Guitar Amps

A: Concerning the unsure outcome of playing bass or guitar: You can play guitar through a bass amp, but not bass through a guitar amp. It’s a one way street. So get the bass amp.

Since I don’t know how interested you are in bass, getting a cheap small amp could give you a horrible sound and be a complete turnoff. Get something decent. You don’t have to spend top dollar, but go to a local shop, a Guitar Center if you have one around, and try things out. You’ll run across something you like. If you think it’s too expensive, get the name and model and look it up online. Win/win

X

Q: Is it ok to play a bass guitar on a regular guitar amp, or should i invest in a bass amp?
I’ve got a regular guitar amp, would it sound like shit if i played a bass guitar on it? Should i not use it for a bass guitar?

A: The problem with playing a bass through a guitar amp is that it will eventually ruin the speaker in the amp or cabinet. The speakers in most guitar amps are not meant to handle the constant low frequencies put out by bass guitars. It won’t really hurt the amp at all and you could probably get away with it if you have decent speakers and played at a very , very low volume. But what fun is that? lol ,buy yourself a good bass amp and crank it up!

Q: Can I plug a Bass guitar into a guitar amp without harming the instrument or amp?
I have a bass but no bass amp, But I was wondering if I could plug it into a guitar amp instead. My friend (non-experienced) said it would harm the amp and the bass if I had them plugged into one another. Is this true or am I in the clear to do that?

A: Most everyone has given you the right answer so far: Yes, it’s possible, but do so only at low volumes.

The only thing I wanted to add is why it could hurt the speaker but not the bass. The bass is sending a signal to the amp. The bass doesn’t receive a signal and therefore couldn’t really be damaged. The amp receives a signal and puts it out over the speakers. If this signal is too much for the speakers to handle, they could be blown. So technically the only thing at risk is the actual speakers.

One tip is to buy a DI or some sort of preamp that has a headphone jack.

Stephen

http://guitarmann.com

Q: Can you use an electric bass guitar with an electric guitar amp?
I have an electric guitar and i want to buy a bass guitar and i have a bass amp. So why not use my electric guitar amp.

A: You need a bass amp, because a guitar amp is not designed to play the low notes a bass guitar plays. You will wear out the speaker(s) in it pretty quick if you use it. Why use the guitar amp if you have a bass amp?

Q: Can you see the difference between an Electric guitar amp and a Bass amp?
I want to switch from acoustic to bass but i honestly cant see the difference between them and what is a good brand for a bass guitar and amp?

A: Your question and description are a bit confusing but ill take a shot at answering it.

There is a big (I wouldn’t say huge) difference in Acoustic and Bass guitars. Obviously they sound different but the parts to actual songs are usually different. I dont know what kind of music you play but in a regular song, the acoustic guitar will play ‘lead’ (you might also have a rhythm part with another guitar) and the bass will play a rhythm part (for lack of a better word).

I have started playing bass myself and am enjoying it very much. I bought an Epiphone SG Cherry Bass for $320 AU and amp off Ebay for $80. These are very cheap prices for bass equipment, although good for a starter. You could go the same way or decide to get a more expensive guitar for $5/6/700 +++.

I would recomend Epiphone, Ibanez or Gibson if you want to play Rock/Metal. Or Fender/Yamaha for a clean jazz sound

Q: Is it possible to turn a stereo amp into a bass guitar amp?
I have an old stereo amp that I want to use to play bass guitar on. I don’t get the proper tone that is needed with just that. I also have a small (practice size) bass amp (BP-15). Is there a way to connect the two together to make a cheep bass amp head? I would be using separate speakers. Thanks for advise cool cool

A: I’ve run a guitar directly into a stereo, and I agree, the sound is too clean.

If there is an output plug running from the practice amp, you should be able to connect it to the stereo and any distortion or effects will come through to the stereo amp. You may need to make the correct type of cord to do this.

If the practice amp does not have an output, you should be able to have an electronics repairman or a music shop guy who knows amplifiers put one in, but I don’t have any idea what that would cost.

Q: Can you use a bass guitar amp with an electric guitar or do I need a new amp?
I’m getting an electric guitar and I already play bass and want to know if I can use my bass amp with the guitar or if I need a new one.

A: your bass amp is great for guitar, but a guitar amp can be ruined with a bass.

check out this 2-string bass

http://www.geocities.com/washtubbass/cardboardbass.html

Q: Can I use my bass guitar amp as additional speakers for my DVD player?
It’s a Ibanez SWX35 bass guitar amp, and it has CD/mp3 in ports. Do I just connect the DVD player’s audio out to the CD/mp3 in ports? Also, any way so that I can use my existing speakers with the bass amp too?

Lastly, would it damage the bass amp?

A: When I first started playing the bass I was in dire need of more power… So a friend and I decided to unscrew the amp, remove the central console and start figuring out where to connect these massive speakers that we had… So after a couple of tries making contact here and there we found a couple of 2cm ( 0.787401575 inches ) long metal thingies and connect the speakers coax cables to them and it worked…

It actually sounded louder, it was a 50W amp and with the “upgrades” I was able to play at parties, so it does work.

Of course dismounting your amp sounds discouraging, but I never had any trouble, it’s not that tricky and there aren’t any things that are going to come undone if you unscrew your amp, of course you have to be careful not to yank any cable or anything. And putting it back together it’s easy as well, of course having to repeat the whole operation may be a hassle.

The amp didn’t seemed to have suffered any damage, and I squeezed out every watt that poor little amp had to offer XD.

Pertaining the DVD player, I don’t know precisely but I think it’s just a matter of pluging cables here and there. I don’t have much experience with new amps.

Good luck.

Q: If i use headphones, Can I damage my guitar amp by playing a bass through it?
I just bought a new bass guitar… but i don’t have a bass amp yet.

I have some very nice headphones that I usually plug into my amp while i play guitar at night.

I know that playing bass at high volume through a guitar amp can cause damage to the speaker, but what if I use my headphones? Can the amp still be damaged if I use headphones?

A: no it cannot. I wouldn’t push the thing to its limits…but that’s definitely ok to do.

Q: use bass guitar with electric guitar amp?
is it possible to use a bass guitar with my electric guitar amp?
do i need specifically a bass amp?

A: You can use it, but it won’t sound as good as a regular bass amp. Keep the volume, and treble down so you don’t get distortion.

Q: Does anyone know if Orange Amplifiers makes a bass guitar amp?
And do you know if Line 6 bass amps are good? My father has a line 6 guitar amp and loves it, so i’m guessing the bass amp will be pretty chill too.

A: Yes, Orange makes bass amps. I’m guessing they’re pretty expensive though!

Line 6 bass amps aren’t very good; they’re modeling amps. This means you don’t get much of your bass’s actual tone, but the amp’s internal processors trying to sound like a different amp. Sometimes they almost get it right, other times not really. There are a lot of way better brands out there for the price. If you’re looking for a really small practice amp, check out a Peavey MAX 126 or 158. If you want something a bit more powerful, check out Ashdown or Acoustic.

Hope you find what you’re looking for =)
Cheers!

Q: Can you use a bass guitar amp with an electric guitar?
I play electric guitar and already have an amp for it..but my grandmother bought me another one. Its a bass amp though. Can I use that one with my guitar or no?

A: Sure you can. It won’t sound too great. Bass amps are made for more low end tones. Not so much the mid to high ends put out by an electric guitar.

But never play an electric bass guitar through a normal electric guitar amp. You’ll blow the speaker in no time.

Q: What’s the difference between a Bass Amp and a Guitar Amp?
What’s the difference between a Bass Amp and a Guitar Amp?

Can you play a bass or guitar in the opposite amp without wrecking the amp or instrument?

A: The preamp section of the amps are voiced differently. Meaning that they are meant for different frequencies. However, it is popular with some guitarists to play through bass amps especially an old fender bassman. There are even examples of bass players using guitar amps (but, i think it sounds like crap.) It should have no effect on the instrument, but a bass could wreak havoc on a guitar amp.

Q: Electric guitar through bass amp dilemma?
Hi, I’ve been wondering for years about this and never really found a definitive answer.
I’m a guitarist and bassist. Playing a bass through a guitar amp would kill it.
So I’m planning to get a new bass amp to practice both guitar & bass.
Is this the best thing to do?

A: A bass amp isn’t ideal for the electric guitar. Electric guitar amps roll off a lot of high end and emphasize mids, while bass guitars emphasize the lows and keep a lot of that high end for the “snap” and “attack” of the strings and fret noise. Overall, a bass amp is built for headroom, ie, being able to put out a lot of clean volume, while a guitar amp is built to put out a limited frequency range, specializing in where the electric guitar sounds the best.

Some bass amps sound great with guitars…. I’m thinking of the Fender Bassman, a bass amp that many guitarists have loved to play through ever since they came out way back when. However, most modern bass amps are too clean to fit a guitar without some pedals in between.

So in my general opinion, to play an electric through most bass amps, you would either want a multifx pedal (which benefits from a lot of clean headroom) or some sort of preamp in between to kinda dirty it up a bit. EQ probably wouldn’t hurt either.

Saul

Q: Difference between bass amp and guitar amp?
Hi I’m picking up the bass guitar and i already own a regular guitar amp (Fender Deluxe 90 DSP) and was wondering if there will be a huge difference between just cranking up the bass on my regular amp or using an actual bass amp. Will there be a huge difference?

Thanks!

A: The difference is huge you must have a bass amp for a bass or it will sound horrible it will sound like a wannabe guitar which can affect your song a lot and plus the bass amp can go way louder with lower sounds without giving feedback.

A: Check them out, plug in and play through them with the guitar you like best. Fender and Marshall are the best tube amps, they have a warmth, and tone that is the best, but if you like the sound of a non-tube amp go with it….your opinion and what you like is as important as anyone else. Tube Amps are usually heavier, than solid state.
You can always look at the lower cost Marshall’s they have good sound, and are smaller and easier to carry around. I love my Fender Twin Reverb, but it’s like carrying around a car engine. I got a smaller Marshall that is mostly solid state but has a tube or 2 for warmth, much cheaper, much lighter. Play them all…if they won’t let you, take your business elsewhere.

Q: I’m looking fo CHEAP elec guitars /amps?
I need a cheap guitar and amp, soon. NEW OR USED! i am a beginner, and i need one soon!! if you have one for sale please reply, or if you know where to get one please say. Vancouver BC area.

A: Well I got my electric Gibson for Christmas with a five watt amp from Best Buy and it was like 125-150 something like that. It works great and you get a how to DVD with it that will teach you how to play if you don’t already know how and you get pics, extra strings and a strap it’s really a great deal. It gives off great sound also. They are a lot easier to learn on than accoustic trust me.

Q: Need help buying a guitar please?
I’d like to learn to play guitar. I’m not “starting a band” or hoping to be a musican professionally. I just want to play. I don’t know anything about guitars, what to look for etc. I stopped in to a music store to look and the sales guy just confused me with things like “Humbuckers” and “single coils” and “hollowbody” “solidbody” and “semisolidbody” and glued necks vs bolted necks, “sustain” etc…I left feeling stupid.

I don’t know what to buy. I like both classic rock and country music. I’d like a guitar I can play both on. I also know nothing about gear for the guitar…Amps, cases, cords, polishing, humidity???

Please help if you have knowledge in this area…thanks.

A: I’ve been playing the guitar for 364 days, tomorrow will be 1 year. I’m not really an expert on guitar because I’m a beginner, but I’ll try my best to help you.
If you want to play both classic rock and country music, you should probably buy an electric-acoustic guitar. Oh, and probably the best place to go to is Sam Ash music store ( I hope it’s not the store you went to =] )
I am totally clueless when it comes to gears. Sorry I can’t help you on that case.

Good luck!

Q: Can anyone recommend a bass amp for me?
I’m a guitar player that recently picked up bass (4 string) to use in recording, and now I am being offered a spot in a semi-professional heavy metal band to play bass. I need a bass amp that can handle gigs in clubs and outdoors, is pretty reliable and is about 400 dollars. Can anyone recommend something – the sales people at the local store have been pretty worthless. I know my guitar amps, but have no idea about bass amps, how many watts I need, etc. Thanks!

A: You need you a rig that has good power, and at least 4-10’s or 2-15’s for outside. A budget of $400 won’t buy you much on the line of a good rig, but you might try a mail order place like www.americanmusical.com and get around the sales tax, which will help on the overall cost. Hartke is a little expensive, but you can get a Behringer 300W head for about $200 and a BA115 cabinet for about $200, putting your price at $400 give or take. Good Luck!

Q: OK, Rock ‘n Pop, you’ve been incredibly useful so far… (Guitar related question)?
This will probably be my last guitar related question, at least for a couple months…

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Special-II-Electric-Guitar-100001870-i1149986.gc

Great price, but is it a good guitar?

Decent, affordable amps?

Throwing out a question: Would anybody happen to know if Apple has sales during the holiday season?

MQ: Which guitarist do you think has the most distinct guitar? Your favorite?

My answer to both is Clapton.

http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/cms/2004/large/Eric_Clapton_4_-_Crossroads_Guitar_Fest_2004_-_lg.6219849.jpg

He uses it quite often, and I just think it looks awesome.

A: It looks fine to me. You can’t really go wrong with Epiphone, no matter the price. As for a decent, affordable amp, go for a Line 6 Spider III 15 watt amp. I own that and a Line 6 75 watt and use it as a practice amp. It’s great because it’s only 100 bucks and has a great sound and 7 different built in effects.

Billy Gibbons has one of the most original guitars I’ve ever seen. It’s white and has a layer of fur all around it.
http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/ZZ%20Top%20Gibson%20furry%20guitars.jpg
Aside from him, Zakk Wylde also has very distinct guitars.

Q: Which guitar/amp would be good for me?
Alright so i’m still a pretty novice player. I’ve only been playing for around 8-9 months but i’m starting to get the hang of it. Learning some beginner Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer songs. stuff like that. also starting looking into some easier death metal songs like Pursuit of Vikings by Amon Amarth.

anyway that’ll give you an idea of what genre i like and want to play. So far i’ve just been using a Wal-Mart guitar and amp my dad got me for christmas a few years ago. I think it cost him like a 100 bucks or somthing. anyway not the greatest stuff point being. but he said soon i can get a new guitar and i want to know wat kind/brands i should look into.

I’m probably going to futur shop i think cuz the one near me just opnened up a decent guitar and music section and has lots of stuff on sale to start getting customers there. they hav like Washburns, Schecters, Fenders, Yamaha, Squiers. i think thats mostly wat they have. so keeping in mind that i intend to play mostly thrash/death metal which of those brands would be pretty good for me? or are there other ones i should check out as well first?

as for amps i was thinking of getting a Marchall. they got a 30watt one (i forget the actual model it is) on sale for like 225 bucks i think which is a pretty good deal i think anyway. i herd marshalls are really good amps so ill probably go with that one unless someone rly thinks otherwise.

anyway sorry for the long question and thanks for the help. rock on!! m/ xD

A: Get a Schecter, and stick with the Marshall

Q: Items sent overseas?
I’m planning on having my cousin buy my bass parts and amps in the states and sending it to Australia, but don’t know what the costs will be? I was just looking on the Fender Au. website and found this:

” Many overseas internet sites that you may be looking at may not quote you the price inclusive of their local taxes, freight to Australia, Australian duty (which is applicable to guitars and amps) customs clearance charges, port charges and surcharges and other government charges which may also include a quarantine inspection charge, and GST. The price quoted also may not be in Australia dollars. The price does not include warranty outside the country of sale.”

Will the items be charged for inspection, taxes, freight etc. (everything included in the text)?

A: Your items will be taxed (tariff), freight charge, duty and clearance fees, documents fees, quarantine charge and if it’s not clear right the way, you have to pay for the container that sits on the dock, I’m sure left something out…What they’re not telling is that you need to hire a freight brokerage company to receive it for you…

Below is a website for the freight brokerage companies in Australia…call around and compare quotes (you will need to find out the container size, it will probably be a 20′ container) and make sure they have insurance. These companies have a better understanding of how imports works and will have a better answers for you..

To me? I think it cost for shipping, taxes, duties, clearance and transport charge outweigh the cost of the items you want to have it sent…In any case, good luck to you and hope this will help you find the right answers.

Q: I need help with a guitar amp choice?
so i came out of a local music store with a Peavey Vypyr 30. It was between this, the Marshall MG30, and the Marshall Microstack. I chose this amp because i was very pleased with the wide range of effects i could play with, and i found the sound was better than the Marshall MG30, with alot more versatility. However, I have always heard that marshall are the cream of the crop when it comes to amps, however the sales guy said that that statement was true mostly in their larger tube amps. He said that for a first amp, this was the much better purchase.

So basically, i wanted to see what other musicians thought of my choice. They have a 7 day return policy and i could take it back for a marshall, although the 23 included effects are pretty sweet, but ive heard that Peavys arent high qual. Opinions please and thanks.

A: Marshall amps are known for their high quality, but not all Marshall amps are great. You made a good choice to go for the Peavey. The MG series is where Marshall falls short. The salesman was right. Only their larger tube amps live up to the standards of most musicians.

I’d say you made a good choice. And whoever said Peavys aren’t high quality is wrong. Try out a Peavey Valve King

Q: Need help deciding between two amps…?
Ok..its between this one…

http://www.electric-guitar-review.com/2006/03/29/review-fenders-reissue-blues-deluxe/
which is on sale for $560

or this one

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/guitar_amplifiers/vox/ad50vt/index.html
which is also on sale for..$250

the top one is full tube but it costs a lot more….i don’t think i’m going to be doing any gigs with it or anything.. just playing around the house…depends on how long it lasts…anyways..im just wondering which one is best to get for the money?

A: depends on what kind of music you play.tops more of a bluesy vintage sound and you don’t have to mess around with it too much to find what you’re looking for in terms of that.the description also says it’s good to gig with because of the fast set up,but if that’s not what you’re gonna be doin…..
bottom seems like a good amp that you can play different styles with.probably not going to get anything all too unique as far as sound goes (because the amps not really aimed at one i mean) but still does a good job of letting you mess around different with stuff at home
i would personally take the top one.pretty cool lookin fender
but for what you’re lookin for,sounds more like the bottom one and vox isn’t bad

Q: Can someone recommend me a Guitar Amp…?
I’m looking to spend about $300-$500
I’ve been looking at different amps around at local music shops but i keep getting mixed reviews online
(ie. behringer not being that good, Marshall is your best bet, stay away from line 6 etc. etc.)
I was thinking about getting a Behringer LX-110 or VT30FX or Marshall MG30FX since they are on sale
This will be my first amp but I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for a couple years
Just so people know I have a electric guitar too

A: OK. Forget about a Behringer, and get a Marshall or any Fender amp. This is just my opinion but I have owned Behringer and Marshall and Fender before.

Q: Acustic Amps?
Hey have been searching all over and this is my last attempt.
Do any of you musicians out there remember a guitar amp co. named Acustic? And if so would any of you know of a place were I might find one for sale Base amp
Thanks
Steel

A: i honestly didn’t know there was such thing…
i would go to a music shop… and just ask them about it. you might get better luck.

Q: For Sale!!!!!!?
i have a electric guitar … it is a replica of a fender strat .. and i have 2 fender amps.. Frontman 25R and a G-DEC … i am looking to sell all of these contact me for more info.

A: you could sell it super fast on ebay!

hope you get what it’s worth.

Q: Which guitar combo amp is a better choice: Line 6 Spider Valve 112 or Marshall AVT150?
I have recently been able to upgrade to a better amp and have rounded them down to either the Line 6 Spider Valve 112 and a Marshall AVT150. The Spider Valve cost around $450 used and the Marshall cost $400. Here is the link to the Marshall AVT150 for sale: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104876405
and this is the link to the Line 6 Spider Valve for sale: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104856299
They are both Valve-State amps but each one varies a lot. Please if you have any advice or comments, please write them down and post them here for me. Thank you very much for your help and time.

A: well i play drums and i know you
could prolly find both for cheaper on
musicians friend but the line 6 hands down
marshell is rad but your pick alot less amp

so line 6 lqtm

also musicians friend its worth it

Q: Are you going to the Salvation Army or Value Village 50% off sales today?
I’m doin’ Value Village. I like to see if they have any jean jackets. I already own like 11 but gotta get rid of about 9 of them for being a bit too small. They’re all 36. Went to Salvation Army on Friday and got an old western pearl snap plaid shirt, it’s okay. I’ve got a lot of those lately. Salvation Army kind of sucks. These places never carry amps or guitars. I don’t know why except people sell them to pawn shops or online, Goodwill would sell them on their website, unless it’s kinda low-goods so they sell like 60’s global acoustic for $15 that ain’t even worth $2 with messed up frets and general 60’s MIJ cheapness. Salvation Army sometimes has books. They have cool records like The Sunshine Company or Mimi and Richard Farina but I kinda quit collecting when you can generally download things. Still fun to search for records with sexy girls on the cover. Yeah..

A: I went yesterday, although the stuff I hid with my friend were gone.
But i got alot of stuff.
-clothes
-jewelry
-accesories
and i’m pretty happy with what i got (:

Q: Would this be loud enough to play with my band?
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BX1200.aspx

this is the amp i wanna get. i know its discontinued but GC has it for sale in the used section. i think it says something about you can add additional cabs to it so i might do that. My band consists of 2 guitar players with 100 watt amps and a drummer. Please only people that know what they’re talking about…….Also if you know can i hook up a PA speaker to the amp instead of buying a cab?? thanks for your help.

A: I don’t think these have external cabinet jacks.
This amp is really only 60 watts – Behringer cheats and rates them with 4 ohms, when 8 is standard.
Get the 3000 Behringer, which has 150 watts at 8 ohms and a 15 inch speaker.
It is a heavy sucker and a strange shape – you need a small dolly to not kill yourself to move it.

A: Try Carvin Tube Amps.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/amplifiers.php

They are all nice, especially the Legacy’s. But they are very expensive.
They have about three other tube amp models, each with different setups. You can get Combo tube amps, or half/full stacks.

I would recommend the X100B series. They sound very nice, and are pretty affordable.

Q: Can you recommend a good 5 watt or less tube guitar amp?
I’m looking for a good tube (valve) guitar amp for home us and some light jamming. I’d prefer 5w or less, and don’t really want to spend more than $750. It can be either a head or combo.

I’m a beginning guitarist, and play blues, 60’s pop, and some rockabilly. NO METAL!
I’m cosidering the Blackheart Little Giant and the Epiphone Valve Junior. Any others?

A:
I just bought an Epiphone Valve Jr, and I love it. It even sounds good through my Marshall stack, without any pedals or other junk that I’ll be playing through it. =)

Have you heard the Fender Champ? That might be a way to go. Their rep is that they’re pretty clean, but sweet. Might be what you’re looking for, but then again, you might want to throw a Tubescreamer into the mix….

Saul

Q: How does a Tube Guitar Amp Work?
I have a solid state amp and am thinking about getting a tube amp and I’m a little confused about how they work. When do you use the standy and on switches and care for the amp properly?

A:
The principle is the same. Signal comes in, and instead of transistors, at each tube this small signal on one side of the tube influences the much larger signal flowing through the other side of the tube, so that the output signal is almost identical to the input signal, just much larger. Repeat three to five times, add some caps and resistors and whatnot for EQ, and that’s the basics of a tube amp. Well, the super simple explanation.

To make that transferal of small signal to large signal a vacuum tube needs some juice – some heat. To get ‘em hot takes a few seconds. So to get the power flowing you turn on the power, but the full voltage isn’t applied to the tubes… don’t want to hit ‘em with too much juice at once. So that’s what the standby switch is all about. Turn on the power, wait a minute, then turn it from standby to on. The manual that came with my Mesa Boogie suggested a turn-on time of about a minute, so that’s what I go by with every tube amp that I use.

If you have the amp on but won’t be playing it for a while (10+ minutes), flip it to standby for that time period. When you’re ready to turn it off, flip it to standby, wait a minute, then turn it all the way off.

I don’t think that *not* doing this will break your amp or anything, but tubes aren’t built as well these days as they used to be, and you want to maximize their lifespan. Doing this stuff keeps ‘em alive a lot longer… and reduces the chance of them blowing during a gig!

Oh yeah, and never turn an amp all the way on unless it’s plugged into a speaker cab. It damages the amp. Apparently it’s okay with solid state amps, but it is *not* *not* *not* with tube amps.

So don’t do it. Always double-check to make sure the amp is plugged into the speaker cabinet before you flip that switch off of standby.

…

Oh yeah, ratings. Amps are rated for how much clean power they can deliver. Transistor amps function by delivering clean power pretty much up until they saturate/overload at which point they sound like crap. Tube amps with the same power rating will saturate sooner, much sooner, long before they overload, and so can deliver less clean power. What that means is that if amp A is solid-state and can deliver 100w, it will be rated at 100w. If amp B is a tube amp and can deliver the same power rating, it may only be able to deliver 40-60 watts of clean power… of even less! After that it starts to distort. It still delivers the power, but the signal isn’t clean… it has distortion, or harmonics, added to it. Interestingly enough, these harmonics tend to be musically pleasing to our ears, and we tend to hear them as pleasant, sweet, chimey, etc.

So what I’m trying to say is that the tube amp rated 50 watts is actually going to be just as loud, and probably a lot, lot louder, than that solid-state amp rated at 100 watts. I say this from personal experience.

Tube amps are fun… swapping tubes out can color your amp tone in interesting new ways, and can sometimes add that sparkle you’ve been looking for.

Ummm… don’t swap out power tubes without asking a tech if it needs to be re-biased. You don’t have to rebias for preamp tubes (12ax7, etc), and those are a lot of fun to swap out. Try JJ’s, I like them a lot.

Don’t let your amp get too cold, don’t leave it in the car or garage overnight (at least the head), etc. Swap out the tubes every year or two, or if you play it a lot (20+ hours a week), then swap ‘em out every year or year and a half.

Power tubes MUST be matched, it’s way safer for your amp that way. Preamp tubes don’t. Don’t put a 12ax7 in where a 12au7 is, if it’s for reverb, it’ll be too much gain and the reverb will sound like junk.

The Spider III is NOT a tube amp. Sure, it looks like one, and even has nice tubes that glow like christmas ornaments. It sure doesn’t sound like one though! Play it, then compare it to a real tube amp… it may have the volume, but it doesn’t have that sweet tube warmth!

That’s all I can think of for now. Ask lots of questions, google is your friend! And good luck, whichever way you go! (although I think there is no turning back for me now!) =)

Saul

Q: building a tube guitar amp. there are several diff ground symbols. are they all supposed to be connected?
I am building a tube guitar amp. there are several diff ground symbols on the schematic. are they all supposed to be connected? I have the ground from the power cord attached to the chassis. Can other grounds in the schematic be attached to the same chassis ground?
here is a link to the schematic: http://ax84.com/media/ax84_m175.pdf
is the signal ground connected to the chassis at all?

A: If you are using a power transformer, then the chassis should be isolated from the other grounds. There should only be a chassis ground and a separate signal ground which is the same as all the B- supply voltages.

The only other ground I can think of is the speaker ground, returning to the output transformer. That can either be separate, or connected to the signal ground — it doesn’t matter (unless you’ve got some really bizarre tube circuit).

If you e-mail me the schematic or send a link to it, I can check for sure.

.

Q: what is the best tube guitar amp in a mid price range?
i am looking for a tube amp to replace my solid state.
Any ideas?

A: What I would do, is, look in musiciansfriend.com, and check out the prices of the tube amps they sell in there! And if any of those prices are suitable , you will have a ;new one! If not the other places I would check would be the pawn shops, for a low price used one, or the music stores,!

Q: How do i know what guitar tube amp to choose?
I’ve been playing guitar for 2 years now and mostly 60s and 70s rock i was wondering if anyone could help me choose what brand and model amp to choose?

A: depends on how much you want to spend you could get a good vintage marshall orange or laney if you have a botomless pitt of money.if you dont have but a smaller budget get a peavey windsor.its 100watts all tube and has been compared to the marshall jcm800s. that is actually what it was based off of. i actually have the windsor and i love it! it is a great amp with lots of tone

Q: How do you change the tubes in a tube guitar amp?
Do you just remove the old tubes and pop the new ones in or are there other adjustments that need to be made?

A: The bias needs to be set on the new tubes if I am not mistaken. Don’t do this yourself.

Q: Why is a tube guitar amp louder than a solid state guitar amp?
For example: Why would a 30 watt tube amp be louder than a 30 watt solid state amp at maximum volume?

A: The way the human ear works is that it is very sensitive to the harmonic content of a sound. A tube amp is less linear (that is, has more distortion) at signal levels below clipping than a solid state amplifier. The distortion will increase slowly, and then more rapidly as the amp starts to clip. In fact, the distortion increases so gradually and is of such a benign nature that the onset of audible distortion has no easily defined threshold. The solid state amplifier on the other hand has no such gradualism. It is almost perfectly non-distorting right up to the point that it clips, and then it clips HARD. It’s easy to hear the threshold.
This sudden onset of distortion is also composed of relatively harsh sounding distortion, not like the subtle second and third harmonics of the tube amp. The human ear hears the sudden harsh distortion as clipping and harshness. It interprets the low order distortion of the tube amp as a louder sound, not as distortion. In effect, the tube amp fools the ear into thinking that its early distortion is more loudness. They therefore sound louder or more powerful than the actual measurements show are really there.

Q: what is the cheapest guitar tube amp i can buy?
i need to find a replacement for my old fender frontman POS. i would really like a tube amp or at least something better in a similar price range.

A: I have a Crate Vintage Club 50…50 watts, ALL tube, 2×12
It is about ten years old, and you can find used ones for about 300-400 dollars.

Q: What’s sounds better, a tube guitar amp or a transistor amp?
There us a lot of debate about this around me lately, i just wanted to hear some other opinions. is it the clean tone, the distortion and overdrive? maybe even tell me what brand of tube you recommend in a 12ax7 or a 6v6. (if you don’t understand the last part, i just have a lot of time on my hands.)LOL

A: I’ve heard some great sounding solid state amps (Roland JC-120), and I heard some tube amps that sound like you plugged your guitar into a wood chipper.

It really comes down to what style of music you want to play, and what sounds good to you. I’d say that 80% of the guitarists (semi pro and pro level) play tube amps (and conversely, probably 80% of bass players use solid state).

And yes, while the majority of guitarists use tubes, there are a few notable exeptions:

B.B. King – his favorite amp for the past few decades is an old Gibson L-5 solid state.

Ty Tabor (King’s X) – He had what I consider his best tones on the first 3 albums. He was very secretive about his rig. It finally came out that he used a preamp out of a Gibson amp, throug his effects, and then to a PA amp. Solid state all the way.

The Edge (U2) – Uses a multiple amp set up, and usually has a Roland JC-120 and a small solid state Randall amp in the mix.

The other thing to consider…there will be maintainance costs associated with a tube amp. They do wear out after a while and must be replaced. How often depends on how often and how loud you play.

You didn’t mention anything about what I consider the third type of amp, and that’s the digital modeling amp. It’s not tube, but it’s not a linear amp either. The signal gets digitized, and the tone and distortion is derived in software. And I know that most tube purists will tell you that they wouldn’t touch one of these amps if you gave it to them. But, I’ll share this and then shut up about that debate.

Kendrick Amplifiers is a small boutique amp manufacturer and repair/mod company north of Austin. It’s owned by a guy named Gerald Weber. Gerald builts some really amazing (and expensive) amps, and can fix anything out there that glows. More than once, he’s sat 10 feet from me at a club gig while I’m playing a Line 6 Vetta, and more than once he’s shaken his head and stated he didn’t know how they did it but he would swear there’s a tube in that amp somewhere. I think part of it is Gerald is being nice, but when I hear that amp on playback, I have to shake my head a little as well.

The bottom line is that you need to go out, plug in, and listen to as many amps as you can. Don’t get too hung up on what’s behind the panel. It you like what you hear, and it’s in your budget, then you’re good.

For tube types, I’m really liking the tubes that Electro-Harmonix is selling these days. I haven’t tried their 6V6, but their preamp tubes are very good.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: Tube Amp Question for guitar players?
So i’ve been planning to buy a used peavey guitar tube amp, and currently I play a solid state amp. I’ve been reading on the internet, and it sounds like I need to play a tube amp through a cabinet or something? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I’ve just never had

A: What you’re talking about is a head. Heads come in both solid state and tube. The head is the actual amp and the speaker cabinet contains the speakers. Check if it is a combo (head and speakers all in one) or if it is just a head. If thats the case then yes you need a cab.

Q: Whats a good guitar tube amp book?
I am interested in learning about guitar amplifiers and making them and want to know some good resources like books and websites. Any help would be appreciated.

A: a guitar
tube is what you plug the guitar into

Q: Is there any difference between sovtek 6L6GC and 6L6GB tubes for a tube guitar amp that would affect an amp ?
Old univox tube amp, requires 2- 6L6GC power tubes.I have 2 6L6GB tubes that seem to be compatable

A: 6L6GB have a 19 watt rating, 6L6GC have a 30 watt rating.

See the link below for details.

Q: What is the most versatile guitar tube amp head for under 1500?
And what would be some good cabinets to match the head for versitality?

A: Most versatile as in good cleans and high gain? I love Orange tube heads and have one myself, but wouldn’t call it versatile. Same with Marshall and Fender, they are what they are. I use an Orange tube half stack and a Fender Princeton tube combo with an A-B switch so I have the best of both worlds. Personally if I had to have one “do it all” head I’d get a Fender or VOX and then use a good pedal to dirty things up more. My next head is the Mesa Boogie TransAtlantic, but it’s under $1000 and may not be as much as you’re looking for. It’s also a 15 watt and you may want more. I’m big on lower watt tube amps so I can get proper saturation and then just mic as needed.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Transatlantic/transatlantic-TA-15.html

Q: Looking for a Tube guitar amp that can shred?
I play stuff like bring me the horizion, destroy the runner, all that remains, parkway drive, shadows fall, bleeding through……..Looking for a head amp that is great at shredding

A: Amps don’t shred. Guitarists do – and they can do it through any amp. However, to pay with the big boys I’d check these out:

MARSHALL:

http://www.marshallamps.com/

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/guitar-amp-heads?N=100001+338493&Ntt=Marshall&src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

Lots of shredders seem to swear by MESA amps as well:

http://www.mesaboogie.com/

Here’s a comparison between a Marshall and Mesa:

http://www.petrucciforum.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-3121.html

Good luck!

Kabum

A: I’ve had a Fender Twin Reverb, and I have a Roland JC-120, both of which weigh a good 65 lbs each!

I now use a Fender Blonde Blues Junior, which has a 12″ Jensen speaker, spring reverb, and 15 watts of tube power..about 5 bills for this little amp.

I love it, and now I can have a guitar case in one hand, my gig bag over my shoulder, my amp in the same hand as my guitar, and still open a door without any help!

Of course, I do mic my amp through the bands PA system using an SM-57. But I will never lug around another 65 lb amp again.

Q: Why does my Fender guitar amp have a maximum volume of 12 rather than 10? Does it have a 12 step attenuator?
I have been asked about why my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe goes up to 12 and I’m sure it has nothing to do with Spinal Tap!

A: It’s just the knob. You could put 1 to 100 on there and it wouldn’t change anything.

Q: frontman fender guitar amp hook up to a guitar pedal?
I have a frontman fender guitar amp, can I hook up a pedal to this amp…if so how?

A: turn the amp on clean, no od. plug your guitar into the pedal, and plug the pedal into the guitar input on the amp. . . .. oh yeah, turn it down first so you don’t blow your amp… post how many watts it is…

Q: Where could I find a dealer for replacement switches for a Fender Guitar Amp?
I have a Fender Guitar amp (Model: Frontman 25R Type: PR 498). The power switch for this amp has gone bad. Normally I would replace it with any switch I could find, however, the wiring is not “normal”; it has two black wires and two white wires to deal with. I suppose I could bypass all that, but I am just to worried about shorting something out. I would like an exact replacement. Does anyone know of online dealers that would probably have said switch?

A: Talk to Garry (correct spelling) at Catalina Guitars. Don’t let the name fool you, he does mostly electronic repairs.
(520) 886 0799
Garry@CatalinaGuitars.com

http://CatalinaGuitars.com

Q: where can i find a replacement rca part for a fender frontman guitar amp?
i was playing music through the amp when one of my friends more or less stood on the cable and the prongs snapped off inside, i have managed to get the prongs out but now it doesn’t work. I have tried ebay, with no luck and i can’t really find anywhere on the internet. Does anyone know where i can find the replacement part?

A: Check the local music stores,
ot Radio Shack

Q: I have a question about a Fender Princeton Reverb electric guitar amp?
I was just wondering what this amp would be worth if i were to sell it. Everything on it is completely vintage except for one of the 7 tubes in the back. Yes, that is right, it is a vintage Fender tube amp with the original tubes, and i believe it is a ‘62 or ‘63. It sounds amazing. Buy, yeah. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea what it would be worth. So, thanks for your help!

A: I’ve heard of them going for anywhere between $80 and $800, depending on the shape of the original components and the year it was made.

Fender Princeton’s go back to the 40s, but the Princeton Reverb models only go back to 64. The early models of Princeton Reverb were blackface and they later introduced the silverface version in the early 70s.

The blackface models are more desirable. If yours is a blackface model and in great shape with all the original parts, it could go for close to $1,000 to a buyer who really likes vintage Fender stuff.

At a local music store, I don’t think they would put any higher than $800 on the tag.

Q: Is it possible for a Fender Electric Guitar amp to break if you play too loud?
I was just playing with it on almost as loud as it goes and it stopped working.. I checked the connections everywhere and everything is where it should be. Now I’m just wondering if I really screwed my amp up…

A: You probably blew out the speaker but it is possible that something shook loose inside of it. Take in to a guitar shop and have them look at it and see if it can be fixed. You’re probably going to need the speaker replaced.

Q: Can you use a Fender bass with a guitar amp?
Can you use a Fender bass with a Randall 30 watt amp? What will happen?
Can you use an Ovation Acoustic-Electric guitar with a Fender 60 watt amp? What will happen?

Thanks

A: Playing bass through a guitar amp is bad. They are not designed the same, and you run the risk of blowing speakers. If you must, don’t crank it, keep it quiet and it should be ok. Not good, just ok.

Playing that acoustic through an amp… eh. An acoustic amp (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) is best, closely followed by a P.A. system. It’s not bad for your equipment, but look out for feedback. Standard electric guitar amps, I find, are a bit too trebley for acoustics.

Q: I Need Help Finding Info On My Fender Guitar Amp?
Just need info on my fender amp i picked up second hand, the model says its a H.O.T. but i cant find anything online at all, its roughly 15i x 15i in size, its a 75 watt, From Left to Right the face controls aree as follows, two guitar lead inputs Hi and Lo, then 4 push buttons controls Bright/Clean Crunch/Lead, then three dials, Contour/Volume/Reverb, then a over and under in put headphone size holes saying Tape Input, then three inputs next to that, Preamp Output, Preamp Output, Head Phones and next to that thePower Switch

A: Try going to Fender.com you might see your model there or you give them a call Telephone: (480) 596-7195

Q: how do you get the best sound out of a fender guitar amp?
i got a fender 85 guitar amp which is really cool and i got a gibson SG and i would love to know how to get the best sound out of each of them, i use pedals with the guitar these can be boss distortion and a korg pedal of various types, overdrive, chorus, blues etc. i want to play it loud and any help wld be gratefully appreciated…..keep rockin`

A: Fender 85 is cool, but if you really want to get the best out of your SG, get a Marshall 100 watt master volume.

You can sell the pedals and still have a monster sound!

Q: How do i fix a 15r fender frontman guitar amp’s drive?
i opened it up to see if i can find out what was wrong with it and i saw that the out cable was unplugged so i plugged it in and it still didn’t work.i also checked to see if anything else was unplugged and nothing else was. what problems can my amp have that wont let it work

A: Check the fuse in the plug, it might need to be replaced. If that isn’t the problem or you have no idea what you are doing, take it to Guitar Center and they can fix it for less than $10. Also check the warranty: You might be able to get a completely new amp.

Q: How do I change and match(bias) the tubes in my fender super twin reverb guitar amp?
I have bought a new full set of tubes/valves for my 1979 fender super twin reverb guitar amplifier. I can switch the tubes easily enough, but don’t know a thing about matching them. I see an adjustable screw at the back saying “output tubes matching”, but how do I do this correctly to achieve the best tone from my amp, and to ensure that the tubes won’t cut or blow. I know very little about electronics. I also live in Dubai, and there are no tube amp specialists whom I can take my amp to.

A: Take it to someone who knows what they are doing. some older amps still hold a charge big enough to kill you unplugged. good luck

Q: What do i need to use the rocktron banshee talkbox. I have a fender amp and guitar. how is a mic used with it?
i know the actual thing comes with ports for a power chord, guitar chord and amp chord. but the machine i heard is not loud since it has its own pre amp. so how would i go about hooking up a mic to it

A: The talkbox effect is probably one of the most misunderstood effects out there. It’s an acoustic effect, not an electronic one.

You don’t hook a mic into the Rocktron Banshee (or most any other talk box). If you’re going to use a talk box effective at a high volume, you have to have a PA system. Period.

The Banshee is much simpler to use than most other talk boxes in that it has it’s own power amp built it. Most if them require another amp to drive them, or have to loop between the output of a guitar head and a cabinet.

To use the Banshee, hook it up like you would any other guitar effect pedal. (Personally, I would put it first in the effects chain, but that’s just me). Then, you’ll need to attach the tube to your vocal mic. I actually use a couple of hair ties to do my, but the velcro straps they sell at Fry’s for bundling cables works well too.

That’s it. Step on the button on the Banshee, the sound shuts off from your guitar amp and starts coming out of the tube. From here on, you have to practice using it, especially if you’re actually going to try to talk with it.

Just to recap, when you’re using a talk box, the effect DOES NOT come out of the guitar amp. It comes out of the end of the tube, and requires a PA system to be usable in a band enviroment.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: If I were to purchase a Fender guitar, would I be required to purchase a Fender amp or any brand of amp?
I’m about to take up playing the electric guitar.

A: its cool that you want to take up the guitar now you just need to figure out where you want to go with it. The unfortunate thing about guitar gear, is that it is expensive. And in the guitar world, you definitely get what you pay for.

so have you decided how much you want to spend?

Personally i recommend spending 300 on the guitar at least. at this level you get a very solid mid level guitar. the law of diminishing returns comes into play. anything above this threshold will be using the same wood types, etc. so ultimately you begin paying for better fancier finishes, pickups, and craftsmanship.

and for amps, used is a great way to go. I bought a Fender Hot Rod deluxe for 400, they run for 800 now. decent savings for an amp that only had a year of use. the only catch is, the buyer needs to know what to look for. signs of wear that a beginner wouldn’t know to look for.

certain guitars traditionally sound better through specific amps. Gibson to a marshall. Fender to a fender amp. this is of course not always the case, but they just sound really good together. That and the fact that we learned to like that sound, from hearing it so much.

I personally recommend holding off on the amp for now. as you will learn guitar players are a fickle bunch. If you can already play great go test some amps at your local guitar shop. otherwise wait till you get some songs under your belt and then see which amp you like the most with your particular instrument. Also if you ever plan to play louder than bedroom levels anticipate buying at lest 50 watts for a tube amp, or 75 to 100 for a solid state. If you cannot tell the difference between the type of amps, just take it as a sign that you have more learning to do. practice amps really are a waste of money as you will learn.

Q: I have a little fender 15 guitar amp, it turns on , but when I plug in guitar, it just buzzes, no sound??what?
The amp lights up, the buzzing gets louder when I turn up volume, but other than buzzing, no sound, guitar cord is fine, amp is a little fender frontline 5 solid state amp, what could cause this?
it is not guitar or the cord.. It is definitely the amp, it lights up, it buzzes, but it the guitar does not come thru at all. the buzzing gets louder with volume switch..

A: You said that the cord is fine. How did you verify this? You can either measure continuity on the wires with a digital multimeter (and every electronic musician should be able to do this), or try the cord with another amp and guitar.

We’ll assume that the cord is functioning as you say. That leaves the amp or the guitar. With everything hooked up, does the buzzing go away when you turn the volume control on the guitar down? If so, then it’s probably the guitar itself. From what you describe, it sounds like a ground wire in the guitar control cavity has come loose and will require resoldering.

If it stays the same, then it’s likely the amp. Again, this could be a ground wire that has come loose. But unfortunately, there are several other things that can go wrong in an amp that would cause this as well. Without having the amp in front of me, I can’t pin it down anymore than that.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

A: I’ve heard of them going for anywhere between $80 and $800, depending on the shape of the original components and the year it was made.

Fender Princeton’s go back to the 40s, but the Princeton Reverb models only go back to 64. The early models of Princeton Reverb were blackface and they later introduced the silverface version in the early 70s.

The blackface models are more desirable. If yours is a blackface model and in great shape with all the original parts, it could go for close to $1,000 to a buyer who really likes vintage Fender stuff.

At a local music store, I don’t think they would put any higher than $800 on the tag.

Q: What amp should i get for my 1965 vox vintage guitar?
I want something fuzzed out psychedelic sound. I only want to spend around $500.. how many watts? i was thinking a VOX or a fender reverb.

A: 1000 watt marshal stack just get a valve state amp then get some speakers/box as you can or if money is left over.

Q: I will build an amp using this schematic
I will build an amp using this schematic.

http://sound.westhost.com/project27.htm

I came across a circuit. Which have Marshall and fender vintage amp simulator.

Details are here.
http://home3.netcarrier.com/~lxh2/marsh.html(With cabinet)
http://home3.netcarrier.com/~lxh2/marshprb.gif( without cabinet)
http://hem.passagen.se/amps

http://home3.netcarrier.com/~lxh2/

So i need merge them. With above schematic of Amp.

So i how can add it. Well its look like preamp. So should use it as an external preamp or just like stomp box. And secondly what must voltage in second circuit because it is not mentioned anywhere.
Any other advice will be appreciated.

Also suggest any Software designing for pcbs and circuit simulation for guitar amp. I currently use livewire and pcb wizard but few thing like power transistor and IC their library lacks.

Sorry for my bad English.

A: Those simulators should be used as separate pre-amps. If you use them in-line in an effects loop, or as a stpmp box, then they *might* get over-driven and defeat the purpose. It may be possible to use them as a stomp box IF they are the first ones in line right after the guitar pickup.

Unfortunately, the voltage to the op-amps must be bi-polar since that is the way the circuits are designed. Both circuits (marshall and Fender) are the same in that regard. A single 9V battery will not do. A minimum of +/- 9V is needed. It would be better to use +/- 12V or even +/- 15 volts. If two 9V batteries are used and the results sound OK to you, then you can use two 9V batteries. But, I suspect there will be a difference in the sound if you increase the supply voltage higer than +/- 9V, but that is only an educated guess.

As for circuit design software — what you have sounds adequate. For DIP IC packages you can probably draw your own with the available line and box tools in PCB wizard.

Good luck on your project. I have a new type of direct-box that I am working on right now.

.

Q: What kind of guitar amp should I get for playing psychedelic rock?
I’m looking for a guitar amp that has great reverb and vintage sounds from the 60’s. Any ideas. I’ve been thinking about getting a Fender Twin Reverb.

A: Look into line 6 they have pre loaded sounds on there that might have bands from the 60s. i’m no expert i just know that line 6 has a lot of amps like that, my father had 2.
Check out their website

Q: vintage v100 guitar problems?
I have just bought a vintage v100 guitar and there is something not quite right with it there is a strange buzzing from the strings when playing like the strings are hitting something. The sound quality is also very poor I don’t know if it is the guitar or the amp (fender frontman 15g) that is the problem.

could someone please give me some advice
thank you very much

A: Sounds like a classic string buzzing issue – quite common. It usually just takes a proper adjustment of the neck truss rod to alleviate the problem.
Take the guitar to a dealer or repairer and have them take a look at it. Usually very easy to fix (if the truss rod is the culprit) by someone who does these sort of things on a regular basis.
The beck some times gets a back bow, which makes the strings end up closer to the frets, giving you the buzzing you hear.

Q: Fender Tube amp or Marshall Solid-State amp?
So this is a valentines day gift for my girlfriend. She plays a Vintage Gibson Les Paul and is in desperate need for a new practice amp.
The ones I’m looking at are:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-MG4-Series-MG30FX-30W-1×10-Guitar-Combo-Amp-105182109-i1435559.gc
or

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Vibro-Champ-XD-120V-Guitar-Combo-104494265-i1371396.gc

I had my heart set on the Marshall MG30FX because it comes in that red-orange color and girls are suckers for looks over functionality. Plus, its a Marshall. Theyve built up their reputation quite well. So first impressions of the gift would be a thumbs up.

But when I walked into Guitar Center, the employee told me she should be playing on a tube amp and showed me the 5watt Fender Vibro-champ. Now, my girlfriend used to play on a Fender amp that looked almost identical to this one, so when it comes to looks, first impressions aren’t going to win her over.

Any suggestions?
P.S. : I also hate the “Voice” knob on the Fender to get the right sound. I mean, it adds more diversity, but when I want distortion, I want to click the distortion or overdrive button and play, not to fiddle with the knobs until I get the right sound. But then again, this isn’t for me, its for my girlfriend. And she’s been playing much longer then I have.

A: I like how a salesman in a chain music store TOLD you what someone who wasn’t even there, should be playing. Also, how you hate a feature of a certain amp when it doesn’t matter what your opinion is.

You’re absolutely right, this isn’t for you, any real musician doesn’t want a “surprise” piece of equipment. Yeah it’ll be nice to get a gift, but the reality is they would always prefer to choose something themselves.

So here’s what you SHOULD do, take her to Guitar Center on valentines day, have her bring her guitar, make her play through both amps and find out which one she likes. THEN you surprise her by telling her you’re buying one of them for her.

Q: Vintage Fender Sound sought?
I purchased a used Super Reverb around 1971. I owned various other amps for different gigs but the Super was my pride and joy. the Super was stolen around 1986. I dont play much but would like to purchase a guitar amp around 50W-100W with a real good 12″ speaker. I DONT want to spend much. I know there are all kinds of knock-offs of Vintage Fender, Mesa Boogie, etc. Be it new or ebay I want something HOT but cheap…. any legit recommendations?

A: I owned two Super Reberbs back around 76′ and a Twin and duo showman.. Loved those amps.. How about one of the Fender Blues amps.. Not sure what they run these days.. under 400? Stick with what you like… I bought a Line 6 for my son, I’ve had every amp under the sun and still prefer the Fenders.. Twin is probably my fav. I’ll have to read your post for other responses.. Good luck..

Q: !!Is My Guitar Amp Broken?
I have a Laney LX12 (I know its a shit amp) and when I first got it I think I put it a bit loud but now even if I turn my volume up to halfway on my clean channel it sounds distorted. So I want to know if it’s my amp or my guitar (Its not my cable, I brought I fender vintage voltage the other day and it still has the same problem) Thnx.

A: Hey. That Laney LX is a good little practice amp. Your ears probably got used to the sound which accounts for the reason why it seems less loud. If you want cleanness out of that amp, push the Master volume to 10 and lower the Gain to 4. Tht will cproduce the cleanest sound ever. Bear in mind that it is only 10 watts. So don’t push it.

Q: What do you think of the new Fender Squier Vintage Modified Fat Strat guitar? I got one for Christmas from my
wife. I’ve been playing for 15 years, however, I sold my electrics a few years ago to pay off some debt. Let me tell you, this guitar rips. On the bridge it has a nice Duncan Designed humbucker pick-up. I play through my Marshall 30 watt MG 30DFX amp, and I have a Dunlop Cry Baby pedal as well. I use Ernie Ball super slinkies 9’s. This guitar is really good for the money. It’s listed on the Fender Squire website for $499, but my wife got it new for $330, got a good deal on it. It’s color is gun-metal grey. Tell me what you think of it? The links are below.

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0301210574

http://www.fender.com/resources/pricelists/pdf/summer2007/SquierWinter2007.pdf

A: THAT IS A NICE GUITAR!! my friends dad just got one for around $400 somthing like that! it is a nice color!!! u r lucky i have been playing guitar since i was like 7 so around 9 years!!!

Q: Which guitar amp should I get?
Ok, I’m having trouble deciding between an amp for my guitar. I’m in a band, I can’t afford something like a half stack, so I’m just looking at something good for practice now. Normally I just use my brothers Fender 15G amp which is 15W, but then we argue and it causes problems. But back to the question. I’m either going to buy a Marshall MG15 or Fender Frontman 25R (by the way the guitar I’m getting is an Epiphone SG, either the vintage g-400 or goth g-400) The thing I’m stuck on is, I know the 25W will be louder, but the Marshall is alot better quality, and better for metal than the Frontman <>R Series (they’re more for blues). But the problem is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hear it over my drummer. I can hear the Fender 15W one over my drummer acceptably, but I’d prefer a little louder. I’m honestly leaning towards the Marshall, but, what do you guys think?

Thanks in advanced

A: Don’t just buy a guitar amp (or a guitar, or almost anything music-related) because you “think” it will be best for you. Go to your local guitar shop and try out the high-end amps (even though you can’t afford them) with your guitar (yes, you can usually plug in your own guitar, they won’t mind) and find one that gives you the perfect tone you’re looking for. Talk to the sales reps and ask their opinions and tell them your price range. They will usually head you into the right direction. But watch out for Guitar Center or SamAsh (or any major chain), as the sales reps will usually point you in the wrong direction to get more sales and commission.

Once that’s done, find a lower-priced amp that gives you a tone you want. The tone won’t be as good as the high-end amps, but you won’t be able to tell the difference in tone between the lower-priced amps unless you know what a good tone sounds like (which is partly why you should look at the higher-end amps first). find the amp you want, then buy it.

Pawn shops are another good idea, they sometimes have very good, cheap amps (they’re cheap because they’re USED), but make sure to test out all the knobs and test it out and such before you buy it.

As for the Marshall MG15 and the Fender Frontman 25R… you might as well save up your money and buy something a little bit better. Mgs and Frontmans really suck bad.I would recommend for under $100 a Roland Cube 15X: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Roland-Cube-15X-Amp-104087572-i1169242.gc It’s great for metal and it’s possibly the best practice amp you could get for under $200 (and it’s only $100)

The difference between a 15watt amp and a 25watt amp is nominal. To be twice as loud as a 15 watt amp you would need a 150watt amp, so there’s really no difference between a 15 and a 25. Dont fall for useless gimmicks such as “dood, dis iz so aw3sum, it haz all theez efects nd stuffs”, they’re pretty useless *coughspiderline6cough*

Thats about it, get a roland cube and your set, bu don’t just take my word for it, go test it out and see if you like it.

Q: I’m a high school jazz band guitarist looking for a tube amp. How much power/watts do I need?
Guitar: American Vintage ‘52 Reissue
Current Amp: Fender Princeton ‘65 Made in Mexico

Looking for a tube amp with fat jazzy sound that can pierce through a high school band. Budget around $600~800.

A: Don’t listen to Rad’s answer, turning up the gain and volume and flicking on an overdrive switch on a GUITAR amp will make you sound like Metallica, not fatten up your sound like it does for bass. Tube amps aren’t necessarily a great choice for jazz because at higher volumes the tubes start to saturate with power and distort. They do have a nice warm sound to them and offer a “springy” dynamic feel, but to get one suitable to play a CLEAN sound at high volumes you’re going to need a high wattge tube amp…lik around 100 watts or up. And those are typically very expensive for a good quality amp. Solid state amps are very suitable for jazz because they give you loads of clean headroom (don’t distort) at high volumes and are also a cheaper alternative to the ever so coveted 100 watt tube amp. Try the Roland JC-120 it’s made for jazz nad is solid state. If you really want a tube amp buy a Mesa Boogie or Hughes & Kettner.

Q: Best Guitar Valve amp?
Whats the best Guitar valve amp new or vintage for around £500, keep in mind of sound Byrds,Beatles,Beach boys P90’s pickups and Fender jaguar pickups

A: 500 pounds is about $1000 USD right now

Some Amps in that price area worth checking out are

Vox AC30 Re-Issue ,,,

That’s the “THE Beatles” sound…they used old AC30 TopBoost amps a Bunch.

It’s a Different Circuit from most other amps ,hence different tone & response from most anything else.

BYRDS???
Good Luck…..they wen’t gearheads at all,,,especially as far as Amps.

Many Recordings are Direct In to console,,,No Amp.

They did use some small Epiphone Amps occasionally.
Which ones??Who knows…?Not me for sure.

Old Gibson L-series solid state amps,,,and Roland chorus amps will probably come as close as anything to replicating Birds sound.

The 12String Ric’s were a LARGE part of the sound,,and a few Gretch’s they sometimes used.

Mostly,,,it’s ‘Studio magic”—-the Byrds sound was in the recording/production.

…………………..
Beachboys = Fender

Some Current Fender Models around your price range(at least in USA mkt)

Bassman Reissue-has NOTHING for features.Plain Amp

SuperReverb Re-Issue–has Reverb & tremolo

Blues Deville 4-10
HotRod Deville 4-10
These have more “MODERN FEATURES”

Any of those would nail surf music,,do fine for Byrds,,,and can fake Beatles Tone well enough

…………….
Actually…AMP-wise Byrds,Beatles,BeachBoys are 3 entirely different amp-sounds

Birds>Electronic processed
Beatles>Class A
BeachBoys>Class A-B

If you’re around a place that has one of the Vox Valvetronic modelling amps—-Check them out.
Vox Valvetronix AD100VT 100W 2×12’s
Vox Valvetronix AD50VT 50W 1×12
They got 30w and 15w versions also.

They’re “cheapish” priced,,and offer a wide variety of tones.
Most of any soundclips you can find online showcase a lot of hi-gain or overdrive tones

These things clean up pretty well ,,,and offer the Compression/Chorus processed type of BYRDS tone.

Beatles,,,It’s a VOX and does a pretty good old VOX AC30TB impersonation.

Also has enough Beachboys-type Fender + Delay/Reverb/Echo Surf Music tone to make you wary of sharks

I’m not a fan of Silicon Chip sound,,,much prefer valves myself.

But the VOX Valvetronics Might appeal to you.

All ya can do is Take a Listen and see how it goes.

Hope that helps.

Q: My guitar amp is making weird crackling noises, what’s the problem?
I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, a Vintage Modified, and I’ve had it for about 5/6 months. I was jamming earlier today, not turning it up too loud, just playing through my guitar and TS-9 pedal. I stopped playing for about 30 minute and left the amp on standby to have some supper. When I’d finished eating, I turned the amp back on and it started making weird crackling noises, almost like high gain guitar sounds, or when a radio loses its station. This happens on any setting, clean or overdriven, with all controls on zero, and no guitar plugged in. The volume of the noise is not affected by the controls. I haven’t used the amp in a while, but I wasn’t playing that loud. I’m confused as to why it’s making these sounds. Do I need to replace a tube, or is it a bigger problem?

A: Hello! Try lightly tapping each tube (use a nonmetallic object) to see if any have gone microphonic (see http://www.ehow.com/how_2043383_-locate-microphonic-tube-amplifier.html for more details). You may find all that is needed is to re-seat the tube in the socket; on the other hand, one may need to be replaced to restore the proper amplifier operation. Best regards, Dana

Q: Can I use a guitar amplifier for my keyboard vs. a keyboard amplifier?
I have a Roland RD 600 keyboard. I am in the market for a new amplifier. I primarily use the rhodes patches when gigging on this thing. I have read that back in the day when musicians were using real fender rhodes electric pianos, they preferred a guitar amp (fender twin reverb amp 65′). I am trying to get an authentic, vintage rhodes sound out of a modern keyboard. Would an older style tube amp for guitar be my best bet?

A: Not really… With the quality of samples that were probably used to re-create the Rhodes piano sound, your best bet would probably be to still use a keyboard amp (such as the Roland KC series of amps). You’re not really looking to add color to your sound like a guitar player does with the amp selection. Keyboards need clean, neutral sound from the amp to best re-create the variety of sounds they produce. You’re not going to only be using the Rhodes sound, will you? If that were the case, then sell your keyboard and buy a Rhodes and a Fender amp.

Q: Guitar Problems!!??
1) There is a show coming up next Monday, and I was hoping to be able to play “Canon Rock” by then, I’m an intermediate guitar player and I’m up to the challenge to learn it by then, so I was wondering on getting your help by giving me tabs to learn it? Do you think I’ll be able to play it by next Monday or is Canon Rock really that hard?

2) I play some metal, to nu metal, to hard-rock to punk-rock/Pop-rock with a Epiphone sg400 w/ a Boss ml-2 metal core w/ a Fender Vintage (literately!) Tube Amp, what other pedals and amps should i look into if i want to get a better tone for these genres of music?

3) Is this pedal:
BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone
(http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-MT2-Metal-Zone-Effects-Pedal?sku=151328)
and these amps:
(http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-TBX30R-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=480943)
(http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-Spider-III-30-Guitar-Combo-Amplifier?sku=482275)

good for performing on stage (supposing i mic it up)!?

A: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/j/jerryc/canon_rock_tab.
this is the actual tab for this song.Good luck in learning this song.Hope you do it.

A: No, it’s kind of a crappy guitar, to be honest. You need to think about picking up the Winkleman JX-3.

Q: What Is a Good Electric Guitar and Amp Pack for $300?

A: there is no such thing. if you want a good guitar go for one of the good brands like gibson, fender (not squire), jackson, ect. if you want a good amp i would sugest you buy it separately. if you want a cheep but good amp i would say a pevey viper. get a 30 watt. it has loads of extras. they are normally about 150 or so.

Q: Can I use an amp from an acoustic-electric guitar for an electric guitar ?
So, i am planning on buying an acoustic-electric guitar pack off of musiciansfriend.com and i am also interested in playing the electric guitar. Could i just buy an electric guitar and use the amp and cable from the acoustic-electric guitar ? Or do i need to buy a different amp ?

A: An amp designed for acoustic guitars will not sound good with an electric.

The acoustic amp has more of a broad frequency range – it usually has a tweeter to add more in the upper register. An electric guitar sounds best when it is predominantly focused in the mid frequencies – hence the use of 10″ or 12″ speakers in electric guitar cabinets.

Also, an acoustic guitar amp is designed to be played as clean as possible to sound more natural. Wit an electric guitar, you will often want a little “dirt and grime” added to the mix

Q: Looking to buy an electric guitar and amp and accessories pack, what is a good price?
Also if anyone could direct me top any websites with good deals. Only looking for a starter electric guitar. Thanks in advance.
Im English, living in the uk, so all answers in pounds stirling please

A: check craigslist.org for your area. they’ve usually got Epi SG’s and Squire Strats for $80 on there. everything else is cheap everywhere.

Q: What is the best electric guitar pack for beginners?
I know how to read music, play other instruments…tried picking up the acoustic guitar but I was told that electric guitar will probably be easier on my fingers as a beginner. Would appreciate brands. Or, if you can’t recommend a beginner pack, can you recommend a beginner guitar and amp for starters? I don’t mind buying them separately. Thanks!

A: I started with a Squire Stratocaster, a Fender registered copy. Sound and handling are pretty good. well built too. In the UK they are around £150.00. Worth looking around the music shops though as sometimes people part exchange and you can end up with a real good guitar for around the same price. Most practice amps are around 15 watt, not bad for the bedroom. Enjoy it when you get one.

Q: What Beginner Electric Guitar Pack is Best?
I want a beginner guitar pack under $300. I want it to include a guitar (duh), amp, a strap, some picks, and if u can find one a tuner would be nice, but if u can’t find 1 with a tuner that’s OK.

I would be nice if the guitar is a Epiphone or a Fender not some no name guitar.

A: ive seen some fender guitar packs with what u want in it (picks, tuner, strap, and a small amp) for around 200 dollars in target

Q: which electric guitar starter pack is better?
okay. i am a girl and i want to get a beginner guitar starter pack. im looking for a metal sound. for example, like the sound from fully alive by flyleaf. heres the song if you don’t know it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d3RYW0YoEk
ok…choice one is: http://www.music123.com/Dean-Evo-XM-Electric-Guitar-Pack-620087-i1452632.Music123
choice 2: http://www.music123.com/B-C–Rich-Red-Bevel-Warlock-Guitar-and-Amp-Pack-512678-i1414966.Music123
choice 3: http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Special-II-Performance-Pack-423215-i1501344.Music123
(BTW: FOR THE EPIPHONE SPECIAL 2 STARTER PACK, IF I CHOOSE TO BUY IT WHERE CAN I FIND IT ONLINE IN THE COLOR BLACK INSTEAD OF SUNBURST?)

A: i reckon the 2nd choice would be better for more like metal music

Q: Which stater electric guitar pack should i get?
ok I’ve been wanting to start learning electric guitar and i’ve narrowed it down to the two of these in my price range(which is $200-$300) and here are my choices
(which im trying to get my guitars from guitarcenter.com in nashville tn)

Fender Affinity Special Strat and Frontman 15G Amp Value Pack

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Affinity-Special-Strat-and-Frontman-15G-Amp-Value-Pack-104487442-i1175988.gc

or

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar and All Access Amp Pack

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Special-II-Electric-Guitar-and-All-Access-Amp-Pack-774713-i1320789.gc

please help me choose which one i should get for my starter guitar.

oh yah … im 14 which is i think really old to start off …

A: Between the two I’d go for the Epiphone Les Paul. If you want a Fender for that money check the pawn shops. You should really find a better amp.Pawn shops or a good music store. Go online and search for Muisician’s Friend catalog. They’re a great source.

Q: What is a good price to pay for an electric Guitar for a beginner?
SOmeone offered me the vinci electric guitar pack, comes with guitar, amp belt, strap. They offered it for $50. I have never played before I fee it might be fun. Is this a good deal or am I getting ripped off?

A: If you are just learning… I would reccomend going to a used gear trader, pawn shop or somewhere that they sell used guitars.

It is not uncommon to find something that plays well for a good price.
If you shop around, you should be able to find a decent electric guitar and a small practice amp for $150 or less.

Q: Help finding electric guitar pack?
I am looking for an electric guitar pack for a beginner. One that comes with the guitar, amp, pick, strap, etc. Im looking to spend 350 or less. I would like the amp to have a headphone jack in it also (although its not necessary). I dont care what brand it is – as long as its a great guitar !

A: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Laguna-Ultimate-Rock-Rack-Electric-Guitar-Pack-with-Spider-III-15W-Amp?sku=515204

This is actually a decent starter pack compared to all the other squire and epiphone guitar packs. I was actually surprised to find this and it fits your price range.
I am not sure if this guitar suits the look your going for but you did say you didnt care what brand it was.

Also the amp is a modeling amp so its not the true sound of the guitar its a digital sound, but it sounds pretty good compared to all those other starter amps out there. This is actually a decent starter practice amp for a beginner. You really wouldnt have to worry about buzzing noises and you can get a variety of tones compared to the other amps.

So in the end I think its a solid guitar with a decent amp and it wont break the bank. Of course if you get really good at it and you really know what your looking for in a guitar you can always upgrade.

Good luck and enjoy.

Hope I was somewhat helpful.

Q: Help plz. Which one is better for me?? (an amp + guitar OR the guitar and amp pack)?
Line 6 Spider III 15 15W 1×8 Amp + Epiphone LP-100 Electric Guitar.

OR

Epiphone LP-100 Electric Guitar and Amp Pack.

*I’d like to know which amp is better to buy with this guitar. Either the Line 6 Spider III 15 15W amp or the amp that comes with the epiphone lp-100 pack. The difference between prices isn’t that much, I think that the pack is a bit more expensive, but I want to know which one is the best.

Thanks.

A: Most sure go with the Epiphone and the Line 6. Great starter amp and guitar. You won’t have to fool around with buying all kinds of effects because they’re already built into the amp. And it’s an Epiphone, which is made by Gibson, so you can’t go wrong.

Q: What beginner electric guitar pack is best?
I want a beginner guitar pack under $300. I want it to include a guitar (duh), amp, a strap, some picks, and if u can find one a tuner would be nice, but if u can’t find 1 with a tuner that’s OK.

I would be nice if the guitar is a Epiphone or a Fender not some no name guitar.

A: Ok, yeah, I would not buy a pack, most of the time they are ripping you off because you are a first time guitar buyer anyway. I would buy an epiphone if you are looking for a slightly lower, heavier sound, and a fender/squier if you looking for a more trebley, lighter distorted sound. In the epiphone section, the les paul specials are pretty good, and I would recommend a squier strat. or tele. in the fender camp (fenders are a little pricey.) Then find an amp (probably a frontman or a line-6) that sounds best with your guitar and style of music.
If you are absoultely bent on buying a beginner pack, I have one of these and they are pretty good (better than the squiers)

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Special-II-Player-Pack-102328770-i1150103.gc

Q: does anyone wanna buy or trade my acoustic electric guitar w/amp etc.?
i am selling my acoustic electric epiphone guitar for 250$ it includes amp 15w,strings,tuner,cd,guitar belt,a guitar bag,and a pick. Just email me for more Information at jeremyowamagbe@yahoo.com or i will trade all of that for a electric guitar pack(squire by fender stratocoaster)

A: You can trade swap and sell musical instruments on http://www.caretotrade.com – good luck.

Q: buy an electric guitar pack or piece together?
Should I buy an electric guitar pack for 200 dollars from guitar center or would I be able to piece together a decent guitar, amp, and accessories for 200-250 dollars?

this is the link for guitar center’s value packs

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Electric-Value-Pack-Electric-Guitar.gc

A: What I did was get the guiotar and amp seperatly, guitar was a lil over $200 and the amp was about $100, I don’t know, to me it seems like the value pack is alright, though I don’t expect you to get a really good guitar for a low cost plus amp.

Q: Electric guitar, Amp & Mic question?
So my daughter is really interested in playing the electric guitar. Currently she strums on an acoustic so I have no idea what I need to get her going on an electric guitar. So far, I have bought her a beginners guitar pack that came with a 15 watt amp. She also enjoys singing, so I’m going to buy her a microphone stand so she can put on performances for mom & dad. My question is… does the guitar plug directly into the amp – and is there a spot for me to plug the microphone into the amp as well? Or do I need a whole separate amp for her microphone line-in? I’ve read about pre-amps but don’t know how the whole set up works. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

A: if you want a dedicated simple solution a keyboard amp may be the ticket. you can plug your mic straight into the amp and the speakers are intended to be full range unlike guitar speakers. On many keyboard amps you can have to signals sent into the amp. so in this case both the guitar and the vocals. only drawback is that the guitar may not sound quite right. you could possibly send guitar signal into practice amp like usual, then use headphone out to keyboard amp to get a little more eq and tone sculpting in. A effects pedal would be ideal for this but thats one more thing you probably don’t want to spend money on. Also, don’t rule out mic’ing an acoustic guitar.

Or you could just use the keyboard amp for vocals only, and have the guitar amp running like usual. I guess it really just matters on how many volume knobs you want to mess with.

another solution is to buy a simple mixer. has the advantage of being inexpensive and simple. plug mic into mixer, and send signal into home stereo. This solution should be adequate for amplifying vocals. but will lack portability of keyboard amp.

the options are limitless mostly because of how casual the requirements are.

A: What you need is a battery powered outlet. I have one made by Xantrex called the PowerPack400R. It has two AC outlets on it that can deliver up to 400 watts and can be charged by a wall outlet, an optional solar panel ($$$), or a DC car plug. It costs around $129 (without a solar panel).

Q: Ipod + Guitar Amp?
Does anyone know if there is something out there like it’s a portable guitar amp that you can also plug in your ipod and have decent bass sound?
if so you can give a link or something?
Thanks.

A: i know you can plug ipod up to your radio tht have bass and stuff like tht, you got to go to radio shack and buy the ac plugs, the plug tht yellow and red and just has one black thing on the other end(the black end goes in your ipod) im convined itll work for ur amp too!
good luck

Q: Looking for an amp?
-good sound with both my epiphone guitar and yamaha bass
-relatively portable (bring to school and back without too much trouble)

A: Tech 21 Trademark 30 30W Guitar Combo/DI Amplifer

Q: Searching for a relatively inexpensive guitar that I can travel with? Important! Important! Important!!?
I’m going to be traveling a lot, because I’m going abroad to teach English.

Also, I play the guitar and it’s a huge part of my life. I would consider it to be more than just a hobby. I don’t go anywhere without my guitar; I’ve played the guitar for nearly 20 years and I’ve invested so much in it and it means so much to me. In other words, I’m a really serious guitar player.

Here’s my dilemna:

When I go abroad I don’t want to be without a guitar, and the one I have is too nice to take with me. I have an American Standard Stratocaster. There is NO WAY I’m ever getting rid of it, but it’s staying home and my family is gonna look after it. Furthermore, I play electric, classical, and a bit of bass, but the one I really can’t do without is electric.

I feel really guilty carrying around a guitar that screams, “Look at meeeeee, I’m wealthy!!!!” and it’s not a good idea either. But being without a guitar is a big NO WAY.

I would like to get a cheap guitar to take with me on trips, an electric one. As far as an amp goes, no problem, I have one of those portable ones that fits in a gig bag and headphones as well.

What kind would be good to get (brand, model, etc.) and what would a reasonable price be?

Please no mean or rude comments, the guitar is a huge part of my life and I’m really serious about it, but I’m also really serious about my career teaching English abroad.

Thanks, if you can help me.

A: If your strat is your baby and you don’t want to take it, by all means leave it safe at home. It’ll always be there when you get back

I don’t know what year or how much you paid for your Fender (could be vintage, could be a newer year)
Best Buy sells a Standard for $500…(it might be mexican??)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Fender%26%23174%3B+-+Standard+Stratocaster%26%23174%3B+-+Maple+-+Candy+Apple+Red/9114987.p?skuId=9114987&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9114987&ref=06&loc=01&id=1218025520455

Here are a few suggestions:
Fender Mexican Strat (MIM.) – $300-400 used, This is strat style guitar very similar to the American strat, except that it was assembled in Mexico and lighter on the wallet. The headstock will look the same, with the fender logo, but it will have a serial number on the headstock that strats with “M”.. not bad if you want another strat for the road.

Fender Squier Strat ($100-$150 used, $200 new) Looks the same, will have the Fender logo and Squier imprinted on the headstock. Quality is not as good ,but plays.

Epiphone SG standard (not “special” ) ($200 used, $250-$300 new) This is Gibsons knockoff of the SG and I LOVE it..I think Epiphone is a great quality guitar and I love the humbucking SG.

Yamaha brand is also reputable, if you are looking to spend less than $300 and want another strat

Epiphone LP standard- ($6-700 new, $3-400 used)..its a les paul style, made by my favorite, Epiphone.

Best advice I can give ya is to visit the local shops and play the heck out of the guitars they’re offering. Ask if you can plug up your amp too so you can test the amp and guitar out together, then buy something thats in your range. Or better yet, start off your European experience with a visit to a local shop! You can buy your guitar right there and avoid it being damaged in travel.

**By the way, I don’t think expensive guitars show wealth… (unless you are buying like a vintage gibson, lol) A lot of my guitar mates are poor as crud but have saved up for a long time to buy that precious gem.

A: It really depends on the guitar amp. The difference is that bass amps have much stronger, more powerful speakers to handle the low notes. I have an ampeg guitar amp from the 1960’s that cant handle bass at all without blowing it up, but a friend of mine uses a marshall for his bass and it works fine.

Q: Will a distortion pedal ruin a bass guitar amplifier?
I like the sound the Fender Stratocaster has through this bass guitar amp but I just need a little distortion for some classic rock.
Thank You!

A: Hey Katana:

Shouldn’t be a problem, provided its not a super low wattage practice amp. Speakers used in bass amps will usually take more of a beating than guitar speakers. By the way,……. the Fender Bassman 50 watt 4X10 combo amp became a HUGE favorite of many guitar players. Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scott Holt of Buddy Guy are a couple of players who have used bassman amps for many years.

Heres a link for ya on the Bassman amps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Bassman

Hope this has helped, and keep playin!

Q: What are the disadvantages, if any, of playing a guitar through a bass amp or a bass through a guitar amp?
My friend has a habit of playing his guitar through a bass amplifier and I (before I got into playing music proper) used to play my bass through guitar amps. What, if anything, are the effects on the amp itself? I already know about what it will do for your sound; I just need to know if it is bad for the amplifier in any way.

A: Electrically, no harm will be done to the amps.

Playing a guitar through a bass amp…rock on. The Fender Bassman amp was originally intended as a bass amp. But, guitarists found out that it sounded great when you cranked it up. So now it’s more popular as a guitar amp than for it’s original intended purpose.

Bass through a guitar amp…as long as you’re not try a put a ton of bass through it at a high level, it’s fine. The thing you have to be careful with is the speaker itself. Guitar speakers and cabinets aren’t designed to handle a lot of low end (most roll off below about 80Hz, almost one octave above the low E on a bass).

If the speaker sounds like it grunting or you hear a rubbing noise come from the speaker, back off on the bass and/or the volume.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: Bass Guitar On A Guitar Amplifier?
I really want to buy a bass guitar but I’m not sure if I can pay for the bass amplifier yet. I’d really like to get the bass soon though. My question is if it really makes a diffeence if you have a bass amp or not. Could i use a my guitar amp for it? I don’t plan on playing live with the bass anytime soon, but I may film videos. How much would a guitar amp really change the sound is what I’m basicly getting at.

A: It never ceases to amaze me how many times this question comes up.

Chris Squire (Yes)
Jack Bruce (Cream)
John Entwistle (The Who)
Lemmy (Motorhead)
Robert Trujillo (Metallica)
dUg Pennick (King’s X)
Ken C (Rhythm Dawgs, Trias) <--- Shameless Self Plug

All bassists who have used or continue to use “guitar” amps in their rigs.

Electrically, you won’t do any damage to the amp. You do have to be careful with the speaker(s) though. Guitar speakers and cabinets weren’t necessarily designed to handle a lot of low frequency information. If the speaker sounds like it’s grunting or farting, then you’re trying to drive too much bass through it. Back off on the bass or turn down the volume.

Just go easy on the speaker, and you’ll be fine.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: Bass Guitar AMPLIFIER question?
What bass amp do you recommend for me? I just play at small things with my band (drummer, guitarist/singer) like at talent shows and other small “gigs”. What bass guitar amp do you recommend with great sound and at least 90 watts (unless you have a better i idea of how many watts I need, tell me) and cost at the most, $300.00? Thanks!

A: I play a Ampeg B-2 combo. 90 watts is good for a practice amp but thats about it. To get the presence and big low end, you need at least 200 watts. The low end sounds suck up tons more power than 6-string amp. 1000 watts doesn’t nessesarily mean super high volume, but gives you in your face fidelity.

Q: Does anyone know if Orange Amplifiers makes a bass guitar amp?
And do you know if Line 6 bass amps are good? My father has a line 6 guitar amp and loves it, so i’m guessing the bass amp will be pretty chill too.

A: Yes, Orange makes bass amps. I’m guessing they’re pretty expensive though!

Line 6 bass amps aren’t very good; they’re modeling amps. This means you don’t get much of your bass’s actual tone, but the amp’s internal processors trying to sound like a different amp. Sometimes they almost get it right, other times not really. There are a lot of way better brands out there for the price. If you’re looking for a really small practice amp, check out a Peavey MAX 126 or 158. If you want something a bit more powerful, check out Ashdown or Acoustic.

Hope you find what you’re looking for =)
Cheers!

Q: what’s the difference between a guitar and bass amp?
I was looking online and I found an AWESOME deal for a high powered bass amp to replace my lowly current guitar amp.

I play electric guitar, and I was wondering, what’s the sound difference between a guitar amplifier and a bass amp?

I usually play with my amp with treble at 0, mid at 8, and bass at 10.

Would there be noticeable difference between the sound of teh bass amp versus a guitar amplifier?

Also, my current amp has some distortion control, whereas the bass has alot of settings, I’m getting a distortion pedal as well, so will the bass amplifier sound seriously different on distortion as well?
We’re talking about a 300W amp for under 300 dollars.

I can’t find a 50W for guitar at that.

Also, as I said, I don’t use treble at all, and my playing is pretty bass heavy.

My biggest question is as to distortion.

A: There would be a huge difference. The bass amps are made for the low freq sounds. Guitar amps are made for the range of sounds much higher.

My guitar will not function with my son’s bass amps.

Look at the Line 6 Spider series. Some good amps for not a lot of money.

Q: What’s the difference between a guitar and bass amp?
I was looking online and I found an AWESOME deal for a high powered bass amp to replace my lowly current guitar amp.

I play electric guitar, and I was wondering, what’s the sound difference between a guitar amplifier and a bass amp?

I usually play with my amp with treble at 0, mid at 8, and bass at 10.

Would there be noticeable difference between the sound of teh bass amp versus a guitar amplifier?

Also, my current amp has some distortion control, whereas the bass has alot of settings, I’m getting a distortion pedal as well, so will the bass amplifier sound seriously different on distortion as well?
We’re talking about a 300W amp for under 300 dollars.

I can’t find a 50W for guitar at that.

Also, as I said, I don’t use treble at all, and my playing is pretty bass heavy.

My biggest question is as to distortion.

A: I have bass and guitar amps, and at one time I thought about using a bass amp instead of upgrading my guitar rig, so I can give you some input on my experiences with that:

Bass amps can make good guitar amps. The Fender Bassman(original model) handled both guitar and bass for example. Bass amps tend to just bring out the lows in a mix, the big problem with this is when you want to record guitar through a bass amp, it tends to just come out as mush. Just jamming through a bass amp works great though. I got a kind of My Bloody Valentine tone out of a Metal Zone in front of my bass rig. It works best for metal, or heavy alt rock basically. It also gives you a great clean sound, very thick and clear, but thumpy lol. I eventually bought a Mesa MkIV, and that was the best way to go for me. If your looking for some inspiration, Josh Homme from QOTSA and KYUSS plays his guitar through bass amps as I’m sure others do.

(EDIT) Believe it or not, you could go your whole career without needing more than 50-100 watts. Nowadays amps get miked up so buying half stacks is almost a waste of money. You just need something powerful enough to survive in the mix of all the intruments. I mean, with distortion a bass amp will just sound like a really bassy guitar amp…thats the best way to put it. And the reason the bass amp is easy to find cheap is because they are rated higher, Bass needs more watts to cut through a mix. I have a 300 watt Sunn guitar amp that I can’t even put past 1 without blowing out some ears. Its more important to be able to drive a guitar amp with its own power section, so smaller wattage works for guitars.

(Another edit lol) Bass amps hit much lower than your guitar amp can even set the way you have it…it might be good for you since you like it deep. The only downside might be if you change your style later it will be hard to adjust using a bass amp. That and my problems with recording guitar through bass amps, but im sure that can be over come. If anything, you should get out to a store and experiment for yourself before you shell out any money.

Q: Guitar/Bass Amp Difference?
Mmk… I want to get an amplifier for my electric guitar, but I really can’t tell a difference between a guitar amplifier and a bass amplifier. I checked the amplifiers at the local music store, and only one of them actually stated which instrument it was for. Is there any way to tell the difference between a bass amp and a guitar amp? If so, I’d like to know what the differences are.

Also, if I get a bass amplifier, I’ve heard it’s fine to play a guitar that’s hooked to one… and I want to confirm if that’s true, and if it will make the guitar sound awkward.

A: If you are playing a guitar and not a bass I absolutely recommend a guitar amp for many reasons. For one your tone of your guitar will be more true to it’s intended/preferred sound. The bass amps Speaker(s) are larger and produce a more low end sound. If you run your guitar through effects into the bass amp it will also sound different than if run through a guitar amp. It just don’t sound right like when the guitar is run straight to the PA and not through an amp first…it just kind of sounds dull. If you play guitar you may as well get the equipment that’s made for it. A guitar amp, but look around at different ones there are many options 1,2 & 3 channells, built in effects. Be more specific when you go to the music store and ask the guitar tech at the store a lot of questions and I bet you he also recommends a guitar amp. good luck

Q: Electric Guitar on Bass Amp?
Will plugging an electric guitar into a bass guitar amplifier mess up either the guitar or amp? Or is it ok to do?

A: Yes, you can plug it into the bass amp and not cause damage. However, the bass amp is crossed over for a low frequency. That means you will not get all the highs and high harmonics the guitar is producing. So you guitar is going to sound very midrangey or lower. If that’s all you have or all you can afford right now, go ahead and do it. You should be OK.

Q: Need help with bass guitar amp Can you help.?
I have a Behringer BX4410A bass guitar amplifier, I need to know if I can add exspansion cabinets and still run the main speakers in the factory cabinet. It has a speakon jack on the back but I want to know if I hook that connection up will it cut off the four tens from use.

A: If you don’t already have it, download the manual for your amp from the Behringer website:

http://www.behringerdownload.de/BX4410_BX4410A/BX4410_BX4410A_ENG_Rev_B.pdf

From what I gather from the manual, adding external speakers to the amp will not disconnect the internal speakers. Neutric Speakon connectors do not have a “disconnect” function built into them, so you should be safe using that. Just make sure that the external cabinet you’re going to hook up is not less than 4 ohms impedance.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: Can I use a power amplifier and a loudspeaker instead of a bass amp head, for playing my bass guitar? ?
Can I plug my bass right into the power amp? Or do I have to use bass heads or bass amp combos? Or can I plug it into a powered mixer? Is that okay? Thanks.

A: A powered mixer possibly, but not power amp. Well, I mean you could, it’s not going to hurt anything, it’ll just sould like crap. You would want a preamp to boost the signal and provide EQ capabilities. If you get like a Tech 21 SansAmp, Line 6 Bass POD, a Behringer Bass V-AMP or some such, you can run it into what ever you want and it’ll sound fine.

Q: Could i use a bass amplifier for my guitar on stage?
I dont have a very powerful amplifier but i have seen a Laney 100 watt Bass Guitar amplifier thats very cheap.

I have a large pedal board that i can hook up to the amp. Would that be safe and suitable for gigging?

if not? any suggestions

thanks
i play electric guitar NOT bass

A: You shouldn’t have a problem hooking it up. You probably won’t get a great tone from it. I have a digitech whammy pedal that makes my guitar sound like a bass and it has great tone. It’s around $250 and you can find it at Guitar Center. It sounds like a lot of money for a pedal. but it’s totally worth it.

Q: Can you use a First Act Pocket Guitar Amplifier for a bass guitar?
My moms boyfriend just gave me his Ibanez bass, and I have one of those amps. I dont have the money to buy a bass amp right now, and I just wondering if it would work for the bass for a while.

A: you CAN

its just not a good idea.

Think of it this way. Girls cant sing bass cause their vocal chords cant handle the low notes.

same with a guitar amp playing Bass notes.

itll work, but you risk ruining it, especially since its FirstAct

Q: if you connect a bass 2 a guitar amp will the guitar amp get damaged in any way?
I have a fender frontman guitar amp what will happen if i connect a bass and a guitar to the guitar amplifier will it damage it?

A: Not at all.

Original had a large keyboard amp that I used for my bass for several years. Was pretty good, but not made for bass guitar.

However………I had a nice little guitar amp that I used for practising with as my big amp is awefully heavy & bulky. My 13 year old tried it out, cranked it up and blew the speaker.

So…..It’s OK to plug in and use, but if it’s so loud that it starts to distort, you are at risk of blowing it.

B )

A: You need a bass amp, because a guitar amp is not designed to play the low notes a bass guitar plays. You will wear out the speaker(s) in it pretty quick if you use it. Why use the guitar amp if you have a bass amp?

Q: use bass guitar with electric guitar amp?
is it possible to use a bass guitar with my electric guitar amp?
do i need specifically a bass amp?

A: You can use it, but it won’t sound as good as a regular bass amp. Keep the volume, and treble down so you don’t get distortion.

Q: Can you see the difference between an Electric guitar amp and a Bass amp?
I want to switch from acoustic to bass but i honestly cant see the difference between them and what is a good brand for a bass guitar and amp?

A: Your question and description are a bit confusing but ill take a shot at answering it.

There is a big (I wouldn’t say huge) difference in Acoustic and Bass guitars. Obviously they sound different but the parts to actual songs are usually different. I dont know what kind of music you play but in a regular song, the acoustic guitar will play ‘lead’ (you might also have a rhythm part with another guitar) and the bass will play a rhythm part (for lack of a better word).

I have started playing bass myself and am enjoying it very much. I bought an Epiphone SG Cherry Bass for $320 AU and amp off Ebay for $80. These are very cheap prices for bass equipment, although good for a starter. You could go the same way or decide to get a more expensive guitar for $5/6/700 +++.

I would recomend Epiphone, Ibanez or Gibson if you want to play Rock/Metal. Or Fender/Yamaha for a clean jazz sound

Q: Can an electric bass guitar amp work for and electronic drum set?
My brother bought a cheap bass guitar online and I went out to pick up an amp for it (Fender Rumble 15), and since the bass is so crappy, I decided to switch to drums. I am going to buy the Simmons SD7K Drum set, and I was wondering if I need to buy a whole other monitor/amp for it, or can I somehow connect it to the amp I have.

A: you can use the same amp but BE CAREFUL because if it’s only 15 watts it could very easily blow. For drums you should be looking at a 30+ watt amplifier.

Q: Can you use a bass guitar amp with an electric guitar or do I need a new amp?
I’m getting an electric guitar and I already play bass and want to know if I can use my bass amp with the guitar or if I need a new one.

A: your bass amp is great for guitar, but a guitar amp can be ruined with a bass.

check out this 2-string bass

http://www.geocities.com/washtubbass/cardboardbass.html

Q: Can I use a Line 6 Spider III electric guitar amp with a bass guitar?
I noticed a Line 6 bass amp in a Musician’s Friend magazine that was identical to my Spider III, with the exception of the name. I am planning on purchasing an ESP 104 or a Yamaha bass, and was wondering if I could simply use the amp I had for decent sound, and simply for practice purposes. Can I do so, or do I need to buy a new bass amp?

A: Yes, you can do that, but you won’t get a great bass sound. They are just built differently, and a guitar amp won’t give you that deep boom sound like a bass amp would.

But if you just want it to practice on a get a feel for it, then I guess you will be fine.

Q: Can you use a bass guitar amp with an electric guitar?
I play electric guitar and already have an amp for it..but my grandmother bought me another one. Its a bass amp though. Can I use that one with my guitar or no?

A: Sure you can. It won’t sound too great. Bass amps are made for more low end tones. Not so much the mid to high ends put out by an electric guitar.

But never play an electric bass guitar through a normal electric guitar amp. You’ll blow the speaker in no time.

Q: will my electric guitar work on my bass guitar amp
i have a bass guitar witch i already learned and i just bought a electric guitar but icant afford a electric guitar amp would my bass amp work for my electric its an ibanez bass amp
its a ibanez amp for bass
thanks it works pretty good but doesnt sound right ill get a regular one soon

A: It will work – but it depending on the amp, there may be significant attenuation of the higher frequencies

Q: can u use the same amp for a bass and electric guitar?
im gonna get and electric guitar with an amp and later im gonna buy a bass guitar. will the bass guitar work with the electric guitars amp?????

A: It will work, but not as well as it could…the sound will be off…or quieter if you plug your bass into the guitar amp..its just that bass needs more power to transmit through and amp, alot more power than a guitar does. I recommend getting a bass amp and playing your guitar through that…if you like heavy metal you will like this, the distortion gets a little heavier, and your sound will be louder at less gain, due to the fact that the bass amp is prepared to transmit bass, which needs more power than guitar to produce audible sound. at least thats what i’ve learned from expierence and my fellow guitar/bass players

Q: Electric guitar through bass amp dilemma?
Hi, I’ve been wondering for years about this and never really found a definitive answer.
I’m a guitarist and bassist. Playing a bass through a guitar amp would kill it.
So I’m planning to get a new bass amp to practice both guitar & bass.
Is this the best thing to do?

A: A bass amp isn’t ideal for the electric guitar. Electric guitar amps roll off a lot of high end and emphasize mids, while bass guitars emphasize the lows and keep a lot of that high end for the “snap” and “attack” of the strings and fret noise. Overall, a bass amp is built for headroom, ie, being able to put out a lot of clean volume, while a guitar amp is built to put out a limited frequency range, specializing in where the electric guitar sounds the best.

Some bass amps sound great with guitars…. I’m thinking of the Fender Bassman, a bass amp that many guitarists have loved to play through ever since they came out way back when. However, most modern bass amps are too clean to fit a guitar without some pedals in between.

So in my general opinion, to play an electric through most bass amps, you would either want a multifx pedal (which benefits from a lot of clean headroom) or some sort of preamp in between to kinda dirty it up a bit. EQ probably wouldn’t hurt either.

Saul

Q: What are some good brand names for bass guitars? and will an electric guitar amp work for a bass guitar?
What are some good brand names for bass guitars? and will an electric guitar amp work for a bass guitar?

A: I’ve been a bass player since i was a kid and I’ve played many different types of music. Warwick is the best all-around bass value for a pro-level bass ($1000-1200 range). I have a Warwick Corvette (active pickups) and I love it. But that’s kinda expensive for beginner/intermediate players, so I’d say to just play as many different basses as you can and don’t be afraid of used equipment as long as the electronics are in good condition and the neck isn’t warped. Beware: new Fenders are generally expensive because of brand name. Try Ibanez and Yamaha, they’ve been good values for years.

Do NOT use a guitar amp for a bass unless it’s a practice amp. You need to think about getting an amp so you can play loud enough to be heard by a band with a drummer. That should be your goal in getting a rig if you play rock, jazz, latin, reggae, or anything band-oriented. It’s better to have a cheap bass and a nice loud amp than a nice bass and an amp that is so weak that you can’t be heard. You generally FEEL the bass in a band; that should be your goal, to be felt, not exactly heard. Also, if you continue to play down the road, it’s better to have a nicer amp because your next upgrade will be to replace your cheap bass. If you get a mediocre bass and mediocre amp, you will need to replace both if you continue to progress. Look at combo amps above 150 watts with one 15 inch speaker. Peavey is a good value. Also, Line6 is coming out with bass amps and they may interest you because of the cool extras like bass modelers and FX that can make a crappy bass sound sweet. Basically, go to guitar center and bug the crap out of those douches that work there. They are generally snobs but they work for you and you should play as many basses and amps as you can to find what is right for u. Also, they are hurting for business these days so look for coupons and exploit their 0% financing deals with their credit cards. Good luck.

Q: How will an electric guitar sound through a bass amp?
Does anything differ? Sound Quality maybe? My reason for asking is i’ve been playing bass guitar for a few years and I’m going to play electric guitar once I get my new Fender. I already have a bass amp and don’t want to spend too much more money. Would my Fender sound good with my bass amp and an electric guitar cabinet hooked up to it? Thanks in advance.

A: me thinks, it wouldnt.
i probably would play but since the bass amp is configured to play an octave lower than an electric guitar, you might have some volume issues.
just adding an electric cabnet, give you more speakers, noe the capability to play and electric clearly.
if you still wanna use the cabnet, go out and buy a head unit, it doesnt have to be top of the range Marshall equipment, but if i were you i would.

good luck…….

Q: Bass guitar with Electric guitar amp?
I’ve been using my old, simple amp for both my electric and bass guitars. No issues.
I’m getting a new amp soon. If I get something like a Line 6, will it effect anything if I continue to use both guitars on one amp?

A: Chris Squire (Yes)
Jack Bruce (Cream)
John Entwistle (The Who)
Lemmy (Motorhead)
Robert Trujillo (Metallica)
dUg Pennick (King’s X)
Ken C (Rhythm Dawgs, Trias) <--- Shameless Self Plug

All bassists who have used or continue to use “guitar” amps in their rigs.

Electrically, you won’t do any damage to the amp. You do have to be careful with the speaker(s) though. Guitar speakers and cabinets weren’t necessarily designed to handle a lot of low frequency information. If the speaker sounds like it’s grunt or farting, then you’re trying to drive too much bass through it. Back off on the bass or turn down the volume.

I play guitar 99% of the time in my current band. We do have 1 or 2 numbers where I put a bass on, and our bassists sings. We’ve all got the same brand of wireless system, so I’ll put the receiver on my amp on the same channel as his transmitter. Then, I’ve got the bass coming out clean from his rig, and a distorted/chorus sound coming out of mine. It really fills the space up.

Just go easy on the speaker, and you’ll be fine.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Q: Whats the difference between a bass amp and an electric guitar amp?
Like can you use a bass amp for an electric guitar….etc. thanks

A: A bass amp typically has a larger speaker in order to produce the low end. You could use it for guitar, but it probably won’t be as versatile as a regular guitar amp

Q: Can you use an Acoustic Bass Guitar Amp with a Non-Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar?
I am trying to buy a amp for my band. I need to know if you can use an Acoustic Bass Guitar Amp with a Non-Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar. Please Answer, I need you comments.

A: Absolutely! Any amp that is designed for an upright (acoustic) Bass will work for an electric Bass, and vice-versa. It’s all low-end right? Your amp settings will be a bit different, but that’s it.

A: Just did this yesterday, you just have to be careful with the feedback potential that an acoustic presents. Take some time to set it up, and it will sound just fine.

Q: Will my electric guitar work with an acoustic amp?
specifically, will my Fender Telecaster work with a Marshall AS100D acoustic amp?

A: yes, probably wont have the bright sound that is synonymous with fender but it’ll do the trick if you’re in a bind. Otherwise, shop for an electric amp.

Q: Plug electric/ acoustic guitar into regular sound amp/?
I was wondering if I could plug my acoustic/electric guitar into a regualr sound amp and the sound come out right. In theory I know you can, but as far as the tonal quality, I’m not sure. Or would it just be better to run the input from my guitar to my small guitar amp, then run the output to a larger sound amp. Or would it be better to plug straight into the regular sound amp/ Here’s my dillemma, I have a small studio marshall amp, but want to play for a crowd without dishing out the bucks for a new guitar amp. But I do have access to sound amps. Any thoughts? Thanks

A: Not going to work. The signal is far too weak. You’d need some sort of pre-amp to bring the signal up to line level.

Q: why does my amp/guitar only produce acoustic sound?
i plug my guitar (ibanez) into the amp (marshall) like every day, and it won’t turn on the distortion.
no matter what i do, it’s only play the acoustic clean sound, and i cant change it.
what do i do

A: turn the gain to 10 then start turning the volume up….

Q: Can I plug an Electric Bass guitar into an Acoustic amp?
My friend has a Rouge 4 string electric bass, and I have Marshall AS100D Acoustic Amp.

A: You can, but like what others have said here, there’s a good chance you might damage your amp. So you should use your friend’s bass amp if he or she has one.

Also, your friend will get more of a real ‘bass sound’ from an amp that was specifically designed for it. So tell your friend, your amp was made for the acoustic guitar, not for the bass.

If your friend likes Marshall amps, I hear Marshall is now making bass amps especially designed for the bass guitarist. He or she might want to check that out.

Q: should I get a guitar amp or an acoustic guitar?
Hi my situation is that I have a gibson les paul standard, great guitar and also an epiphone valve jr. The valv jr. sound great only problem is that it only has 1 control, volume. for those of you that don’t know how boutique tube amps work, when you crank up the tubes you get a natural distortion. As you can see if i crank up my amp it gets to unbearable levels. So I know I need a new amp. I am probably going to get the marshall vintage modern. Now I lead worship at my church, also I play in a classic rock band where I’d be using my les paul. I’m going to get both eventually but need to decide which first. Because there both over 2000+. btw I’m probably going to get a 614ce because taylor says the 600 series are great for live use. Anyone else have reccommendations for acoustic guitars?

A: yes. Martin makes some affordable acoustic guitars. I’d recomment an electric acoustic. I have sold quite a few of them. They sound a lot like their more expensive relatives. My favorite was an electric acoustic solid spruce top with rosewood laminate sides. gorgeous sounding and beautiful looking! You can usually get these under a $1000 dollars, sometimes a lot cheaper.

Q: Acoustic Guitar Amplifiers?
Ok i just bought a K&K pickup for my acoustic and it sounds awesome, the only problem is i have a Marshall MG10 amp and it makes it sound horrible. It gives it a tone for the electric guitar, as it is made for an electric guitar. Does anyone know of an acoustic guitar amp which isn’t too pricey, but just amplifies the natural sound of the guitar itself?

Cheers,
James.

A: i got an old school Marshall AS50D amp for my acoustic
just go to a guitar shop and ask them for an acoustic guitar amp

Q: Which guitar amp: Peavey VYPYR15, Marshall MG15/10, Line 6 Spider III 15watt?
Which amp is best for playing post hardcore and some alternative/pop punk? Which one in overall is better? How many watts does an amp has to have to play small gigs along drums?

Ive been playing for 3 years, I just want a small small amp because Im getting my first ELECTRIC guitar soon because Ive been playing acoustic since I first started playing guitar.

A: Personally I’d say sens it’s your first time playing electric, go with the Marshall, it’s simple and sounds great. Don’t go with the Line 6, there not that great. I have a Peavey Vypyr myself, mines a 75w however. But there GREAT amps, it’s just they have a lot of effects and things that your PROBABLY not going to use or want to get in your way.

Don’t get me wrong, there awesome, but i just don’t think you’ll be using half the effects that come with it at this point in you’re playing. So it’s really up to you man, if you want a LOT of options and sounds then go with the Vypyr, GREAT buy!. But, if you want something a little more… simplistic just to tide you over then I’d say the Marshall.

I hope i could help in some way =]
Peace.

Q: Acoustic-Electric Guitar?
I was wondering if it was really necessary to play an acoustic-electric guitar through an amp that is designed for acoustic guitars. I have a Marshall amp that I really like, and I don’t want to spend any money on a new one. If it’s relevant, I plan to purchase an Ovation Applause AE148. If it turns out I have to purchase a new amp, I probably won’t buy the guitar.

A: Sure you can, no problem. Acoustic amps are better but the Marshall will do just fine.

I’m not a fan of Ovations at all but in any case that one has a plywood top. I’d recommend spending more and at least getting a solid wood top.

Q: Should I ask for a Xbox 360 for my birthday or and Epiphone Dot Guitar/Marshall Amp?
Ok my grandparents have offered to get me pretty much whatever I want and ive narrowed it down to these two. I would really like the Xbox 360 because then I can play with my friends when I cant get to their houses, though I really would like the guitar because I already have an acoustic and my friend told me the next step is an electric, can somebody help me please? My birthday is coming up soon and I need to answer! Thank you!

A: I think a guitar will be better in the long run you can become a musician or play for people or whatever

Q: Is the Dean Markley DMC-40 amp made for acoustic or electric guitar?
Ok, so I was broke when I bought my first electric, and my brother gave me his 10 year old Dean Markley DMC-40 amp that he used during his brief teenage stint playing guitar. It has no effects at all except a Chorus option that has limited efficacy. Recently I was talking to a friend of mine who was a studio musician for a number of years and he said he was pretty sure Dean Markley was an acoustic brand. I’m planning to upgrade to a Marshall combo amp now that I’ve been playing for about a year (and can thereby justify the purchase), but I’m still wondering what exactly I’ve been playing on for the last year or so.

I’ve found the instruction manual online: no help.

Thanks,
Nick

A: Although Dean Markley did and does make some acoustic amps, I am pretty sure that particular amp is an electric guitar amp. If it has a drive switch on it and can produce distortion it is an electric guitar amp. If the manual does not specifically state that it is an acoustic guitar amp than it is for an electric guitar.

Q: Acoustic Guitar problem?
I have an acoustic guitar and i’m planning on buying an acoustic guitar pickup and a Marshall MS-2 microamp so that i can practice with more volume from my guitar.
Is it feasible? as in buying an acoustic pickup and connecting it to the marshall amp. Will this work?
And i’m clueless abt how acoustic pickups work..can you help me out on this?

A: hi, bought a seymour duncan woody. its a wood pickup that fits into the soudhole i bought for my taylor 110 and it sounds brilliant just like being miked up if you pop down to you local music store they should be able to fix you up although i did by mine on line, good luck.

Q: Will this acoustic guitar amplifier be enough?
I am looking to buy this acoustic guitar amplifier to play for a church of 100-150 people. Do you think it would pack enough punch for that venue or no?
Also, do you think I’d need to buy a pre-amp for this, as I have an electric/acoustic with pickups only (no pre-amp). Thanks

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Marshall-AS100D-Acoustic-Combo-Amp?sku=483169X
I wanted to add that I will be playing alongside a pianist, bassist, and 3 vocalists.

A: That would be about perfect as there’s a lot of echo in a church, which would help carry the sound to fill the room. The fact it’s stereo as well helps.

No you won’t need anything else. Apart from a cable to go from guitar to amp, but you’ll probably have that anyway. Just plug n play!

Hope it goes well for you.

Q: Im new to playing the elctric guitar and I need help on how to use the guitar amp?
I have a Marshall MG10cd amp and I want to know how to operate it

I’ve been playing for months now but mostly on acoustic

A: It’s not too complicated; you take a standard 1/4″ instrument cable, connect it to the output jack on your electric guitar, and then connect the other end to the Input jack on your amp. Plug the amp’s power cord into your AC outlet, turn on the power switch, and then turn up the volume (slowly). Play with the EQ (bass, mid-range & treble) knobs until you find the tone you want.

Q: Would a Marshall MS2 or MS4 mini amp good for a bass guitar?
I’m looking for a cheap practice amp used mainly indoors to practice and to jam with others. I play mostly acoustic and electric guitar, but I picked up the bass and in college right now so I’m looking for a small amp I could use. I’ve been reading guitar amps might not be suited well for bass, but bass amps work fine with guitars plugged in. I want one that could be used for both bass, electric, and acoustic-electric guitars. So does this amp qualify? If not, recommendations for one?

A: I have tried the Marshall MS2 and MS4 mini amps, and they distort (and not in a good way) when you attempt to play bass through them. Honestly, in the long run it would be better to get a small bass amp or a “Bass Ace” amp. Also, for around the same price as the mini Marshalls, you can get a small 10-watt practice guitar amp. If you play your bass on low volume, 6 or less, it will sound fine through a 10-watt guitar amp, and it won’t stress the amp or blow your speaker.

Look at the Samick Circle S amps. Very decent practice amps for very decent prices.