# ABY switch for guitars and battery drainage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aby-switch-for-guitars-and-battery-drainage/944597>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [June 19, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aby-switch-for-guitars-and-battery-drainage/944597 "2021-06-19T01:10:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aby-switch-for-guitars-and-battery-drainage/944597/1 "2021-06-19T01:10:16Z")

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I put this is Cafe, maybe it goes in general questions

I found this 3- way ABY switch, my guy at my guitar store said he had never heard of one with more than 2, anyway I can plug 3 guitars into my amp.

I got it last weekend, and 2 days later the battery in my acoustic/electric was dead. So I thought it was because I either left the tuner on the guitar turned on, or I left the amp on for a week (I generally only play on weekends)

But today I picked it up to play, and I know definitely that the amp and the guitar tuner have been off all week. I especially made sure last weekend. Today the battery is dead again

I don’t see how it is possible that the ABY is draining power, it has no power of its own; can the amp be draining power even if it is turned off?

Could it be that I just got a bad set of batteries?

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**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aby-switch-for-guitars-and-battery-drainage/944597/2 "2021-06-19T02:30:31Z")

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My active bass switches on its electronics (therefore using power) when a cable is plugged into it. Perhaps your guitar does the same thing, and you need to unplug it when you’re not using it.

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**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aby-switch-for-guitars-and-battery-drainage/944597/3 "2021-06-19T02:33:30Z")

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That has to be it. I know TVs, or a cable box, draws some power even when off. It is minimal, may cost you 50 cents a year, but when a battery is involved, it is different.