Radial Dragster Load Correction Device

[Alex]

I've found this "cheap" (only £40!) magical piece of engineering.
It's the Radial Dragster Load Correction Device.
I've decided not to reduce the number of components to keep it as close to the original as possible.
You can find all info on their website:
http://www.tonebone.com/dragster.php
And video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPH1zUWn_0

[notnews]

Hey Alex, thanks for this.

Is that 10K resistor added to provide a minimum-resistance value, so that if the 500K pot is totally open = 0K then there will still be a load on the input?

Is this best used as a standalone unit? OR should it be integrated into (the possibly first or last) effect in your signal chain? I imagine it's as easy as running this circuit parallel to the other effect circuit inside the box, right?

[Alex]

It was meant as a marketing joke but it could possibly be useful.
A minimum resistance is needed.
They say it should go straight after your guitar but I guess it could go anywhere.
It's just a variable resistence going to ground.
I think Radial sells it as something to put inside your guitar as a set and forget kind of device.
What I don't get is: why going to all that trouble?
If someone is capable of installing the whole box, he should be more than capable of soldering one resistor and one pot.

[Travis]

Why not just turn the volume knob down on the guitar???

[Beaker]

"Why not just turn the volume knob down on the guitar??? "

I know exactly what you mean Travis, but some guys are pathologically incapable of doing it!

[induction]

It reduces the input impedance of whatever comes after it in the chain. Basically, it increases the load on your pickups, or whatever you plug into it. It's designed for people who think guitars sound best plugged directly into an amp, but who still want to use buffered pedals or wireless systems, or who record direct into a mixer or soundcard and use impulses or re-amping afterwards.

You can think of it as half of an anti-buffer. If you put it in front of a buffer, it will reduce the input impedance of the buffer, but it won't increase the output impedance of the buffer. I've never used or needed one, so I can't comment on how it sounds. But if you hate the sound of buffers, or just feel like experimenting, it's worth a try. It's just about the easiest breadboard project this side of a diaphanous exploder. I certainly wouldn't spend $40 on it, but that's why we have this place.

[induction]

Travis wrote

Why not just turn the volume knob down on the guitar???

You guys are thinking of the EHX Signal Pad. This is different. It's not a volume knob. It will actually behave like a very, very subtle tone control.

Edit: In your defense, it is getting hard to keep track of all of the just-a-pot-in-an-enclosure circuits out there these days.

[Alex]

Now I know what to buy all my musician friends for Christmas!
(Only if I can watch them trying to fit that box inside their guitars)
I would spend those money just for the name!
(I'm making fun of it but I know one day I'm gonna end up testing it!)