Going straight to a poweramp!

[fatgoogle]

Hi

I was wondering if its ok to plug my bass straight into a power amp and then into a cab.
Ive found that i never use the EQ on my ashdown and just have it turned off all the time, simply using the onboard EQ on my Ibanez, and it was the same with my jazz bass before i sold it. I also need to free up money for my double bass and theirs plenty of cheapish poweramps on Ebay.
So is their anything, if i can just go into a poweramp, that i need to look for in a poweramp.

Also to add a second part of this, i do however like the character i get from the ashdown and the same with the ABM's and Trace elliot amps, but i dont ever use the EQ, i just dont like transparent amps. So is their a Like a preamp or something similiar that i could buy after ive sorted out my double bass to give me some character to my sound like a tube in the preamp or similiar. A Simulator you could say of these sounds.

Thanks
Sam H

[velvetkevorkian]

Most power amps aren't designed to take a guitar signal- the level is too low and the impedance too high as far as I know, especially with passive basses. This will be even more the case if you plug a DB piezo pickup in. That said, it can work (and I've done it), but it's unlikely to work very well. You'd be better off getting a preamp as well which is designed for guitar signals, and you should be able to get one that gives you the character you're looking for.

[fatgoogle]

I have a small passive mixer, would that be able to raise line levels to a more desired voolume till i can get a nice preamp.

[velvetkevorkian]

Not if it's passive- by definition, if it's unpowered, it can't add power to the signal going through it, it can only reduce the level of the signal. You're thinking along the right lines though- my guitarist used to run a Pod into a Marshall power amp, with a wee Behringer mixer in between just to add more gain.

edited to add- if you have access to a power amp then it would be worth giving it a shot with the bass stright in- you shouldn't damage anything, and it might work- just be aware it may not!

Edited February 21, 2010 by velvetkevorkian

[casapete]

What about a preamp such as the Behringer BD121 ?
Cheap and cheerful and worth a look. Amp simulations if you need them as well as a DI out.

[elliswasp]

ok i guess this is more of a question that an answer but do you use effects and if so are some of the multi effects pedals out there classed as a powered r=pre amp there for giving the required boost to make using the power amp worth using then?

Markus

[wotnwhy]

one of the Art tube mike DI boxes would probably suit you down to the ground. adds (IMHO) a sublime warm yet tight tone to your bass and could (as far as i'm aware, i've done it) straight into a poweramp.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='elliswasp' post='753724' date='Feb 22 2010, 12:49 PM']ok i guess this is more of a question that an answer but do you use effects and if so are some of the multi effects pedals out there classed as a powered r=pre amp there for giving the required boost to make using the power amp worth using then?

Markus[/quote]
This will work- it's what I do.

[fatgoogle]

Well what i have been doing at the moment is splitting my signal completly with a splitter and the mixer, bass on its own and distortion into another and modulation into the 3rd. And then into my amp.

Well even if iots quiet would it work?? I can sort the line levels out later but need to free up money at the mo, for my double bass.

[whynot]

Somewhere around the mid 90's I was going direct into one channel of a Trace Elliot stereo power amp using a Warwick Thumb. Sounded fine, but that was probably an exception.

[Phil Starr]

Hi Sam,

I don't know if your Ibanez is active or passive, passives give outputs of a few thousandths of a volt actives a few tenths of a volt usually. most power amps are designed to take a 0dB input which is just under a volt though this can vary also. Fortunately amplifying a guitar up to line levels is just a straight piece of amplification and almost any simple pre amp will do it. If you have a practice amp with a headphone output then this will probably drive the power amp. I use my iPod to drive our power amp directly for example. I've also used a mixer aimed at editing the sound on videos which I got for £10 to drive into a power amp when my head broke down. You can buy cheap preamp units from Maplins also. When you can afford it there are lots of effects/modelling boxes that will give a line output and have plenty of gain which you can use to replace the cheap and cheerful solution.

Interesting though, I rarely touch the tone controls on my Mag either especially at gigs, though I do roll off the bass a little when the room acoustics are bad. Apart from that I change tone by altering my picking position, dialling the bridge pickup in a little for some songs and cutting the top with the tone control on the guitar. I just prefer the sound of the guitar as clean as possible.

Cheers

[fatgoogle]

Thanks everyone well ive found a buyer and will buy a poweramp as soon as its sold. Ive got a 6u skb rack that i never use so i reckon this gives me the excuse to eventually fill it.