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Posted

Can You use a Acustic amp as and eletric guitar amp? i was looking around for a new amp and i came acroos a couple of acustic amps, so i just wanted to no if it would work. Thanks

Posted

question i can answer! though i'm new in the building area, i'm a sound designer for a local theater and an audio engineer at a a local TV station.

yes. you can use a keyboard amp as a bass amp, a bass amp as a PA, anything. the major difference between all those things is the way they are wired, the type of speaker they have, and the frequency response desired (hertz).

a bass cab will usually have something like 20-2kHtz, rarely higher, an electric guitar would cover more like 120-12/14k, while an acoustic guitar, because of it's lack of as many harmonics as an electic and a much bassier sound (typically, speaking), usually goes for a 20/60-10/12k. also, an acoustic cab will have some sort of anti-feedback on it, because the hollow bodies vibrate and amplify like crazy, especially on a condenser pickup as opposed to a magnetic.

on an electric amp, there are usually multiple channels for different sounds, too. an overdriven/distorted/lead channel, while all of the channels (if there's more than one) on an acoustic are typically clean or have minor effects like chorus or reverb on them.

if you have an electric amp for your acoustic, it will not sound bad. trust me. for years, i've played my electric through an AIMS by Randall BASSO bass amp, and i love the sound of it. it's just wierd. even though there are actual amps designed specifically for acoustic guitars, you don't "need" it. if you know how to tweak EQ's or work your effects board the right way, you could use a stereo reciever hooked up to computer speakers and still have it sound great.

"it's not the gear, it's the player and how he uses it." -Victor Wooten (and a ton of other people)

hope that helps cover just about any of your questions. fire 'em at me if you have any more. if i can't answer them, i'll find someone who can.

-Dan

Posted

Dan- Good to see another "vidiot" here..heh heh...Lectrosonic rules! LOL. We've got to get you one of those shirts that says "Got 9V?" (field audio guys will get that joke)

This might sound like a little bit of pimping, so try to let that slide, but.....

I know of a very uppity store on Long Island with Taylor 'Goldfish', and other super-pricey acoustics in their sound room. The amp they swear by: Ibanez Troubador.

These are guys who love their boutique amps, and custom EB/MM guitars. They dig on that little amp.

Definitely something to check out in your amp quest.

Posted

All guitar amps take a line level input and amplify it. The voltage generated by an acoustic and that which is generated by a solid body lead guitar are roughly the same. As has already been said, all the difference will be is how the amp is designed to sound. Acoustics are often brighter and twangier sounding than lead guitars, so you may get quite a bright sounding tone from the amp with your guitar in front of it.

You'll barely get any distortion from the amp so you might want to consider also buying an overdrive or distortion pedal with it.

I'd say that you should save up and buy a used JCM 800. I have become the good will ambassador of JCM 800's now... You can get the combos for a few hundred $$$'s off ebay. :D

Posted

hey kevan, i'd like one of those shirt. sign me up.

Posted

The only thing I've heard is that the reverse is not true. Most acoustic amps (Fender, Carvin, Marshall, etc.) have three channels if not two. The second or the most part is a PA system wit hthe first being the direct acoustic. And since you can run POD-esque preamps through a PA, you probably can do the same wit hthe 2bd channel of the acoustic amp. The first channel is generally EQ'd for an acoustic, and probably won't give you the tones you want. I"d run it through the "mic/bass" channel if you have a preamp, and it should sound decent. If not, chain a small mixer (ala Behringer $59 model) and it should work.

Posted

The biggest problem will be dirty sounds running an electric guitar through and acoustic amp. Typicaly the high end will sound really bad and buzzy. Horns and Tweeters do not distort like 12" speakers do.

Just my experience.(Part of why I hate running direct on my electric rig)

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