Using guitar amp for other purposes?

Zaphod B

This is probably a really stupid question but I just wanted to check before I do something that could cause any damage.

Is it feasible to use a guitar amp (specifically a Peavey Bandit 112 Transtube) for sound output other than guitars? Mainly I'm referring to hooking a laptop up to it any playing music. Be this possible?

Thx in advance.

Oeneus

I really wouldn't recommend it.

Doing it through a PA maybe, but not a guitar amp

Epitaph

Why not a guitar amp, Oeneus?

I've hooked up my portable MD player to my 10W amp loads of times without seeing/hearing any problems.

Oeneus

Well a lot of Transistor amps have a special input for CD players or MD players etc.
but some of them don't. And if it doesn't. i wouldn't do it.
But generally, I would not advise you to put it in through the main input that you would usually put the guitar through.

Especially if its a valve amp!

NeMiSiS

I run my stereo through an effects loop at the back the amp a stereo effects loop mind you.. You run it straight trough the front your only gonna get one channel..will be mono like..

Tom

rob1891

Whatever you do don't put a bass through it, my brother did that cause his friend had a crap bass amp. Was fine for a few practices but eventually it went mad. Overloaded some pot or capacitor or something, he got it repaired, but for a couple of weeks we thought he'd killed it. He was lucky the speaker wasn't knackered as well.

He still puts keyboards through it sometimes but it doesn't push the amp the way a bass would. The laptop should be safe as well provided its line out isn't too much for the amp input (you have a low gain input if that's the case).

You aren't going to get great sound out of it though, and you'll have trouble with distortion at high volume too. I doubt there are any problems with high end frequencies (other than that the amp won't reproduce them very well/at all) but if your creation is very bassy then you risk damaging the amp, especially when you turn the volume up, maybe not on the first go, but over time something will blow!!


Rob

dabhoys

At band practice one day we wanted to hear our dictaphone at a lounder volume so we ran it through my Lovely Dual Rectifier!!! Didn't do ne harm but god thats not what the amp was made for. I don't ne prob with it once the initial output level isn't to high you'd be grand. Those solid head amps can take a good bit of abuse. There not as prone to going wrong as valve amps....

markisevil

I'll second the "don't play a bass through a guitar amp" motion, but if you get the chance, do play guitar through a decent bass amp - absolutely kick-ass sound!

feylya

Originally posted by markisevil
I'll second the "don't play a bass through a guitar amp" motion, but if you get the chance, do play guitar through a decent bass amp - absolutely kick-ass sound!

Fender Stratocaster with Stock pickups into a Fender Bassman. Now that is tone!