Is it safe to use Loudbox Artist with a bass guitar? (Speaker upgrade?)

[andrus108]

I tried playing bass guitar through this amp, but I'm not sure, I thought I heard something strange at a fairly low volume so I stopped.

But maybe anyone else has experience with playing bass through this amp? Would replacing a woofer for i.e. Eminence Alpha or Beta or Faital 8FE200 make it at least safe to use with bass, not necessarily to sound beefier?

[rokdog49]

I wouldn’t do that.
Buy an inexpensive bass amp.
https://www.sweetwater.com/c579--B_G...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[rmp]

I would agree.

Don't do it, it's not a speaker setup that is designed to handle the low frequencies that the bass dwells in.

Which is probably what you started hearing when you tried.

Bass amps are cheap, used bass amps even cheaper

Look at the new Fender Rumbles. Incredibly light and very powerful and very affordable

[dnf777]

I agree with all the above "nays".
we played bass through an AC50D for a while, but I was afraid someone unknowingly would crank it up or play some slap and blow the cone.
Used bass amps are cheap, as mentioned above. most acoustic amps are not.

Plus, the much cheaper bass amp actually sounded much better than the acoustic amp. I think the high-excursion cone helps a lot.

[keith.rogers]

You want something with the amp and speaker design for the low frequencies. The guy that comes to our little bluegrass(-y) jams uses one of those Roland Microcube bass amps. Sounds pretty good.

[Rudy4]

I haven't heard any amp made for guitar that would reproduce bass frequencies, let alone sound good. For low power gigs use a Fender Rumble 40, for anything else get a Fender Rumble 100 (or higher).

[Peter Z]

Check out a Vox VX50ba, if you want a cheap, small and light (4,4 kg!!!) bassamp. No Ampeg but still a bassamp. I think it sounds nicely with electric bass, double bass and ukulele bass.

[andrus108]

Okay, thanks for the advice!

Are there any amps that sound good with vocals and acoustic guitar, but also handle bass (guitar)? Preferably that don't cost an arm and a leg (like Genzler Array... ).

[Peter Z]

I think you have to search for a column speaker with a 12" woofer and maybe a small mixer. There is just too much difference between acoustic amps and bass amps.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Peter Z

I think you have to search for a column speaker with a 12" woofer and maybe a small mixer. There is just too much difference between acoustic amps and bass amps.

I'd still be concerned that any aggressive bass playing will blow the HF Driver on probably just about any powered speaker. We've tried this with a small trio, a few years back

I had to replace the HF drivers in both my speakers after a few sessions.

I wouldn't allow it from there, bass player had to bring a bass amp or stay home.

he's lucky I didn't hit him up for the cost of the replacement drivers cuz I wasn't crazy about the idea from the start


IMHO the only sure fire solution is an inexpensive bass amp

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by andrus108

Okay, thanks for the advice!

Are there any amps that sound good with vocals and acoustic guitar, but also handle bass (guitar)? Preferably that don't cost an arm and a leg (like Genzler Array... ).

Hi andrus…
PA speakers work great for guitars, vocals, bass, keys etc. For live work, a small PA, with even an 8" woofer and high frequency driver will outperform a guitar amp any day.

Acoustic guitar amps work great for acoustic guitars. They will work for voice too, as long as you don't crank them too loud.

I own 3 acoustic amps, all of the with 8" two way speakers, and they are great as stage monitors. I own a PA with 2 cabinets with 12" woofers and horns, and they will cover 300 people at moderate volumes.

It's common to just use one speaker and run the pole up about 6 feet above the ground right behind us. I have a 'cart' to get me from car to gig in one trip with either rig.

[andrus108]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi andrus…
PA speakers work great for guitars, vocals, bass, keys etc. For live work, a small PA, with even an 8" woofer and high frequency driver will outperform a guitar amp any day.

Acoustic guitar amps work great for acoustic guitars. They will work for voice too, as long as you don't crank them too loud.

I own 3 acoustic amps, all of the with 8" two way speakers, and they are great as stage monitors. I own a PA with 2 cabinets with 12" woofers and horns, and they will cover 300 people at moderate volumes.

It's common to just use one speaker and run the pole up about 6 feet above the ground right behind us. I have a 'cart' to get me from car to gig in one trip with either rig.

I have in fact PA speakers, a pair of ZLX 12p, but between those, a halfstack for electric, and the Fishman, Fishman comes out sounding the best... ZLXs also seemed off to me at a similar volume to the Fishman.

I'm sort of looking for equipment that can do double duty, as I only dabble in bass however would like to have something passable when guests arrive :-) But I guess it is down to either a sub or a bass cab then. Thanks for opinions!

[nostatic]

At the risk of invoking the q-brand, I have gigged on bass with a K8 from time to time. I would not use a Fishman, nor would I use my DeCapo, but a good powered PA cab cab work depending on the details. In my case it was used for jazz gigs or nursing home dates, both with drummers but volume was reasonable.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by andrus108

I tried playing bass guitar through this amp, but I'm not sure, I thought I heard something strange at a fairly low volume so I stopped.

But maybe anyone else has experience with playing bass through this amp? Would replacing a woofer for i.e. Eminence Alpha or Beta or Faital 8FE200 make it at least safe to use with bass, not necessarily to sound beefier?

If you need an absolute answer to this question, call Fishman Transducers and speak with the horse directly. If the amp doesn't have a ported enclosure I'm betting on a big no-way, but speak to the manufacturer first & foremost.

If you need an amp that can handle acoustic guitar or bass, about the only game in town is SWR, specifically their California Blonde.

They're still out there, used, and in fact you could even use one of their Workingmans 12's bass amps. They have tweeters, which I assume is to carry the round-wound bass string high frequencies.

They are NOT light weight amps, so be warned. Here's a listing for a California Blonde with free shipping if you're open to temptation.

https://reverb.com/item/63695407-use...RoCMY4QAvD_BwE
HE

[AcouStickistNS]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

If you need an amp that can handle acoustic guitar or bass, about the only game in town is SWR, specifically their California Blonde.

Acoustic Image also makes acoustic amps that work with bass. I used to own a CODA with a 2X10 extension cab many years ago. Since then the format has changed a bit, but they say their current offerings work with bass. Originally, if i remember right the founders were upright bassists. What I had back then actually sounded best to my ears with an upright bass. They worked with any acoustic instrument, I had even run my electric guitar though it. My reason though for selling it was the down firing woofer did not work well for me on platform stages; best on solid floors. For those playing uprights or acoustic basses though, those amps are awesome. I did try a couple years ago their up firing amp, and the store owner used one personally with his acoustic guitar and violins. They spread the sound pretty well, and the up firing speaker sounded much better than the older version I had. I predominately used them with my Chapman Sticks, one of which is more like an 8-string Steinberger bass guitar.