Two Amps One Speaker

Dave Stankoski · Post by **Dave Stankoski** » 30 Mar 2017 9:53 am

I think you can accomplish what you want with the Radial Headbone SS to route the amp to the cabinet and a simple A/B switch to select the instrument.

If you build the A/B switch yourself, you can even take advantage of the remote control jack on the Headbone and be able to switch the instrument and amp with one 3PDT switch. This only works if you're looking to only switch your 6 string to the Quilter and the steel only to the BX500 and not have the flexibility to sometimes do the opposite. If you want the flexibility, you'd have to have one switch to select the instrument and one for the remote control of the Headbone.

That remote control jack on the Headbone would also allow you to keep the Headbone out of the way and close to the amps and speaker cabinet so you would only need to run two cables to it - one for the instrument signal from your A/B and one for the remote control function. Could be a tidy set up.

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 30 Mar 2017 10:51 am

Like this?? 3 things to do -- mute an instrument, select A/B out of effects, select amp with HeadBone.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 30 Mar 2017 11:43 am

I know better now, but for a number of years I played steel thru a Session 400 and guitar thru a Super Reverb head. Both were routed to the Peavey speaker via an A/B box. We played LOUD in bars and I never experienced a failure. Not recommending it, but maybe I was just lucky.

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 30 Mar 2017 11:50 am

If you are careful and the AB box can handle it, why not? Shut the amps off before switching, throw the AB and turn on the other amp.

Before I had an AB box for input side, I'd just unplug one guitar and plug the other one in. Fast , visual, but wear and tear on plugs and jacks!

The complication is from leaving things powered up and switching.

Dave Stankoski · Post by **Dave Stankoski** » 30 Mar 2017 6:43 pm

I'm thinking something like this (assuming effects would be used by both the steel and 6 string):

If there are different effects for the steel and 6 string, just put them upstream of the a/b in the appropriate instruments signal path.

Clyde - with that luck, you should start playing the lottery

Tommy Huff · Post by **Tommy Huff** » 21 Mar 2018 2:37 pm

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 21 Mar 2018 3:35 pm

Yep.

I gave up.

There is just no SIMPLE way to do this with a selector switch without spending a LOT of money.

In the band I do double duty I'm using the old Cube 80 setup and the ABY switch for steel and tele.

In the new band I'm playing steel only and using the BX500 and the separate cab.

Still saving those pennies for a lightweight boutique amp that can handle both.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 22 Mar 2018 6:45 am

I'm on the verge of going with 1 cab/2 amp heads.

I'm going to take my 2x12 cab and install individual jacks for each speaker. Soundman will need to mic each speaker and know that when I'm playing guitar, it's speaker A and when I'm playing steel, it's speaker B. Given all these class D amps available, I'll just add the 2nd head to my bag of tricks. Easy-peasy.

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 22 Mar 2018 6:51 am

Ollin - check this out in case you haven't seen it

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... highlight=

Gregory Horne · Post by **Gregory Horne** » 22 Mar 2018 8:07 am

Just throwing this idea out there: what about using the power section of one of the amps, and switching between preamps by using the effects loops and an A/B box?

Say the Carvin was going to be the power amp source for the speaker. Run the steel into the Carvin, then run out of the Carvin effect send into one side of an A/B box. Put the guitar in the Quilter then run out of that amp's effect send (or line output, not speaker output) into the other side of the A/B box. Now you have a preamp switching rig that only goes to one power amp. The output of the A/B box goes into the Carvin effects return. The only thing to remember there is that the graphic EQ appears to be after the effects return, so you'd have to bypass it if you don't want it affecting the guitar.

Of course, if the effects loops are already in play for delays and reverbs you might not be able to use this idea.

Ollin Landers · Post by **Ollin Landers** » 22 Mar 2018 8:50 am

OK. ALL

Please read the very first post. Too many people have made suggestions that are way off the original intent of the post.

I think I'm going to continue just turning off the amp and swapping the speaker cable until I can afford something like The de Lisle. http://www.delisleguitar.com/shop/de-li ... lector-v1/

The de Lisle was the best suggestion so far.

The Radial JX-42 will also work but is more complicated and expensive.

Man retirement is nice until you want or have to pay for something.

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 22 Mar 2018 8:59 am

Great WC Fields quote

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