9 Best ABY Pedals of 2024

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We've all had the same problem at some point — your clean amp sounds absolutely amazing, but it's somewhat mediocre at high gain. And your high-gain amp is exactly the opposite. Well, what if there was an easy way to switch between the two on the fly?

An ABY pedal splits your instrument's signal into two outputs, allowing you to switch between them at the tap of your foot without having to deal with cables.

In this article, we have picked the best ABY pedals for every use case. No matter if you're a newcomer to the pedal world or an experienced player, you'll find the right choice for you. We also included a buyer's guide so you know what to look for in an ABY pedal.

Our top pick is, without a doubt, Radial Engineering's Twin-City, as its top-quality buffers let your tone go through the pedal just as it came in. Plus, its polarity reversal switch and ground lift are easy to use and provide the best sound quality on the market.

The right ABY pedal will let you seamlessly mix your favorite amps and pedal chains, opening up a whole new world of sonic possibilities. Let's find the perfect pedal for you!

Best ABY Pedals

SPECS

• Footswitches: BOTH and TOGGLE
• Phase correction: Yes
• Power: 9-Volt DC

Anyone who's already familiar with ABY pedals knows that Radial Engineering is king. Their products go straight to the point — and the Twin-City is no exception to that.

Focused on tone and signal quality, the Radial Engineering Twin-City makes switching between amps easy. There's one switch for TOGGLE, one for BOTH, and two selectors for phase correction and ground lift. Pair that with top-notch buffers and there's little left to ask for.

To top it all off, the Radial Engineering Twin-City also offers almost military-grade durability and highly visible LED indicators, making it perfect for gigging and touring.

SPECS

• Footswitches: One multifunction switch
• Phase correction: No
• Power: 9-Volt DC

If the whole ABY concept sounds simple, it's because it is. The On-Stage GSP1000 wants to take advantage of that, offering a top-quality pedal at a ridiculously low price. Of course, some features are missing — but this may just be the perfect choice for those who want a hassle-free and straightforward option.

The mini-pedal format is ideal for players with an already-crowded pedalboard. The layout is simple — a selector switch for TOGGLE and BOTH, and one footswitch for activating the pedal. The GSP1000 is also built like a tank, and the single LED indicator makes it a great choice for taking on the road.

SPECS

• Footswitches: A and B
• Phase correction: No
• Power: 9-Volt

The Morley Gold Series ABY MIX wants to target those players looking for a more expressive experience. Instead of providing the classic absolute ABY switcher, this pedal lets you control the level of two separate input signals. This allows you to run parallel effects, multiple amplifiers, and two instruments at the same time.

While the workflow is a bit more advanced than usual, you can also use the Morley Gold Series ABY MIX as a simple ABY pedal. But pedal lovers will surely appreciate the tonal possibilities it offers. Moreover, the staple Morley premium buffer circuit will protect your tone at all times.

SPECS

• Footswitches: BOTH and TOGGLE
• Phase correction: Yes
• Power: Battery, 9-Volt DC, or 12-Volt DC

The Orange Amp Detonator wants to get the job done. One input, two outputs, and phase correction are more than enough for most cases — and this 60s-themed pedal offers exactly that. You can switch between BOTH and TOGGLE with the two footswitches, and the stylish LED at the top of the pedal will let you know which signal is currently active.

But, as with most other Orange products, things don't end there. The Amp Detonator's outputs are also buffered, helping you keep your tone and volume. Furthermore, the custom-designed isolating transformer keeps noise and hum issues at bay.

SPECS

• Footswitches: MUTE and SELECT
• Phase correction: Yes
• Power: 9-Volt DC

Stacking two amplifiers at the same time can open up hundreds of new tonal possibilities, so just imagine what stacking four can do. The Radial Headlight allows you to send a single input to four different outputs, which you can individually mute.

Each output comes with a phase inversion and a ground lift switch to avoid any possible phase cancellation and volume issues. The Radial Headlight also comes equipped with a Drag control that restores any possible tonal losses in your signal chain.

SPECS

• Footswitches: TOGGLE
• Phase correction: No
• Power: 9 to 18-Volt DC

There's nothing that we love more than two beautiful VU meters actively reacting to your playing. But the Ashdown Bass Exchange offers much more than that, allowing you to mix or switch between two different inputs and two outputs.

While the product is marketed toward bassists, it also works perfectly for other instruments. You can independently mix signal levels or mute them individually, allowing you to use the Ashdown Bass Exchange both as an ABY or a boost pedal.

SPECS

• Footswitches: One multifunction switch
• Phase correction: No
• Power: 9-Volt DC

The Fishman AFX Pocket Blender is a true tiny beast among high-quality ABY pedals. The four faders allow you to blend the stereo input into your dual amplifier setups seamlessly, while also providing four different footswitch modes.

For example, you could route your A signal to receive most of the left input and the B signal to most of your right. Then, you could either blend them or switch between them by activating the footswitch. All in all, the AFX Pocket Blender is a fantastic choice for any advanced user looking for a tiny, yet capable pedal.

SPECS

• Footswitches: A/B, A+B, and BYPASS
• Phase correction: No
• Power: 9-Volt DC or passive

If you're a hardcore pedal enthusiast, you may've noticed something missing from all of the previous entries: an FX loop. Well, the Electro-Harmonix Switchblade Pro offers not just one, but two FX loops to give you full control over your signal chain.

The mechanism behind the Switchblade Pro is not much different than other ABY signals, but the inclusion of these loops opens up a whole new sonic playground. Pair that with three LEDs and footswitches for easy usage, and you've got yourself the solution for a messy pedalboard.

SPECS

• Footswitches: BOTH and TOGGLE
• Phase correction: Yes
• Power: 9-Volt DC or passive

The Radial Engineering BigShot ABY is one of the most popular passive ABY pedals on the market — and for a good reason. The simplified workflow allows you to switch between two different signals with the TOGGLE footswitch, and the selectors let you manage phase, volume, and noise issues.

While you can use a 9-Volt supply with the Radial Engineering BigShot ABY, this will only turn on the three LEDs on the pedal. The circuit is designed to be used without any power, freeing you an extra power slot in your (hopefully) already-crowded pedalboard.

Best ABY Pedals Buyer's Guide

Now, ABY pedals may sound simple: just mix two different signals together and you're ready to go, right? Well, while there's some truth to that, some pedals take it a step further by adding ground, phase, and isolation controls, among other extra functionalities.

If you're a newcomer to the pedal world, don't worry! Here we've gathered a few important concepts you need to be aware of when buying your first ABY pedal — even if it's a rather simple one.

Phase Reversal Switch

Most popular ABY pedals offer a polarity reversal switch (also known as phase correction or simply 180°), which inverts the signal's phase. This aims to solve a phenomenon known as "phase cancellation," which is common when outputting two signals from one input.

In short, phase cancellation occurs when two similar signals interfere with each other due to polarity differences. If signal A is in a positive state and encounters a signal B that's in a negative state, you'll hear weird volume problems that interfere with your tone.

To give you an idea of how this sounds like, imagine a flanger effect — which works by creating and modulating phase issues on a signal. Acoustically, this may happen due to the distance between amplifiers that are outputting a single signal.

Most ABY pedals solve this by letting you invert the B signal by 180°. While this isn't guaranteed to fully correct phase issues, it goes a long way in keeping your tone safe.

Ground Lift Switches

Another common functionality found on ABY boxes is ground lift switches. Put simply, ground switches reduce what's known as "ground loops," which cause a low-sounding hum or buzz on your signal.

Ground loops occur when two pieces of equipment are connected to earth through their cables. In this case, this would be your pedalboard and/or your amps. You can solve this either by using highly insulated cables or by interposing a DI (direct inject) box in your signal path.

Now, depending on which amp you're using and your pedalboard, activating the ground lift may cause a whistling tone. This is because your amp may already be trying to break possible ground loop issues. As such, it's important to remember that activating the ground switch may not solve everything magically — but it's a nice feature to have.

To understand if you need an ABY box with ground switching capabilities, take a look at the back of your amp. If there's anything related to ground issues there, you may be able to gloss over this functionality. But we recommend looking for pedals that do include it just to be safe.

Blending Capabilities

Theoretically, an ABY switcher pedal should just be able to let you switch between two different signals at the tap of a footswitch. But a lot of manufacturers have also included the ability to activate them both at the same time — or even blend them together.

The concept is as simple as it sounds: by letting you control the volume of each output independently, you can seamlessly mix them together to taste.

Let's say, for example, that you're playing an acoustic guitar that's connected to a clean amp (signal A) and a high-gain amp (signal B). You could then dial in a high gain tone by simply turning up the signal B mix control instead of manually modifying the gain.

Of course, this can be used in more complex routing chains to create effects such as chorus and stereo delays. The possibilities are quite literally endless — but beginner pedal enthusiasts may not need this extra functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where do I place an ABY pedal on my FX chain?

ABY boxes are usually placed at the end of the pedal chain to split the signal in two to send it to different amps simultaneously. However, an ABY pedal may be placed anywhere on the FX chain. For example, you could place it first to divide the signal into a clean signal and a processed one.

More advanced players may opt for more complex setups, where, for example, you could split a clean signal for delays and reverbs and a high-gain one as the main tone. At its core, ABY pedals may seem simple — but the possibilities are endless.

What is the difference between AB and ABY?

Simply put, an AB pedal only lets you switch between the different signals by pressing a single footswitch. ABYs, instead, also allow you to activate the two signals at the same time, leading to hybrid tones that would otherwise be impossible to get.

Some ABY switchers, like the Morley Gold Series ABY MIX, will also allow for custom blending of the signals. These work by giving you full volume controls over both A and B — although they may be more problematic if you're looking to switch signals quickly.

Can I use an ABY pedal with both electric guitar and bass?

Theoretically, the right ABY pedal shouldn't interfere with your tone — no matter if it's a bass, a guitar, or any other instrument. However, it's important to know that some cheaper circuits do modify the tone, which could lead to some instruments sounding worse than others.

Many multi-instrumentalists use ABY pedals for this reason exclusively, as they allow them to quickly switch between instruments without having to modify their setup each time.

What are the common uses of ABY pedals?

An ABY pedal can be used for a lot of things, but the most common use for them may simply be running two amplifiers simultaneously. Similarly, advanced players may use them as a homemade distortion pedal by setting up a clean amp and a high-gain one and switching between the two.

More complex uses may include creating a stereo amp rig, a chorus effect, stereo delays, morphing tones, and much more.

Do ABY pedals affect tone quality?

A high-quality ABY pedal should not modify your tone in any way. This is partly why Radical Engineering is king in the ABY world — their top-notch buffers and circuits let your signal come through just as it was.

But you may notice a slight change in tone quality if you're using a cheaper alternative. Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as the On-Stage GSP1000 — but spending a bit more is generally worth it.

Verdict

Buying an ABY pedal may seem complicated at first, but grasping a few simple concepts will take you a long way. The most important things to determine are whether or not you need ground lift and phase inversion switches.

Then, you need to ask yourself if you just want to switch between the two signals or also blend them together. Some pedals are more focused on pure AB switching, while others want to provide you the opportunity to create hybrid tones.

But if you don't want to spend much time on the topic, we recommend you get our top pick: the Radial Engineering Twin-City. If you're a bit short on budget, you may want to take a look at the On-Stage GSP1000 instead.