Q: What happens when I reverse the polarity of the 2nd amp?

A: The 180º polarity reverse allows you to correctly line up the polarity of the amplifiers that you are using. If the amps are out of phase, this means that the cones on one amp's speakers will be pushing air out while the other will be pulling air in. This will tend to cancel out sound from both amps, greatly reducing low to mid frequencies – likely not the effect you are looking for, although it might be useful in some instances.

Q: What is the difference between phase and polarity?

A: In guitar lingo these terms are interchanged, however in true electrical terms they are different. Reversing the polarity is switching the positive and the negative wires around. Phase is actually in the time domain. A signal can be 30 degrees out of phase with another causing the sound to be muddy. 180 degree absolute phase shift is essentially identical to reversing the polarity.

Q: How does the Switchbone eliminate switch noise?

A: Most AB boxes cause a click or thump when switching. The Switchbone uses a series of expensive devices called opto-couplers (2 per switch) to perform this task. We go to this extreme because when a guitar amp is set to distortion, the input sensitivity is increased dramatically and clicks and pops caused by switching are amplified.

Q: Why do most AB-Y boxes sound so bad?

A: The problem is mostly due to the 'Y' split when driving more than one amplifier at the same time. The moment you split an already low-level guitar signal to drive more that one amplifier, the signal to each amp will drop by half. This causes the guitar to lack punch and definition – it will sound weak and thin. You can fix the problem with a nominal amplification of the signal but unless this is done very carefully, the sound of the guitar will change. Then, of course, you have to deal with the hum, buzz and polarity problems. Also, most AB-Y switchers use chips to drive the sound. The Switchbone employs a true Class-A circuit for best sound.

Q: Why is there a mid boost connected to the power boost circuit?

A: Guitars live in the 'mid' range. This means that if you want your guitar to cut through the mix during a solo or if you intend to increase sustain, adding mid frequencies is critical.

Q: Will Drag™ control still work if pedals are in front of the Switchbone?

A: Yes, although it is most noticeable with true bypass pedals.

Q: Can I use the Switchbone in the studio?

A: Yes of course! The Switchbone is extremely clean and will work fine in the studio. You can also use it to ‘re-amplify’ your amps or effects by recording a dry track, and then sending the signal to the Radial X-Amp which converts low-impedance signals to high-impedance guitar signals. The X-Amp would then be connected to the Switchbone.

Q: Would the Drag™ control on the switchbone help to ease some of the harshness of an acoustic guitar into a PA?

A: Although you may find that the Drag control will reduce a bit of high-end when set to maximum, because most acoustic guitars have built-in preamps, Drag has no direct connection to the pickups themselves and will have very little effect at all on active instruments. Most acoustic guitar harshness is caused by low quality direct boxes – the best solution is a higher quality DI like the Radial JDI, J48 or ProDI.

Q: Why doesn't the Switchbone have 3 switches for A, B or Y?

A: When we developed the Switchbone, one of our primary goals was to reduce 'foot stomps' during the switching process. The switchbone's noiseless opto-couplers and ToggleMode™ switching allow you to quietly (ie: with no clicks or pops – even at high amplifier gain) select either A or B to be 'ready' while still playing in the BOTH mode. In other words, with both amps on, you are selecting which amp will stay on when you next hit the BOTH switch to revert to single amp mode.

Q: Why does the Switchbone have a booster built in?

A: When transitioning from two amps to one, you may wish to have some gain to make up the difference in overall level. The Booster lets you accomplish this. It also allows both amp levels to be increased at the same time.

Q: Would the Switchbone be as effective with a modeller like the
Line6 PodXT Live? In other words, could I use the modeller as the second amp and run it to the PA system?

A: Yes! This can be loads of fun and lets you combine the tone of a
traditional amp with the exciting new tones that this new generation of
effects devices can produce.

Q: Can I use effects in front of the switchbone or is it best to have the switchbone first then effects in each path to each separate amplifier?

A: Effects can be used either before or after! If you use them before, then the Drag Control may have less of an effect as it is most noticeable when connected directly to the guitar pick-ups. Either way, it will work fine.

Q: How does the Switchbone react to fuzz and wah pedals when connected?

A: If you put a fuzz before the Switchbone, it will work better because the fuzz reacts directly to the pickup for the tone. This is the same with wah pedals. The Switchbone also has the Drag™ control that lets you dial in the right amount of load for your pickups which in my view is essential – esepcially with single coil Fender pickups. This may make the performance 'acceptable' if the fuzz is connected after but level changes on the guitar will not be as effective. Best to always connect your fuzz and wah directly to the guitar and the Switchbone (buffer) after. If your fuzz is noisy, then try the Radial BigShot EFX as this can be used to switch in your effect as needed without introducing a buffer. The Switchbone would connect after.


Q: Can the Switchbone be used to switch between 2 guitars
instead of 2 amplifiers?

A: No. Because it is a buffer or pre-amp, the amplifier capacitors stop
the signal from returning back into the signal path in effort to eliminate
noise. You could however use the Radial BigShot i/o or if you prefer to
have active EQ control, the Bassbone.

Q: Can I use the Switchbone to switch between two channels on my
amplifier?

A: Yes. This lets you use one channel for rhythm and the other for
lead. More specifically, because of the polarity reverse switch, you can
align both channels so that your amp output stays in phase.

Q: Can the Switchbone be used with electric basses and bass amplifiers?

A: Absolutely! The Switchbone works great on bass!

Q: Are there any manufacturers that make multi-power supply bricks for Tonebones?

A: Yes; The Cioks DC10 and AC10 both have 15V outlets for Tonebone pedals.

Q: If I have an older two channel amp that does not have switching, can I use a Switchbone to create a lead channel?

A: Yes. The Switchbone can be used to redirect the guitar signal to the second channel. Because the Switchbone is also equipped with a power booster, you could also increase the level for even more input drive.

Q: If I have an older two channel amp that does not have switching, can I use a pedal to drive one channel into the other like a booster?  ?

A: No. Not without accessing the internal electronics. To drive one channel into the other you would have to tap the signal from the preamp section of the amplifier and then take this signal out and run it into the second channel. Older vintage amps were not designed to do this.

Q: Can I use the Switchbone to switch between two amp channels on amps such as Vox,Fender,or Marshall 18 and 20 watters that have two seperate channels but no switching?Also,can it be used in Y mode to the same effect as jumpering the two channels?
A: Yes!

Q: Where in the chain do you connect mono guitar pedals in a stereo rig?

A: These would be connected before the Switchbone or other ABY box.

Q: I have a Whirlwind ABY box connected to a Fender and a Vox and am getting huge hum. What do I do?

A: This is a common problem with ABY boxes that do not have isolation. You need an ABY box that has transformer isolation, like the Radial BigShot ABY (turn on the transformer isolation circuit 'ISO' switch) or a n ABY with a buffered circuit, like the Radial Bones Twin City or Tonebone Switchbone, which is probably the best ABY box ever made.