Board Games
Pedalboard problems solved
The background
John Marshall, Guitarist reader: I’m currently plugging my guitar into a Boss BCB-60 ’board and pedals, which in turn goes straight to the amp. So far, very straightforward. I am now in the process of purchasing a twin-channel Vox AC15HW1 and have been advised that a Morley ABY selector switch or similar will help me switch channels. There is an input on the box for guitar, which is fine if I wasn’t using pedals, but I’m unsure of what to do next.
The questions
1. How will I connect the ABY to my present setup?
2. Is there anything else I should know, or try?
The answers
As you might be aware, John, the AC15 wasn’t designed with the idea of channel switching (that didn’t come along in guitar amps until much later). It was from an era where multiple channels were used for multiple sources/instruments.
Nevertheless, you can use an ABY switch as you suggest in a number of ways. There are various different models available; our favourite is the Fulltone True-Path ABY for its additional buffers, phase-reversal and ground-lift options that come into their own when using two different amps or more complex chains of pedals.
1. The simplest solution is to place the ABY after the last pedal on your BCB-60 ’board. Connect the output from the last pedal to the input on the ABY. Then run the A+B outputs to both channels in the AC15 respectively. There is no problem with placing it after an effects pedal; the only place you MUST NOT run it is between amp and speakers in the case of a head and cab, for example.
You can now select channel one, channel two or both. In the AC15 it’s possible – and great fun – to have both channels running together. It’s worth noting that not all amps will do this, but the AC15 will.
2. Yep. If you like the idea of running both channels at once, you can put the ABY switcher at any point in your signal chain. This means you can create two separate effects chains, sending some effects to both channels (or both amps if you’re using two), and some to one and not the other. This is the basis of a ‘wet/dry’ setup where you’d use two amps: one without ‘wet’ effects (delay, reverb and possibly modulation) and one with. It can sound absolutely massive, even at low volumes.
The wet/dry effect will be lessened in a single amp with a single speaker, but it’s worth splitting the signal at different points in any case to see if anything grabs you. For example, if you like one overdrive in one channel, but prefer something different in the other. Good luck and have fun!