passive Switchblade Plus is easy to work
into a crowded pile of stompboxes. It has
two switches, one for toggling between
A and B outputs, and one for selecting
both A and B outputs at once. It also
features a tuner out that can be used in
the standard fashion, or as a separate
effects send to another pedal or pedals.
Handy LEDs indicate which switch is
activated. With its convenient size and
very economical price point, the EHX
Switchblade Plus is great for the guitarist
on a budget that regularly needs to have
several signal chains going at once.
LEHLE LITTLE DUAL
Germany’s Lehle has elevated the formerly
utilitarian switcher pedal to high art,
with a product line that boasts an aweinspiring array of switchers for every
purpose and routing scenario under the
sun. On top of that, Lehle’s switchers
are genuinely beautiful, with matte silver
mushroom cap switches and elegant,
colorful enclosure designs that seem to be
strongly influenced by Nordic minimalism.
Gear nerds can definitely lust after a
28
TONE TALK //
Lehle. As I mentioned, the company is
a true innovator in the switching world,
with brilliant designs that integrate amp
switching, effects loops, MIDI, and all sorts
of other wonderful things, but they also
make a relatively basic and very robust
ABY called the Little Dual. The Little Dual
functions like a standard ABY, with two
switches, one for toggling between A and
B, and another for engaging both A and
B at once. It has a pair of bright LEDs,
phase reverse and ground lift switches,
and Lehle’s superb LTHZ transformer,
which isolates the outputs from each other
for maximum noise and hum rejection
capabilities. Unlike other ABY’s, though,
the Little Dual also features two inputs,
allowing it to be used in true stereo
fashion, and all of its switches have goldplated contacts for unparalleled sonic
and functional integrity. For players with
slightly larger gear budgets and a need for
a switcher that places a premium on tonal
integrity, Lehle is where it’s at.
5 Awesome ABYs for Your Routing Pleasure