Double Neck Bass / Guitar wiring. One output or two?

[vanstry]

I'm thinking about building a double neck, with the top being a P-Bass and the bottom being a 6 string guitar set up with the Ibanez HH style pickups. The question is, two sets of controls (volume / tone) and two output jacks, or one?

The advantage of two outputs is two separate pedal chains and two separate amps, as Bass and Guitar have different needs and requirements. The advantage of one is less gear and only one cord.

I'm still in the design stage, so nothing is in concrete yet. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Logrinn]

You can always connect it to two different amps with just one output if you use a stereo jack. With a stereo cable connected that you split before reaching each of the amps you should be good to go.

 

[Cagey]

Might need a buffer to do that. Anytime you parallel ins or outs (which is what a cable splitter does), you cut their impedance roughly in half, which changes how things behave. Fortunately, buffers are inexpensive.

 

[Rick]

Might be worth looking at some Jerry Garcia guitar configurations.  Also, the Ovation Preacher had stereo function.  It had an onboard pre-amp.

 

[swarfrat]

Guitar/Bass I'd run separate outputs. How often do you want to run bass through your guitar amp? Or guitar through your bass amp?

 

[Cagey]

Good point. Might be a bit limiting. But, what if you're running through a modeler? Switch necks, switch presets to a bass amp/cab combination.

 

[Rick]

Or have 4 outputs, two stereos, that you get to lug around 4 amps.

 

[vanstry]

Guitar/Bass I'd run separate outputs. How often do you want to run bass through your guitar amp? Or guitar through your bass amp?

There are bass amps that sound okay with a guitar, but with a lot of guitar amps, I'd be afraid of doing actual damage. At first I was thinking of doing this with just one cord and a switch, but after talking to my friend an instructor, he thought separate chains would be a better idea. So I'm sort of leaning that way.

I don't know about the stereo cable bit, I've seen others talk about it, but then what happens if someone accidentally plugs in a mono cable?

Thanks for the comments! I appreciate it.