I am attempting to plug 2 guitars into 1 amp input, using a 1/4" "Y" adapter, specifically a Radio Shack part# 274-892 adapter. What I want to do is to keep 2 guitars plugged in, only playing 1 at a time, just for convenience to minimize plugging/unplugging.
The problem is that when 2 guitars are plugged into this adapter, neither guitar will be heard unless the volume on both guitars is turned up. It's almost like this adapter is wired in series, like Christmas tree light. Y'know, when one goes out, they all go out!
The guys at RS don't know anything about it, but it seems to me that RS has this thing built wrong. I believe a Parallel adapter would be what is needed, so either guitar can be played independently of the other. How can I be assured of getting the right adapter? I know Musicians Friend sells these as well, but will I run into the same scenario? Anyone else run into this situation?
yeah, that sounds like the wrong cord. a Y adapter is a splitter typically for mono/stereo needs.
you don't need cord. you need an AB box. you use a foot switch to toggle between circuits. each guitar has its circuit.
a mono (or even stereo, as it wouldn't matter for your application) Y cable "splitter" is a simple, hardwired parallel circuit, and what you describe is pretty much what I'd expect. The output jack (hot or center) of a guitar is connected to the center wiper of the volume pot. turn down the volume and the resistance between the center wiper of the pot and ground => 0 = short to ground. anything (oh say ... another guitar) in parallel with a short to ground is shorted to ground. make sense?
I agree with Ken. Get an A/B switch.
-=tension & release=-
Thanks guys, appreciate it. So, what is this "Y" mono adapter intended to be used for? 2 sets of mono headphones?
I have a mini disc recorder with a stereo output. I wanted to upload onto Audacity some minidisc recordings. I had to use a Y cord (stereo out) to a single input on my computer. Y cord is the solution.
Yeah, you need an A/B Box like this:
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I am attempting to plug 2 guitars into 1 amp input, using a 1/4" "Y" adapter, specifically a Radio Shack part# 274-892 adapter. What I want to do is to keep 2 guitars plugged in, only playing 1 at a time, just for convenience to minimize plugging/unplugging.
The problem is that when 2 guitars are plugged into this adapter, neither guitar will be heard unless the volume on both guitars is turned up. It's almost like this adapter is wired in series, like Christmas tree light. Y'know, when one goes out, they all go out!
As other had said, you cant use an Y-adapter and connect two guitars to an amp input.
A guitar pickup has in/output impedance around 10 kohm and is designed to be loaded from an high impedance pre-amplifier (>> 100kohm) . If you connect another guitar "pickup" in parallell (as with an Y-adapter) with the first guitar, the "low" impedance of the second guitar pickup load down the signal from the first guitar very much.
An Y-adapter can only be used to connect two "highohmic" ( > 100 ohm, headphones, amp inputs etc) loads to a low impedance source (e.i. amplifier output with output impedance << 1 ohm)
/Kalle
Tanglewood TW28STE (Shadow P7 EQ) acoustic
Yamaha RGX 320FZ electric guitar/Egnater Tweaker 15 amp.
Yamaha RBX 270 bass/Laney DB 150 amp.
http://www.soundclick.com/kalleinsweden
