Stereo guitar?

M

MrFoster

New member
I'm seeing some mixed ideas around some other websites, people are also saying to use an 'ABY Box'
But I honestly would love to have 2 outputs in a guitar, both outputs for whatever pickup I have selected, switchable outputs would be sweet too, with a 3 way toggle switch (Left, both, right)
What do you guys think? Would make a nifty little conversation piece, a good project too if you ask me

To summarize, what's your opinion on a guitar with two switchable outputs with the same signal?
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

Discreet output jacks per pickup makes sense for separate signal paths, different effects processing, panning et cetera. This is the basis of Gibson, Rick-O-Sound and the Billy Sheehan "stereo" wiring schemes.

If you wish to divide a mono guitar signal, it would be simpler to do this via a pedal rather than make holes in each of your guitars.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

For what you are saying it could be useful though you are only able to do it with just the one guitar. Personally I think making a custom ABY box to achieve the same results without it being tied to just one guitar would be a better idea.

On the other hand I know that some basses have individual output jacks for each pickup. Billy Sheehan's bass has that and he is to fine tune each pickups tonal strengths based on the different locations of the pickups. Though the down side is having to have two of everything, at very minimum 2 guitar cables and 2 amps but expanding on that it can get crazy. I think that would be worth thinking about as well.

Edit: Ha Funkfingers we had the same idea at pretty much the same time.
 
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Re: Stereo guitar?

Small world.

I will say that, if you ever try the Sheehan dual amplification idea, you will immediately understand why he does it.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

Well, I have an Epiphone B B King Lucille guitar with a budget version of the Gibson Stereo Vari-Tone wiring harness. I posted photographs of the jack socket arrangements in a thread started by Astrozombie. Don't ask me the date for that thread. The keywords Lucille and Astrozombie should find it.

I also have a Yamaha Attitude Custom bass guitar with the Sheehan dual outputs system. When I hooked this up through two 400w amplifiers, the effect corrupted absolutely.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

OH! And indeed, I want to split a mono signal into two outputs, and on a 3 way toggle like I mentioned before

I'm still to really think about what I've got in mind, just the idea of two jacks popped in my head today
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

"the effect corrupted absolutely."
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds almost like a good thing
But 2 400w amps..that sounds crazy awesome
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

You could go with two jacks, yet when you do I think it is hardly usefull to let them put out the same (mono) signal. You can make wiring such that you can get any combination you like. I would go for something like: one output all split coils of the humbucker(s) you select via your three way and the other one regular humbucker sound. Then use the first one for clean sounds into a stereo setup and the humbucker sound into a dirty amp in the center,

Man it is awesome to dream ;).
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

Or one TRS (stereo) output jack so you only need one stereo cord from your guitar. Then you don't need to drill more holes in your guitar.

Or you could just buy a Gibson 345 stereo with Varitone, or a Rickenbacker 360 with Ric-O-Sound and be done with it.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

As mentioned just run a stereo jack to a passive splitter. Although you might get ground loop hum from it?
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

I think the idea of a stereo guitar is impossible because a guitar produces a mono signal. If there was a stereo guitar it would require a stereo 1/4 inch jack for left and right sides, right?

The goal then becomes how do I play one guitar and send that signal to two amps? Even with an ES345 or a Rick o sound 360, your sending the signal of bridge pickup to one amp and the neck pickup to another. Other guitars that have two jacks, like the epi 339's with piezo's in the saddles, send the humbucking signal to one amp and the piezo signal to another. These are not stereo signals.

The option I use is to send your mono guitar signal to an FX processor, in my case a BOSS ME-70, but it could be as simple as a stereo chorus fx stomp box. Then use the left / right output jacks sending each to its own head OR combo amp. In my rig I have an Egnator Renegade Head with a Tour Master 2x12 cab and a Peavey Classic 50 Head with a Classic 410E cab.

I love playing through both amps at the same time, it sounds so rich and full no matter what you're playing.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

OM, you are correct that feeding two discrete signals through two amplification chains is not stereophonic in the sense of positional placement. In most playing situations, its usefulness is limited. The one time it could help would be trying to recreate layered recorded guitar parts live. One channel clean, the second overdriven.

The Ripley guitar mentioned by JOLLY was equipped with a hexaphonic pickup system. It was capable of placing each string individually within the stereo sound image. Similar trickery is now possible far more cheaply with devices such as the Roland GV-8, -88 and -99.

The Billy Sheehan idea involves two amp chains and whatever effects the player choses to insert. The effect is kinda like playing an eight string bass with a sub-harmonic generator or a synth bass pedal going on underneath. Absolute power BUT too much to use for an entire set.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

It sounds like I might have had the terms wrong
I don't mind if it's not left and right signals, I'd just like to split the signal and send them both to different amps :dunno:
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

I'd not bother having two identical signals coming out of the same guitar. I'd get an A/B/Y box.

However, one output for each pickup is a classic setup that I like very much. It's how I wired my Jaguar Bass, which has a P/J setup and concentric pots.
 
Re: Stereo guitar?

A stereo set up like this (one pickup to one amp, one pickup to another amp) in a bass is one thing, I find that useful if you feel like hauling 2 different amps but in a guitar I see no real point however that is just one man's opinion.

I run a stereo set up with my guitar almost all the time but never like that...I just run 2 amps from a stereo FX feed...
 
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