Clicky

Guitar Tricks Online Guitar Lessons

Can you screw up your amp speakers?

jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
12/27/2006 3:14 pm
Hey, I am curious all these new home studio amps all are coming with CD/MP3 inputs on them. The question I have is will this screw up your amp?

Can a guitar amp speaker handle the range of sound? Especially when playing along with it?

Just curious as I just bought a small Fender Frontman 25r and I don't want to screw it up just yet.

Cheers!
I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard and floor it. Floor it. That's technical talk.
—SRV
Permalink
# 1
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
12/27/2006 3:23 pm
You can but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
The first problem is that guitar amp speakers are designed for a certain limited frequency. CD/MP3 players play a full 20hz to 20mhz and could potentially damage the speakers if you put too much bass through them.
You probably won't have any problems though as long as you keep the volume down.
Also, be sure to use a line level output from the CD/MP3 player and not the headphone output. The distortion from a headphone output can blow a speaker in no time, even at low volumes.
Kevin's Guitar Tricks Lessons
Schmange Music U.K./Canada - Home Page
Schmange's iTunes
Permalink
# 2
jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
12/27/2006 4:04 pm
Awesome info....thanks. Not sure why they even bother putting these things on an amp.

One last question if your still lurking.

I have a POD XT. I have been pluggin it into the slave input of my 2x12 but on this little guy should I run it like any other pedal? Guitar - Pod - Amp?

Also, any known risk of PODs screwing up amp speakers?

Cheers!
I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard and floor it. Floor it. That's technical talk.
—SRV
Permalink
# 3
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
Kevin Taylor
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 03/05/00
Posts: 4,722
12/27/2006 5:03 pm
As long as you use the line outputs you should be ok. With anything that adds distortion or unusual cabinet simulations, be careful of using too much volume. You'll need an adapter if you want to use both the left and right outputs ( two 1/4" male to one 1/4" female). You can probably get away with just one output (it might even default to a mono signal if only one cord is plugged in), but sometimes you'll get a weird sound outa things like chorus or reverbs if you're only using one output of a stereo signal.
Kevin's Guitar Tricks Lessons
Schmange Music U.K./Canada - Home Page
Schmange's iTunes
Permalink
# 4
jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
jreach
I am the Great Cornholio!
Joined: 06/15/06
Posts: 76
12/27/2006 5:39 pm
Cool, thats what I thought but figured its better to ask first.

Thanks again!
I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard and floor it. Floor it. That's technical talk.
—SRV
Permalink
# 5
Andrew Sa
Registered User
Joined: 07/01/02
Posts: 1,612
Andrew Sa
Registered User
Joined: 07/01/02
Posts: 1,612
12/28/2006 9:39 pm
As far as a I know, the Pod defaults to a mono signal if only one output is used, however, it has to be the correct one (think it is left, my pod is not here, so I cant look now, but it says (mono) on the output)
[FONT=Century Gothic]Hope is when we feel the pain that makes us try again[/FONT]
Permalink
# 6

Please register with a free account to post on the forum.

Register