Quick ignorent question

Snake

Is it ok to use bass pedals (i.e. overdrive or chorus) with a regular electric guitar? I dont see any reason it could hurt anything, but incase theres somebody out there who knows more about the technical side of it all I figured id ask

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




sniff*

IDgotI

The only difference between most bass effects and guitar effects is which frequencies they adjust. Think of your amp, or a stereo, and the EQ options. You can crank up the low frequencies, the bass frequencies, or you can crank up the mids, or the highs. Of course no one is limited to just three options, low, mid and high... There are no 'rules'... the goal is to tweak things to make them sound good. So, in general, the maker of a bass effect is going to focus on something in the low / bass region ... while a guitar effect maker is going to be more interested in the frequencies where a guitar lives. For example, the bass knob on your guitar amp isn't going to be set up to affect frequencies as far down as the ones the bass knob on a bass amp will hit. Bass just produces, well... more bass... or lower frequencies.

Now the only problem with lower frequencies is they take a lot more energy to amplify. You know how when the bass is really kicking, you can 'feel it'... well sometimes, say in a club or at a live gig the reason you can feel it is because the speaker driver is moving so much air in the room you can actually feel it. To move bass frequencies, you need to move a lot more air... and to do that you need to push the speaker driver more, which takes more energy. Anyway... it's *possible* that using your bass effects with a guitar *amp*... not a guitar... could overwork the amp. But... that would probably only happen if you were using a low powered amp cranked way up.

If on the other hand you were thinking of using the bass effects with a guitar and a bass amp, you are probably fine, technically speaking... as the bass amp is already set up to handle low frequencies by definition. So, to sum up, you aren't going to have any issues using bass efects with a *guitar*... but you *might* with a guitar *amp*.

Of course the other thing to bare in mind is that even if you aren't stressing your amp, that doesn't mean you will get the sound you are looking for with bass effects on a guitar... since they are probably going to be focused on frequencies lowerd down than where most of the guitar sound lives. Then again, it could be just what you are looking for. Anyway, again, from a tech perspective, you are probalby fine, unless you are really cranking things up on a low powered guitar amp. If you are... you're still probably ok... but watch out for things like unplugging your instrument with those effects on while the amp is live. It's never a good idea to connect or disconnect gear with a hot amp... but if you do it while you are hyping low frequencies you run a slightly greater risk of damaging something. (although again, it's a fairly mild risk).

Snake

Thanks man, that helps. I happen to have a bass overdrive pedal since I used to play bass in a band, and I just wanted to try them since I cant afford the pedal I want (or any for that matter) for my guitar.

Thanks again!

Snake

Just thought Id add, it sounds just like a Bug Muff now. Pretty cool since thats the pedal I wanted to get.


Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!