Combining two amps?

greitzer · #1 05-07-2005, 02:13 PM

Is it possible (or advisable) to link two small combo amps to get more volume? I've got an SWR Workingmans 10, and a Gallient-Krueger MB150S. The SWR is rated at 80 watts and the G-K MB150 is rated at 150 watts. Can I connect them so that one amp is driving both of the speakers? (or, to put it another way, one of these combo amps would be acting as an extension speaker to the other amp). I thought I would ask before I try this and end up blowing things up. Thanks in advance.

rftbass · #2 05-07-2005, 02:25 PM

I use a GK 200 MB and a GK 1001RB/210 for big band gigs.
I use a Radio Shack connector that has two 1/4 female and one 1/14 male I plug it in the input of one amp and run a cable from it to the other amp. That way you can contol the sounds of the amps independently.

greitzer · #3 05-07-2005, 03:02 PM

Thanks, this sounds interesting. Do you know what this type of Radio Shack connector is called?

Also, can I do it without a connector? Could I just run a cable from the one combo camp to the other, just like you would hook up an extension cab?

Kevinlee · #4 05-07-2005, 04:13 PM

You can run a line out from the gk into line in or effects in of the swr. That would bypass the preamp section of the swr so all your eq for both amps would come from the gk. In theory you could come out of the line out of either amp, into the input of either amp. But I was told by a amp tech guy that this is not the best way to do it as the signal going into the second amp can be a little heavy and cause spikes that you would not normaly have with an instrument going in.

I have used the first scenario before and it works fine. You can use the gain on the first amp to control the line volume for the second amp. And the master volume for each amp would control the power amp section of the individual amp.

kevinlee

greitzer · #5 05-07-2005, 04:35 PM

Kevinlee, thanks that's great info. I will give it a try in the manner you suggested.

rftbass · #6 05-07-2005, 05:12 PM

Radio Shack

Gold-Plated Y Adapter With 1/4" Jacks & 1/4" Plug

$4.99 Brand: RadioShack
Catalog #: 274-892

two females in - one male out
plug into one amp's pick up
bass goes in one female and cable to other amp's input goes in other female

greitzer · #7 05-07-2005, 10:07 PM

Got it -- thanks, I appreciate the explanation.