Kinda weird question, but still amp related!

[BassPlayer95]

Hey guys, for Christmas I received a Schecter Damien Elite Avenger guitar. (I know this is a bass-playing website, but hear me out!) It's awesome, however, I'm currently playing it through my 15w bass amp, and I'm limited to only a clean sound, with more bass than anything. And this is not a bass, it's a guitar. I can't afford much in the way of amps, maybe $200 USD MAX, and nothing in that price range is really catching my eye. SO, my question is this: Can I attach a GUITAR HEAD to my BASS AMP? Would I be better off getting, like, an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal, and hooking that up to the amp to get the distortion I want, or can attaching a guitar head to a bass amp be done? If not why? If I should get a regular practice amp, which one?

Thanks, guys!!!

[B-string]

Bass speakers are not made for guitar use. You could use the amp section with a pedal but you still need a guitar speaker.

[IPYF]

Honestly you need to buy a dedicated guitar amp to get a really decent guitar tone; especially if higher gain is your goal. Some bass amps can be used as guitar amps and vice versa but the results are fairly variable, and this is mostly a preference thing for guitarists who want a throaty bluesy tone and bass players who want more mid-range roar.

If you've only got $200 to spare at the moment I'd get yourself a properly nice pedal. A TS808 or similar will give you a crunchier drive tone but bear in mind that it won't push a little bass combo into full blown overdrive. If you want metal gain on the bass amp you might want to look to something with a bit more bite. I use an MI Audio Tube Zone for both my guitar and my bass tone. Something like that with a high level of gain and versatility could well be your best bet.

The benefit of having a good stomp box is that if you want to upgrade later on to a good guitar amplifier the pedal doesn't go away; it's still a good tool to use with your new rig. Spending $200 on a practice guitar amp (which is all you can really get for $200 IMO) on the other hand only gets you a practice guitar amp.

What sound are you going for? Who are some of the artists that you want to replicate tone-wise?

[oldcatfish]

I disagree with the others. You can easily use a bass amp with guitar. They tend to be more full range than a guitar amp. What you need is something with amp modeling. A multi-effect pedal or a Tech 21 character pedal will work. Something with speaker/cabinet emulation.

I am also a guitar player. I have used multi-effect pedals with both powered speakers and bass amps for years. They do fine. You may have to reduce the bass frequency a little, but that's all.

[BassPlayer95]

I play a lot of metal. Chelsea Grin, August Burns Red, Whitechapel, Of Mice & Men, Motionless in White, etc. But I also play a fair amount of punk/pop. Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Flyleaf, Panic! At The Disco, etc.

[IPYF]

There are some high drivin' bands in there. I'd say in this case that you definitely want to get a pedal for the time being.

Something that opens up really well with a few distinct gain stages. Take your bass amp to the shop and try a few things. With that bass amp you want a pedal that scoops really well at high gain so you don't get heaps of mid-range jaggies all the time. The TS808 would not be a good choice in my opinion. It's got a lot of great tone but probably wouldn't break up your bass amp enough to play high-gain metal and it would end up being pretty hi-fidelity.

The Boss MetalZone is a classic. Though often ridiculed as corny it's probably one of the best units I've ever used for just having fun at high gain and really comes into its own when you back off on the drive. As Oldcatfish above mentioned Tech 21 have a lot of great boxes. The Blonde and the English are my favourite out of those but they're more subdued and a bit rockier. For straight up distortion I always suggest the MI Audio Crunch Box which slays better than most at high gain and can do rock/blues quite well.

You have heaps of options man. Go use your ears on some stuff.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by IPYF

There are some high drivin' bands in there. I'd say in this case that you definitely want to get a pedal for the time being.

i'm inclined to agree.

these days you can get digital modeling multi-effects boxes for pretty cheap, which can sound OK straight into a clean amp or even a PA. (hell, some of them can even record and do drum tracks!)

one of those would have all the distortions you'd need for heavy guitar tones.

Zoom has some insane ones for cheap.

[JimmyM]

+1 for Zoom. Not the best but by far not the worst and quite inexpensive.