[LAU] Interfacing an electric guitar

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Mon, 20 Jul 2015 03:44:37 +0200, Len Ovens <len at ovenwerks.net> wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Jul 2015, fred wrote:
>> How does impedance impact relative volume on input?
>
> Volume is probably the last thing to worry about.

If you use the volume pot of the guitar or a volume pedal, then the volume  
always matters, with or without the expected impedance.
A variable RC circuit already is build by the capacitance per unit length  
of the cable and the volume pot of a guitar. A good guitar sound needs a  
guitar pre-amp that fits to the guitarist style of playing the guitar.
Even an elCheapo guitar amp's pre-amp usually fits better, than just an  
impedance converter connected to line inputs of a sound card.
Since amp simulations completely have no impact to this RC circuit chain,  
they all must fail, even if they should perfectly simulate the properties  
of the semiconductors of the simulated amps, the interaction with the  
connected gear is missing. An elCheapo transistor amp most of the times  
does sounds better than a simulation of your expensive preferred tube amp,  
with or without an impedance converter. This is the reason that I didn't  
mention a term as "impedance", but recommended to use the amp and it's  
headphone output and since most headphone amps on this planet are crap, I  
recommended to use inserts of an amp instead of the headphone output,  
assume they are provided by the amp.
The theoretical framework is completely unimportant, if people like the  
sound, responding qualities of what ever "correct" or "incorrect"  
connected gear everything is ok.
It's very strange that on this mailing list people care much about theory,  
statistics of blind tests, phone home statistics and meters. Strain your  
ears. To maintain audio gear you need technical knowhow, but for anything  
else you don't need this kind of technical knowhow, you need to listen.  
Listening can be trained too.