Guitar amp and octave pedal question

tigerflystudio

tigerflystudio

New member
Hi folks, I recently got a new 15w all valve amp (12" speaker) and am thinking of using an octave pedal to add -1 octave bass tones to my guitar riffs / loops. I've heard that running a bass guitar through a regular guitar amp can damage the amp, so my question is, will using the octave pedal (on 100% wet, i.e. -1 octave) ruin my amp? If so what damage will I cause?
 
You could damage the speaker. I blew my speaker in my practice amp sky high when I tried to play bass through it.
 
I know using bass amps for guitar is Ok (Fender Bassman etc.), but I heard that playing bass through a regular gtr amp can blow the speaker. That correct? What about the preamp / power amp? Damage possible? Why do they even make octave pedals if damage to amps is possible / probable?
 
A guitar through an octave pedal does not sound like a bass. It won't damage your amp any more than a detuned 7-string guitar would.
 
I use an octave pedal regularly, for years actually, and quite loud sometimes and i've never blown a speaker and have never heard of this blowing speakers. It could probably happen though, but it would be rare.

edit, now that i think about it, the opposite might be true. I have read where Hendrix would blow speakers with his octave pedal, but that was an octave up. I think they just make better speakers these days.
 
I would be amazed if this were to happen. And I have NO idea how an octave up could cause a speaker to blow. If you get it and it blows your amp, sue the fuckers.
 
What blows speakers is keeping the cone excursion maxed out for prolonged periods. The voice coil overheats, and that's it. It you play bass through a guitar amplifier, I suppose you could, in theory, pop and slap so many spikes that the poor underpowered speaker just quits rather than listen you trying to be Larry Graham. But normal playing with a larger wattage speaker? No. I've done it many times, but then I am gentle to my gear.
 
ranjam said:
What blows speakers is keeping the cone excursion maxed out for prolonged periods. The voice coil overheats, and that's it. It you play bass through a guitar amplifier, I suppose you could, in theory, pop and slap so many spikes that the poor underpowered speaker just quits rather than listen you trying to be Larry Graham. But normal playing with a larger wattage speaker? No. I've done it many times, but then I am gentle to my gear.
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No expert here but to add- you have continuous power heating, and mechanical excursion limits. Ramjam has brought in something I haven't considered -which may be a component of both power and excursion.
Bottom line I believe is to be aware of a speaker's limits as best you can, know for example for a given loudness as the freq goes down the excursion goes up. Also each speaker/cab has a fall off point. Bellow that the cone is just flopping around; consider rolling off at least above that (if not as high as possible.
Some speakers give excursion in the spec. (D-130 IIRC was +/- ¼", '140 +/- ½" something along those lines -similar frame, different purposed design.
Actually that's not a bad thing to get a feel for if you happen to be doing your own PA rigs a well. :drunk:
 
tigerflystudio said:
what i want to do is loop a few gtr chords, then add a bassline using the -1 octave pedal. damage possible?
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Did you not read what any responded with ?

I'll help you conclude what they said.

Nothing will happen, the reason they blow is consistant playing from a bass on a small underpowered speaker in which it will just give up, an octave pedal will not sound like the low string on the bass so you will be fine.
 
i use both the boss oc-2 and the oc-3 on my jcm2000 stack and i've got no problems. i blast that thing too, it's sooooo bassy it rattles the house haha..i've had no problems over the years and i constantly use the OC-2 on riff stuff (huge influence of mine is cky, and they use the OC2 on like everything and have for the past 10 years, and never blew speakers with it) so yeah, give it a go, they're fun and make riffs sound 10x more badass
 
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