Speaker switchers?

[JustABluesGuy]

I have several heads and a few cabs and a fairly large collection of drivers available to me.

I want to do some tests to see which speakers sound best with which heads. To do that efficiently, I would like to find a way to switch instantly between two different speaker cabs.

Eventually I plan to use it to switch between cabs depending on if I am playing clean or dirty. For now I want to do tournament still shootouts between cabs to see which sounds best for each head, much like speaker switchers for car audio, but much simpler.

Preferably a foot pedal with a switch since I hope to use it later as above. Does anyone know of an affordable product to do this, or have instructions (preferably in crayon) to build something like this?

TIA

 

[brown2bob]

Just a side note, some SS and Tube Head Units don't like having the speaker loading removed lest you'll damage the amp. I see where you're going but don't have a simple recommendation. Perhaps some of the wizards on this forum will chime in with their ideas.

 

[Swirling Snow]

Something like this might work:

https://www.amazon.ca/SOLUPEAK-P2-A...5d7-9322-3e7326a43e1c&pd_rd_i=B093GSS8P7&th=1

Remember, tube heads do not like running open! Mute the signal before switching.

 

[J-bass&Tele]

Radial Cabbone EX is unfortunately discontinued, I almost bought one a while back. Look for a used one?
If I was doing it with tube amps, I wouldn't go cheap.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Just a side note, some SS and Tube Head Units don't like having the speaker loading removed lest you'll damage the amp. I see where you're going but don't have a simple recommendation. Perhaps some of the wizards on this forum will chime in with their ideas.

Thanks, and yeah, it’s not an easy thing to do, and as far as I know it might be impossible or prohibitively expensive.

For comparing speakers, it’s important to switch as fast as possible between options, but for auditioning speakers with tube amp that might be difficult (or impossible) to accomplish instant changes. As far as having one head with a matched clean cab, and dirt cab, that switch would need to be instant, or very close to it.

Anyway, hopefully it’s possible and affordable but I don’t remember seeing it done. Amp switching, sure, but one amp and two cabs? IDK.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Radial Cabbone EX is unfortunately discontinued, I almost bought one a while back. Look for a used one?
If I was doing it with tube amps, I wouldn't go cheap.

Good advice, thanks. I have a Radial amp switcher, and just switching amps and cabs might make more sense for performing, but I still want to test two different speakers with one amp, so I’ll look at this Radial, thanks.

Hopefully it won’t be too expensive for use in simple speaker shootouts though.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Something like this might work:

https://www.amazon.ca/SOLUPEAK-P2-A...5d7-9322-3e7326a43e1c&pd_rd_i=B093GSS8P7&th=1

Remember, tube heads do not like running open! Mute the signal before switching.

Thanks! I guess I should have done a search first. Yeah, I don’t want to damage an amp finding the best driver for it!

I will take a look at these listings. Thanks again!

 

[Swirling Snow]

When a solid state amp has nothing connected (open) then there's no complete path and nothing happens.

With a tube amp, the output tranny is always connected and completing the path, so if the secondary is open, things heat up and there will be smoke.

So, mute the strings or turn the guitar down to reduce the heat and switch fast! Not ideal for A/B comparisons, but better than turning the amp off and moving a wire.

(tube amp comparators need to switch from the speaker to an 8 ohm power resistor)

 

[2L man]

For tube amp lever switch should work safe if there always is for example 200 ohm additional resistor and you turn quiter volume 0 before switching. Its effect to sound is minimum but there stay some "load" when switch is open between settings. Switch operate fast but for electronics it is long time!

If additional resistor concern then two switch setup will connect resistor first, then speakers are swapped and then resistor switch is opened. I have made sometimes made mechanical "latch" for it and possibly it could be bought.

If you have or find scrab Wah-pedal its potentiometer could work as resistor and wah-switch change the speakers. perhaps pot should be changed for 1k 2W and also 100 ohm series resistor added to protect the potentiometer. Then "heel down" there come 1k1 which has no effect to sound! And 100 ohms when switching happen.