Mostly in P90/humb-channel I use crunchier tone amp (Peavey Classic) with normal reverb and with single coils a cleaner sounding Line6 with some tremolo and delay. This signal is then passed to a separate stereo power amp (or two mono amps) which can output the stereo effects into your “wet” speakers. January 1965, John’s and Pete’s new Marshall 4×12 stacks, each powered by a pair of Marshall JTM45 50-watt amps. usuall don’t bother with it! Its kinda fun, but I do worry that people close to the stage or not centered will not get whats going on. My current project is to mate the Line6 PODHD500 on the floor (that goes to the PA) with the Line6 Flextone on stage. Connecting two guitar amps together is a technique that many veteran guitar players use to expand their sound. An A/B/Y box will give you the choice of running each amp individually or both together. I can blend and mix and match, love it! On most amps, this setting is the 12 o’clock position. The simplest way to set up a dual-amp stereo rig is to use two amps of the same make and model, in either a combo or head-and-cab arrangement. I haven’t decided what to pair it with yet though, I thought I’d play through it a while and see what feels right. I used two amp live rigs for years. I like the POD XT because of its dual sound capability. But have you ever noticed that when you run delay, reverb or chorus through your drive or high gain channel on an amp, it doesn’t sound right? There are more pedals but the ones I started with never change! Stomp boxes that commonly feature stereo outputs include chorus, delay and reverb. And they might just make perfect sense for your rig, too. Using an Effects Loop Examine your amp. The 10 best amp modelers; Tidy up your ‘board with the 10 best mini-pedals for guitarists I have always preferred the sound of two at once, but never felt like carrying setting up / sound-checking / the sound check takes twice as long because two amps introduce variables to the room sound. Session guitar players such as Brent Mason often bring four or more amplifiers to recording sessions. Another type of setup uses three cabinets in a “wet/dry/wet” arrangement, with the center amp running your dry (unaffected) guitar signal, and the outer two speakers running a 100% affected signal panned to each side. I go the whole hog & run three amps (two Vibro Champs & a Blues Deluxe) through a Morley three-way switch. Usually a “Blackface” Fender and either a Vox AC or Marshall (or something based on a Marshall) with a A/B/Y switch. When you plug into two amps, you’ll often hear a strong humming sound that vibrates out of your speakers. Sound is so brilliant and perfect combination to blues it just makes my sole sing. and haven’t looked back since – works AMAZING! In other cases, you’re J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and you utilize your multiple Marshall stacks to their fullest potential. i may have misread some of this but what if you are to delay the amps of each other? . The only way to hook up 2+ heads to a single cabinet is by using a Radial Headbone or similar. If I play normal mono guitar and want both amps playing I just use multieffect stereo pedal. If you have a posse of enormous roadies, you could even go all Mark Tremonti and have a couple of amps for your clean tones (often Fender combos, in his case) and then an A/B/Y setup for your heavy rhythm and leads. Also rather informative article. Santa Barbara, California. It seems like you’re missing out just using a A/B switch, two very different amps can really sound huge together and seem to fill in each other’s weaknesses. Each preset can have up to four stereo signal paths, each made up of eight blocks populated with amps and effects. Hearkening back to earlier days of rock excess (and underpowered PA systems), many big touring acts—especially in the metal genres—liked the look of a “wall of amps” behind them as part of the show. Other stereo modulation effects, such as flangers and choruses, also make use of multiple speakers in a similar fashion. That’s quite the vocabulary you have there. I use about 16 different sounds on each unit – each sound on the VG-88 is paired with it’s “mate” on the SE-70. Some amps—such as the Marshall JCM800 or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier—have massive low end and plenty of gain, but lack clarity and upper mid-range punch for cutting through a mix. Plug in, Play. I never played two amps, i see no use for me. I have vomited a grotesque puddle of words already, but there are still all sorts of factors that I haven’t touched upon: Multiple amps in a studio environment, daisy-chaining amps, multiple amps sharing one cabinet, plying the venue sound engineer with enough liquor that he’ll agree to mic more than one cabinet, the contempt of your bandmates as your preposterous paraphernalia occupies two thirds of the stage… tips on how to find a good chiropractor. What then, are the basic options for actually belching forth great slabs of music from this multi-mouthed monster? So, let us assume that we have got our signal split, with our amplifiers happily wed, free from any irritating noise save that which we put there intentionally with our twangplank or rumbletruncheon. In our unending quest to forge a guitar tone that sounds like somebody opening the Ark of the Covenant inside a tyrannosaurus, many of us will eventually find ourselves considering the possibility of using more than one amplifier. The Tech 21 Character Series amp-in-a-box units with cab simulation replaces the need for another cab on stage and the microphone on that cab and is a solid option. Plug one guitar normally into the amp, and the other into any digital amp simulator. 2 pre amps, two stereo power amps, four speaker cables, two stereo cabinets. Using a two amp rig is awesome. Fender Acoustasonic 15. A guitar amp will boost the sound of your guitar though with the wrong setting, on the other hand, it will distort your music. Whether you record at home, gig at local venues, or tour the globe, using multiple amps is not only smart in case something goes wrong, but opens the door to a whole world of dynamic tonality, too. But for the working player who may not be able to afford—nor desire to haul—an exact duplicate, there are many alternatives. My question is: how can I change the distortion of the amp to the clean channel without a footswitch? In simple terms, W/D and W/D/W rigs involve one amp being fed an uneffected guitar signal whilst the effects go to the other(s), typically with the dry signal removed entirely. One of … If it’s in your budget and you have room onstage, this is a great approach. So might look into that A/B/Y gizmo gadget thingy . In all likelihood, you already have a favorite amp that you have sworn you will never part with, perhaps funded by the knee-jerk eBay sacrifice of the previous amp that you swore you would never part with. It’s amazing how many guitarists don’t know how to EQ a guitar amp. How should one split the signal from the guitar? Thwart the nefarious electrickery of the Reaper – use a buffering device or isolation transformer instead. Slash, for example, tours with matching pairs of his signature Marshall AFD100 heads and 4x12 cabs. Nick, I learnt nuttin’ ’cause I was laughin’ 2 hard whilst reading it. Instead, the acoustic guitar amp is designed to reproduce the natural sound of the guitar as accurately as possible, working in tandem with your chosen pickups. You only run one amplifier at a time, switching between the two with an A/B box. Other amps—like the airy open-backed Fender combos or the crystal-clear Roland JC120—have plenty of high-end sparkle with excellent attack and articulation on chords, but are too clean to generate much sustain. Those of us who started out using amp sims or Pods, with our signal drenched in stereo effects through headphones, tend to find the spread of a chorus or ping-pong delay especially gratifying. Whether or not stereo rigs are practical for most of us is an entirely different discussion, but it is, without doubt, an enormously fun way to use multiple amps. Why do you suggest either side of the stage? While I’m playing a bar as background I just bring a main guitar, a backup guitar and a single amp with spare tubes and fuse. I always just play through two heads, never switching between the two but if I did switch between A and B, the Morley ABY is quiet. By blending these two tones, you can achieve the best of both worlds. Both of them have double PU’s; P90 and humbucker in one channel and single coils in other. Guitar players such as James Valentine and John Mayer use multiple amplifiers simultaneously to achieve their tones. Although it's worth keeping these in mind, for the purposes of our best multi-effects pedals guide, we'll be focusing heavily on the effects side. In fact, there are five good reasons. Similar small modeler combos worth checking out are the Fender Mustang II and the Blackstar ID:15. Employ the usual method for choosing an amp, but execute it as many times as necessary. And learning how to set up your pedal board properly is time well spent. January 1965, with two like-new block logo JTM45 50-watt amplifier heads, in a stack setup. My rig is split from the last pedal on my mainboard (boss DD3) with dry to a Peavey classic 50 212 combo, and wet to a Carvin X-60 halfstack (old Acoustic 4×12 cab.) If some other bugger hauls your stuff to your gigs in an enormous truck, then you may even like to try Wet/Dry/Wet, or “none more wet” as nobody probably calls it. A backup amp should ideally match your primary amp as closely as possible, and many guitarists do use a matching pair in this way. “But,” you persist, “what if I don’t want to run both amplifiers at the same time?”. Blues virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, for example, has recently been touring with a pair of Fender Twin Reverbs, known for their high headroom and bright tone, and a pair of Fender Bassmans, known for their grit and meatier low end. The rigors of the road can be rough on amps, and when your main amp dies onstage, a backup can be a worth its weight in gold. An audible “pop” is not only distracting musically, but can damage sound equipment. Most of us probably don’t start out with a vast array of amplifiers to choose from. I have used the this set up since 1985 and always got compliments on having the best sound on the sunset strip or where ever we played eventually all over the world! Right now I’m thinking my Fender with a clean oriented KT66 early marshall would be nice, but there are a couple other amps I’d like to integrate. If you want to use two amps simultaneously, there are some things you need to know before you flip on those power switches. Other stereo modulation effects, such as flangers and choruses, also make use of multiple speakers in a similar fashion. An A/B/Y box will give you the choice of running each amp individually or both together. The eq on acoustic amps is slightly different from that on electric guitar amps - and that on bass amps, too. Sometimes I cheat and use a powerful amp – Twin with Orange JBL Speakers 130 watts RMS. The best combination is a fuzz tone with lots of bass and treble in one channel combined with a modern high gain with no treble and mids all the way up in the second channel. Conventional wisdom suggests that the raunchiest of tones can oft be achieved by combining amplifiers that each feature different kinds of output tubes (or voicing, in the case of solid state). Usually in solo I just put vol pot in P90/humb-channel from 7 to 10, and it sings beautifully. im running a randall rd100 6l6 tubes and a marshall jcm800 with el34 tubes, i run thru my phase 90 then my wha then into the front of the randall ,killer clean and two gain channels, out of the randall effects send into a stereo reverb ,one side into the effects return on the randall, the other side into the effects return on the marshall, im using a attenuator to control the volume of the marshall. I know the purists frown upon digital modeling but it does the job for me. No – joke. Another type of setup uses three cabinets in a “wet/dry/wet” arrangement, with the center amp running your dry (unaffected) guitar signal, and the outer two speakers running a 100% affected signal panned to each side. For example, any combination of 6L6 or 6V6GT; EL34 and EL84 tubes – typically characteristic of Fender, Marshall and Vox respectively – has the potential to produce a mighty alliance. Using multiple amp mics isn’t hard, but there are a few things you need to think about before the red light goes on. Buy a Y-cable with ¼-inch male end and two ¼-inch female ends. But more amps means more gear to haul, more time spent setting up and tearing down, and more open mics, which can cause feedback and phase issues. Another great option is the Line 6 Relay G70 wireless unit, which combines an ABY switcher, a stage tuner, a boost pedal, and a DI box all within a pedal-format wireless receiver. What if the electrons get into a fight about who goes to which amp, causing widespread unrest and undermining your precious tone? The Different Types of Guitar Amp Attenuators Passive Amp Attenuators. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. Plug it in my other amp, play. So, how does one go about finding it a suitable mate? Stereo delay and reverb will give you an absolutely enormous sound when you’re sat in the sweet spot, although anyone standing slightly to either side of your speakers may not understand quite what all the fuss is about. I get the straight six strings in the amp and the “octave” strings in the PA, three strings in the left channel and three strings in the right, It’s a HUGE clean sound surrounding the listener all from on guitar. And I’m thinking in get a JCM800. This type of setup has been used by everyone from guitar hero Eddie Van Halen to jazz/fusion legend Larry “Mr. I run channel A into my 5150 Signature through the low gain input with the gain set on around 2 and the B channel into my 5150 II with the gain set on around 4.I don’t set the gain on too high on the amps so I can prevent any hiss from the heads, which is cut down already anyway because Before the ABY is a Boss NS-2. Gigging without a backup guitar can be risky in case you break a string, but a broken string is easily diagnosed and uncomplicated to fix. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to the processing of my data in order to receive emails. Another option is the classic Line 6 POD (or the XT or HD series floorboards), which can model several dozen different kinds of amps, cabs, and mics, in addition to effects modeling. I am a huge fan of having two different sounds at once, where one sound makes up for the other’s deficiencies. A similar device is the Radial Headbone, which lets you switch between two amp heads running into a single cabinet. The TonewoodAmp is a revolutionary device that uses an acoustic guitar's own body and soundhole to create a range of enhancement effects. Marshall and Fender often work well together, as does the high-end of a Vox with the bottom half of a Fender. Multiple stereo tremolos… you get the idea. Signal routing may be a simple task, but lower cost A/B boxes can have problems with silent switching. Joe Bonamassa's rig for a show at Red Rocks (Image from Twitter). Three apply to both stage and studio, and two are more applicable to live performance. sorry for bad english. You will get some slight attenuation of the signal, similar to backing off the guitar volume a touch, but this method is probably the easiest way to dip your proverbial toe in the proverbial water. Some higher-end modelers, such as the Line 6 Helix, can model multiple amps, cabs, and mics at once for blending tones, too. There are always a heap of things that can go wrong with any guitar rig, but when it comes to using more than one amplifier, I’m going to focus on two of the most common problems: The dictionary defines a ground loop as: “an unwanted electric current path in a circuit resulting in stray signals or interference, occurring for example when two earthed points in the same circuit have different potentials.” If, like me, you failed high school physics, now would be an appropriate time to say “Oh. Always keep a load on the tube amp! Most pedals are significantly lighter and more portable than an amplifier. what this setup gives me is a 3 channel preamp with two tube type power amps. And yet, all the same benefits! They may not be all that sexy, but a well-organized pedalboard is a must for guitarists for both stage and studio use. Plug out, no play. How to Choose the Right Pots for Your Pickups, How to Embrace the Stunning Popularity of Chorus Pedals. George Lynch has been known to favor this method (he even has his own signature pedal for such capers), and many other players switch between different amps for different sounds. Many amps you purchase … when I’m working with split signals in my POD, what about panning?? Powering Your Amp and Setting Up Your Guitar 1. A/B is the most basic configuration. Awesome article. A typical ploy would be to set one amp up for your clean or rhythm sounds and the other for your dirty or lead tones. EQing your guitar amp is the quickest and easiest way to sound amazing quickly. If you run a lovely stereo chorus before an overdrive, for example, you’re only going to be able to plug one of the former’s outputs into the latter. “What about digital amps and modelers?” you further probe. I saw Eric Johnson many moons ago using a stack of Marshalls (for the more dirty sound) and Fender Twin Reverbs (for his more clean chikin pickin sound) and immediately decided that was what I needed to do… fast forward a few months after some testing. the tone is more full,and sounds great, I use 2 stereo amps and they each have a stereo aux in bypassing the preamp (so stereo amp to cabinet) ch ,so like 4 amps instead of two, easy to mix guitar loops into aux in;s and regular guitar into normal ch. I would just send each signal to its own separate amp if you want and can work with 2 amps. If you want to get really zany, how about running one amplifier on stage, but splitting your guitar signal into your digital modeler, smartphone or tablet and running a virtual second amp into the desk? Most guitar players have effects either in the form of single pedals or multi effect processors. These days, it's common for multi-effects to offer amp and even cabinet modeling as well as guitar effects. The way I use different Amps? Then route the amp's effect send into the amp-sim's aux in, and the amp-sims output into the amp's effect return. Is it imperative that I append new apparatus that exhibits an alternative tubular orientation?”. This gives you the variety of textures possible with differing gain, EQ and voicing as discussed above. Setup 2. simple. First, decide on the kind of mic that will work with its partner. In what ways have you used more than one amplifier? Dual amps rigs are truly great sounding but also a lot of extra work to set-up and carry around. Which combination of amplifiers is best? All rights reserved. A/B/Y is the same as A/B but you also get to run both amps at once. These are reliable, lightweight, surprisingly loud, have a small footprint, and are low cost. Set up a separate cabinet and head if necessary. Some popular, well-made and readily available ABY pedals are the Morley ABY or Morley ABY “Mix” (with separate volume controls for blending both amps) and the Radial BigShot. It’s pretty simple really, if your guitar amp isn’t set up correctly you won’t sound good. Manufactured to a high quality this Roland Micro Cube GX stereo guitar combo amplifier is battery powered and is a durable ultra-compact amplification option. The fuzz component is a must. ) stack but replaced it with a peavy 5150. The simplest and lowest cost solution is a preamp pedal. Hi. There are a massive 1,024 preset locations onboard the Helix, organised into eight setlists that contain 32 banks with four presets each. Tremonti seems to favor a Mesa Triple Rectifier mixed with one or more from a gnarly lineup that has included Bogner, Dumble and Cornford. A guide of presets and amp settings that are best for Marshall or Fender amplifiers, with EQ for rock, blues, grunge and a variety of other tones & styles. sounds huge and any hum was drowned out by the pesky drumme. Chorus rate and depths don’t have to be the same. Usually, only a few of these cabinets are actually mic’d. 8ohm mono or 4ohm/4ohm stereo with a small switch. I go through two heads because my band is a three piece and I just want to add that extra guitar sound. They’re also packed with features: amp modeling, a cab-simulated direct out, built-in effects with a tap tempo, a tuner, and 3 footswitchable channels. If you’re tight on pedalboard space, the Fender Micro ABY is a single-footswitch, fully functional mini pedal with a slider switch for A/B or Y mode. I come back to this article to enjoy the read from time to time, so well done. That’s how my 2 x 12’s are wired, specifically for this purpose. 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