"Matchstick?"

[Ric Truett]

I was talking to a friend the other day and he said he uses a "Matchstick" on his steel. I'm new to the instrument and have no idea what it is, what it does, and what it will do for me?

I gathered that it was a sort of pre-amp, volume control, or an effect. He said it clamps right on to his steel where he can control it easier.

Can one of my fellow steelers clarify what this is?

Thanks guys - I'm loving learing about this great instrument!

[Len Amaral]

Your freind probably is referring to a match Box by Goodrich and not a match stick.

[Ric Truett]

I might have misunderstood him. What does a match box do?

[Donny Hinson]

A "Matchbox" is a preamp buffer unit intended to isolate the pickup from the volume pedal, which usually gives more highs. (Some models also provide fuzz and tone controls). A few players find them useful, but the vast majority of players nowadays do not use one. If you use a powered volume pedal, then the pedal acts as a buffer, and renders any other buffer device sort of unnecessary. Some players use the one that has a tone control as a handy "remote tone knob", and a very few find the fuzz effect useful.

[Ric Truett]

makes perfect sense now thanks to you!