Which A/B Box?

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lincolnbluelincolnblue Frets: 294
I'm thinking about buying myself an AB box.

I mainly play guitar at church and usually play either electric or acoustic. However, there are times when I need to use both. I use the same pedalboard for both.

So my plan is to have one output going to the amp (electric) and one to the DI box and the PA for acoustic. I can put my tuner on and silently switch guitars easily. 

I don't want to spend much on one as I'll not use it too often. Can you recommend a good one? Anything I should look for or avoid?

I guess I could also have one at the beginning to put both guitars into rather than swapping. Then I could press the footswitch on both pedals to change guitars?

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Comments

  • I use the Switchblade and it just does what it does with no hassle. No LEDs etc, but a great pedal.

    The guys that do The Nose expression pedal also does different ones I think
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    edited September 2014
    I have a Bright Onion one that is surplus to requirements, same as this, sends the signal to A or B and mutes for tuner......£35 mailed, only issue is the sticker came off so the legend is engraved onto the top, can send you a photo of interested.......


    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7672
    +1 for the EHX Switchblade
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    Whichever one you get, make sure it's a type which grounds the unused output instead of leaving it open circuit, or it will produce hum on that channel.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Lehle is all you need others may give ground loop problems
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    The ground hum is a big issue. The other issue is Phasing if using 2 amps together.

    +1 on Lehle. The Radial ABY is also brilliant and cheaper.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    paulnb57 said:
    I have a Bright Onion one that is surplus to requirements, same as this, sends the signal to A or B and mutes for tuner......£35 mailed, only issue is the sticker came off so the legend is engraved onto the top, can send you a photo of interested.......



    Got one of these too, they are transformer isolated, so hum free and it's been totally reliable. For £35 it's a much better option than a switchblade or similar
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  • Little lehle. Pricey but worth it.
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Little lehle. Pricey but worth it.

    Pretty much the same as the bright onion, but £100 more expensive for a pretty red box :)
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  • paulnb57 said:
    I have a Bright Onion one that is surplus to requirements, same as this, sends the signal to A or B and mutes for tuner......£35 mailed, only issue is the sticker came off so the legend is engraved onto the top, can send you a photo of interested.......



    >:P If you can post a picture that'd be great.
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  • ICBM said:
    Whichever one you get, make sure it's a type which grounds the unused output instead of leaving it open circuit, or it will produce hum on that channel.

    How can I tell without trying whether on will ground the unused output? Do I want passive or active?
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  • paulnb57 said:
    I have a Bright Onion one that is surplus to requirements, same as this, sends the signal to A or B and mutes for tuner......£35 mailed, only issue is the sticker came off so the legend is engraved onto the top, can send you a photo of interested.......



    >:P If you can post a picture that'd be great.
    Apologies for the angry face thing...was writing on my tablet and didn't realise I'd pressed the "face" button! 
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    edited September 2014
    Heres a photo of the Bright Onion, I bought it recently from this forum to test if an issue I had was with my other looper pedal, it wasn't so this one is surplus, the engraving I did is a bit hammy but the pedal works as it should, 9v (same as Boss) supply gives LED indication of status but it works just as well without….
    2 loops and muted tuner output

    Happy to trade for Analog delay or clean boost…..


    Paul
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775

    That one is different to mine so I cant say 100% if it's transformer isolated so I would check

     

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  • ElxElx Frets: 412
    Carl Martin Route box...


    I've got one, so it's a must have :)
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775

    This is the one I've got :

    http://www.brightonion.co.uk/active-aby-pedal-with-isolated-second-output/

    Good value at the new price if you can't find a used one, I'd be wary of the Analogman one without knowing whats in the box, a simple ABY is three jack sockets and two switches and can lead to all sorts of hum issues

     

    EDIT - Just saw you are looking for an AB not a ABY - if you are only running one amp at a time just about anything will do :)

     

     

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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    John_A said:

    This is the one I've got :

    http://www.brightonion.co.uk/active-aby-pedal-with-isolated-second-output/

    Good value at the new price if you can't find a used one, I'd be wary of the Analogman one without knowing whats in the box, a simple ABY is three jack sockets and two switches and can lead to all sorts of hum issues

     

    EDIT - Just saw you are looking for an AB not a ABY - if you are only running one amp at a time just about anything will do :)

     

     


    LOL- I'd take anything Mike made over the Bright Onion stuff. I had one item from them and literally threw it away it was that bad.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    How can I tell without trying whether on will ground the unused output? Do I want passive or active?
    Ask the chap at Bright Onion if you're getting one of those. You just want passive, no need for an active one if it's on the output of a pedalboard.

    You also don't need to worry about ground loops if one side is going to a DI box, since they always have a ground lift switch.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Gassage said:
    John_A said:

    This is the one I've got :

    http://www.brightonion.co.uk/active-aby-pedal-with-isolated-second-output/

    Good value at the new price if you can't find a used one, I'd be wary of the Analogman one without knowing whats in the box, a simple ABY is three jack sockets and two switches and can lead to all sorts of hum issues

     

    EDIT - Just saw you are looking for an AB not a ABY - if you are only running one amp at a time just about anything will do :)

     

     


    LOL- I'd take anything Mike made over the Bright Onion stuff. I had one item from them and literally threw it away it was that bad.
    Really? 

    The chap in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers uses an enormous Bright Onion looper box for his pedals, switches them in and out individually. Always assumed they were good. 

    What was wrong with yours?  
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