Steel Guitar Black Box: Is there no substitute?

[Chris Tarrow]

I love my Steel Guitar Black Box but am trying to lighten the load on travel gigs. Anybody found anything more compact that does a similar job?

[Dave Mudgett]

Brad's Freeloader. It's a solid-state buffer with a variable input impedance knob. It's small, sounds great, adds a lot of tonal diversity to the sound, attaches to the leg of a pedal steel, and a battery lasts a real long time. Oh, and it's not expensive and has no tubes to replace.

[John Ducsai]

Have a look at this:

https://empresseffects.com/products/buf ... =261352594

I have one of these on my pedal board and find it extremely useful - lots of options. Not cheap... Look here if you don't mind "Scratch & Dent" items:

https://empresseffects.com/products/s-d-buffer-1

The input loading adjustment is the equivalent of the SGBB's Vari-Z

The SGBB's tube circuit does sound a bit sweeter though

[Danny Letz]

The later SGBBs are much more compact than my old one is. You might check that if yours is an older one.

[Erv Niehaus]

Doesn't the Goodrich Matchbox do the same thing?
Plus you have a volume and tone control right at your finger tips.
You can hang that on one of your guitar legs.
Erv

[Lee Baucum]

Brad's Freeloader. It's a solid-state buffer with a variable input impedance knob. It's small, sounds great, adds a lot of tonal diversity to the sound, attaches to the leg of a pedal steel, and a battery lasts a real long time. Oh, and it's not expensive and has no tubes to replace.

I agree, wholeheartedly.

There is something almost magical in that little Red Box.

I've owned several buffer/impedance matching devices over the years and this is my favorite. Read about it here:

https://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com/pro ... uffer.html

[Jon Light]

You don't specify if you are looking for a smaller buffer (with the super versatile variable impedance) or if you are looking for a smaller tube device.

I am another Freeloader user. I don't leave home without it. It is lightweight. Solid state.

I doubt that you could find a tube device that is smaller and lighter than the BB. Not one that runs tubes at honest voltage vs. some gimmicky fx pedals that run the signal in the vicinity of a lo-voltage glowing tube and call it "tubey goodness!!"
I assume the weight & mass of the BB (not all that big of a deal but something that also deters me from carrying it) is an essential part of its robustness and quiet hi-fi level of signal massaging.

[Fred]

Another vote for the Freeloader!

[Tim Harr]

Doesn't the Goodrich Matchbox do the same thing?
Plus you have a volume and tone control right at your finger tips.
You can hang that on one of your guitar legs.
Erv

Not with an actual vacuum tube. Not the same thing.

[Brett Lanier]

Here's a couple more to put on your radar.

https://www.believableaudio.com/products/29-pedals-euna
https://toddsharpamps.com/products/vtld1/

The Euna is super cool. You can use it to run your steel through rack mount line level gear. For my touring gig, the signal post pedalboard goes through a loom and a matrix of cabling... Putting the Euna in the chain gave back that snappy sound and feel that I was missing.

[Chris Tarrow]

Thanks all! Sorry should have specified happy to try solid state. I don’t think there’s a smaller or better tube unit than the SGBB and yes I have the newer one but it’s still pretty big and heavy. Will try the freeloader!