Name: Glass-A Triode Buffer
SKU: GL-1A
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 5.00 (9 reviews)

Glass-A Triode Buffer

£210.00

The Glass-A™ model GL-1A triode buffer is specially designed to do just one thing very, very well: buffer the output signal from any musical instrument fitted with high impedance pickups or piezo transducer.

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Description

This little green wonder is the world’s smallest vacuum tube buffer pedal. Within its tiny diecast enclosure is a NOS Mil-Spec Sylvania pencil tube operating at 300V. Being all-tube means the Glass-A can quite literally handle any large signal levels and transients you throw at it. It can handle signal levels of 50V peak-to-peak without introducing distortion or nasty sonic artefacts. So high output humbucker and peizo pickups, line level, active 5-string bass guitar, NS Stick, and even “difficult” instruments with fast transients, such as lutes, harpsichords and hammered dulcimers are not a problem. Oh, and the Glass-A also works as a buffer to drive long cables and effect pedal input stages to prevent loading, which dulls and degrades the instrument’s tone.

FEATURES

All Tube: 100% pure analogue vacuum tube audio path operating at amp plate voltages ensures the GL-1A buffer has phenomenal headroom and very quiet, natural sound reproduction.
Frequency Response: Essentially flat between 5Hz-100KHz ±0.1dB. Lower -3dB break frequency is below 2Hz. Upper -3dB break frequency is above 200KHz.
Class-A operation: Pure class-A operation ensures unmatched detail and resolution. Caution! This little pedal runs hot!
Input impedance: Greater than 1MΩ.
Output impedance: Less than 500Ω.
Fitted with vintage tube: Each GL-1A buffer is fitted with a hand-selected Sylvania 6111 pencil tube.
True Bypass Switching: Automatically defaults to bypass when power is removed.
Includes 12VDC Wall-Wart: High quality low-noise switched mode power supply operating from 100-240VAC mains input. Supplied with various adapter plugs to facilitate connection to mains outlets in other countries. Compatible with all Effectrode pedals.

Note: Limited edition pedal! Due to the limited availability of high quality N.O.S. tubes, we cannot guarantee continued production of this pedal for any amount of time.

9 reviews for Glass-A Triode Buffer

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5 out of 5
Dan Flynn 19th February 2025
This little guy makes such a huge difference to my tone! It provides so much top end sparkle, though not in a hyped EQ kind of way. It just gives me top end clarity on tap, perfect for neck pickups, and easy to dial back with the guitar tone knob. Things sound positively dull without it. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5
Frankie East (verified owner) 8th August 2020
Tell Phil that glass a buffer we talked about had way more impact than I thought it would. He said it would, and I thought ok I do have a few pedals that buffer or true bypass with switches so I do have buffering, but he nailed it. Between the buffer and upgrading to using good cables with a switcher, so the whole cumulative cable length isn’t in the mix, the recording setup is now quiet enough that if I palm mute it all it’s just dead silence… no hiss no whine no buzz just nothing… It’s hard to believe I just spent this much money and didn’t really get any new fun different tones/effects from it, but getting to a total lack of other noise between me and the amp is actually the best money I think I’ve spent yet.
Prior to adding the pedal switcher the buffer and better cables I had all of my pedals in ‘proper order’ but even bypassed I summed up about 47 feet between my guitar and the amps. No matter how I worked at dialing things in when I listened to any tracks I laid down it sounded like I was sitting in a 50’s or 60’s car listening to early radio. I didn’t really fully realize how much of the top had been lost… night and day.

5 out of 5
Jason Melman 26th May 2020
I’m also finding the Glass A to be a really effective and transparent buffer that is definitely improving my tone in various situations, although depending on which other pedals I have on my board, I sometimes prefer to have it at the front of the chain or later in the chain. This is probably based on the specific circuitry of those different pedals with not all being of equal quality or value in their outputs when bypassed and the Glass A seems to be restoring the tone in some of those situations when I’m not using it right at the front of my board, where I think I’ll end up trying to use it most of the time.

5 out of 5
Luciano Verzeri 16th May 2020
I received the parcel and today I spent the afternoon rebuilding my board.
Everything run smooth.
But I want to spend some words about the buffer.
Let me thank you for your effort, research and passion building such tools.
When I switched on the first time I asked myself why I waited so long to buy it.
I had the FB but it’s not the same.
Glass A it’s magic.
Everything is “alive” and all gains were reduced.
I knew but I forgot that everything is in frequences not in volume.
I thank you again.

Shapiro Charles - U.S.A. 1st August 2015
My god what a sound! Sam could you put one more Glass-A buffer aside for me.

Alex Remillet 1st August 2015
Just received the two [Glass-A] buffers and want to thank you for that as they are great!!!

Bengt 1st September 2015
Got the [Glass-A] buffer and put it through some paces. What a marvelous wonderful thing. I had a smile on my face and almost laugh at myself thinking that it is my best pedal. Having it last ties everything together. It gives me the buffer effect without the buffer side effects. Love it!

Joe Caruso - U.S.A. 1st September 2015
Wow, Omg! I just placed your Glass-A buffer before my TZF flanger that I’ve wanted to operate in stereo. I always had to run it in mono in my Carr amps effects loop due to lots of weird noises it produced outside of the loop when trying to run in stereo. In the past I’ve tried other buffers but they made NO difference! Not only did your buffer solve the issue it also has this unit sounding better giving it a creamy, mmooth warmth… I can’t believe my troubles with my TZF are over! I’ve held on to it by a thread over the past 2 years hoping for a cure Dr. Phil! And now I have it. Thanks much!

Andrew Thomson - Great Britain 1st June 2016
Buffers (and EQs) are the Cinderellas of the pedal world; I have now accumulated 5 buffers from different manufacturers (all bought to try to make the amplified sound of my acoustic guitar at least bear some resemblance to its natural sound). I received a Glass-A buffer yeaterday and… it is sonic-Gandalf in a box! There is warmth, sparkle, definition and near-total curtailment of that vile piezo threadiness that persists in all bar one of my other high impedance buffers. No doubt now what pedal I’d save first if the house went up in flames! Thanks Effectrode – it’s a thing of wonder.

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9 reviews for Glass-A Triode Buffer

5 out of 5

Dan Flynn 19th February 2025

5 out of 5

Frankie East (verified owner) 8th August 2020

5 out of 5

Jason Melman 26th May 2020

5 out of 5

Luciano Verzeri 16th May 2020

Shapiro Charles - U.S.A. 1st August 2015

Alex Remillet 1st August 2015

Bengt 1st September 2015

Joe Caruso - U.S.A. 1st September 2015

Andrew Thomson - Great Britain 1st June 2016

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	Download GL-1A Glass-A Buffer Owners Manual 451.84KB
	Download Glass-A Schematic 172.75KB