The TC Electronic BonaFide Buffer is an ultra-compact, high-quality analog buffer pedal from TC Electronic, announced at NAMM in January 2016 as the company's first dedicated buffer pedal ever1. Its job is simple: it converts the high impedance signal coming from your guitar to low impedance, counteracting the top-end loss that comes from long cable runs or long chains of true bypass pedals2.
A buffer is the kind of pedal you notice only when it is missing. TC Electronic says the BonaFide Buffer lets you run long cables without any signal degradation, keeping your tone what the maker describes as "Transparent, crisp, alive and all you!"3
What it does and how it works
The idea behind any buffer is to convert the high impedance signal coming from your guitar to low impedance, so that long cables or a long chain of true bypass pedals do not eat your top end2. The BonaFide Buffer does this with an analog circuit, and TC Electronic credits its 1M ohm input and 100 ohm output impedances as what secures that goal3. MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, describes it as high-quality analog buffering with a 112dB signal to noise ratio2.
For players who prefer analog circuits on principle, Gearnews made the point directly when covering the pedal4:
"The Bonafide Buffer is an analogue affair and so you tone junkies won't need to be worried about it messing with your signal"4
Automatic true bypass when power is cut
The BonaFide Buffer's most distinctive feature is its power failure mode. TC Electronic states that the pedal automatically switches to true bypass if power gets cut3. In practice, that means a dead power supply or a pulled cable mid-set does not kill your signal: the guitar keeps passing through to the amp, just without the buffering.
While powered, the pedal runs buffered, which is the normal operating state for an always-on buffer. The true bypass handoff is a failsafe, not a mode you switch yourself35.
No controls, no sound of its own
The BonaFide Buffer has no knobs, switches or footswitches. MusicRadar's reviewer notes that it has nothing to switch on and off and has no specific sound of its own2. That is by design: a buffer is meant to preserve your tone rather than shape it, and an always-on circuit with no controls is one less thing to think about on stage.
Size and placement
The BonaFide Buffer is the same size as TC's mini pedals, and MusicRadar's reviewer notes it can even slip underneath a pedalboard to save space2. With no controls to reach, tucking it under the board is a practical option that many larger buffer pedals do not offer.
What reviewers found
MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen put the pedal through A/B testing and reported that the BonaFide did not mess with his core tone, but restored top-end loss2. That is the result a buffer is supposed to deliver: no coloration of the sound you already like, and a return of the brightness that long cable runs take away.
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Questions
Does the TC Electronic BonaFide Buffer have any controls?
No. MusicRadar's reviewer notes it has nothing to switch on and off and no specific sound of its own. You plug it in, power it, and it buffers your signal continuously, which is the point of an always-on buffer.
Is the BonaFide Buffer true bypass?
It is buffered while powered, but TC Electronic describes a power failure mode in which it automatically switches to true bypass if power gets cut. So if the pedal loses power mid-gig, your signal still passes through rather than going silent.
Can the BonaFide Buffer fit under a pedalboard?
Yes. MusicRadar's reviewer notes it is the same size as TC's mini pedals and can even slip underneath a pedalboard to save space, since there are no controls you need to reach.
When did TC Electronic release the BonaFide Buffer?
TC Electronic announced the BonaFide Buffer at NAMM in January 2016. Guitar Interactive Magazine reported it as the company's first dedicated buffer pedal ever.
Sources (5)
- NAMM 2016: TC Electronic Introduce BonaFide Buffer, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2016-01-22
- TC Electronic BonaFide Buffer review, MusicRadar, 2016-05-11
- BONAFIDE BUFFER, TC Electronic
- TC Electronics PolyTune 3 with BonaFide Buffer: A new standard in tuner pedals?, gearnews.com, 2017-04-24
- BONAFIDE BUFFER | TC Electronic, TC Electronic
