F-2B Stereo and Effects

[rv_bass]

When using a Series I guitar in stereo, how do I set up the effects pedals going into a F-2B when using both channels?  Since there is no effects send/receive on the F-2B, do I have the effects run through only one channel, or is there a way to set it up somehow so that the effects are applied to both channels? 

Thanks,
Rob

[David Houck]

One thing you can do is run your neck pickup to one channel of the F-2B and the bridge pickup to the second channel; this lets you further EQ each pickup.  Then come out of the F-2B in mono and into your effects chain.

Delays, reverbs, pitch effects, etc, will do well between the preamp and the power amp.  However, for something like a drive or distortion, you may prefer these come before the preamp.  In this case, if you still wish to preserve the separate preamp channels for the pickups, then perhaps one drive pedal dedicated to the neck pickup and a different drive for the bridge pickup.  This would give you an even greater tonal palette.

[hieronymous]

That's one of the challenges of running in stereo! It's a puzzle with a lot of different ways to put the pieces together. Moder Dave gives some good possibilities - it often depends on the effects and the results you are looking for.

[lbpesq]

Here's my "sort of stereo" solution.  I run mono out of my guitar into my pedalboard.  Then it's mono out of the pedal board into the first input of channel A on my F-2B.  I then jumper a cable from the second input in channel A to the first input in channel B. (This is an old Fender trick, called "jumpering".  The second input in channel A functions as an output, sending the signal to the first input in channel B).  I then tweak channel A of the F-2B to accentuate the highs and channel B to accentuate the lows.  Then I run the F-2B in stereo into a stereo power amp, with each side going to its own 1x12 cab.  Currently, I'm experimenting with either stacking the two 1x12s, or setting them up side-by-side.

Bill, tgo

[rv_bass]

Thanks for the suggestions, it is a bit of a puzzle!

I was hoping to send each pickup to a separate channel, so I will try David’s suggestion first.  The pedals are reverb, drive, Sarno black box, and envelope.  I’ll try the reverb and envelope between the preamp and amp, and separate drive pedals for each preamp chanel and see how that goes.  Probably put the black box between the preamp and amp as well. I have two slightly different speakers and was thinking of dedicating one to each channel. So, I was hoping to have each pickup going to its own channel with a separate speaker for each channel (power amp has two channels as well), but I’ll have to think about if that is worth it or not.  Probably too much of a hassle in the end.

If all that doesn’t work I’ll try Bill’s jumper suggestion, which sounds like a good alternative.  Thanks again for your thoughts!

[rv_bass]

...although it might be interesting to see what it sounds like with drive and envelope on one pickup and the other pick up clean; or drive with no envelope on one pickup and envelope with no drive on the other pickup...time to experiment...

[hieronymous]

You could always have a dual-pedalboard too - distortion, envelope, etc., but different pedals for the two pickups. Bootsy Collins does that - he would have multiple (3, 4, even 5?!!) pickups in his Star Bass, each going to a different envelope filter!

[David Houck]

If the pedals between the preamp and power amp are stereo, with two inputs and two outputs, you can maintain the separation all the way through the chain.

[keith_h]

You could run into problems putting instrument level effects on the line level outputs of the F-2B. Most stomp boxes will be instrument level. Rack units will typically have a line level input/output and possibly an instrument level input. Also effects that depend on instrument amplitude, such as and envelope filter don't always work well when not inserted between the instrument and preamp input.

[rv_bass]

David, thanks for the additional comments.  Keith, thanks for the insight on functionality, helps limit the choices since I’m using instrument level effects not rack mounted.  I’ll work out a system and post the results when finished.  Thanks!