why oh why?

[danhorne]

Hey folks,

This is probably an easy question! but, why does my friends guitar get so much more volume through my amp? The amp is a Mesa Walkabout through a Aguilar GS112. When A/B'n the guitar and my bass (Cort B5) through the passive input the guitar is TOO loud when the bass is barely anything above a whisper? is the passive signal from my bass as weak as a new born or what? any help?

-Dan

 

[smo]

mmmmm..maybe - but sounds like its more to do with the freq's that the guitar is hitting.

 

[Bassline_Delux]

Well, as far as I know (Which isn't very far.)
Its just that you need more power to amplify bass frequencies and so the guitar is louder. Also, perhaps human ears are more sensitive to the higher frequencies.

 

[Cristo]

Probably one or more of the following:

Could be the output of the guitar pickups is higher. Highere signal level means louder.

Human hearing is less sensitive to bass frequencies and more sensitive to midrange, so at a given level of power, midrange sounds will be much louder. (read about the Fletcher-Munson effect)

Speakers are less effective at reproducing bass frequencies than midrange frequencies, so at a given amp setting, the midrange sounds will be louder.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

The speakers would be the culprit all things being equal, but they may not be if you have weak pickups. Try another bass and see what happens.