Electric Bass to Hifi Amp

[Acen]

Hi

Is it at all possible to hook up a bass or electric guitar to a home amp used for cds???

Obviously the inputs are there but i have never seen the connection cables nor do i know of anyone doing it.

The kids are learning music in school and I was thinking of getting a cheap bass or electric guitar just for them to "play" with.

obviously this its not a serious pursuit at this stage hence why its just for playing with at this stage.

thanks

a

[gerryh]

Not very well.
Have a read of http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/linelevel.shtml to save me a lot of typing.
Buy a cheap guitar amp.
Cheers
Gerry

[Acen]

thanks Gerry

i struggle to buy anything cheap in spain, dealing with a local regarding something second hand is extremely hard work as im sure most of them can not get their heads around the concept.

if something cost €100 (inc IVA) new from a shop then trying to explain why selling that item for €80 after 5 years is too much money is near impossible.

[Devils Advocate]

Hi Acen, you can buy a guitar lead with a USB on the other end to run it through a PC if that's any good.

I've seen them in electrical shops and they're available online..........I'm assuming they're also available in Spain.

[Acen]

hi thanks for that

will look into it.

it is really for the kids as an alternative to the "traditional" flamenco guitar which only seems to be taught in my area!!! (like the dancing, it only comes in sevillana form which after 3 weeks becomes boring for young children)

[Trooperman]

To answer directly, your initial question, you CAN connect a guitar to an amp, but you'll have to work out the cables and get appropriate adaptors. The output from the guitar is a co-ax cable with a 6mm (1/4")jack plug on both ends of the cable and you can get adaptors to change that to 1.5mm (or whatever the mini size is) or to phono plugs or (as someone says) to a USB or whatever to fit the amp.. I find that a large Carrefour is pretty good at this sort of thing.

You might find a bass guitar is pushing the bounds of capability of the CD player 'tho!

Alternatively have a look at this: http://tinyurl.com/oht5x9g

It looks like a Fender strat copy, you get an amp, a gig bag and even an electronic tuner by the look of it and the price seems good and they are designed to go together!

Best wishes

[Chunky Monky]

I'm late in on this one but I would never connect a guitar/bass to a hifi. I did this when I was a kid and it blew the tweeters in the speakers and actually destroyed one channel of a stereo amp. Small guitar/bass amps are very cheap these days. A few years ago I got a 60w Marshall Bass amp off Ebay for £60, in excellent condition too.

[Manchesteral]

This post may be of zero value but, I have successfully connected my electric mandolin to my lap top then via a bose soundlink, great sound, lots of power and safe !!

[gerryh]

I would humbly suggest that there is a big difference in the frequency levels and output levels outputted from an electric mandolin and a bass guitar.
it's, mainly, the high bass level that can kill the speakers on a domestic HiFi system.
Cheers
Gerry

[Chunky Monky]

I can't see any reason to put a musical instrument through a hi-fi system. Appropriate instrument amp/speaker combinations can be bought reasonably cheaply nowadays, why take the risk?

[Manchesteral]

As I said, probably of zero value