raukr wrote: I've got a pre out and pwr in on my fender amp. Sending the signal from the preamp to the headphones or computer is not a problem, but I'm not sure how to temporarily shut off the amp's speaker. I've tried shoving a heaphone jack into the pwr in input, but I'm guessing it's not good for the amp, since sometimes this causes a pop and I've had the amp serviced once because of a bad preamp-to-speaker connection. Is this what caused it? If so, is there anyway to keep doing this without damaging the amp?

Thanks.

Leaving a valve power amp with speaker disconnected will probably blow it up at some point. Get a load resistor (power brake or whatever) to waste the amp's output as heat while using the headphones. Transistor amps should not mind no speaker being connected.
MattS

its a solid state, so i guess its cool, maybe if i keep from plugging and unplugging while the amps on it will be less stressful. nothing blew or anything, just maybe needed to be soldered or something since it worked some of the time. I'm still under warranty, and one day ill pick myself up a tube amp so if it goes out again ill invest in a power brake.

very exciting. i wont worry about getting back to my 2 am recordings. thanks for the info... really helpful!

Hi Raukr
Short circuits can kill transistor amps, mainly if they are being driven. Jack plug / sockets can short during the plug / unplug action so don't!
XLR / Speakons do not short unless you are doing something strange with them. Just re-reading your post, plugging a pair of headphones into the AMP IN jack is perfectly valid. The pop you get is probably just a capacitor which was charged, discharging. If you are worried then plug the headphones in before switching on. A common fault with 'insert points' is for the jask socket swit contacts to get dirty causing an intermittent crackle. Switch cleaner spray is a reasonable remedy. The jack getting dirty is the AMP IN.
Matt

ah, makes sense now. a dirty IN contact acts like a jack that isnt there, right?

thanks again, ill keep my switches clean.

What you really need to save your money up for is not repair jobs but something like a guitar processor designed for amplifier/cabinet emulation, designed for direct input recording. Something like a "POD". Just plug your headphones into its output if it doesn't already have a headphone output and you'll be saving your amplifier from a lot of distress. Plus it will be a lot more fun and enjoyable and you can record with it, without getting evicted!

yeah that definitely wouldnt be a bad idea, as long as i can find a quality modeler. it doesnt seem like they would compare sound-wise to an amp, but then again i dont know anything about them. so ill definitely look around sometime. thanks.

how about amp heads instead of cabinets? are they subject to the same stress when monitoring?

*instead of a combo i meant

Yes, a head is just as susceptible to output load issues as a combo amp is. And be careful with the Deluxe 90 and how you connect it. They are notorious for going bad and delivering DC voltage to the speaker, which cooks the speaker. And warranty does not allow for "wrong connections". Not having the proper load on the output can certainly lead to problems down the road.
I agree with the post that you should try a modelling-type of interface if you are doing recording in a volume-sensitive environment. I own a room full of old (and new) tube amps, and many times have had to turn to a Pod or Sansamp...nothing to be ashamed about!

An amplifier head is not a bad idea but you will not get the flavor of the speaker cabinet which is absolutely part of the lifeblood of your guitar sound. Emulators are much more cool as they are designed to mimic popular amplifier and speaker combinations. Digital electronics have offered everybody a wealth of emulation never before possible. With that, you can have the amplifier and speaker combinations of your dreams that you could never afford for only a few hundred dollars. I know a few great engineers that are using the "POD" line of guitar and bass emulators as they can get sounds out of them that are better than a cabinet and an SM57 or an everyday direct box.

thats pretty weak that the warranty doesnt cover wrong connections that they dont even mention in the manual. whats a noob to do? oh well.

i was checking out modelers and i saw those fat rack ones, id only seen the floor ones, and i thought they were all fairly cheap, so thats cool. good suggestion, thanks guys.

so come stage time, i guess i just hook the modeler up to the PA? or do people stay away from them live? i actually like the idea of just hooking up to your rack and not having to worry about an amp also.

raukr wrote: thats pretty weak that the warranty doesnt cover wrong connections that they dont even mention in the manual. whats a noob to do? oh well.

i was checking out modelers and i saw those fat rack ones, id only seen the floor ones, and i thought they were all fairly cheap, so thats cool. good suggestion, thanks guys.

so come stage time, i guess i just hook the modeler up to the PA? or do people stay away from them live? i actually like the idea of just hooking up to your rack and not having to worry about an amp also.

The modelers certainly have a place , just like any other tool.
Its hard to say how well a modeler will satisfy in a live rig, not only soundwise, but in setup too.
For live use with modelers, post EQ is needed. A tube amp like a Hot Rod Deville with line in to the power amp section will give good results. A mini PA is cumbersome to lug around and requires a lot of tweaking.
Modelers sometimes complicate setup rather than simplify it. Depends on how far you are willing to go to make it all work.

A great traditional amp, tube or solid state is still a very nice option, soundwise and setup wise. Its a considerably higher investment money-wise, to put together a great amp and pedal effects board.