Bass thru Guitar Amp Question

[Shlogo]

I know playing a bass through guitar amp can kill it.
However I've only heard about the speakers breaking.
When I go to my dad's (lives on west coast and I in mid-west) he only has a guitar amp, and bringing mine is out of the question.

My question is, if I played through his, but used headphones (not the combo amp speaker) will the amp be ok??

When people talk about destroying guitar amps are they actually talking about the AMP or JUST the speakers??

And I'm assuming the quality of sound would not be the best, but I would rather get practice and hear what I'm playing (even crap quality) than not play.

 

[quilttopjazz24]

What's the amp? (Make and model)

Does it actually have a headphone jack?

You will likely not blow anything up but more info would be good.

 

[B-string]

The amp could care less if it is a guitar, bass or miked kazoo . The tone section voicing will be geared to a guitar, but a little adjustment should get an okay sound. As far as headphones that depends on the combo, does it have a headphone out? Is it a tube combo or SS?

 

[Shlogo]

Um...I'm like 95% sure its a Fender, though not sure what model...
But I know for a fact solid state, if that helps.
And it does have a headphone jack.

 

[Exxcell]

I practice through a 60W guitar head into a 1x12" sometimes. It's sounds... Ok...

 

[ScottTunes]

I have been known to utilize a mid 60s Deluxe or Princeton for recording bass - at low volume, of course, when using the combo's speaker. Better yet, drive a bass cab, instead of the built-in speaker.

 

[lomo]

Um...I'm like 95% sure its a Fender, though not sure what model...
But I know for a fact solid state, if that helps.
And it does have a headphone jack.

Then it's perfectly cool. You will not damage the amp.

 

[Ayce]

I just got a Peavey Backstage Plus that I will be using for home practice. It works fine, as long as I keep the volumes low, (pre ~2, post ~3) I run the low tone control at 6, with the mids and highs at 5. I'm also playing a "guitar with 4 strings" aka Squire Bronco. , so the pup isn't that strong. Good enough for now. Also has the hp output.
My buddy downstairs uses his Fender amp to play his old bass through, same theory, low volume.
Granted, a guitar amps preamp is not tuned to handle very low frequencies, so distortion can happen easily. Not the good kind, either.

 

[Shlogo]

Thanks for info guys! Without TB I would be loss on so many things

 

[dspellman]

When I go to my dad's (lives on west coast and I in mid-west) he only has a guitar amp, and bringing mine is out of the question.

Headphones on his should be just fine.

You might consider hunting around for:

1. A Korg Pandora (the new one, the Mini, is only about $100 new, I think. Too much stuff on it to list, and you can use it on battery or AC.

2. An old Bass Pod XT (the grey ones). About $80, and you've got a selection of modeled bass amps, cabs and FX:

Bass POD® xt Features

* Discrete Processed & DI Outputs
* +4dBu / -10dBV balanced 1/4 Inch Outputs
* 24-bit A/D and D/A Converters
* MIDI In, Out/Thru
* RJ-45 Foot Controller Connector
* USB Connector for Digital I/O
* Headphone Output
* Bass Input

Bass PODxt Amp Models based on*:

* Acoustic 360
* Aguilar® DB750
* Alembic F-2B
* Ampeg® B-15A
* Ampeg® SVT
* Eden Traveller WT-300
* Fender® Bassman®
* Fender® Dual Showman®
* Gallien Kruger 800RB
* Hiwatt® DR-103
* Hiwatt® 200 DR
* Marshall® Major
* Marshall® Plexi Super Bass
* Mesa/Boogie® 400+
* Polytone Mini-Brute
* Sunn® Coliseum
* SWR® SM-500
* Vox® AC100
* Line 6 Original - Line 6 Tube Preamp
* Line 6 Original - Line 6 Sub Dub
* And six more!

Bass PODxt Cabinet Models based on*:

* 1x12 Euphonics® CXL-112L
* 1x12 Versatone® Pan-O-Flex
* 1x15 Ampeg® B-15
* 1x15 SWR® Big Ben
* 1x15 Polytone® Minibrute
* 1x18 Acoustic 360
* 1x18 Mesa/Boogie®
* 1x18 + 12 Sunn® Coliseum
* 2x10 Ashdown® ABM 210T
* 2x15 Fender® Dual Showman® D130F
* 2x15 Mesa/Boogie®
* 2x15 Vox® AC-100
* 4x10 Line 6 Original
* 4x10 Fender® Bassman® Combo w/ new speakers
* 4x10 Fender® Bassman® Combo
* 4x10 Fender® Hartke® 410
* 4x10 Fender® David Eden
* 4x12 Hiwatt® Bass Cab
* 4x12 1967 Marshall® Basketweave w/ Greenbacks
* 4x12 1968 Marshall® Basketweave w/ Greenbacks
* 4x15 Marshall® Major
* 8x10 Ampeg® SVT Cab

Bass PODxt Microphone Models based on*:

* Neumann® U47 - close mic'd
* Neumann® U47 - distant mic'd
* AKG® D-112
* EV® RE-20

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

Lol, I'm not sure this will help you at all but my brother had an old Peavey Rage 158 40 Watt guitar amp he brought over to see if I had any use for it.

It was in horrible condition and really had little to no use other than filling an empty space in a dumpster.

Well before we trashed it we wanted to see if we could blow it up using my Squire Jazz
Surprisingly though with the amp cranked to full blast, all controls to full blast and all volume turned up on the bass it handled it just fine. It didn't sound all that great but it still worked.
I decided that if that wasn't enough reason to spare it's life I didn't know what could be.

I now use it to practice my electric through, and she still works just fine and sounds great with the electric and pedal board hooked through it.

YMMV, But as long as you don't get crazy I'd say you and the amp will be fine.

 

[miiitch]

You might consider hunting around for:

1. A Korg Pandora (the new one, the Mini, is only about $100 new, I think. Too much stuff on it to list, and you can use it on battery or AC.

2. An old Bass Pod XT (the grey ones). About $80, and you've got a selection of modeled bass amps, cabs and FX:

that Pandora mini is awesome for its price! a buddy of mine has one, it´s absolutely fine with both guitar and bass