Using two amps for more low end

dainbramage

dainbramage

New member
I often play without a bass player (sometimes in a drums&guitar duo and other times solo) and when I do, I tend to think my AC30 lacks bass. So I've been thinking about combining it with a bass amplifier (EQed so that only the lowest frequencies come through). I'd do this by splitting the signal and let the AC30 dominate while the bass amp takes care of the lacking spectrum.

Any experience with this? Any amp recommendations? It should be about as wide as the ac30 as I plan on stacking them. Anything else I should know about it?

Also it would be cool to have a bass amp for my bass guitar, so it would be "two flies in one smack" as we say over here.
 
Sometimes more isn't more. If there are phase or polarity issues between the two amps then you could end up with less bass output overall. But it's worth experimenting.
 
Recently saw a guitar drums duo - he had one of the mid to large Fenders (one or two 12's maybe don't recall) mic'd and the pa was filling it out. Worked just fine (presuming style' matches the instrumentation..
 
dainbramage said:
I often play without a bass player (sometimes in a drums&guitar duo and other times solo) and when I do, I tend to think my AC30 lacks bass. So I've been thinking about combining it with a bass amplifier (EQed so that only the lowest frequencies come through). I'd do this by splitting the signal and let the AC30 dominate while the bass amp takes care of the lacking spectrum.

Any experience with this? Any amp recommendations? It should be about as wide as the ac30 as I plan on stacking them. Anything else I should know about it?

Also it would be cool to have a bass amp for my bass guitar, so it would be "two flies in one smack" as we say over here.
Click to expand...

Unless you do somethng fancy, you are sending all your (guitar?) signal to the bass amp, with the treble turned down, it's going to sound like mud. How about doing some fine EQ tuning instead? Maybe an EQ pedal for the guitar?
 
Thanks for good replies. I'm not sure the AC30 would be able to handle it but the mids and highs on it are just too beautiful not to use. I agree it might sound muddy. Also been fiddling with the idea of getting a Fender amp instead and selling my Vox. Like a Bassman or something. Do they have a LOT more low end?

As for an EQ pedal, I was thinking the same thing until I read something about them not really adding bass, but merely boosting it in disfavour of other frequencies. Is this true? Maybe I should try that.
 
dainbramage said:
I often play without a bass player (sometimes in a drums&guitar duo and other times solo) and when I do, I tend to think my AC30 lacks bass. So I've been thinking about combining it with a bass amplifier (EQed so that only the lowest frequencies come through). I'd do this by splitting the signal and let the AC30 dominate while the bass amp takes care of the lacking spectrum.

Any experience with this? Any amp recommendations?
Click to expand...

This is where you're supposed to use that octave pedal...

dainbramage said:
Also been fiddling with the idea of getting a Fender amp instead and selling my Vox. Like a Bassman or something. Do they have a LOT more low end?
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the 60s Bassmans? Not really.
 
The best thing to do would be to find a bass player.

A guitar through a bass amp will just sound like a guitar through a bass amp. It won't be bass.
 
fat_fleet said:
This is where you're supposed to use that octave pedal...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I just can't seem to find any octave pedal that tracks well enough. I had a Electro Harmonix Multiplexer and it tracked horribly even with just one string at a time. Tried a wammy in a store once but they sound really digital and there was a prominent latency. Never tried an OC-3 though, are they any better? I mean for ripping out full chords, not just single notes.
 
That thing sounds really promising! Thanks!

As for getting a bass player, it is not so much that I can't find a bass player. More like I love the flexibility of playing in a duo setting. Think early Black Keys, White Stripes etc. Things tend to become less musically dynamic in music like that when there's a bass player involved. Don't get me wrong, I love jamming out with bass players but there are things you cannot do as a trio no matter how tight the band is.
 
Umm.. Before you go 'a 'boosting.. If amp won't cut it in the low headroom dept before..
..chances are :rolleyes:
 
I don't associate Mesas with good clean tone, but then again I never actually played one so I could be wrong.

Any experience with Carr amps?
 
Yeah, I just e-mailed the store I bought the AC30 in to see if I can trade it for a Twin. They have one in stock if I remember correctly.
 
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