The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello! I just started playing steel back in January of this year and am having a blast with it, and now I'm wondering if you all think it'd be worthwhile to get a Sarno Freeloader to put on my student guitar? Or should I just be saving up and get a pro level steel?

My rig at the moment is a Carter Starter with a George L's E-66 in it.

Also does the freeloader work better/worse/same with a humbucker pickup like the one I've got?

Thanks

-Nick

Kind of hard to answer that, those Sarno's are good investments, and always seem to sell instantly when put up in for sale forums here. But do you have basics covered: a good bar, picks, volume pedal, amp, seat, headphones etc

I’m like Nick, a new guy.

So electronically, what exactly are Freeloaders and Matchbox doing exactly?

If you're not getting a tone you like from your rig, the Freeloader can help. If you like your tone, why bother?

I don't know about pickups, but if you have a volume pedal with active electronics (battery or plug in), I doubt that the Freeloader will make much of a difference. On the other hand, with a passive pedal it can improve the tone considerably, especially at the high end.

Travis Wilson wrote:I’m like Nick, a new guy.

So electronically, what exactly are Freeloaders and Matchbox doing exactly?

Engineers in the crowd (including Brad Sarno) can correct me if I'm wrong. This is how I understand it.

It raises the impedance seen at that input jack of the volume pedal to more closely match the impedance of other devices (amp or effects) downstream. This keeps a passive pedal from losing highs when it's not at full volume. Active volume pedals have similar circuitry as their first stage.

The Freeloader also has a control knob to vary its output impedance. This has an effect similar to using a different pickup. It's very cool, actually. I tend to think of it as a twanger/detwanger. But it is subtle, and hardly necessary if you're not performing or recording.

Thanks bOb. I’ve been thinking of getting a Freeloader just to play with. Sounds like it might be interesting with my passive pickups

Good answers above. I like my Freeloader a lot and it is a standard part of my gigging rig. I use it with humbuckers. Pickup type is a non-issue.

But this or another impedance matching device will not make the difference between good tone and bad tone as it's generated by your touch & technique. There are so many moving parts to learning how to create good tone and there are no shortcuts. A C-S can produce good sound with nothing but a player and a decent amp. So we're back to what you have in mind re: the Freeloader. I love them but they won't make you sound good if you don't.
I say this with no snark intended.

I'm fairly new to pedal steel(about three years)and I play a Stage One with a passive volume pedal. I thought my tone was great until I got a Freeloader, now I wouldn't think of playing without it. To my ear, it provides better clarity and you have the ability to tamp down some of the high end if desired.

Best money I ever spent for an "add-on" device. I'd give up my active volume pedal before I would part with my Freeloader.

Nick Larimore wrote:Hello! I just started playing steel back in January of this year and am having a blast with it, and now I'm wondering if you all think it'd be worthwhile to get a Sarno Freeloader to put on my student guitar? Or should I just be saving up and get a pro level steel?

bob wrote:The Freeloader also has a control knob to vary its output impedance. This has an effect similar to using a different pickup. It's very cool, actually. I tend to think of it as a twanger/detwanger. But it is subtle, and hardly necessary if you're not performing or recording.

I agree strongly with what b0b said! (And Jon, as well.) Personally, I would no more recommend an "impedance matcher" for a beginner steeler than I would recommend a Momo steering wheel for someone who just started driving. "Stuff", by and large, won't really do much to improve your sound if you've only been playing a few months. You're at the threshold of learning, and you need to get past the idea that this or that gizmo will do much to improve your playing. Saving for a better guitar is a good goal, since the one you have is not one of the best. But even with a better guitar, what comes out will be more due to your ability than whatever gear you're using. The clip below shows what can be done with your exact guitar, and many players with far better equipment (including myself) can't play nearly as well, or sound nearly as good. You haven't said what kind of amp you're using, but a decent amp can be important, far more important, than anything else that goes between your steel and the amp.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1TvjnlYHM

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Nick Larimore wrote:Hello! I just started playing steel back in January of this year and am having a blast with it, and now I'm wondering if you all think it'd be worthwhile to get a Sarno Freeloader to put on my student guitar? Or should I just be saving up and get a pro level steel?

My rig at the moment is a Carter Starter with a George L's E-66 in it.

Also does the freeloader work better/worse/same with a humbucker pickup like the one I've got?

Thanks

-Nick

I’ve heard great things about the Sarno Black Box

Nick, i use the SMS "Freeloader" on my MSA SuperSlide and love it. Even with my hearing after 45 years of playing, i can still tell when it's not there. Everything Brad Sarno builds is fantastic. This particular device is something you can use on any steel as you become more proficient at playing. So it's a good gear investment for now and the future. Everything i purchase i believe helps my over all tone. If i sound better, i play better. Oh, and all of brad's products hold their retail, resale value. Best of luck on your steel guitar adventure.

Electronically, the FreeLoader is two things. It is a tone control that uses a method called "variable impedance" or "variable loading" to dial up/down the treble energy in the pickup. Secondly, it is a buffer. A "buffer" by definition isolates or "buffers" the input source from the output so that whatever happens after the buffer can not affect what comes before the buffer. Also, buffers by nature typically have a very low output impedance. A low output impedance means the device can drive VERY LONG runs of cable without suffering tone loss.

I totally agree with bOb calling the FreeLoader's vari-z knob a twanger/detwanger. It really does control that part of the tone and is handy during a gig because some tunes want more of that and some want less. I also refer to the knob as a harshness controller or tamer.

Brad

b0b wrote:

Travis Wilson wrote:I’m like Nick, a new guy.

So electronically, what exactly are Freeloaders and Matchbox doing exactly?

Engineers in the crowd (including Brad Sarno) can correct me if I'm wrong. This is how I understand it.

It raises the impedance seen at that input jack of the volume pedal to more closely match the impedance of other devices (amp or effects) downstream. This keeps a passive pedal from losing highs when it's not at full volume. Active volume pedals have similar circuitry as their first stage.

The Freeloader also has a control knob to vary its output impedance. This has an effect similar to using a different pickup. It's very cool, actually. I tend to think of it as a twanger/detwanger. But it is subtle, and hardly necessary if you're not performing or recording.