Bypass Information

[Gigahearts_FX]

Most of the pedals I build use mechanical based true bypass with LED status indication, via the ubiquitous blue 3PDT switch.
I use slightly nicer gold plated contact type switches.

I have recently starting using soft-touch relay based true bypass with LED status indication, via a SPST switch.
There are some pro's and con's to both methods which I will list below:

1 - 3PDT are easier to source and replace if you need to have your bypass footswitch replaced locally
2 - 3PDT are mechanical and therefore more prone to failure over extended periods
3 - 3PDT are passive, therefore if your power supply to the pedal is cut off, you can simply stomp the switch and get your guitar sound back. With the current relay implementation, if you lose power the relay is a latching type and will only revert to bypass once power is restored. For most practical applications (pedal boards, high quality single or multi-pedal power boxes this is a non-issue
4 - Relay bypass are active setups, and require more power to run. The relay implementation I use draws 4.4 mA in "bypassed" state, 7.2 mA in "on" state, and around 23mA for a few milliseconds.
5 - Neither method is silent! For that you need fully electronic switching. However, the Relay setup with its soft touch switch is much nicer in a recording / quiet stage environment


For my Lovetone clones I can offer the following options:

Mecha Feta
- Mechanical True bypass
- Soft touch relay bypass

Meat Bawl
- Mechanical True bypass
- Soft touch relay bypass

Source Cheese
- 2 x Mechanical True bypass
- 2 x Soft touch relay bypass
- Mix and match (but why one would do this is a mystery to me!)

Double Ganger
- Mechanical bypass only (buffered bypass)
I follow the original Lovetone schema for bypass on the Doubel Ganger. It uses a DPDT arrangement, in conjunction with a SPDT switch to choose "True" or "Spectral" bypass just like the original unit. This cannot be implemented currently with soft touch relay bypass.


For anything else / custom builds, assuming its a true bypass effect setup, you can choose either option.