Bad idea to use guitar combo with bass??

[HawldieMPB]

I have a Marshall MG50 guitar combo amp that I really like playing bass through. I can get a really nice vintage tone (which makes sense I guess) and it has a few nice onboard effects. However, I sometimes worry about damaging the speaker in some way (it's a 12" I think) because the bass is such a different frequency. Is this a legit concern or should it be fine? Should I explore using an external cab? Thanks.

 

[Dave W]

Yes, it's a legit concern. If you play at low volume it should be fine but be weary of turning it up too loud. If it sounds like you're hurting it you probably are.

 

[Right_Butterscotch64]

I would stop using it for bass if you REALLY want it to last. Its very easy to blow guitar speakers and I'm thinking the cheap ones in those MG series definitely aren't liking it very well. Be careful and use your ears on this.

 

[dalkowski]

Stop immediately, unless you want to buy 2 new amps instead of just a bass amp.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

Click here to see a video Celestion put out on playing bass through a guitar speaker.

 

[JimmyM]

Click here to see a video Celestion put out on playing bass through a guitar speaker.

Nice!

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Yep, a very legit concern.

A separate bass cab will probably give You the same kind of tone, but without the fear of ruining the speaker.

The amp will probably be fine even if You blow the speaker.

Regards
Sam

 

[Crystalman85]

For home practice or just messing around with sounds, you can use it at lower volume levels. just don't turn up the volume. other wise it'll mess up the guitar combo. the peavey vypyr on the other hand is a guitar amp that you can use on bass because it has bass amp models.

 

[HawldieMPB]

Yeah ok that all makes sense. I have a bass combo to play through I just liked the bass in the guitar amp sound, can get a really dirty sorta Heartbreaker tone. Luckily I never turned it up very loud. Thanks guys.

 

[Jeff Scott]

For reasonably low volumes I use my Fender Concert Amp, it seemed to work well enough for a couple of minor studio bassists in the '60s. I do occasionally connect the amp to one of my bass cabinets for real tonal bliss....ahh............YES!

 

[Munjibunga]

Generally speaking, yes.

 

[Downunderwonder]

The very fact that you got it to produce a nice distorted tone implies you were stretching the speaker past its comfort zone. Guitars do the same but basses have an extra octave below which gives speakers absolute hell, hence our expensive heavy duty bass gear. Give it up and get a bass amp.

 

[HawldieMPB]

I mean it has an overdrive channel so the distorted time had less to do with the volume than what effects were selected but yeah thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[mpdd]

we haven't destroyed the marshall ss 412 at the practice space or the line6 guitar combo yet, but this may be due to the gainy tone that isn't super bass heavy

 

[B-string]

Click here to see a video Celestion put out on playing bass through a guitar speaker.

Watch the vid Duke linked. It shows the creasing that can happen very easily. This is a demo by a speaker MANUFACTURER.

 

[Downunderwonder]

I mean it has an overdrive channel so the distorted time had less to do with the volume than what effects were selected but yeah thanks for the advice everyone.

That's all well and good. Beware of increasing the volume as the real distortion will be hard to detect.