How Do I Plug In A Different Amp To An Existing Combo?

[john nam]

Ok, I have an Acoustic B200 combo (200 watts @ 4ohms with a 4 ohm speaker) that I want to play an Aguilar TH350 through, bypassing the built-in amp of the combo.

The Acoustic combo has the following jacks: "Speaker Output", "Effects Return", and "Effects Send". So how would I hook this up? I use speaker cables and not instrument cables, correct?

[BassmanPaul]

How is the internal speaker connected to the B200??

[Silver Blues]

If it's one of those combos that has connectivity like this:



(Note above the transformer on the right... no lambasting for the pic of a Super-Sonic now )

You could just unplug that and plug it into your head's speaker out.

--Silvie

[Mushroo]

You can plug your Aguilar's Preamp Out or Effects Send (I am not sure how the jacks are labeled on that model) into your Acoustic combo's Effects Return jack using an instrument cable. This will safely allow you to use the Aguilar's preamp capabilities with the Acoustic's power amp and speaker.

If you want to bypass the Acoustic's power amp entirely, and use the Aguilar as both preamp and power amp, then check whether it has an easily detachable cable as in the photo above. If not, you'll have to do some surgery on your combo---are you comfortable with that kind of thing?

(edit) I just googl'ed the Aguilar and it appears it does not have a post-EQ 1/4" output (just a Tuner Out which is probably pre-EQ---can an owner confirm?), so ignore my unenlightened comments.

[RickenBoogie]

There is no way to achieve this completely, unless you are capable of wiring a spkr jack. If this is beyond your ability, you could still plug, (with a normal instrument cable), the TH350's PREAMP OUT or EFFECTS SEND into your combo amps POWERAMP IN or EFFECTS RETURN. This will use the preamp from the Tone Hammer to drive the poweramp AND speaker of the Acoustic combo. In the long run, you're best option is to aquire a bass cab to connect to the TH350, with a speaker cable.
Edited to reveal 1 I was too slow for Mushroo, and 2- looks like it won't work anyway if you don't have a preamp OUT.

[RDUB]

I believe the back of the cab is sealed, so you're out of luck. Plugging a power amp into any of those jacks will destroy things.

[john nam]

i wish the combo's amp was connected to the speaker like in the picture, but it's not. it's internally connected. i just took this pic of the back of the combo (can't get the pic to be upright):

[Mushroo]

You'll need to open up the combo and do some soldering. And unless you build a jack like the one in Silver Blue's photo, you won't be able to quickly switch back to using the build-in Acoustic head.