Mike Mc Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Does anyone know if you can get an amp that would be suitable for both a guitar and a bass? I am considering getting an electric guitar and an amp, but I am considering getting a bass guitar at some time in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 First of all, welcome to the forum! And to answer your question, yes there are amps that can pull double duty for both guitar and bass. The main thing you need to look at is the speaker cabinet. Open back cabinets are great for guitar, but bad for bass. The lower frequencies of the bass can wreak havoc on a speaker in an open back cabinet. My recomendation would be to get a separate amp head and cabinet. 4x10, 2x12 or 4x12 will all work for both bass & guitar. You will probably want an amp head that has a good clean channel for your bass. Headroom helps for bass as well, so higher wattage amp would be better for that instrument. For a specific amp recommendation, an old Fender Bassman is a favorite for both instruments. Of course, this does not take into account your personal preferences and musical style. Good luck! Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Originally posted by Mudcat: For a specific amp recommendation, an old Fender Bassman is a favorite for both instruments. the bass player in the innocence mission plays a 59 bassman re-issue. great blues guitar amp to boot. excellent recommend Mudcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Originally posted by FunkJazz: Originally posted by Mudcat: For a specific amp recommendation, an old Fender Bassman is a favorite for both instruments. the bass player in the innocence mission plays a 59 bassman re-issue. great blues guitar amp to boot. excellent recommend Mudcat Is that '59 reissue the 4x10 combo? I know that the original Bassman combo can be used for bass (and was designed for that purpose, as well as guitar) but I have always wondered how it would do at rock-n-roll volumes(since it has an open back cabinet). I was thinking in terms of a black face or silver face era Bassman head & cabinet. I've heard those with both guitar and bass and REALLY liked them! Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel E. Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I would recommend something with a little more power like a Twin Reverb or a Hiwatt. Won't distort well (they're designed to stay clean at high volumes) but can handle a bass ok. A big problem here is that guitar amps are designed to color the sound pretty dramatically and bass amps are designed to be sonically transparent. So you're going to have to compromise one way or the other. No amp can do it all. "You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Originally posted by Gabriel E.: I would recommend something with a little more power like a Twin Reverb or a Hiwatt. Won't distort well (they're designed to stay clean at high volumes) but can handle a bass ok....A Twin Reverb's power would be great for a bass, but it has an open back. Not advisable for bass guitar. There's a fellow over on the bass forum who is using a Marshall head with a 4x12 cabinet for both bass & guitar. That would definitely work. Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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