Question about live performance

[JukeboxHero]

I'm sorry if this has been asked already.. I did a search and found nothing, but perhaps I'm using the wrong search term because this seems like a common question.

 

I'm performing on saturday night. I have to move to various places throughout the performance. I installed a Fishman Neo D passive soundhole pickup in my guitar so that I can run it right into the PA (up until 2 am doing that last night!!). I need to be able to turn it off before I set it down so that it doesn't feed back when I walk away from it. I can't just unplug (unless I want to startle everybody out of their seats and possibly blow a speaker in the PA system).

 

Is there a passive footswitch that punches in/out silently?

 

The reason I specify PASSIVE electronics is because I want to keep it as simple as possible. I have a 2 year old Washburn that has built in active electronics.. I've used the electronics twice at two different gigs and its too flakey to depend on. The EQ sliders are too noisy to use during a performance, and the stupid thing ocassionally cuts out for no reason. The only way to make it come back on is to turn the volume all the way down, then all the way up, then back to where the volume was originally set. I don't believe that its a battery problem. Its a D10CSE with Washburn's WT-82 tuner/preamp system. I just had a buddy spray it all down with some sort of electronic cleaner spray, but I haven't yet tried it again to see if it works. To be honest the knobs on the electronics feel too cheap for me to ever be willing to rely on it. This thing plays okay but it just feels like a toy to me. I bought it sight-unseen based on the HC ratings.. Thats a mistake I will NEVER make again!!! This hunk of junk was a complete waste of my money. I resent Washburn so much for making it that I will NEVER buy another Washburn product...

 

BTW I've always played electric, so I'm new to the acoustic world. The other solution is just use my strat and turn the volume down before walking off.

 

Thanks very much for any suggestions you can give.

 

Edit: BTW I added the Neo D to another acoustic that I like better which had no built-in electronics.

[Stackabones]

Maybe you could use an A/B box: plug the guitar into the A and leave the B unused, so when you set the guitar down just click to the unused B.

 

Or, how about a volume pedal?

 

Good luck on Sat.

[JukeboxHero]

Thanks... this looks like it would work... This is not going to end well though with the wife... a $35 pickup has already turned into a $49 pickup with a $9 endpin jack.. and now a $35 A/B Box... Or maybe an acoustic processor...... ahh, see what I mean!?!?!

[RainsongDR1000]

How about either turning the guitar around in the guitar stand

so the neck from the stand mutes the strings or laying your strap across the strings so they don't reverberate?

[Vere]

tuner pedal have a mute out?

another pedal that has a level you can turn all the way down (a distortion or eq with a volume knob)?

[d28andm1911a1]

I got an A/B box for that but I don't use it much.

Someone should make a on off box. What I would like is an on/off box with a 1/4 line and a XLR line so I can turn off both the guitar and my mic when I take a break.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Buy a switched cable....it shuts off the signal when you unplug or switch instruments. Very simple to use and not very expensive (mine cost about $15)...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/src=SearchDex/search/detail/base_pid/331361

 

Happy Holidays...Yours, Mine, Ours!

[Kozmo]

If just turning the chanel down on the PA is not an option, one thing I used to do was put the guitar in the guitar stand and drape a small towel over the strings hanging down on either side. This mutes the strings. I allways like having a sweat towel on stage anyway, so it is already there. Its also a freebie.