Using Guitar preamp as line preamp?

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:21 am

I am being told that I cannot use a Guitar preamp as a line preamp, is this correct? I simply need to get a preamp to connect to my power amp and then play a cd player through the preamp. All I need as far as controls go are the Volume, bass and treble functions so as long as the Guitar preamp has in input and Output, why can it NOT work?

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:35 am

1) CD player to guitar amp input levels are not a good match. There will be noise. Depending on what kind of CD player you are talking about, it's possible you could damage the amp, the CD player, or both. If it's just a Line level out from the CD player, it's not a good match. If it's a portable CD player, and you try to turn up the CD volume to the input of the amp...be prepared for ugly. Read up on "Line level", "Instrument level", "Input Impedance". Research why just not any old thing can connect to just any other thing, properly? WILL you blow something up, for sure? I dunno. Possibly not, but maybe. WILL it sound bad? YES!

2) A mono guitar amp? To play a stereo CD? Won't that sound lovely Shocked

? And DON'T try to just connect both Left and Right CD outputs together to get "both channels" into one input.

3) It'll sound lousy. Why? A guitar amp is designed with the frequency range of a guitar in mind, and it's tone controls are tuned for a guitar's frequencies. Do you REALLY wanna listen to something with no highs, and muddy lows?

When you can pick up a small mixer for next to nothing these days that will do all that, and more, your best bet is to put that notion you are having out of your mind, and spend a small amount to do the job (more) properly, and safely.

Did I forget anything? Rolling Eyes

Kapt.Krunch

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:37 am

That's a wonderful explanation, thanks, I will get a "stereo" preamp!

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