Area 51 "The Box" is a buffer pedal from Area 51 Tube Audio Designs, a small US builder. A buffer pedal sits in your signal chain to keep your guitar's tone from dulling through long cable runs and chains of pedals. The Box is a single-purpose unit: one Level control, true bypass switching, and a blue LED to show when it is on. Each one is handmade in the USA at the maker's shop in Fremont, Michigan, and carries a gold hammertone powder coat finish1.
The Level control
The Box has just one control, and the maker gives it two jobs. Set as a clean tone pedal, the Level control is used to set the desired cleanliness of the signal. Placed after a wah pedal and before a fuzz, the same control is described as a way to adjust wah response, which is a common trouble spot: fuzzes and wahs often interact badly when chained directly1.
"it just sounds exactly like it does when it's off!"
That line comes from the maker's own page, reporting what customers wrote back about the pedal's effect on tone. It is the maker speaking, not an independent reviewer, but it states the design intent plainly: a buffer you do not hear1.
Power and practical details
The Box runs on 9 volts and accepts three power routes: a pedalboard power supply, a 9 volt wall-wart, or a 9V battery1. Battery support is worth noting on a small-shop pedal, since many compact buffers drop it.
The maker's product page dates from 2015 and lists the price as $149.95 USD plus shipping.
How it compares
The Box sits in a crowded field of small buffers. As one point of comparison, the One Control Minimal Series Pedal Board Junction Box with BJF Buffer is a junction box with two inputs and two outputs rather than a single in-and-out pedal, with a 500kΩ input impedance and 60Ω output impedance with the buffer on, and jacks on the top of the enclosure so no pedalboard space is wasted. It lists at $69.99 USD regular price, with $87.99 USD shown alongside, on the maker's page dated 2026-10-262. The Box, by contrast, is a straightforward one-in, one-out buffer with a tone-shaping Level control, handmade in Michigan. For other options in the same category, see the Buffer Pedals type page.
Questions
Does the Area 51 The Box buffer pedal take a battery?
Yes. Area 51 says The Box can be powered with a pedalboard power supply, a 9 volt wall-wart, or a 9V battery, so it works on a board or loose on the floor without a dedicated supply.
Is The Box buffer true bypass?
Yes. The maker lists True Bypass switching on the pedal, and reports from customer emails say that with the pedal on it sounds exactly like it does when it is off, which is the point of a clean buffer.
Where is the Area 51 The Box buffer made?
Each Box is handmade in the USA at Area 51 Tube Audio Designs' shop in Fremont, Michigan, according to the maker's product page.
Can The Box be placed after a wah?
Yes. The maker describes the Level control as a way to adjust wah response when The Box is placed after a wah and before a fuzz, as well as a way to set overall cleanliness as a clean tone pedal.
How much does the Area 51 The Box cost?
The maker listed The Box at $149.95 USD plus shipping on its product page, dated 2015.
What is the return policy on Area 51 pedals?
Area 51 offers a 48 hour test-drive: if you are not satisfied, you contact the maker within 48 hours of receiving the pedal and get a refund, minus shipping.
Sources (2)
- Buffer pedal, Area 51 Tube Audio Designs, 2015
- Minimal Series Pedal Board Junction Box with BJF Buffer (OC-M-JBBUF), One Control USA
