T or F: Someone told me I can blow my bass cabs by running a guitar through them...

[nexbot]

I have an Avatar 210 and 1x15 and was planning on trying out running my guitar through them with a bass head.

This might sound like a foolish question to experienced bass heads, but is this safe to do?

FWIW the person told me the increased highs from the guitar would be what damages the drivers...

[JimmyM]

Should be fine unless you run distortion with the tweeter on. Distortion can bust tweeters.

[nexbot]

Yes, I forgot to mention I'll be running massive amounts of distortion!

[nexbot]

I just checked and my 210 has a "tweeter knob" on the back but the 15 does not. Does this mean it's ok to run distortion through my 15 but not my 210? What if I roll off all the highs on the 210? Thanks guys!

[fenderhutz]

Does the 15 have a tweeter? If not just turn the tweeter off on the 210 and have at it.

Can I make a quick guess?

Are you playing metal?

[nexbot]

No tweeter on the 15!

How did you know I was playing metal!?? Haha is it that obvious...

[bassgod0dmw]

Just turn the tweeter off on the the 210 as mentioned

Oh, and...false

[AwkwardLoudness]

Using a 6-string guitar will not be a factor if you damage the cabs.

Yes, distortion kills tweeters regardless of whether you use guitar or bass. Either turn off or disconnect the tweeter(s).

Overpowering the speakers will also cause damage. The risk is greater with bass guitar since lower frequencies push speakers to maximum excursion sooner than higher frequencies.

I wouldn't recommend those cabs for lead guitar. You'll get better tone in the high w/ a proper cab for the application.

[fenderhutz]

Originally Posted by nexbot

No tweeter on the 15!

How did you know I was playing metal!?? Haha is it that obvious...

I wouldn't recommend using an overdrive then. Get like a metal muff or something because of the way the cabs are voiced and are going to react it is going to sound scooped. Also if you are using a guitar amp for the cabs check the ohm rating.

Just a wild guess your two cabs are 8ohm apiece. Some guitar amps are NOT rated for a 4ohm load so you might only be able to use a single cab. If you are using a bass amp this won't be a problem but you will want to kill the high end a little on the amp because it will sound like a buzzsaw hitting a hornets nest. Even with the tweeter off.

[nexbot]

Thanks fenderhutz and everyone else! My cabs are 8ohm, but I am open to getting a whole new rig down the line if I can make this somewhat workable.

I'm playing an 8 string guitar which has an extra low B and F# and my current guitar rig is NOT cutting it with respect to the low end. I heard a local guitarist pull off the bass rig thing live recently and was totally impressed with how full and heavy it sounded. I had been thinking about it myself for some time so I thought I'd give it a shot, especially since I have these cabs just sitting around.

I'm thinking of getting a Carvin BX1500 for power, its bi-amp capability coupled with my POD HD500's dual outputs sounds like this setup might have a heck-load of tasty possibilities...

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by nexbot

the person told me the increased highs from the guitar would be what damages the drivers...

Did said person bear a resemblance to one of these fine fellows?


If he meant that a fuzz box can hurt tweeters that's true, but high frequencies in and of themselves don't bother speakers. Why would they?

I wouldn't recommend those cabs for lead guitar. You'll get better tone in the high w/ a proper cab for the application

+1.

[HolmeBass]

I wonder how the bass player in your project will feel about all of this. Maybe you could rely on him to add some of the heaviness you seek, you know, and be a real band?

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Should be fine unless you run distortion with the tweeter on. Distortion can bust tweeters.

In the "Effects" forum I've read lots of times that distortion doesn't sound good through tweeters. I've never heard that it blows them.

Are we talking about overdriving the speakers, verses the preamp? If not, is everyone that uses distortion pedals playing non-tweeter cabinets?

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by Bob C

In the "Effects" forum I've read lots of times that distortion doesn't sound good through tweeters. I've never heard that it blows them.

It can, due to the greatly increased power density in the high frequencies when signals are distorted/clipped. This truth is the source behind the myth of under-powering, though clipped waveforms/distortion have absolutely no effect whatsoever on woofers.

is everyone that uses distortion pedals playing non-tweeter cabinets?

They usually should, it's why guitar cabs don't have tweeters.

[fenderhutz]

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

I wonder how the bass player in your project will feel about all of this. Maybe you could rely on him to add some of the heaviness you seek, you know, and be a real band?

I "real" band doesn't even need a bass player. I have seen "real" bands without instruments at all.

[bassgod0dmw]

I think he meant that the guitarist and bassist should get together on the tonal goals of then band as a whole and not focus of what one instrument sounds like out of the context of said band.

Make them work with each other, not against...because that exactly how this may end up sounding. The guitar hogging all of the frequencies thus making the bass player unheard and ultimately redundant.

[bolophonic]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

I "real" band doesn't even need a bass player. I have seen "real" bands without instruments at all.

As a bass player, I respectfully disagree. We are talking about rock and roll here... you can't have a real rock band without a bass player. Jazz combos, acapella choruses, and ambient projects might not need bass, but rock does.

[bradjonesbass]

Originally Posted by bolophonic

As a bass player, I respectfully disagree. We are talking about rock and roll here... you can't have a real rock band without a bass player. Jazz combos, acapella choruses, and ambient projects might not need bass, but rock does.

Presidents Of the United States of America would be an exception...

[fenderhutz]

A band is what you make of it. Kazoos, Jugs, Bells, whatever.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by bradjonesbass

Presidents Of the United States of America would be an exception...

They had a 2 string bass player...