keyboard amps. could this be an option.

hellacaster · October 18th, 2006, 07:38 PM

So here is another side of my story. I'm looiking into a pro Jr for my guitar amp. I'll be selling my classic 50 to pay for it. The Pro Jr only has one input on it. There in lies the problem, I do intend to play a few coffee houses and was going to use my C 50 for both guitar amnd Mic useage. I know this is supposed to be a big no-no but I jammed with some people in the past and the results were pretty good. So what if were to buy a keaboard amp? I don't want a PA, to big to expensive. I could plug my mic and my acoustic into a keyboard amp and use a pro jr for my Tele and solve a few problems at once. Plus to small amps would still be easier to manage than my C50. Anyone try this yet? Of course this is all theoretically speaking.

Robin Nahum · October 18th, 2006, 10:16 PM

A keyboard amp is designed to give you clean high fidelity and wide frequency range; it's basically a PA disguised as a combo.

It should work fine for acoustic guitar and mike but you should listen before you buy. As an alternative, would you consider something like a Fender Acoustasonic or an AER, both of which have the balanced input for the mike?

Keep in mind too that any issues with number and type of inputs on the amp can be solved by plugging in your gear via a mini-mixer like a Behringer 802 and then running the mixer output to the keyboard amp - preferably going into the power amp input if it has one.

This raises another possibility, if you're willing to forgo an all-tube setup for your Tele. You could plug your Tele into a pre-amp (possibly tube) and then connect it to the keyboard amp (possibly via the mini-mixer). Then you only need to take one power amp and speaker to the gig.

RollingThunder75 · October 18th, 2006, 10:21 PM

I've often wondered aloud to myself how it would sound to run a guitar into a POD (or similar device) into a keyboard amp. I thought it might be the best way to amplify the intended sound of a modeling unit without buying a PA system.

Ringo · October 18th, 2006, 10:53 PM

FWIW I read an article some years ago where Duke Robillard said that he had been playing through an old Peavey XR600 PA head into a couple of 15 cabs and liked the tone a lot.
I have played guitar through a XR600 into a 15" cab and it sounded good, not as good as a tube amp but good.

A keyboard amp is full range but if you have enough eq you could dial some of the highs out and use one channel for guitar, or as someone mentioned, maybe something like a POD into the amp, of course by the time you buy all that gear it defeats your original purpose.
I'd say see if you can borrow a keyboard amp somewhere to try out first.

getbent · October 18th, 2006, 11:11 PM

Amigo. You can pick up those Peavey KB300's for a hundred bucks used. They have XLR and instrument inputs and they are heap plenty loud for a coffee house and they are flat voiced with a horn.... I have done the keyboard, bass and vocal into it and it was cool! Okay, it is a peavey funk machine, but everyone loved it. I ran the bass through a bass pod and it sounded most serviceable... I have run my drum machine, bass and guitar (using a bass pod and an adrenalinn) into to that monster and it was tres cool! So cool I bought a second one! (80.00!) it was cheaper because it was on the 3rd floor in the city... big deal! I'm friggin' large enough to carry the mutha!

That is what I'd do.... you can even run the mini mixer (like a mackie) into so that you are all balanced and what not... anyway... cheap and groovy is good for me... when mine breaks... I'm gonna... get another one for 75 bucks!

hellacaster · October 18th, 2006, 11:22 PM

Keyboard amps are remarkably cheaper than an acoustic amp, and apparently do an acoustic justice. So thats one of my main considerations.

franchelB · October 18th, 2006, 11:48 PM

[quote=getbent]Amigo. You can pick up those Peavey KB300's for a hundred bucks used. They have XLR and instrument inputs and they are heap plenty loud for a coffee house and they are flat voiced with a horn.... I have done the keyboard, bass and vocal into it and it was cool! Okay, it is a peavey funk machine, but everyone loved it. I ran the bass through a bass pod and it sounded most serviceable... I have run my drum machine, bass and guitar (using a bass pod and an adrenalinn) into to that monster and it was tres cool! So cool I bought a second one! (80.00!) it was cheaper...QUOTE]

I use mine as my bass amp at the moment...with the help of a Behringer BD121 Bass Driver/DI.

getbent · October 18th, 2006, 11:55 PM

[quote=franchelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbent

Amigo. You can pick up those Peavey KB300's for a hundred bucks used. They have XLR and instrument inputs and they are heap plenty loud for a coffee house and they are flat voiced with a horn.... I have done the keyboard, bass and vocal into it and it was cool! Okay, it is a peavey funk machine, but everyone loved it. I ran the bass through a bass pod and it sounded most serviceable... I have run my drum machine, bass and guitar (using a bass pod and an adrenalinn) into to that monster and it was tres cool! So cool I bought a second one! (80.00!) it was cheaper...QUOTE]

I use mine as my bass amp at the moment...with the help of a Behringer BD121 Bass Driver/DI.

FrachelB is a Genius! Ha! I love using it as a bass amp! Good call! I probably would have gotten the DI you're using but I got the pod as a gift! NICE!

October 18th, 2006, 07:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
hellacaster Banned Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 125	keyboard amps. could this be an option. So here is another side of my story. I'm looiking into a pro Jr for my guitar amp. I'll be selling my classic 50 to pay for it. The Pro Jr only has one input on it. There in lies the problem, I do intend to play a few coffee houses and was going to use my C 50 for both guitar amnd Mic useage. I know this is supposed to be a big no-no but I jammed with some people in the past and the results were pretty good. So what if were to buy a keaboard amp? I don't want a PA, to big to expensive. I could plug my mic and my acoustic into a keyboard amp and use a pro jr for my Tele and solve a few problems at once. Plus to small amps would still be easier to manage than my C50. Anyone try this yet? Of course this is all theoretically speaking.

October 18th, 2006, 10:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
Robin Nahum Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 57 Posts: 1,709 13 Photos	Some possibilities.... A keyboard amp is designed to give you clean high fidelity and wide frequency range; it's basically a PA disguised as a combo. It should work fine for acoustic guitar and mike but you should listen before you buy. As an alternative, would you consider something like a Fender Acoustasonic or an AER, both of which have the balanced input for the mike? Keep in mind too that any issues with number and type of inputs on the amp can be solved by plugging in your gear via a mini-mixer like a Behringer 802 and then running the mixer output to the keyboard amp - preferably going into the power amp input if it has one. This raises another possibility, if you're willing to forgo an all-tube setup for your Tele. You could plug your Tele into a pre-amp (possibly tube) and then connect it to the keyboard amp (possibly via the mini-mixer). Then you only need to take one power amp and speaker to the gig. __________________ RN

October 18th, 2006, 10:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
RollingThunder75 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: WV Posts: 398	I've often wondered aloud to myself how it would sound to run a guitar into a POD (or similar device) into a keyboard amp. I thought it might be the best way to amplify the intended sound of a modeling unit without buying a PA system. __________________ Live every week like it's Shark Week.

October 18th, 2006, 10:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ringo Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,913	Old Peavey PA head ? FWIW I read an article some years ago where Duke Robillard said that he had been playing through an old Peavey XR600 PA head into a couple of 15 cabs and liked the tone a lot. I have played guitar through a XR600 into a 15" cab and it sounded good, not as good as a tube amp but good. A keyboard amp is full range but if you have enough eq you could dial some of the highs out and use one channel for guitar, or as someone mentioned, maybe something like a POD into the amp, of course by the time you buy all that gear it defeats your original purpose. I'd say see if you can borrow a keyboard amp somewhere to try out first.

October 18th, 2006, 11:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,190 37 Photos	Amigo. You can pick up those Peavey KB300's for a hundred bucks used. They have XLR and instrument inputs and they are heap plenty loud for a coffee house and they are flat voiced with a horn.... I have done the keyboard, bass and vocal into it and it was cool! Okay, it is a peavey funk machine, but everyone loved it. I ran the bass through a bass pod and it sounded most serviceable... I have run my drum machine, bass and guitar (using a bass pod and an adrenalinn) into to that monster and it was tres cool! So cool I bought a second one! (80.00!) it was cheaper because it was on the 3rd floor in the city... big deal! I'm friggin' large enough to carry the mutha! That is what I'd do.... you can even run the mini mixer (like a mackie) into so that you are all balanced and what not... anyway... cheap and groovy is good for me... when mine breaks... I'm gonna... get another one for 75 bucks! __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

October 18th, 2006, 11:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
hellacaster Banned Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 125	Keyboard amps are remarkably cheaper than an acoustic amp, and apparently do an acoustic justice. So thats one of my main considerations.

October 18th, 2006, 11:48 PM	#7 (permalink)
franchelB Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Irving, United States of Texas! Age: 43 Posts: 1,862	This IS what I use! [quote=getbent]Amigo. You can pick up those Peavey KB300's for a hundred bucks used. They have XLR and instrument inputs and they are heap plenty loud for a coffee house and they are flat voiced with a horn.... I have done the keyboard, bass and vocal into it and it was cool! Okay, it is a peavey funk machine, but everyone loved it. I ran the bass through a bass pod and it sounded most serviceable... I have run my drum machine, bass and guitar (using a bass pod and an adrenalinn) into to that monster and it was tres cool! So cool I bought a second one! (80.00!) it was cheaper...QUOTE] I use mine as my bass amp at the moment...with the help of a Behringer BD121 Bass Driver/DI.