• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

single amp for keys and guitar?

morgansterne

morgansterne

Geek U.S.A.
Oct 25, 2011
2,075
1,691
Cleveland Ohio
#1
My old band where I played bass has asked me to come back playing keys and some guitar. (I'm mediocre at many instruments!) I'm considering this but the sheer amount of stuff to bring to a gig makes me a bit reluctant.

So, is there a single amp I could plug into that might suffice for both keys and elec. guitar? I can't imagine a keyboard amp with a tweeter sounding good for distorted guitar, but maybe there's other options.
I do have an allen and heath zed mixer and a mackie power amp so I could conceivably go that route and plug into a small PA cab (I have a yamaha sv12 monitor already).

or, I could go ampless and get some IEM's, which might be nice as the drummer is too loud. It would take me a year of gigs to pay for that, tho.:rollno:

This is a bar band that plays crowd pleasing rock songs mostly 1980's and newer.
Thanks for any advice!
 
#5
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#6
I would say it depends on the keys sound you're going for.
If it's mostly electric piano, rhodes and wurlitzer type stuff, then a guitar amp can sound pretty great. I would just make sure you go with one that has enough bottom end (i.e. not a 10" Fender Pro Jr).
Peavey Delta Blues might be a good option. They make 15" and 2X10" models. Pricey new ($650), but I'm sure you can find a used one.
I've actually recorded rhodes through this amp and thought it sounded pretty darn good.
 
#7
thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!
I don't really want to go straight to the PA with keys as I have played keys in the band on a few songs in tha past and never could hear myself properly. Our board only has two aux sends so I can't just goose up the keys in the monitors without everyone else telling me I'm too loud.

If I get one of the guitar amps that might also sound ok for the keys, I suppose I'll need to get an AB/Y switch pedal, yes? I can't send my guitar amp a line level signal from the mixer.
 
#8
I use a Vox Valvetronix amp for both guitar and keys (although I normally play keys/bass through a MarkBass head) and it works great - the Valvetronix series have a bunch of amp models built-in that work quite well for almost any style. The one I use is the 50 watt 2x12 - lots of low end, more than I really want in most cases! They have a SS power amp behind a tube pre as well, really interesting and unique amps and well suited to many applications.
 
#9
I wouldn't put much stock in the advice of people who don't play both guitar and keys. It just so happens that I do.

It's not necessarily ideal, but my main guitar amp is a Roland Jazz Chorus (JC120). 60Wx2, 2x12, stereo combo. It is one of the most renowned amps for clean guitar sounds, which means it also sounds great with many different guitar pedals. Crazy loud for guitar.

Because it's a stereo amp, and with 2 pretty durable 2x12 speakers (albeit in an open back cab), it can also work pretty well for keys. So right now for the bands I play keys in, I run the various keyboards into a small Yamaha mixer, and then out in stereo to the effects loop returns on the Roland. This gives me stereo sound for the keys, and I can control overall volume from the mixer. Then you can plug a guitar into the front end of the amp and use that too.

The only real downside to this arrangement is you won't get tons of extended low end or treble, but if you did, it wouldn't sound good for guitar. You can add some treble on the mixer EQ to help out with that, and roll off the lows a bit to keep the speakers intact.

But if you don't need stereo keys (you can get away with mono if it's mostly analog style basses, leads, and pads), there might be smaller/cheaper options. I use the JC120 because I already have it on hand. I send a DI (or 2 if we're lucky enough to be playing through a stereo PA with a non-lazy engineer) from the output of the mixer to FOH, and then run the monitor send to the amp so I can control my onstage volume without affecting the PA.
 
#10
that's funny I was just wondering last night if a jazz chorus might work -- I've always heard it has lots of clean power and headroom.


People who don't play guitar or keys might still have been in a band with someone who does and their advice is welcome too.
 
#11
A guitar amp is at best "somewhat ok" for keys..doesnt have the bass response and the coloration is significant... so pretty much every reason why you buy an amp for a guitar (ie it sounds good) is the same reason not to use it for keys..

buy your amp for your guitar... use the PA for the keys AND get some cheapo anything or other to use as stage monitor for yourself.

and yes, i play keys and guitar :)
 
#12
in my old band, the other guitar player played through and orange tiny terror. he used and aby pedal and ran a keyboard through it too. they keys sounded amazing. i personally think keys sound better through tube guitar amps than through regular "keyboard amps"
 
#13
Guitar rigs normally get a lot of their character from the speakers, which are *not* typically set up to be full-range and highly accurate. Keyboards want accurate reproduction. If you really must do the job with a single amp, you would thus want to use a very accurate amp - keyboard amp or PA - and provide the guitar signal with some form of speaker emulation before it gets to there. There are pedals that will do this - though I hope they've gotten better in the last few years. The early Line6 cabinet models were really lame...
 
#14
Roland also has a smaller combo with 2 6" speakers plus chorus. It has lots of inputs/outputs so it's good for recording also. I have a friend here in Florida that uses it for both his Taylor 6-string accoustic and his 5-string fretless bass for a jazz group he's in. No lows for the bass but the fretless really cuts through in the upper mids. His Taylor sounds really good. Entire unit is around $800-900 I believe. I haven't heard him run his Kurtzweil through it so can't comment on that.
 
#16
Yep. A lot of keyboard amps are dressed up bass amps with lots more knobs. Why? Because to handle the low end of the key board, you pretty much have to have bass speakers. And those sound like crap for guitar. Get a guitar amp and run keys direct and into a monitor.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back