Help needed for spliting guitar signal!

[Dragoneti]

Hello everybody!

Once again I need your opinions/solutions about my rig. :) In my previous post I was searching for which amp to go with my TSL so that to be used in a wet / dry setup, and the suggestions were in favor of a GH50L, which I intent to buy in no more than 10 days (I have bought a hotplate for TSL first).

The problem I have found with my current rig, the tsl and a classic 30, is that I use a stereo boss pedal to split the signal from the guitar to the amps (I mostly need both amps to be on and I have used a RV5, a CH1 and nowadays a TU2 tuner) and I have noticed that when I split both the amps lose some of their gain (and “balls”), for example the gain I get by using a booster OD in front of the TSL is reduced just like I’m using a lower output pickup in my strat (I use a JB humbucker). What I want is to get to both amps the same response and gain as if I was using them by their own.

The solutions I have thought, is to buy a dedicated ABY switch, but I have the feeling that the cheaper ones like morleys and the small radial one (tonebone ABY) will experience the same loss of signal as the boss pedal (which theoretically are buffered), so it leaves me with the more expensive ones, like the Lehle dual or the Switchbone (which I think is too expensive), or the new radial twincity which is supposed to be a mini switchbone at the price of the Lehle. Will those do the trick? I prefer to pay as less as possible but to have the desired result!!

Or how about putting a compressor pedal (like the Marshall one which I hear is pretty good and cheap) in front of the TU2? Will that work in keeping the signal intact or results are dubious?

Thank you for your answers!!

[blue]

i haven't actually got this, but it's the AB/Y i plan to get, the monkey FX flying fox

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/routers.html

it's the first item on the page.  i've heard only good things about it.  no doubt someone will post now to say that company's actually out of business! :)

i know it's a bit silly to recommend something i've never used, this is more a suggestion.  i've looked into it myself and decided this is the box for me.

[horsehead]

I'm currently using the radial A/BY & it's spot on & quite cheap on e-bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Radial-Engineering-BigShot-ABY-True-Bypass-Switcher-NEW_W0QQitemZ360101104393QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item360101104393&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1298|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-aby.htm

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[jpfamps]

I have posted on ABY boxes elsewhere.

Have you checked that your amps are in phase? If they are out of phase then you will experience a significant loss of low end when you engage both amps. I would do this before you spend money on any more equipment.

Using a passive "true bypass" ABY box, when both amps are engaged you might experience a loss of signal due to the output of your guitar being loaded down. This will be worse with higher impedance pickups, ie humbuckers, and more noticable at treble frequencies.

If the signal is buffered the guitar will not be loaded down when both amps are switched on and so there should be no drop in signal (assuming the buffer has been designed correctly to give unity gain). Any buffered pedal before the ABY box will give a low impedance drive so the signal should be buffered. Regardless, doesn't the Boss pedal have an output level on each output?

[TwilightOdyssey]

^ In addition/compliment to what jpfamps said ...

Definitely use an active unit. A passive switcher will not sound good.

The Morley ABY pedal is powered via 2 9v batteries, is very well built, and virtually transparent. Radial is the next step up the quality chain, both in tranparency and build quality.

The highest quality/transparency you can go with will be a Lehle Little Dual or Dual SGoS.

[Oli]

^ In addition/compliment to what jpfamps said ...

Definitely use an active unit. A passive switcher will not sound good.

The Morley ABY pedal is powered via 2 9v batteries, is very well built, and virtually transparent. Radial is the next step up the quality chain, both in tranparency and build quality.

The highest quality/transparency you can go with will be a Lehle Little Dual or Dual SGoS.

The Morley is a passive unit- the battery is only used to light the LED's! I'd say go for a Lehle, i'm not overly keen on my Morely, it seems to add more noise.

[Dragoneti]

Thank you all for your answers and suggestions!!

At this moment i do not use any switch pedals but a stereo boss pedal (turned off of course), either in the form of the RV5, CH1 or now TU2 (the boss tuner pedal) with which, i simply split the signal (both amps are always on, which is in essence what i need, although the ability to switch amps on and off will be a welcome plus with a switch pedal) so there are no output levels (the effect of the pedal is off).

Have you checked that your amps are in phase? If they are out of phase then you will experience a significant loss of low end when you engage both amps. I would do this before you spend money on any more equipment.

Yeah i think that they are in phase, both amps seems to have all the bottom end just like when ran alone.

Using a passive "true bypass" ABY box, when both amps are engaged you might experience a loss of signal due to the output of your guitar being loaded down. This will be worse with higher impedance pickups, ie humbuckers, and more noticable at treble frequencies

I think that is the problem i experience with my amps, this loss of treble and gain just like i'm using a lower output pickup, where the JB is pretty hot (16k). You think that a switcher just like the lehle dual will eliminate the problem or do i need for an active one like the switchbone  (which costs about 100 euros more and i have to order it from the net)?

If the signal is buffered the guitar will not be loaded down when both amps are switched on and so there should be no drop in signal (assuming the buffer has been designed correctly to give unity gain). Any buffered pedal before the ABY box will give a low impedance drive so the signal should be buffered.

So if i use a pedal before the boss tuner/splitter will be a solution to the problem until i get the switch? Does the pedal has to be switched ON for the buffer to really work? i have some pedals that i can use like the boss CH1, the boss GE7, an mxr wylde wah or a mxr dime distortion (these pedals are almost never used so making one as a buffer temporally won't matter), which one would do the work? (of course i can always experiment but if there are any suggestions, they are welcomed)

Thank you all again for your answers!!
Stelios

[Will]

http://www.ukgigstore.co.uk/pga03-y-box-guitar-splitter-169-p.asp

Any good stories about that?

[jpfamps]

Any Boss or Ibenez pedals buffer the signal and have relatively low impedance drive even when the effect is not engaged. So although not designed to be a signal buffer they can be used for this.

A passive switcher such a the Lehle will not help the loading down effect when the signal is being sent to both amps.

Ideally you would want a buffered splitter with one output transformer isolated (to prevent hum) and with a phase invert switch on to avoid any phasing issues with two amps.