How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
- Thread starter JohnnyGuitar
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Bludave
New member
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
I've played through 2 amps for many years, and still do today. However I rarely play through both at the same time. I am currently using a Morley A/B/Y to achieve this. The Morley is on its way out and very soon I will replace it with a Lehle Amp switcher.
My rig is pretty simple. For years I used a Marshall 900 A/B'd with a Fender Super Reverb. The Fender was for cleans & the Marshall for my heavier louder stuff. The Super also had a TS9 in front for a solo boost & to add some sustain whenI needed it.
I still have both of those amps and use them occasionally but now I am using a Bogner Shiva for the cleans & drive (the drive channel is pretty darn good once you spend some time dialing in.) My other amp is a Komet 60. The Komet is an amazingly articulate amp & the cleans are to die for. I have a really nice OD pedal that I use to solo with the Komet as well & I have a TS9 for the Bogner.
The real way I use this is to play my chord or rhythm through the amp of choice & setup the other to switch to for solos. This works quite well, but you really need a good a/b/y to isolate the channels completely. My Morley does bleed from a to b a bit. Its tolerable..... the Lehle will stop it completely. The Morley can run both amps at the same time... it has A or B or A & B. A lot of people use this approach.
Guys like Jimi Hendrix & Eric Clapton back in the 60's just daisy chained their 100 W Marshalls to each other. They plugged into one & had as many as 5 other amps plugged into each other. At Woodstock Jimi had 6 full stacks Daisy chained together. 600Watts & 48 12" speakers...... Whoa!!!!!!!!!
Eric Johnson uses 2 amps as you mentioned, but he rarely plays through both at the same time. he uses certain amps & effects in some cases for just one note. If you ever see him live his foot work is almost as impressive as his hands.
Playing with 2 smaller amps is a really cool idea. Like Lew does. You get a really sweet tone out of a smaller powered amp, but when you play through 2 it just makes the sound bigger.
I've played through 2 amps for many years, and still do today. However I rarely play through both at the same time. I am currently using a Morley A/B/Y to achieve this. The Morley is on its way out and very soon I will replace it with a Lehle Amp switcher.
My rig is pretty simple. For years I used a Marshall 900 A/B'd with a Fender Super Reverb. The Fender was for cleans & the Marshall for my heavier louder stuff. The Super also had a TS9 in front for a solo boost & to add some sustain whenI needed it.
I still have both of those amps and use them occasionally but now I am using a Bogner Shiva for the cleans & drive (the drive channel is pretty darn good once you spend some time dialing in.) My other amp is a Komet 60. The Komet is an amazingly articulate amp & the cleans are to die for. I have a really nice OD pedal that I use to solo with the Komet as well & I have a TS9 for the Bogner.
The real way I use this is to play my chord or rhythm through the amp of choice & setup the other to switch to for solos. This works quite well, but you really need a good a/b/y to isolate the channels completely. My Morley does bleed from a to b a bit. Its tolerable..... the Lehle will stop it completely. The Morley can run both amps at the same time... it has A or B or A & B. A lot of people use this approach.
Guys like Jimi Hendrix & Eric Clapton back in the 60's just daisy chained their 100 W Marshalls to each other. They plugged into one & had as many as 5 other amps plugged into each other. At Woodstock Jimi had 6 full stacks Daisy chained together. 600Watts & 48 12" speakers...... Whoa!!!!!!!!!
Eric Johnson uses 2 amps as you mentioned, but he rarely plays through both at the same time. he uses certain amps & effects in some cases for just one note. If you ever see him live his foot work is almost as impressive as his hands.
Playing with 2 smaller amps is a really cool idea. Like Lew does. You get a really sweet tone out of a smaller powered amp, but when you play through 2 it just makes the sound bigger.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
My last projects has hit the streets.......the rest will be Thomas only.
I had it!
I am not building anything these days
My last projects has hit the streets.......the rest will be Thomas only.
I had it!
Pink Unicorn Horsey
Megä Pöny Rÿdr
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Soldering everyday stuff at the factory, and repairing guitars
Just not developing anything for anybody right now....
If anything happends further down the line...I dunno right now....I am just working with assembly and preperations these days.
Soldering everyday stuff at the factory, and repairing guitars
Just not developing anything for anybody right now....
If anything happends further down the line...I dunno right now....I am just working with assembly and preperations these days.
JohnnyGuitar
New member
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
I guess it is your choice but I think it's a waste...
Soldering everyday stuff at the factory, and repairing guitars
Just not developing anything for anybody right now....
If anything happends further down the line...I dunno right now....I am just working with assembly and preperations these days.
I guess it is your choice but I think it's a waste...
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Well I rather like it this way
Well I rather like it this way
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
besides the ABY pedals mentioned, there are also the Framptone, and a newer one from Radial's Bone series
besides the ABY pedals mentioned, there are also the Framptone, and a newer one from Radial's Bone series
Dr.Mavashi
neonderthalotonalogist
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Well my 4X12 has a stereo option for two inputs, and I have Ibanez CS9 that can be a stereo splitter, will I experience that same, big, open, lots of charachter two amp sound if I use CS9 to split into two heads that are gonna go into the same 4X12.
Well my 4X12 has a stereo option for two inputs, and I have Ibanez CS9 that can be a stereo splitter, will I experience that same, big, open, lots of charachter two amp sound if I use CS9 to split into two heads that are gonna go into the same 4X12.
Last edited:
Stratman
Guitaris Maximus
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
I have a Radial Bone Switcher and it is not what I would recommend because of noise.
I found (By accident) a Lehle Dual Amp Switcher, which works very well, has no noise, and controls ground loop noise via isolation transformers.
I have a Radial Bone Switcher and it is not what I would recommend because of noise.
I found (By accident) a Lehle Dual Amp Switcher, which works very well, has no noise, and controls ground loop noise via isolation transformers.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Thanks Stratman.....was sitting here trying to remember the name
Lehle, expensive, very very wellmade, and works!
Thanks Stratman.....was sitting here trying to remember the name
Lehle, expensive, very very wellmade, and works!
B
BFahz
Guest
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
It depends on your goal. When I used to play out, I accomplished two things.
1. I used to put the other amp on the bass player side so I could run in "stereo" to get a wide sound anywhere on the stage.
2. Tone - I would run the second rig with much less distortion, almost a clean tone. When the engineer would mic both rigs (I would have to buy them a beer or 10 to do this for me), they would then mix the two tones together for a HUGE front (audience) sound.
Not necessarily louder volume wise, but certainly more frequence and tone rich.
It depends on your goal. When I used to play out, I accomplished two things.
1. I used to put the other amp on the bass player side so I could run in "stereo" to get a wide sound anywhere on the stage.
2. Tone - I would run the second rig with much less distortion, almost a clean tone. When the engineer would mic both rigs (I would have to buy them a beer or 10 to do this for me), they would then mix the two tones together for a HUGE front (audience) sound.
Not necessarily louder volume wise, but certainly more frequence and tone rich.
JohnnyGuitar
New member
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
When combining both of them in what way are we talking huge tone? it's pretty subjective - are we talking about more warmth? sustain? can you give an example?
When combining both of them in what way are we talking huge tone? it's pretty subjective - are we talking about more warmth? sustain? can you give an example?
Pink Unicorn Horsey
Megä Pöny Rÿdr
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Probably something similar to the difference between listening to a song with just one headphone vs. a pair of headphones.
- Keith
Probably something similar to the difference between listening to a song with just one headphone vs. a pair of headphones.
- Keith
B
BFahz
Guest
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Well, on the stage, it may sound odd because "my" side has the primary distorted tone, and the bass player would hear the rawer tone. For leads, on his side, it may sound thinner...
But in the mains up front, if mixed properly, it sounds huge, more in the sense of thickness and full frequency response. PS - I was the only guitar player when I played semi pro.
I personally used to use an ADA MP-1 preamp with a Mesa Simulcast power amp on my side (with 2 Marshall speakers), and then a Marshall 900 on the other side (with 2 Marshall speakers).
I would run guitar ->wah->chorus (split the signal)-> one side goes to ADA, the other goes to a TS-10, then the Marshall. The ADA was the effected tone, and the Marshall was bone dry (minus the use of the distortion pedal here and there).
You could easily accomplish this same type rig with the use of two combo amps. At home now, I have a JSX combo with my "VH" type tone, and I also have a Marshall Valvestate 20W amp that I sometimes run in unison. I have the Marshall on a totally clean channel, and run a slight distortion using my TS10. The volume of this amp if about 3/4 of the JSX, but you can tell it is there. Many pro guitar players run a similar rig to get the fullness of a cleaner amp with the balls of a distorted one. Get a good sound man to mix the two, and you will have a tone to die for.
Another way to think of this - imagine two guitar players in a band; one plays the heavier tone (think Slash), the other cleaner (think Izzy). The constraint here of course is that your the only player (no inversions or melodies), but the tonality may be similar.
Well, on the stage, it may sound odd because "my" side has the primary distorted tone, and the bass player would hear the rawer tone. For leads, on his side, it may sound thinner...
But in the mains up front, if mixed properly, it sounds huge, more in the sense of thickness and full frequency response. PS - I was the only guitar player when I played semi pro.
I personally used to use an ADA MP-1 preamp with a Mesa Simulcast power amp on my side (with 2 Marshall speakers), and then a Marshall 900 on the other side (with 2 Marshall speakers).
I would run guitar ->wah->chorus (split the signal)-> one side goes to ADA, the other goes to a TS-10, then the Marshall. The ADA was the effected tone, and the Marshall was bone dry (minus the use of the distortion pedal here and there).
You could easily accomplish this same type rig with the use of two combo amps. At home now, I have a JSX combo with my "VH" type tone, and I also have a Marshall Valvestate 20W amp that I sometimes run in unison. I have the Marshall on a totally clean channel, and run a slight distortion using my TS10. The volume of this amp if about 3/4 of the JSX, but you can tell it is there. Many pro guitar players run a similar rig to get the fullness of a cleaner amp with the balls of a distorted one. Get a good sound man to mix the two, and you will have a tone to die for.
Another way to think of this - imagine two guitar players in a band; one plays the heavier tone (think Slash), the other cleaner (think Izzy). The constraint here of course is that your the only player (no inversions or melodies), but the tonality may be similar.
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JohnnyGuitar
New member
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
Nice, but when you were mic'd through a PA - wasn't the whole stereo effect lost a little? or are there some benfits from the "layering"?
Nice, but when you were mic'd through a PA - wasn't the whole stereo effect lost a little? or are there some benfits from the "layering"?
B
BFahz
Guest
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
The "stereo effect" really only helps on the stage, and has no real effect on a big house PA system (mostly because both systems that are being mic'd <ADA and Marshall> are being run "up the middle", not panned left and right).
The effect on the house PA is to mix both systems together for a fuller sound, the very same concept behind mic'ing two guitar players in a two guitar player band.
Obviously, to do this takes a lot of work. I used to use this rig when I played large venues back in the lat 80's/early 90's.
If your playing smaller venues, I would recommend two combos - perhaps something like a JSX and then maybe a Fender Reverb Deluxe or a VOX for the second tone, and play them together. The Fender and the VOX have nice layering tones (ala U2), and mix well with ballsier amps like the JSX.
The "stereo effect" really only helps on the stage, and has no real effect on a big house PA system (mostly because both systems that are being mic'd <ADA and Marshall> are being run "up the middle", not panned left and right).
The effect on the house PA is to mix both systems together for a fuller sound, the very same concept behind mic'ing two guitar players in a two guitar player band.
Obviously, to do this takes a lot of work. I used to use this rig when I played large venues back in the lat 80's/early 90's.
If your playing smaller venues, I would recommend two combos - perhaps something like a JSX and then maybe a Fender Reverb Deluxe or a VOX for the second tone, and play them together. The Fender and the VOX have nice layering tones (ala U2), and mix well with ballsier amps like the JSX.
SlowGroove
New member
Re: How To Use Two Amps At The Same Time?
In the perfect world, this would be my set up :
Not that i am a fan of their music, but the rig, ohhhh man !
One day . . .
James
In the perfect world, this would be my set up :
Not that i am a fan of their music, but the rig, ohhhh man !
One day . . .
James
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