Amp or Guirat?

Poop-Loops · #1 12-01-2006, 08:18 PM

Don't know what to get for X-mas. On one hand, I have *temporarily* switched over to the guirat (You know how easy the switch was? Bass IS harder.). My current one is neck heavy and I tried drilling strap holes in different places to no avail. It's either still neck heavy or angled sideways (i.e. instead of being flat against my body, it's at an angle where the bottom goes outwards, which makes it really uncomfortable to play standing up).

Also, I will be taking a "guirat techniques" course next quarter, so I need one at home to practice, and was thinking of leaving one at school so as to not lug it around. For this I have already borrowed a friend of the family's acoustic (It only had 5 strings when I got it.

), but would rather practice on what I play. I'm not an acoustic guy, basically.

Second, I also want to upgrade my amp. Since I want to play both bass and guirat, I wanted to get a bass amp. Right now I have a 15W Crate amp. I was thinking of just getting an amp head. That way, I could play it through headphones, since I usually do, but if I wanted more volume, I could play it through my current 15W speaker (by taking out it's current amp head and configuring some stuff).

Is this even possible? Let me explain it again in case you are confused (I know I am). Since I have a combo amp, could I take out the amp head portion of it and leave the speaker alone? Then hook up that speaker to a new amp head? Also, if I bought a decent amp head, could I still hook up some headphones to it without a speaker?

I have about $300 to blow, unless it's a REAL good deal, then I might bump it up. I have a guirat in mind already, but no clue about the amp. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Matt Call · #2 12-01-2006, 08:51 PM

I'd go amp. That's me though. I'm kind of in the same situation - I want to get back into guitar; but I don't really have an amp right now (I'm pretty anal about stuff...).

I'm putting my money towards an amp for now, since I have an acoustic to play on.

If you want to practice on what you play... do that. It might be a bit of a hassle lugging a guitar around; but would a second guitar make a big difference? At the same time... yours is bugging you; but if it's truly a "temporary" thing... how much do you want to invest?

I'd say amp; but I might not be grasping the situation in its entirety.

Poop-Loops · #3 12-01-2006, 09:16 PM

Well I guess I should say I temporarily stopped playing bass. I don't intend to quit guitar, just like I don't intend to quit bass. I plan on switching back and forth on whim.

The guitar class will be twice a week for an hour. I would leave my current guitar there and leave the new one at home.

But is it possible to hook up an amp head to a combo amp speaker by taking it out? I might just get a cheap amp head and depending on what kind of guitar I buy* I might have money left over just for that.

*I wanted to make a guitar, but since I only have experience with 1, I don't know what kind of features (i.e. scale length, neck width, etc.) I'd really like, so I decided to try different instruments before I decide to make one myself. That's why I don't want anything real expensive.

mkrtu9 · #4 12-01-2006, 09:51 PM

You already have an amp, eventhough it might not be exactly what you want. The guitar however is not really yours, so I'd go with a guitar.

Poop-Loops · #5 12-01-2006, 09:59 PM

Well no, I own a guitar. This would be my 2nd.

I need 2 for the guitar class only (one for home, one for school). I am borrowing the 2nd one from a friend of the family, and I would only need it for like 10 weeks.

However, the one that I DO have, is just not very comfortable when I play standing. Pretty big neck dive + the body angleing out. It's good sitting down, though.

bongomania · #6 12-01-2006, 10:04 PM

Guirat? Don't you mean guiro???

Matt Call · #7 12-01-2006, 10:08 PM

Hmm... what are you looking to spend? I mean, like you said... you might be able to do both.

I just think it might be a bad move to get a guitar if you only need it for 10 weeks; but that's also coming from a bass player who thinks you should stick with a "real" instrument.

Poop-Loops · #8 12-01-2006, 11:05 PM

No, ugh, I said I only need the 2nd guitar for 10 weeks. I'd still play it and keep learning guitar.

I already have 2 basses, a fretted, and a fretless 5 string, so I'm set with basses. The *only* problem with my guitar is that it has a big neck dive. I just spent an hour in my garage trying to make the horn "longer" by putting in a longer screw into the strap hole and putting some wood in between the head and the horn ending. I added like over half an inch. It looks pretty ridiculous, but it didn't even do anything. =/

Matt Call · #9 12-01-2006, 11:30 PM

Add weight to the body? A heavier bridge maybe?

ZombieGhosTrain · #10 12-01-2006, 11:32 PM

Get the guitar, you don't need a better amp right now if you are not gigging (I have a feeling this wouldn't be an issue if you were). The tone of the Crate may not be gold, but you can hear your mistakes and your technique will still get better. Also, by the time you decide to go back to bass, you may have come into a little bit more money and be able to get the head/amp you want.

Poop-Loops · #11 12-01-2006, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OpaqueBass

Add weight to the body? A heavier bridge maybe?

It's string-through body.

I tried sticking a roll of nickels in the pot cavity. Didn't do anything. =/

Yeah, I won't be gigging for a long while. I've only been playing bass for 6 months and guitar for err.. I guess 4 total.

Or something like that.

Man, when I look at it that way, I buy a lot of gear. Doesn't feel like it, though.

To be honest, the only reason I want a better amp is because I've been told it's more important than your instrument. I guess that's only true up to a point and if you're already gigging. I just like how I go to my instructor's house and hook up to his rig and BOOM it just sounds amazing, even when playing quietly.