Can we plug a bass guitar into a normal guitar amp?

[gorilla83]

Hi ppl..
i'm a guitar noob..
wanna ask 2 questions, namely,

1) Can we plug a bass guitar into a normal guitar amp? Will doing that spoil the guitar amp?

2) Do we need any extra stuff to plug an acoustic electric guitar into the computer? (line-in port) If we plug directly into the computer, will the volume be very soft?? :roll:

Thanks in advance for ur replies! :wink:

 

[coiltap]

yes, you need a amp then to your computer... but i think it should work fine with a straight plug in... and bass guitar plugged into a guitar amp is fine.. it wont spoil the amp but the sound will be like crapp

 

[Fruitwine]

heya.

1) er coiltap u sure? i'm pretty sure i read all over that bass guitar into guitar amps = busted cones. someone clarify?

2) that, i'm not too sure. but my electric does sound softer than usual when i plug it into line in, even with effects. no idea about an acoustic. maybe a DI or something similar is needed?

 

[coiltap]

i dunnoe.. but thats what the shop uncle say.. .haha... but i think it depends on what amps... what amps do u use?

 

[coiltap]

for the guitar line in thing... u should plug it into an amp first.. then the amp output to your computer.. then it would not sound softer.. but make sure your amp is good, either use an amp, a DI box or an amp modeller.....

 

[xspace]

Re: I've got some questions =)

Hi ppl..
i'm a guitar noob..
wanna ask 2 questions, namely,

1) Can we plug a bass guitar into a normal guitar amp? Will doing that spoil the guitar amp?

Thanks in advance for ur replies! :wink:

This was posted... Maybe you can do a search...

 

[Phil]

Re: I've got some questions =)

This was posted... Maybe you can do a search...

If I am not wrong, the posted you mentioned is regarding a guitar into a bass amp.
Threadstarter's talking about a bass into a guitar amp.

Anyway, bass requires a passive input from the guitar amp to be able to be plugged in.
The guitar uses an active input.

 

[xspace]

Re: I've got some questions =)

This was posted... Maybe you can do a search...

If I am not wrong, the posted you mentioned is regarding a guitar into a bass amp.
Threadstarter's talking about a bass into a guitar amp.

Anyway, bass requires a passive input from the guitar amp to be able to be plugged in.
The guitar uses an active input.

My bads... 8)

 

[Phil]

:wink:

 

[Guest]

Urm, playing a bass guitar through a guitar amp is a very, very bad idea. Guitar speakers are not made to reproduce the low frequencies from a bass guitar. Chances are you'll blow the speaker if you play loud enough. Playing a guitar through a bass amp on the other hand is okay since the bass amp can comfortably handle the frequency range of a guitar.

An active or passive signal is irrelevant really, you can plug an acoustic guitar with active electronics into a guitar amp for example. Not really optimal tone wise, but it won't do any damage.

 

[jony]

It might damage the speaker.

Before it does it will sound lyk crap.

 

[part_time_idiot]

haha.. i previously practise bass on a lousy 10watt guitar speaker... all borrowed from frens..

yeah it does sound like crap... but be warned.. play really gently... dun go banging to a rock rhytm or go too emo in ur playing.. or ur really spoil ur speaker...

a sane person using a guitar amp for bass would be due to having no cash to buy a bass amp yet... so most of the time its not recomended...

i used a Bass EQ to plug the damn thing into the speaker.. and it sounds way better (amp simulation settings..)

My fren plug it into a Guitar Behringer V-amp and it sounds equally good... but still .. its better to get a proper bass amp... this is poor man's doing...

 

[wangdexian]

Re: I've got some questions =)

Anyway, bass requires a passive input from the guitar amp to be able to be plugged in.
The guitar uses an active input.

Not true. Most active inputs on amps (bass amps to be exact) are meant for active basses (those with an onboard preamp) to cut frequencies off them to prevent them from sounding too bright.
At least that's what I think it is, someone correct me, I'm not too sure if it's to cut treble or whatever freqeuncies...

 

[purplehaze3691]

I play bass and guitar, I have a marshall cdr 15 , I play my bass on it but never go beyond 50% on the volume knob, after all it is just for home practising. I can get very good slap and pop tone on it too.

cheers
purplehaze3691

 

[godchuanz]

The signals out of a bass are generally much higher than that of a guitar. A guitar amp is built to handle guitar signals, so if you plug a bass in, you should be careful not to turn the volume up too loud.

When you plug an instrument into the line-in of your sound card, you will most likely get very poor signals. It has something to do with impedance of the ports. If you want to plug instrument-level devices into a line-level port, you need a DI box which basically alter the signal levels to make them suitable for line inputs.
An alternative will be to buy a sound card or audio interface which accepts instrument-level signals.