guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

[uglyjoe]

hi there,
i know how bass guitar damages guitar amp speaker.
what do u think about putting a bass speaker into laney 120w guitar amp for bass practice at home.. i dont care about guitar amp cutting a low end.. i just wanna know if there is any danger left to guitar amp itself after connecting a bass speaker?
thanks

[idsnowdog]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

There shouldn't be any danger. The issue with guitar speakers is the cone isn't rigid enough to deal with bass signals. With a bass speaker the cones are stiffer and their wattage ratings are higher so there should be no problem as long as they are the correct ohm rating.

[uglyjoe]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

There shouldn't be any danger. The issue with guitar speakers is the cone isn't rigid enough to deal with bass signals. With a bass speaker the cones are stiffer and their wattage ratings are higher so there should be no problem as long as they are the correct ohm rating.

thanks ,
so guitar amp is not in danger? i can even crank up the volume a bit or experiment with distortion/overdrive while playing my bass?

[Securb]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

thanks ,
so guitar amp is not in danger? i can even crank up the volume a bit or experiment with distortion/overdrive while playing my bass?

Nope, crank away and get your Lemmy on. Many bass players over the years have used guitar heads and vice-versa.

[idsnowdog]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

thanks ,
so guitar amp is not in danger? i can even crank up the volume a bit or experiment with distortion/overdrive while playing my bass?

The only issue you would see is that the frequency range of the amp may not be well suited for bass and you might get a distorted signal from the strong initial attack of the bass which might not sound that great. A lot of bassists use a compressor/limiter to even out their tone prior to amplification.

Prior to 1970 most amplifiers were "instrument amplifiers" and could be used to amplify lap steel, electric guitar, bass and keyboards. During the 70's and later amplifiers became more specialized and engineered for their purpose. The biggest danger is when someone hooks up a guitar speaker and the speaker isn't engineered to handle those frequencies or power. The majority of bass speakers are just PA speakers which are specifically designed to be rugged and produce well defined signals at high volume.

[uglyjoe]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

thanks.
what would u recommend for a cheapo/budget bass speaker to use with that guitar amp?
ive heard 10inch r better than 12 or 15.. 10s r more punchier, tight, less floppy..
?

[Empty Pockets]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

high-wattage guitar heads into bass speakers are the solutions for low-tuned guitar players

for bedroom jamming, you're safe.

[uglyjoe]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

can u pls answer the question on post #6? thanks

[idsnowdog]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

can u pls answer the question on post #6? thanks

It's not really a question of which size speaker is best for bass. Instead it's about the frequency range of each instrument and what speaker can reproduce that range. Depending on the speaker a 10in or 15in speaker can cover a large part of a 12in speakers frequency range and visa/versa. The reason why many bass amps only use 10in or 15in speakers is because most guitar amps use 12in speakers and the majority of their frequency range falls within a 12in speakers range. So the strategy for bassists has been to cede the midrange to guitars, vocals, keyboards and sandwich them between the bass. The 10in speakers give treble definition to the bass while the 15in speakers give low end rumble. So with the right 12in speaker a bass can sound good, but the bass is going to need to share its frequency range with a guitar, vocals and keyboard.

[BlueTalon]

Re: guitar amp through bass speaker for bass practicing?

You can use 10's, 12's, or 15's. It's basically the best combination of what you can afford and what sounds good when you're trying them out. What's "best" is a matter of opinion.

Since you just mentioned practicing, you might want to go with a smaller cabinet just because of space considerations in the room you'll be practicing in. (If you are planning on gigging with it, then it's a whole 'nother discussion.)