Fredric Effects KC Buffer

The Fredric Effects KC Buffer is a small buffer pedal: it does nothing to your tone except protect it. Buffers sit in the signal chain to prevent the treble loss caused by long cable runs and true bypass effects, and the KC Buffer does this using circuitry borrowed from well-known designs. Fredric Effects describes it as featuring "the renowned buffer stage from the famous boutique overdrive pedal", together with another transistor-based buffer popularised by an engineer and tech who has worked with some of the world's biggest touring bands¹. For more on how buffers work and where they fit on a board, see the site's guide to Buffer Pedals.

What it does

A buffer's job is simple: when a guitar signal travels through long cables or a chain of true bypass pedals, the high frequencies fade before the signal reaches the amp. A good buffer placed early in the chain keeps that top end intact. Fredric Effects states plainly what the KC Buffer is for:

The circuit is the interesting part. Rather than design from scratch, Fredric Effects built the KC Buffer around two established designs¹:

• the buffer stage from the famous boutique overdrive pedal, which the maker calls "renowned"¹
• a transistor-based buffer associated with a technician known for working with major touring acts¹

Players who recognize those lineage names will know what to expect; the maker leans on that reputation directly¹.

Size and build

The KC Buffer is built for crowded boards. Its specifications, as given by the maker¹:

That footprint puts it among the smallest dedicated buffers, comparable in spirit to other compact units such as the Mooer Microbuffer or the Truetone Pure Tone¹.

Price and availability

The maker lists the KC Buffer at £75 GBP on its own site¹. That is a UK price in pounds sterling as stated by Fredric Effects; the maker's page gives no US dollar figure.