Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

[Dirtyking]

Newking70's question on the difference between vertical or horizontal inputs lead to my question. Which is, Whats the difference between Hi and Low input jacks?

[Lee_L]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

I'm interested in this also. I think it's for active and passive pickups. One is probably padded to compensate for the louder active pickups, but who knows.

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

As far as I know, active pickups have much lower impedance... so I'd assume the low input is for 'em.

[Brow]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

I always thought it was Hi and Low gain inputs (Humbucker or single coil input maybe?) But I have also heard that they're for Hi/Lo Impedance pickups.

So hopefully someone who knows for sure will post and let us all know

[Scott_F]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

I always thought it was Hi and Low gain inputs (Humbucker or single coil input maybe?) But I have also heard that they're for Hi/Lo Impedance pickups.

So hopefully someone who knows for sure will post and let us all know

You're right on track. Amps with dual input jacks per channel offer you a high and a low gain input. It helps to tame down humbuckers to plug them into the low input gain. But, there is no single goes here, hummer goes there rule. If it sounds good, then that's all that matters.

If you look at the insides, you'll see a 1 Meg resistor attached between two of the three lugs on the high jack.

[Dirtyking]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

Thanks Scott. So if I had 2 guitars, one with a high output pup and one with a low output pup, I could use the 2 inputs to help balance out the 2 pups without adjusting the amp itself so much.

[ES350]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

Since most people use the Hi input most of the time anyway, you aren't really going to gain anything unless you run the amp a lot louder than you normally do. This is a holdover from alongtimeago when more than one person played through an amp or people used them with hi-Z mikes. The inputs on old tweeds are marked 'inst' or 'mic'...on some amps, it's 3 dB difference, others it's more like 6 dB.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Difference between Hi and Low amp inputs?

I've always liked the high gain (Called High Senstivity on Laney amps) input better in all the amps I've tried that had a choice. Low gain just sounded too week in comparison.