1 guitar, 2 outputs: separate bass & treble signals?

[DavePat]

I've got a project on the go: I have a Squier Bronco that I converted into a bass IV (got the idea from another forum). As is stands, I have a coil-splitable humbucker in the middle position, one volume, one tone, one output jack.

What I would really like to do is split the output signals into 2: one with the low frequencies, another with the highs.

It seems to me that there are two obvious ways to accomplish this:

1) Separate coils for bass and treble, sending the 3 lowest strings to bass output, 3 highest to treble. One signal to bass amp, one to guitar amp. In this way, it would be like the Novax Charlie Hunter model, only for much less money, I'd hope!

2) Use a crossover. The signal would go from the guitar straight to a crossover, which would send lows to bass amp, highs to guitar amp.

Anyone have any input or suggestions?

Thanks!

[TomCarlos]

Hi Dave....

And where would you connect these outputs? Into a guitar amp that will mix them together once again so in essence you end up with where you started? The only other thing I can think of is that you need to process the pickup taps separately (like through a stereo mixer), amplify separately, then go into a Biamp speaker cab. And with guitars having a narrow range of frequency response, I am not sure it's worth it.

Maybe you can draw out the wiring diagram of the idea and how you plan to amplify - that could help us understand your end goal.

Tom

[The Dude]

Those two options will yield completely different results, IMO. So, which are you after- separating strings, or separating frequencies? Separating strings will give you basically 3 strings on each output and both will have the full range of possible EQ- bass and treble. Using a crossover will give you all strings at both outputs with lower frequencies on one output and higher frequencies on the other. So, it really depends on your goal and we don't know what that goal is.

[JoulyCreem]

Hi. I’m actually a bit puzzled by your project. If you’ve got any inspirational materials, please share them. It would really help me understand what your idea is about. Have you already searched for any tutorials on the topic? Is there anything on youtube? But, actually, you know, when I was only studying how to play guitar and took one of my first Plectrums in my hand, it was really hard to find any tutorials. That’s why I was really lucky to have a father who’s the greatest guitar player I’ve ever seen. He’s never done it professionally, but he’s taught a lot. So, I guess nowadays there are enough materials on youtube, etc.

[Mark Hammer]

A local jazz guitarist has a custom 7-string with a fanned fretboard. The lowest 3 strings are for bass and have their own Graphtech saddle pickup and output, in addition to a Lollar 7-string humbucker up near the fingerboard. The piezo saddles (mixed down to mono) and humbucker each have separate outputs.

[glebert]

To me this sounds like the Rickenbacker Rick-o-sound approach, but with two smaller pickups with one under bass strings and one under treble.

[tedmich]

I think Charlie Hunters 8 string guitar has bass and treble blended into a single output (I could be wrong). He uses one big Ampeg to help him get the bass but of course thats only good for a round jazz tone on the guitar side. The crossover design would require power, which may be OK but theres a reason passive guitars are so loved, only recently have 1/2 9v batts been eclipsed by modern battery tech. The next step might be a guitar stand with wireless charging on a good lithium battery system but then your guitar (like your new car) becomes a cell phone...