Great Tone Ideas For Two-Channel, Four-Input Guitar Amps [For Classic, Non-Channel Switching Amps]

[@haytguugle8656]

For anyone interested; The reason why some amps' channels are out of or in phase is because the pre-amp tubes invert the signal from the input to the amplified output. So the signal leaves the tube out of phase relative to the signal going into the tube. This happens with each tube stage. 1 gain stage - boosted signal is out of phase. Go through another gain stage and the signal inverts again which puts the signal back to original phase. If one channel has two gain stages, and the other channel has 3 gain stages, that 3rd gain stage's output is now out of phase. If both channels have the same number of gain stages before they get to the power amp stage, they will be in phase when they blend together. There is also the issue of a circuit design where the output signal is taken from the negative side of the tube instead of the normal positive. This configuration does not invert the phase of the +/- crest and trough of the waveform. This is called a "cathode follower" and it used to send a high impedance signal to the "tone stack" (B/M/T) that will not lose gain as the tone stack normally does. - When it happens, the phase cancellation occurs because the audio signal is a waveform that has a + swing and a - swing. If the + swing of one signal path is equal to the + on another signal that mixes together, they will add the value of the two signals - both being + so there is no cancellation, actually an increase is possible. But if equal / opposite positive plus negative ( 5+ -5 = 0) cancellation occurs.

[@bonneymaes2757]

That’s perfect info…why the AC15 HW has the phasing issue vs the AC30 HW?

[@Lemontree1423]

Watching tps in a hurricane! What a way to ride out the storm!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Be safe!

[@bryangarcia662]

Here in FL it passed us last night, we're Central FL, a bit scary but not too much. All good here thankfully! Hopefully the same for you, cheers.

[@davidtrapani8751]

Same!

[@Lemontree1423]

All clear here south east of Atlanta. Had water up to the foundation and a couple downed trees. Don't worry, the amps and guitars weathered the storm too.

[@shamsam4]

It blew over our street sign last night!

[@crumpred805]

Deluxe Reverb with ABYBABY (and just three fx pedals) was the best sound all day long … absolutely lovely.

[@davidbruce1205]

The Radial Bigshot ABY switch has a polarity switch so that you can put both channels in phase when using the Y function.

[@bryanherward4679]

have an old one with no lights that I use for any of these applications...usually a 2 amp rig

[@yohnsvain9651]

Absolutely lovely episode. You know it’s good when it answers questions you didn’t even realize you had.

[@jtcolecomedy]

Lads! Saw a pair of Jason Isbell shows last weekend. Noticed he's coming your way in the fall. With Sadler using GigRig stuff now, any chance of getting him and/or the man himself on the show? Such a great guitar duo. Thanks for everything down the years!

[@WJHProduction]

Please do!!!

[@chrisegg7936]

i’m sure everyone involved is extremely busy and touring schedules are tight BUT…. that would kick a lot of ass

[@BlackofAzur]

That would be awesome

[@NicholasStein]

I have a 1965 Gibson ES 355 S guitar and a 1965 Deluxe Reverb. I got them both used in 1969. The 355 has TRS output and I use a TRS Cable which breaks the stereo signal into two. So I have been using it just the way you are. I have never quite figured out how to tell which cable is which. This tutorial has been very helpful. Thanks. the is that I got the TRS cable for my Brian Moore i2000 guitar which also has a TRS output. The Brian Moore outputs one side is for the magnetic pickups and the other is for the piezo in the bridge. The piezo was originally used to drive a Roland GR Guitar Synth.

[@marktierney3938]

Great episode! I thought you were going to do the thing on the DR where you take the reverb return, unplug it from the back of the amp, and use an rca > jack adapter and plug it into the input of the normal channel. The volume on the normal channel then becomes the reverb level and the treble/bass controls adjust the reverb EQ.

[@Total_DaveB]

Dang! Dan showing how great an SG can be in any context. Sounds great, as always.

[@caspay21]

The JC40 is a super interesting use case for this because it’s stereo inputs into two power amps into each speaker independently

[@skeres01]

Very appropriate video for me! Just purchased an AC30C2X today to pair up with my DRRI 65. Lots of combinations to try now. Thanks for another excellent tone chasing video!

[@oliverhaworth3232]

I always get the vibe from the online guitar community (ranging across from rig rundowns to large pedal manufacturers to smaller creators) of a mutual love and appreciation for That Pedal Show. Your depth of knowledge and passion for sharing it in an entertaining, informative and detailed way is second to none, and I argue revolutionary in our instruments history! When before has everyone in world had a chance to hear these beautiful, rare and expensive sounds that come from all this great gear you have shown us over the years for nearly no cost. As much as guitarists the world over love you guys I still think we can never show you enough respect and appreciation for what you guys do and the effort you put in for us. Truly LegEnds! On a slightly personal note I lost my 4 legged friend today, and you’re helping heaps to take my mind of things. Thankyou fellas🤙

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you for the kind words Oliver. We’re so sorry to hear about your loss. We’re big animal lovers here at TPS so we know how much they bring to us. We raise a glass to your four-legger and thank them for the love they gave. X

[@ABlaine21]

My teenage band on a budget c 1982 - music man 2x10 75 watt amp - one input for mic, one for guitar and one for bass. Handled quite admirably 😂

[@badgerdub]

I love a Fender silver Bassman because the channels are in-phase and each has a distinct character. makes it so easy to add an amp-top reverb board or chain into a second amp. I have also seen some people chaining out of their attenuator bypass and into a second channel which is pretty wild.

[@t3golf]

Out walking the dog this morning & saw this! What a lovely surprise. I can actually focus on the episode without distraction! Greetings from Dallas from me & Ocean (pit/boxer mix)

[@sempercompellis]

You fellas were almost there!! I have always wanted to know the difference between jumpering channels vs aby into both channels (OR a Y cable into both channels)... PS i have played Fender Reverb amps with an ABY phase flip pedal for years, it's the only way to go!!

[@ericjenks9596]

Great video! You could do a whole separate video just on the deluxe reverb channel interactions, haha. For the phase, it you don’t have the ability to change it, just use wildly different eq’s on the two channels- bass all the way up on one, treble 0, and reverse on the other channel. Dial in to taste. You can also run the reverb through the normal channel with an rca to 1/4” adapter. Then you have level and eq for the reverb. So many options! The tweed deluxe is its own beast too, since the channels interact without jumpering them together. I know y’all probably know all this, and you have a time limit for videos. Just wanted to add a couple of things that I thought were interesting

[@newzerokanata]

The ABY Switcher with a 65 Deluxe RI and both channels is thoroughly interesting to me. Definitely need to try it out.

[@gmouse1250]

Love the show guys. Putting in a request for you guys to do a show on Orange amps if possible please, any of the rockerverb, super crush, terror amps would be brilliant. I know you guys have said you aren't anti-orange and it's more due to availability but they are such cool amps, kind of like Marshall's unhinged younger brother, thanks dudes

[@TheFlashingDots]

Commenting from South Carolina. It’s currently flooding here post-hurricane (well, somewhere in the state). But, thanks to Mick and Dan, I just discovered an entirely new sound from my Twin Reverb!! And it’s ace!!! Thank you!!!!

[@kjphoto]

Half an hour of amp talk for my commute this morning? Yes, please.

[@houseofshred3725]

I like to run the guitar into a Radial switcher that can flip phase and has a built in boost (flat, mid hump or mute), and from there to two separate pedal chains. The first row of pedals has my distortions, fuzzes, and any time based stuff I want to use with those sounds. That goes into the normal channel (I use a Twin) which sounds much better with drive pedals imo. I might add a noise gate to cut down on the hiss a bit. The second has a compressor, delay, reverb, modulation, and maybe a light OD (BD-2 set gain low vol hi). That goes into the vibrato channel for a gorgeous sparkly clean. You get trails on either sound as you're switching before delays and reverbs, and you can get drastically different sounds with the press of a button. Y'all should try it!

[@japert]

Great, do you only use it to flip the channels or also simultaniously (in stereo)?

[@houseofshred3725]

@@japert I guess you could rig up a stereo pedal somewhere in there to get a stereo thing going, and you can just turn on both channels at the same time either way. I generally just use one at a time though because the sounds I tend to choose for each side are very different and don't blend well together. Cheers

[@40WattPodcast]

All that and the only thing I heard is I can jump the channels on my super reverb if I put my tube tape echo between them to flip the phase. There goes my weekend.

[@cactus-mcjacktus]

Split the signal, one side straight into the normal channel, then the other side into the TTE and the reverb channel. Glorious.

[@WJHProduction]

Great video. Interesting story I read in regards to deluxe, super and twins and how their normal and vibrato channels are out of phase due to the reverb gain stage. Derek trucks had a super reverb phase inverted so it could be run similar to a bassman with bridged channels. Another mod on a different one of his super reverbs was the removal of the preamp valves on the normal channel, allowing for more power to be used by the vib channel. Supposedly there is a difference in tone and headroom

[@ChiefGuitarOfficer]

So clever to make use of the two channels on the Deluxe Reverb. We all tend to use the one channel we like and set it and forget it. Great episode!

[@jamesunderhill1603]

That was a fascinating episode and who doesn't love hearing Dan when he's dripping in lusciousness.

[@peterjessop1878]

Always had channel switching amps so never really looked at this before. Loved the idea of using the two channels as a parallel mixer for effects. Thanks guys!

[@toms5951]

TPS in the morning and ELO's farewell show at night. Has to be a great Friday.

[@shamsam4]

The echo was beautiful with the marshall and sg.

[@benspeeds]

This episode opened up absolutely EPIC possibilities!!! Some of the best ideas you guys have ever shared in this one.

[@billytremoloband7456]

00:43 here across the pond from you guys listing to this episode while working away! Loving the tones! Funny thing was I literally had a discussion two days ago with my brother about the possibility of using either his vox ac15 or deluxe reverb that I got from him a few years back when he switched to a helix and was trying to figure how to implement it and how it would sound! He reckoned to just get a helix them BOOM you fine gentleman put out this video! Thanks again for all that you do with these very inspiring gear tricks/tip’s videos! 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@roberthelder7435]

Great episode! I have a handwired Vox AC15, and I use 2 input cables from an Orange Detonator ABY pedal, that gives me the benefit of jumping the channels for a better tone and also 3 different gain stages, normal channel, gain channel and both together. Works really well, makes it very versatile

[@billsherrington5996]

That chord Dan played at 5:45 on the Marshall instantly reminded me of the first chord of The boys are back in town! Lovely👌

[@andyhightides]

I used to do this a lot when I was playing bass. I would split from my TU-2 tuner bypass to channel 1 of my Ampeg V4-B, and from the muting output to a Bad Monkey into channel 2. It helped retain clarity and low end.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

I will never use this, but WAIT! That does not mean it was wasted on me. First off, I love watching you guys have fun finding things. But also, the mindset of just thinking creative thoughts and finding inspiring sounds. Great stuff!

[@scottcurry4116]

Lovely playing Dan! I did like the grimace on your faces when you were only using the Marshall high treble channel! Great show, thanks.

[@Oscarguitar86]

AB switch what a great way to switch between inputs on my HRD when switching between single coils and humbuckers. I have an Orange amp detonator which I was going to use for wet/dry. Always learn something new from these videos. Thanks.

[@WeekendWarriorGuitars]

I got a PRS HDRX 20 recently and I love it. I have it w/ a 1x12 cab and I bring it out to the blues jam. It's based on one of Hendrix's Woodstock era Marshalls but the 2 channels are internally run in parallel so it only has one input but it still has the two channel volumes for blending so all of this still applies - you just can't choose between high and low inputs. Fun stuff!

[@kjerros]

Great show guys, thought provoking and what tones! Buying my '64 CDR was the best decision I ever made but I never considered a channel switching solution. Until now. Eyes opened!

[@jp7963]

Just dug out my Electro-Harmonics Switchblade + ABY and Ernie Ball volume pedal that were both gathering dust unused in my "toybox" and - shamelessly copying Dan at 23:01 - made a very similar set up into my Deluxe Reverb and what a sound! Honestly sounds incredible and the VP just adds that extra dimension.

[@ivorycybernetics]

greeeeatt video!!! im an avid user of the bassman ltd....and also a deluxe reverb....both of em see many....many gigs...and for some reason have always shyed away of using the other channel....much thanks from montreal canada!!

[@robertkelsey3307]

I daisy chain or use an ABY switcher with my '63 Fender Tremolux and Suhr Hombre, often with delay and/or reverb in just one of the channels as described here. Been doing it for many years and it never fails to sound better than one channel alone.

[@Adventuresingearland]

27:23 - Another fine addition to the ‘Dan’s Delay Wigout’ files. Bravo, maestro! 👏🏻

[@scottakam]

Thanks guys. Definitely going to try some of that with my Deluxe Reverb. Dan is spot on, that you should never let a friend use the reverb channel!

[@EWhite-95]

25:55 my mind can't comprehend the fact the vibrato from Jam is going into the normal channel yet the vibrato channel is dry 🤯😂 Great show as per guys!

[@agriff4795]

The vibrato(tremolo) controls are both on 0, so no tremolo is coming from the amp.

[@AlbusBand]

Fantastic use of the different inputs 🙌 Love youuuuuu

[@sowhulljnr]

Excited for this, Deluxe 5e3 (home made), 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and JTM45 ready at hand in anticipation 😂

[@DJBuglip]

Oh that running a pedal between the channels trick is very nice. Thanks fellas. Great sound.

[@indianaguy6941]

Thanks for the vids! Informative and enjoyable. I also received my "All You Need is Fuzz" T! Opa!

[@ConspiratorElec]

My setup. 1965 super reverb or 1991 vibroverb RI. I use wet/dry in to the normal and vibrato channel high inputs, then out of the low inputs to UA dream to the front of house. Sounds huge!

[@Amish_Trivedi]

None of this was immediately relevant to me and yet I loved every minute of it.

[@joeliswhere]

Omg that playing at the end from Dan. Magic!!!!!

[@TheGBs1972]

Loads to unpick here! I’ve got an FDR 65 reissue and can’t wait to get an ABY and start experimenting. So glad this has been covered at length..Please revisit this again at some point.

[@captainsnarky6949]

I gained an extra five years of youth at 27:25 when Mick hooked up the Marshall. EPIC!!!

[@JohnSalamone-q1j]

Great episode gents! A fair point to make...The '68 custom deluxe reverb has reverb and trem on both channels, and they are both gloriously in phase together! I have A/B'd both the '65 RI and the '68 custom and they both sound fantastic, regardless of where they are made. Different for sure, both very nice! I'd be curious to hear you guys do a comparison. Cheers!

[@mark.paterson]

Great video. Just wanted to mention that unlike the reissues and the originals, the Deluxe Reverb '64 Custom Hand Wired version has the two channels wired *in phase*. I'm lucky enough to own one and was blown away when I first tried this simple trick - incredible new tones for the price of a patch cable! I believe that the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Reissue (the Silver Panel model) is also wired in phase.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Niiiiice! Must get our hands on a HW Deluxe Reverb…

[@bonneymaes2757]

Thank you! I’ve been asking for this info for years. I’m doing it to my AC-30 HW and mercury mag 5F6A!

[@Williampreza]

Just built a Tweed Deluxe clone and now I've got sooo much stuff to try!

[@rehkram]

My head is spinning trying to grok the signal chains in play, will have to watch this several times to fully understand it. I have the same 65 RI Deluxe, just need a second amp and a few pedals. Thanks guys 👍

[@TheMerc1950]

Had never even thought of this! Now I definitely need a deluxe reverb in my life...

[@cactus-mcjacktus]

that Marshall with Alnico Rubys is a genius idea! They're wonderful sounding speakers on amps that have raging high end. A Vox type circuit with the classic Blue and a Ruby is genuinely heaven.

[@danottley2627]

😂 😂 Dan appears to be wearing shoes until he hits the ABYBaby where he is resplendently sporting new TPS socks. Reminded me of a Smell of Reeves and Mortimer edit! The show was great as usual. Thank you chaps!!

[@PaulJoy]

Was just looking at lead boost options for my 64 DR today, it never crossed my mind to use both channels and an A/B box. Thanks for the tip.

[@marki7661]

Ahhh I love that the first thing I usually see on a Friday morning is a TPS notification 😊…the only exception being when it happens on a day like today, or what feels like Thursday night…I was up all night trying to stuff two BE-OD circuits,12 pots, two footswitches, and a selectable input buffer w/ toggle switch into its intended enclosure.🤯. I’m glad that’s done. I was finally about to go to sleep…but guess I’m watching this first! Thank god, it’s a short one!

[@timothykennedy3703]

Great show! I’ve been trying to work this idea using rig switching and midi on a TAE

[@stephencarey6114]

What a glorious soundscape you created

[@ryanhillclimber]

This was a total revelation gents. So many new questions to ask, so many fun things to try!

[@jallenshaw]

Been doing this for years, but you gave some excellent NEW (to me) ideas to try….😇🙏🏼

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Nobody jumped the channels on their Marshalls back in the 60s. They daisy chained the amps together. Guitar plugged into lower left of first amp, ‘output’ from upper left into the lower left of the next. You had to turn up the amps down the line to compensate for a level drop. Clapton did this with two stacks. Hendrix did it with three. Thanks for attending my TED talk. Back to the show.

[@punottedbumhucker3974]

And if you just have one Amp, use the upper left input, dime the volume and ride the knobs on the guitar. Anything other is like driving a race car in city traffic.

[@MichaelTaylor-ed1bh]

The echo before the Marshall’s 2nd channel blew my mind!!!

[@davidtomkins4242]

GREG KOCH UK TOUR THIS WEEK folks, greg is touring the uk in the first week of October! Doing rig rundown & q&a sessions before his gigs. (Mick/Dan, I’m not connected in any way, just enthusiastic!)

[@MrChrisJDalton]

Already booked for Fat Lils! Excited!

[@mob0274]

The lightbulb moment for me was using a volume pedal to blend in the wet effects. Thanks!!!

[@agriff4795]

The last example is what I came up with 5 years ago when I only had a 4 input 2 channel half stack, until I finally got a second amp for stereo.

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

I channel jump both of my AC30's. I can't imagine my life without it. Yesterday I went to get some new power tubes for my AC30 head and one of the dudes from Guitar Center walked over and said "hey man that's a cool head and you know you can channel jump it right?" and I was like "oh yeah I do it all the time" and the other dude from Guitar Center smiled and said "this is a man of culture". LOL!

[@lightaces]

Just on a technical note, I just looked at the schematic for the 1987X, and it's exactly the same input design as the Deluxe Reverb. Some Marshals have different inputs, but that one is just the Fender input.

[@Jeffcatbuckeye]

As an FYI, you can jump the reverb and tremolo over to the normal channel of the deluxe reverb if you plug the guitar into the normal channel.

[@SeanJWestcott]

Another informative episode … TPS is the greatest repository of all tone knowledge !!

[@bluesky6361]

I use a Y-cable to plug into the high-level bright and normal channels of the 5F6A and 5E8A clones that I built. I then adjust each volume control to achieve the tone and level I want. Much more effective then jumping between the high and low level inputs. You could also use an ABY pedal to do the same thing.

[@bluesful]

I think on that great Jeff Beck gig at Ronnie Scott's he was running his delay in between the 2 channels of his Marshall. At least I recall reading that somewhere.

[@aaronsmithey4044]

I love this, it makes me want to buy old stuff!

[@Hollywood_30]

this episode was pure magic 😍

[@GiantPinhead]

Good stuff, gang. My brain is spinning. Thought I heard some Big Star riffage in there. Cheers!

[@christopher-miles]

yo! that zilla cab looks so clean. was that a custom order for the marshall or just ended up working out? peace!

[@dontaskmeduncan0234]

Great episode lads. Can we get more matchless action? Isn't it like a vox ac30? Could be great to compare

[@michalpenka]

That was actually quite illuminating 🙌 Somehow it seems to me this is a (poor-man's?) effects loop in vintage style amps. I'm not sure if I missed it in the video but how would a delay or a reverb sound if input 1 is set somewhere above the edge of a breakup and beyond? Would you prefer this over the effects loop we have on modern amps (which is AFAIK between pre and power section)?

[@nazperalta1794]

I like the Deluxe Reverb ABY approach, but would be better with reverb in the normal channel to avoid that side being so dry. I have a JC120 with two channels and currently jump the two to get more of a rounded sound (and less of a volume drop when I engage the chorus), but this show has given me more ideas as always! Thank you

[@danbode]

If any other harmonica players are lurking, the higher headroom inputs work much better for harp mics.

[@SocksworthRiffs]

Diezel mention??? Now THERES an amp I'd love to see you two muck about with!

[@vincentmarinelli3404]

Watching while Hurricane Helene is coming down outside. Helps to get through the storm.

[@lettuceb2336]

Sweet guitar tones and Dan giggling like a 3-year old having a blast.... priceless!

[@moosemuseum1853]

I would love to see a show that compares quality tube based pedals and solid state pedals into tube amps and into solid state amps. E.g. Kingsley and ThorpyFX into HiWatt or Fender or into Boss or Roland. Anyone else interested?

[@alguitarchristie]

Jam pedals chorus sounds ace! Love amps when they are cooking, but would use the effects loop for Delays after about 10 O'Clock on the volume! Even if the delay volume is low, I like the clarity of the delay after the preamp section. Only get to have my Victory V30 at 3 on the Master these days anyway, the old people I do Parties for these days, can't handle the volume! Lol. I love that SG!

[@daughtersofdivorce6803]

Very intrigued by the episode title right off the Hop. Having a lot of trouble blending both channels on my DC30 lately, wanting to leave one side clean while using overdrives into the other, but running both in parallel pushes the already magmatic power section into extreme saturation. Doesn't leave much headroom at all.

[@bobbler42]

A use case. I have been trying to work out optimum usage for the small watt arsenal, viz a Supro Super (HI and Lo channels), an AC4 (just the one, Top Boosty, sounds best gained up), and a Hiwatt Custom 7. I think from what your saying I could conceivably go wets into the Hiwatt and Supro Lo, and Dries into the Vox and the Hi. Not sure how the Supro will take to a treble booster, and this is the sort of rabbit hole I am all too prone to in an option paralysis type way…but it is a way forward. There is also no gain control on the amp for the amount of gain in the Supro, so it’s very much a “you get what you get” type deal, but hey, it’s all fun.

[@17mountains]

I love Dan's Bad News reference

[@johnnymoondog5818]

Great episode, thanks!

[@gtel77]

G.R.E.A.T video!! My brain is now boiling 😀 Thank you very much for that

[@copperaudio9664]

The Radial Twin-City ABY Amp Switcher Pedal has the phase switch as well as a input impedance control that can make single coil pickups sound glorious(er)

[@aarondempsey6891]

A great pedal used explicitly for this purpose is the Barber Launch Pad. Made specifically for Deluxe Reverbs, it's a clean boost with 2 outs with opposite polarity. Each out has its own volume. Ever see one of these pedals, gents?

[@ThatPedalShow]

Sounds fab! Not tried one, but what a great idea

[@madmick78]

There are two Launch Pads on Reverb, currently.

[@benjaminkoskinen5835]

Try and get the creator of Cornerstone pedals, Emilio Massari on the show ✨ He has enough amazing pedals out atm to make it a more extended episode.