Quick Bass/Guitar amp question - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

redarrow · 08-31-2004, 05:11 PM

I met a guy who plays the drums.
I play both bass and electric guitar.

We're planning to jam together sometime soon, but I need an amp bigger than my 10W practice amp.

Im mostly going to be playing bass, but I will probably jam with guitar too.

So I found a 50W Rouge bass amp on Musicians friend for $100, this would be perfect (of course I would go down to the local guitar shop and show them the ad and get it even cheaper) for my bass needs, but what about when I play guitar? Can you play guitar through a bass amp?

I can get a 30-60W guitar amp at craigslist.com or ebay and use that for my bass and guitar needs. But it would be nice only paying less than $100, then I can use the extra cash on some new strings & some effect pedals.

Thanks

warrrreagl · 08-31-2004, 09:11 PM

Hell yeah you can play guitar through a bass amp. Most amps have multiple channels, so you can pre-set one for bass guitar and another one for electric guitar (higher EQ).

The only problem might be if you have a hollow-body electric. The bass amp might encourage feedback on the vibration of the lower strings in a hollow-body.

wakelagger · 08-31-2004, 09:43 PM

Generally, using a bass on a guitar amp is a bad idea. From what I know (not much), the lower frequencies associated with the bass can blow out a speaker not designed for it (a guitar amp). Furthermore, 30-60 watt guitar amp usually won't be able to cut through the drummer, especially if he's a loud.
So either save up for a bigger amp, rent, or borrow.

Schwan · 09-01-2004, 12:23 AM

Yes, you can play a guitar through a bass amp. Bass amps are used to amplify keybords or even violins. However it does influence the kind of sound you get. The bass amp will make your guitar sound a tad deeper. The sound will not be as rich as the sound you might from a guitar amp, especially if you use effects. Think of it like this: when you use a normal guitar amp, you'll get CD quality sound (light, crisp) and if you use a bass amp, you'll get LP quality sound (not worse, but a tad deeper).

Some jazz guitar players use bass amps in order to give themselfs a deeper, more jazzy sound, but other then I think that a bass amp for a guitar is suitable for practice and practice only - unless you want to experiment, that is.

jimk · 09-01-2004, 01:13 PM

go with the bass amp if you need to do both.

stonegrody · 09-01-2004, 02:29 PM

I play guitar through a Gallien-Krueger bass amp. Two 10's and 15. I really like the fat sound I get out of it. I can also play bass out of it and they both sound great with the right amount of tweaking. I recommend a bass amp and not a guitar amp if you're going to play both. I also suggest getting something with a bit more power if you're going to play with a drummer. You'll need it. Maxing out a small amp will only make it sound like shit.

shred_head · 09-01-2004, 04:35 PM

Oh, and just to add one more thing to everybody's comments.........Rouge sucks.

tspikes51 · 09-01-2004, 06:48 PM

Yeah, you can play bass and guitar out of the same amp, although I would have to strongly disagree with purchasing Rogue products, due to their extremely low product life/durability and overall quality. I would save up another 50 bucks and go to the local guitar shop and get yourself a nice used 40+ watt amp. I would suggest the Princeton 65 by Fender, or a midrange Ampeg product. If you wanted to go new at a good price, go with the new Marshall MG series. I am using 2 15 watt amps piggybacked (wired together) for practice, and they sound great. (In case anyone was wondering why I got 2, Sam Ash sent me 2, but I only ordered and paid for one. Their mistake.)

redarrow · 09-01-2004, 08:56 PM

Ok, Ill get some more cash and buy a bigger, better amp.

I went to a guitar shop today, they had a Crate 50w amp that was fairly loud, it was $180.

08-31-2004, 05:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
redarrow Banned Location: i gotta go	Quick Bass/Guitar amp question I met a guy who plays the drums. I play both bass and electric guitar. We're planning to jam together sometime soon, but I need an amp bigger than my 10W practice amp. Im mostly going to be playing bass, but I will probably jam with guitar too. So I found a 50W Rouge bass amp on Musicians friend for $100, this would be perfect (of course I would go down to the local guitar shop and show them the ad and get it even cheaper) for my bass needs, but what about when I play guitar? Can you play guitar through a bass amp? I can get a 30-60W guitar amp at craigslist.com or ebay and use that for my bass and guitar needs. But it would be nice only paying less than $100, then I can use the extra cash on some new strings & some effect pedals. Thanks

08-31-2004, 09:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	Hell yeah you can play guitar through a bass amp. Most amps have multiple channels, so you can pre-set one for bass guitar and another one for electric guitar (higher EQ). The only problem might be if you have a hollow-body electric. The bass amp might encourage feedback on the vibration of the lower strings in a hollow-body. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed. Last edited by warrrreagl; 09-01-2004 at 04:33 AM..

09-01-2004, 01:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
jimk Addict Location: Chicago	go with the bass amp if you need to do both. __________________ raw power is a guaranteed o.d. raw power is a laughin' at you & me -iggy

09-01-2004, 04:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
shred_head Psycho Location: Atlanta, GA	Oh, and just to add one more thing to everybody's comments.........Rouge sucks. __________________ "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds" -- Albert Einstein "A clear indication of women's superiority over man is their refusal to play air guitar." --Frank Zappa

08-31-2004, 09:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
wakelagger Insane Location: Toronto	Generally, using a bass on a guitar amp is a bad idea. From what I know (not much), the lower frequencies associated with the bass can blow out a speaker not designed for it (a guitar amp). Furthermore, 30-60 watt guitar amp usually won't be able to cut through the drummer, especially if he's a loud. So either save up for a bigger amp, rent, or borrow.

09-01-2004, 12:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
Schwan A boy and his dog Location: EU!	Yes, you can play a guitar through a bass amp. Bass amps are used to amplify keybords or even violins. However it does influence the kind of sound you get. The bass amp will make your guitar sound a tad deeper. The sound will not be as rich as the sound you might from a guitar amp, especially if you use effects. Think of it like this: when you use a normal guitar amp, you'll get CD quality sound (light, crisp) and if you use a bass amp, you'll get LP quality sound (not worse, but a tad deeper). Some jazz guitar players use bass amps in order to give themselfs a deeper, more jazzy sound, but other then I think that a bass amp for a guitar is suitable for practice and practice only - unless you want to experiment, that is.

09-01-2004, 02:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
stonegrody Brooding. Location: CA-USA	I play guitar through a Gallien-Krueger bass amp. Two 10's and 15. I really like the fat sound I get out of it. I can also play bass out of it and they both sound great with the right amount of tweaking. I recommend a bass amp and not a guitar amp if you're going to play both. I also suggest getting something with a bit more power if you're going to play with a drummer. You'll need it. Maxing out a small amp will only make it sound like shit.

09-01-2004, 06:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
tspikes51 Fuckin' A Location: Lex Vegas	Yeah, you can play bass and guitar out of the same amp, although I would have to strongly disagree with purchasing Rogue products, due to their extremely low product life/durability and overall quality. I would save up another 50 bucks and go to the local guitar shop and get yourself a nice used 40+ watt amp. I would suggest the Princeton 65 by Fender, or a midrange Ampeg product. If you wanted to go new at a good price, go with the new Marshall MG series. I am using 2 15 watt amps piggybacked (wired together) for practice, and they sound great. (In case anyone was wondering why I got 2, Sam Ash sent me 2, but I only ordered and paid for one. Their mistake.)

09-01-2004, 08:56 PM	#9 (permalink)
redarrow Banned Location: i gotta go	Ok, Ill get some more cash and buy a bigger, better amp. I went to a guitar shop today, they had a Crate 50w amp that was fairly loud, it was $180.