Guitar Amps vs Bass Amps... What's The Actual Difference?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- We guitarists love our instruments, no matter how many strings they have. But electric guitars and basses need amplifying in order to sound their best. There are so many amps to choose from, in all manner of shapes and sizes... what's actually the difference between them, and why are there separate amplifiers for bass and electric guitar?
Today we're delving into the differences between guitar and bass amps - big and small, gig-ready and practice-friendly, for beginners and for seasoned pros. We look at why bass amps are generally bigger and more powerful than guitar amps, and answer the age-old question: does higher wattage necessarily mean "louder" or "better"?
Dagan demos both kinds of amps, explains the inner workings of how they make our guitars sound so amazing, explains the differences between their front panel controls, and even does a bit of "myth-busting" by seeing if it's possible (and safe?!) to play a bass through a guitar amp, and vice versa...
What's your favourite guitar and/or bass amplifier? Do you prefer a stripped-back, simple amp, or one with all the bells and whistles? Let us know in the comments!
Rock the gear Dagan uses in this video, available from PMT Online:
🎸 Guitar: 🎸
Kramer Pacer in Pearl White - bit.ly/3JTvy5d
Boss Katana Artist MkII Guitar Combo - bit.ly/3sOABge
Marshall ORI50H Origin Head - bit.ly/3uZSVWc
Blackstar ID: CORE V3 20W Stereo Combo - bit.ly/3gXvO6w
Fender Mustang LT25 Combo - bit.ly/3Byv9ln
Orange Super Crush 100 Head - bit.ly/3gTAaM7
🔊 Bass: 🔊
Gibson Thunderbird Bass in Tobacco Burst - bit.ly/3gY7z8c
Ashdown STUDIO-12 Bass Combo - bit.ly/34OQBa0
Vox Pathfinder 10W Bass Combo - bit.ly/3LUR2jZ
Blackstar U60 Unity Bass Combo - bit.ly/3rZVAgY
Fender Rumble LT25 Bass Combo - bit.ly/3H0kSzB
Orange Crush Bass 50W Bass Combo - bit.ly/3sWORDQ
Watch "5 Best Short Scale Bass Guitars - Small Basses, Big Tones - All Under £400!" - • 5 Best Short Scale Bas...
00:00 Intro
00:36 So, What Are We Talking About Today?
01:10 The Two Main Differences Between Guitar And Bass Amps
02:03 Why Do Bass Amps Need Bigger Speakers?
03:14 "Watt" About Wattage - Does It Make A Difference?
04:09 Can You Play Bass Through A Guitar Amp, And Vice Versa? Live Demonstration!
07:34 Smaller Practice Amps For Bass - Dagan's Top Picks
08:29 Typical Front Panel Differences Between Guitar And Bass Amps
10:48 What About Modelling Amps?
11:24 Do Any Bass Amps Have Built-In Effects?
12:02 How Amps Actually Work - A Brief Explanation
12:40 Dagan's Top Picks Of Guitar And Bass Amps
14:09 Final Thoughts
#Marshall #Blackstar #OrangeAmps
__________________________________________________________
Subscribe to PMTVUK:
ruclips.net/user/PMTVUK?sub_...
Find us on social media:
/ pmthouseofrock
/ pmthouseofrock
/ pmthouseofrock
www.pinterest.co.uk/pmthouseo...
Find Your Local PMT Store: bit.ly/2KdwOXn 
Видеоклипы
Actually, if you really want a deeper reason of the difference beyond size or power, bass speakers (not the amp) are full range in frequency, whereas guitar speakers are more midrange in frequency.
Take the Boss Katana, with the aux in, I tend to think it’s a full range speaker.
It even mentions treble, middle and base in the ads for it (Boss G12W-8 12" Waza Speaker)
It's not as simple as that, I mean, my katana 210 here has a tweeter you can turn on and off, of course they respond completely differently as far as that drive goes, they're all speakers, neither of these speakers are quite 'full range', they can all provide a brighter or deeper tone, but the array can be balanced out or coloured, which is kind of the point of having a professional amp, turn on some drive and it will sound even brighter as part of the pre-amp stage, or turn down the highs and it can sound darker, take out the mids and make it sound hollow if you want, at the amp stage you can also model things to be more subsonic pairing with a dedicated subwoofer too, but really at the end of the day, it's all about crafting a color that you intend to use and play with, this comes down to even finding the pickups that suit your style the most, even pre-preamp stage, don't settle for a sound that feels bare or midrangey, I think a good bass amp might be more flexible but it's redundant, like adding a subwoofer to a guitar amp and expecting it to sound fuller, it'll just sound muddier in the mix. Just scale things to their appropriate sizes, get both amps LOL.
@@godsick . You can't even hear half the music I listen to on midrange to small speakers. There is a reason there are "bass checks" an cds sold entirely on testing sound systems. Not tested it but bass guitar should be able to be setup to produce frequencies many speakers can't reproduce.
as a guitarist for a long time, ive gone through many guitar amps and ive always felt kind of caged and weak. I recently got a bass amp a fender rumble and it opens up my guitar tone a lot more. I like playing guitar through bass amps now
Are you using single coil/humbucker? What genre of music are you playing?
@@PK7796 I kinda switch between one guitar that has humbuckers and another that has single coil. I do anything from Meshuggah type guitar with an 8 string to ambient reverb drenched atmospheric and psychedelic vibe stuff to grungey 90s rock and stuff like that. Mostly psychedelic rock or metal basically and the bass amp really helps the long cavernous echoes expand rather than sound boxed in
I'm coming to the same view point. NUX recently had a firmware update where they chose to give us bass IRS which at the time thought pointless, with the exception of recording parts with a bass but after hearing various guitars through bass amps and The Bassman being one of my favourite amps I'm in the process of downloading the new firmware so I can run their amp models through the new bass IRS.What a wonderful time to live,as a musician.👊🔥
For the heavier Metal style I always preferred bass amps for guitars.
I just bought a Fender rumble 25 bass amp, and it sounds great.
The difference a proper bass amp made back to back with a wrong amp was huge. It just shows how good amp designers are at what they do. It also makes me want a bass and a bass amp.
It'd be hard to really damage an amp with a Bass guitar since as you said, it's a matter of wattage and speaker. While excessive low frequencies could definitely damage an amp, you'd really have to be cranking the bass and at full power, working on the edge of what was intended. Also, guitarists do divebombs and use octavers all the time.
My Dad accidently bought me a Bass amp instead of a guitar amp and I was scared that it will like destroy my amp if I plug it in guitar however this video just informed me that it's okay to plug a guitar to a bass amp. tysm!! very imformative
relatable
I've had a Rumble 100 for years, the old one with the flashing red lights in the bottom, I love that thing, it's a great amp but weighs about 500kg 😄
I used to have that one, traded it in years ago when I needed to go bigger. Looking for something new now that I don't need something so big anymore.
Sheesh, don't break your ass trying to lift that thing
Ever lifted an Ampeg SVT? 😄
I have an Ashdown Electric Blue 180 watt, which I've had for 15 years or so. The first time I plugged my bass into it, and whacked the volume up half way, the lights and anything loose in the house rattled and shook. It's a visceral experience and one which I highly recommend. They're not very neighbour friendly though... That low end...
Sheeeesh imagine blasting some dubstep on that thing 😍
Jimmy Hendricks always wanted his amps to be louder and louder.
@@LH-zv2zqJimi Hendrix was over half a century ago - what you could get then wasn't the same as what you can get now. To be fair, he was a driving influence towards higher gain and more distorted amps.
@user-ud7ry5rs8s That's because PAs were still pretty shut back then. The volume had to come from the back line. I still subscribe to the old school methods LOL, sounds more "live" to me.
Fun fact. Adam Jones from Tool uses a 1976 Marshall Super bass amp head.
On guitar speakers or bass ?
I love this channel for the knowledge that comes through. All the people at PMTVUK are great at explaining what they're doing and I trust their opinions and advice over most on RUclips for sure. Just wish I lived in the UK to justify online patronage. Shipping kills me, lol.
As bass player I played a couple of gigs plugged in an Engl Thunder 50 guitar head (and random bass cab) it was AWESOME ! But of course both preamp and poweramp were overdriven 😏
It's cool he rocks the Katana. It's a GREAT cheap SS guitar amp that sounds great and probably one of the most underappreciated amp on the market. When I say cheap, I'm talking Relative to Tube amps and brand name SS amps, it's a steal!
Must admit, I LOVE my Katana 100 wat 2x12... Sounds fab! :D
Love this guy hes one of my all time favorites thank you dagan!
A bass anp and speakers are essentially the same thing as a PA system. Bass cabs are voiced to be full range in much the same way as studio monitors and PA systems. Large driver/woofer with a horn/tweeter for the high end. And that of course made bass rigs the first FRFR setups for guitar modellers even though most people didn't/don't realise you can use them like that.
Guitar speakers are voiced specifically for mids which is why they sound odd and a bit muffled when you play bass through them.
Great explanation dagan learned from the video good job ole chapp
My first amp was a bass amp from my gramps, awesome and powerful amp 👌🏼
I've noticed with bass amp combos or even heads, the speaker is usually 4 Ohm impedance until one gets to the 12 & 15 inch drivers. The amp power sections are 2 & 4 Ohm for that impedance match. That's the only way these 300W solid state bass amps are delivering 300W. At 8 & 16 Ohm, the wattage is 1/2 of the lower impedance.
I subscribed to this channel because of YOU 😂 love YOUR energy and content is brilliant
I play bass through keyboard amps. You can get the amplifier of an hammond organ or a vox continental for less than vintage guitar and bass amps, and they sound killer. I went that route when I was trying to get replicate the organ bass sounds from old Doors records, and I never quite got it, but I certainly don't regret it.
Fun watch great for starting my weekend off 🤘rock on everyone
Thanks for the info 👍👍 been debating on buying a Orange bass amp for my guitar. I have a Rhoads with an alexi pickup and the ABQ boost inside it, i use some heavy ass steings 12 - 56? Im down tuned to a C, and for a while i was wondering how it would sound with a bass amp
Years ago I used Marshall JCM 800 for my bass.
Ampeg I/O Preamp Box is incredible tone for 7 string or Baritone Guitarists. Paired with my hollow body Gretsch (w/ a low G string) I am in heaven.
IMO Ampeg Bass Amps have superior tone.
Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age used bass amps for his guitar amps
and the only way to play a bass through a guitar amp is to throw a pitch shifter in to go up one octave to royal blood it, otherwise no don't play a bass through a guitar amp cos the speaker will become knackered
I have a Laney Linebacker L100SC (stereo guitar amp) with 2 Celestion Bass speakers. it sounds awesome with guitar, it sounds great with bass.
lots of headroom.
With a bass pluged in a guitar amp take care to the speakers, spécialy with big power amps. I use a 120W Laney guitar head and a 4x12 400w guitar Hiwatt for my bass, but never at full power.The opposite works very well: how many Fender Bassman are used whith guitars? Bass amps needs around 4x the power used for guitars at same sound level.
I’ve got a question I can’t seem to find a real answer to: can I play my guitar amp through a bass extension cab, say a 410 setup, as long as the power and resistance ratings are appropriate?
I’ve seen one questionable page in familiar that says it will damage your amp?
My guitar amps are bass amps one of them I modified with reverb but remember I said I play guitar with bass amps cuz I like the tone better than a regular guitar amp
I'd argue that amps with an aux input would have more wide range speakers and should be ok for bass since you will be pushing bass anyway from the aux in music.
So I have 2x12 vintage 30s in my guitar cab, are they still too small to run a bass through it. Btw I’m not tryna gig with a bass I just want one to loop with to make solo tracks.
But should you eq split the big 15 with the 4 littler ones? Or let them all play high and low both? Can you guys test this? The sound difference.
I just love the fact it’s another reason the guitarists needs the bassists.
Double Dagan intro.
That's for a great podcast.
Id like to ...for home use in the bedroom (hence at the very lowest volumes).. and with an accoustic bass -- which is best ?
A 15 watt amp which has 2smaller speakers
Or a 15watt amp with 1 slightly bigger speaker?
It's personal preference tbh.
The smaller speakers tend to sound a little brighter, whilst the single larger one can emphasise the lower end more and gives it a more mellow tone.
Usually 10" and 12" are "small" for bass amps. 15" or 18" are "large"
@@steves1015 thank you for taking the time to share your advice.
I still rock a BXR 100. Shakes the room with bass
What song is that in the intro? And can someone help me find a Marshall bass amp head and cab?
I love Dagans looks of confusion on this video! Hilarious 🤣
Can you put a mic through a bass amp and use it for vocals?
You need to differentiate excursion/amplitude versus frequency.
But, doesn't the Boss Katana have bass amps that can be programmed into user presets? 🤔...also, (and I realize that some of the purpose of this video is so newer players dont misuse new equipment and be out 2 or 3 hundred), but if you were just so inclined, you could install a bass speaker into your guitar amp (which would probably void a warranty) That would allow you to play bass guitar through your guitar amp without worrying
what if i EQ the bass so that the lowest frequencies arent so strong? would it be safe on a guitar amp
Yup. Just don't play it loud
Seems simple enough to me. A person who spent decades building sound systems an playing instruments. 😂. My crate blue voodoo (celestial vintage as you mention) an most guitar speakers go to 12" an are super tight to make higher pitched frequencies. An on the other hand Plenty of music practically needs a 15 to sound out at all. Once you get down to 8 inch you won't even hear very low end sounds. But you'll blow those speakers making them try. You should try playing a bass check cd thru the guitar amp an watch it blow 👍. It would get the point across.
Pretty simple if you study home or car audio. We don't fill our cars with 12s-18s (preferred 15s for the true elite) for looks or to show how much cash we got.
I blew my marshal stacks speakers (2 of 4) playing bass on my guitar rig.
what if I'm a bedroom guitarist who wants to buy a bass but doesn't want to spend the money or find the space for a bass amp aswell, also using headphones 90% of the time and even without headphones not turning it up very loud
There are some great small bass amps available. Check out the Blackstar Fly Bass! 🤘
@@PMTVUK Thanks so much man! I was about to decide to learn learn bass after having to buy another amp and fit it into my bedroom. Now it opens up a possibility for me!
could i, hypothetically, put a bass into a guitar amp head, and then run it into a bass speaker cab and be fine?
Dagan, there is a local guy here (Utah, USA) that is telling me that a Bass Amp is a great amp for my electric acoustic guitar (Taylor 814CE, Circa 1999). His suggestion is the Fender Rumble 350 (which they don't make any more, but I have found them on Reverb for local pickup only). I don't think I have ever seen you with an acoustic guitar, but I thought I would ask any way. Now, I am guessing that because the Bass Amps are full frequency range amps and Guitar Amps are midrange frequency amps, that his statement is true. What can you tell me?
I have a 12 inch bass speaker in my cab
Dammit, the Boss KII sounds so damned good....
I’m a tube snob experiencing severe cognitive dissonance.
THX, Devin! 😬🤘
I hope Davie504 doesn't see you using a pick on bass. That's illegal and he will call the police.
@davie504
Half the stuff he's playing only works with a pick
Go tell Lemmy. He'll tell the police where to go when they turn up.
*Police respond with a Message in a Bottle*
Davie504 would slap him
7" speakers from Phil Jones Bass offer much lower frequencies and punch than any of their competitors...
Granted the more speakers the more air they move, but it's not really the size of any 1 bass amp speaker
I play a bass through a guitar amp every day and even a downtuned bass but i turn the bass eq almost COMPLETELY OFF. just let the mids be the bass but even the mids i wont turn up all the way. So youre essentially only playing treble frequencies of lower notes. Yes it still sounds like a bass but its not gunna thump, the thump is where ypure gunna get into trouble. Btw its like a 8 or 10 inch roland cube i play it loud enough in a room i cant hear when someone walks in the room and starts talking to me they have to come over a physically touch me to get my attention lol.
My Little cheap Monoprice/Harley Benton EL84 amp handles my bass just fine untill I can get a bass amp. Guitar amps will do fine as long as you use them sensibly!
Clicked fast
Are tubes less prevalent in bass amps than guitar amps (sorry if that’s a dumb question)?
Yeah a little bit, but they're still making them, Ampeg, Fender and I believe Ashdown. But there has been more and more class D, high power, lightweight, solid state amps like Darkglass and Aguilar and the cheaper Fender stuff. Also there's things like the Sansamp that, while not an amp, can be used to go direct into the mixing board combined with using monitor speakers or in ear monitors, though I personally have no experience going that route.
So, what if you play guitar through the bass amp??
More low-end.
I don't have bass amp. So, I plug my bass into guitar amp+torpedo captor+bass cab IR.
thought he was about to play eruption for a second
YOu should wear your watch on your left hand, the magnet of the pickup will ruins your rolex. i bet your rolex already faster than normal....
Good lesson but god your tall!
bEHss
The bass Amp. Can play Guitar well, but the Guitar Amp. Can not play bass well...
Hi, you speak too fast. Then, you are not in an English pub but you speak to the world. Got it ? My question is: do you speak to children's or idiots ? Cheers.
Shut up