my own horn here but I feel that I finally and fortunately have one of the best guitars and amp systems available today. The Freeloader is a great addition to this system and really allows me to dial in the sound I want very easily.
So adding the freeloader helps the sound of both the NV 112 and the NV 1000. Does it matter which PUP you have on the guitar? Are there specific PUPs that the freeloader would make sound better or worst?
David I got 710's in one guitar I have and had a lil problem with one of my amps distorting just a lil bit when I am playing pretty loud downtown. the free loader let me adjust it out and it dont distort at the HONKY TONK volumes anymore so I would say yes it will help most all bands.
Bari, I dont have a BB.. Wish I had one of the tonic & Furlong set ups. I am stuck in the combo amp and RV 3 realm. Maybe one day after Mike Sweeney teaches me EVERYTHING he knows...
So adding the freeloader helps the sound of both the NV 112 and the NV 1000. Does it matter which PUP you have on the guitar? Are there specific PUPs that the freeloader would make sound better or worst?
David
David, the FreeLoader's function as a "tone control" is unlike a typical tone control that we're used to. The "load" control here actually uses the pickup coil itself as part of the tone circuit. It's NOT an EQ circuit on its own. This means that the FreeLoader automatically and naturally controls a pickup's inherent treble peak no matter what brand or model of pickup it is. By taking such huge control over a pickup's treble response with the FreeLoader, your amp is then freed up to turn its attention and focus on the EQ needs of the speaker, the speaker box, and the stage conditions.
So short answer, the FreeLoader will help enhance and control the tone of any steel guitar pickup.
David
I've got a Tonealigner and a Trutone for my MSA. The Freeloader helps with both. I prefer the tonealigner. The Freeloader takes the edge off both. I noticed that you've got a Fessy. I tried the unit with my Fessey and it sounded better with the Freeloader.
Thanks for the great information Tom, Tommy and Brad. This is exactly the information I needed to make a decision. I've been watching this tread and wondering if this unit would help with the tonal quality between my PUP(tonealigner) and amp (NV 112). It sounds like indeed it will make a tonal difference.
It was asked if you would need the Freeloader if you have the Black Box and I haven't seen that answered. Do they have different functions that compliment each other?
in general, the Black Box is superior to the FreeLoader in my opinion. They're nearly identical in function as far as the purpose they serve as a "variable loading" tone control and low-z buffer. But the Black Box uses a 300v powered tube circuit, and the FreeLoader uses a 9v powered transistor circuit.
The tonal control over the pickup's response is the same in both. The electronic buffer circuits that drive the things is where they are different.
If you have a Black Box, I don't think you'd find the FreeLoader to be an improvement, but you may enjoy the compactness and practicality of the FreeLoader.
The Black Box has that tube factor which is real nice if you're trying to add some extra sweetness, warmth, and dimension to a cold sounding transistor amp rig. But if you like the tone of your rig already, then the FreeLoader may be a good choice in that it works directly with the pickup to get its response right where you want it, and your amp rig does the rest. The FreeLoader does do some sweetening and enhancing of its own, but I don't think it's quite as dramatic as the sweetening power of the vacuum tube circuit in the Black Box.
I probably wouldn't recommend using both the FreeLoader and the Black Box simultaneously.
that depends on what you've got going on between the steel and the amp. If it's just a cord to a pot pedal to the amp, then you may want to keep it nice an purely tube that way.
But if you've got an active volume pedal, or a reverb/delay pedal, or an active tuner, etc. in the path, then the FreeLoader will help tremendously.
