Morley Gold Series ABY

The Morley Gold Series ABY is a passive switching pedal from Morley that routes one input to two outputs, or two inputs to one output¹. In a guitar rig that means sending one instrument to two amplifiers and choosing A, B or both, or feeding two instruments into a single amp without repatching cables. Morley calls it one of the most popular utility pedals of all time, and the current Gold Series version carries upgraded, quieter circuitry and a new look¹.

The box is completely passive, so it needs no power source to pass your signal. Power, from a standard 9V supply or a 9V battery, is only there to light the LEDs that show which channel is active¹.

What it does and how to use it

An ABY box is a routing tool, not an effect. The Gold Series ABY has one input and two outputs, and the footswitches select output A, output B, or both at once. Run it in reverse and it becomes a selector for two instruments into one amp¹. Morley describes the two directions plainly:

Guitar World's coverage of the Gold Series launch grouped the ABY-G with the ABC-G as "standard signal switchers," the streamlined end of Morley's switching range².

Where the ABY falls short is splitting a signal to run both outputs at once for the long term. Morley itself points players elsewhere for that job¹:

Power, LEDs and battery

The ABY is one of the few pedals on a board that works with nothing plugged into it. Morley states it is "completely passive so it doesn't need a power source to function"¹. Guitar World's launch coverage confirmed the same of the Gold Series ABY-G: it can operate without a power source, with only the LEDs requiring power².

• 9V DC power supply: standard pedalboard supply, powers the LEDs¹
• 9V battery: also supported, useful if you do not want another wall wart¹
• Current draw: 2 mA, light enough that a battery lasts a long time¹
• No power at all: the pedal still passes signal, you just lose the channel indicators¹

The LEDs show which channel is active, which matters most when both outputs are connected and you need to see the switching state at a glance on a dark stage¹.

True bypass and buffers

Morley lists the Gold Series ABY as True Bypass¹. In Morley's own buying guide on buffers versus true bypass, Pete Fenech explains why the ABY and ABC pedals qualify:

The trade-off with any passive, true bypass box is what happens downstream. With no buffer in the pedal, long cable runs after the split can dull your high end. That is the gap the ABY Mix fills with its premium buffer circuit, which Morley says keeps your tone preserved regardless of cable length⁴. If your rig is two short cables into two amps, the passive ABY is enough; if you are splitting across a stage, the buffered units are the better fit.

Build and warnings

The enclosure is cold rolled steel, which Morley describes as being for maximum protection¹. Dimensions are 5.25" L x 3.25" W x 2" H, roughly standard compact-pedal footprint¹. The warranty runs one year, and Morley asks that you keep your purchase receipt¹.

Where it came from

The original Morley ABY was introduced in the early 1980s¹. About a decade later, an engineer named Scott Flesher joined Morley, and his redesign of the ABY became the version players know today¹. Morley itself was founded by two brothers, Marv and Ray Lubow⁵, and the company has since described its ABY as "the industry standard ABY Switcher"⁵.

Morley's ABY family at a glance

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