Do You Need A Different Type of Amp For Basses?

[Nalencer]

Simple question. Do you? Or can you use any old guitar amp?

[Richard Monroe]

While some bass amps can be used as guitar amps for certain sounds, especially jazz clean, running a bass through most guitar amps will sound like hell and is begging to blow a speaker if you crank it at all. You'll find the amp itself isn't that bad, it's the speakers that are different. If you connect a bass extension cab that is the right impedence to a guitar amp, it can be OK. There are 10" and 12" speakers that are made for bass, and ones that aren't. -Richie

[Dani Pace]

Bass amp for guitar---works fine
Guitar amp for bass---not recomended
The lower frequencies of bass will distort through a regular guitar amp, maybe you like that sound, (I do not.) Cranking the volume can also damage the speakers. Bass speakers are (generaly speaking) made of heavier/thicker materal and have wider voice coils and frequently larger magnets to allow them to handle the lower frequencies. Keyboard amps with extended bass work quite well for both guitar and bass as well as keyboards, this might be a better option to consider.

[AGCurry]

Originally Posted by Dani Pace

Bass amp for guitar---works fine
Guitar amp for bass---not recomended
The lower frequencies of bass will distort through a regular guitar amp, maybe you like that sound, (I do not.) Cranking the volume can also damage the speakers. Bass speakers are (generaly speaking) made of heavier/thicker materal and have wider voice coils and frequently larger magnets to allow them to handle the lower frequencies. Keyboard amps with extended bass work quite well for both guitar and bass as well as keyboards, this might be a better option to consider.

As Richard wrote, it's not the amplifier that's the problem. Show me a 100-watt guitar amp and a 100-watt bass amp - they'll both work fine for bass, although the EQ may be different. But for bass at PERFORMING volume, you need bass speakers. For recording, at low volumes, it doesn't matter. Just ask Carol Kaye!