Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

[McGee]

Okay guys, I got one for you. You may all think I’m dumb, and I probably am, but I’m geeking out over here and want to know if I could possibly run one amp into another amp’s effects loop.

Here’s what I got:
A little 15w Line6 Spider IV with onboard effects and then a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212.

Here's why I want to do it:
Obviously the Fender has no effects, so I was thinking it would be cool if I could use the Spider as a pedal. The DeVille has Preamp Out/Power Amp in. The Spider only has IN and a 1/4 inch headphones out. Is it possible to run out of the Preamp Out on the Fender into the Input of the Spider, and then out of the Spider’s Headphones Out into the Power Amp In of the Fender? Or will I blow something up?

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Yes. that will work -However, use a Y cable on the headphone out so that you return only one side of the stereo signal of the headphone out back to the Fender.

 

[devastone]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Can you turn off the amp models on the spider? If not, you're running a preamp into a preamp, which probably won't work out like you plan.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Can you turn off the amp models on the spider? If not, you're running a preamp into a preamp, which probably won't work out like you plan.

I don't remember how to do it, but you can bypass the Spider's models.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

With my Spidervalve and Randall heads, I'm pretty sure that if I run something directly into the effects return, it bypasses the pre-amp.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Yeah but OP wants to run the Line 6 amp in the effects loop 9f the Fender amp.
Guitar > Fender input, Fender effects loop out > Line 6 input, Line 6 headphone out > Fender effects loop input

I would think something would fry eventually? Or just distort in an odd way?

 

[dave74]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Why not just use the Line 6 as the preamp/effects and then the fender for power?
(presence control might still work on the fender for at least some EQing at the power-stage))

 

[McGee]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

Thanks for the great input guys. I still haven't had the nerve to try my original idea. Scared it will damage one of the amps. So, for now, I plugged the guitar into the fender, then out of the fender's preamp to the Spider's input. The fenders preamp output is pretty low so so-far it hasn't damaged the Spider. So, basically I'm getting a stereo thing with both amps going and the effects just coming from the spider. If I tweak the volumes on each it sounds pretty decent. As for dave74's suggestion, that does seem much simpler. Dunno why I didn't think of that. However, I'm still to scared to run the headphones out from the Spider into the power amp In of the Fender. I originally thought it'd be a very low signal and wondered if it'd even be usable by the fender's power amp. But, after some reading, it seems that the phones out is much more powered than I originally thought. Might be okay but I just got this fender and don't want to take any chances unless I know for sure. One day I'll afford some pedals.

 

[devastone]

Re: Hook one amp to effects loop of another amp?

It won't hurt the Fenders return, might be louder than you expect, but won't hurt it.