Tech Question for Amp Gurus

[Tonray's Ghost]

Ok...a quickie tech question for you amp/electronics gurus

If I had a SS amp with effects, would it be possible to take the Line Out from the SS amp into an Effects Loop on a tube amp, with the stated goal of using the effcts on the SS Amp with the power amp and speaker of the tube amp ?

[BatUtilityBelt]

I'm not close to being a guru, just used a lot of gear over decades, so take with a lump of salt...

You're not likely going to get a very good line level match between a line out and an effects return, but you're also not going to blow anything up. If you can control the level of the line out from the SS amp, you might be able to achieve results you like. But I doubt it'll be sublime. Also, what you describe is bypassing the tube amp's preamp section, which might actually be largely responsible for the tone you like from that amp. But it's not dangerous, just start at low volumes and go from there.

[Tonray's Ghost]

I'm not close to being a guru, just used a lot of gear over decades, so take with a lump of salt...

You're not likely going to get a very good line level match between a line out and an effects return, but you're also not going to blow anything up. If you can control the level of the line out from the SS amp, you might be able to achieve results you like. But I doubt it'll be sublime. Also, what you describe is bypassing the tube amp's preamp section, which might actually be largely responsible for the tone you like from that amp. But it's not dangerous, just start at low volumes and go from there.

I might also be able to go line out (or headphone ?) into pre-amp as long as I disable any amp/cab sims on the SS amp perhaps. Years ago I remember doing something similar with a VOX DA5 into a massive Kustom Acoustic amp I had gotten in a trade...I seem to remember going headphone out to amp input. This sounded sublime as the DA5 had great effects but the speaker was just too small.

[andrewsrea]

I'm not close to being a guru, just used a lot of gear over decades, so take with a lump of salt...

You're not likely going to get a very good line level match between a line out and an effects return, but you're also not going to blow anything up. If you can control the level of the line out from the SS amp, you might be able to achieve results you like. But I doubt it'll be sublime. Also, what you describe is bypassing the tube amp's preamp section, which might actually be largely responsible for the tone you like from that amp. But it's not dangerous, just start at low volumes and go from there.

No. Cross-breeding of amps is forbidden.

Just kidding.

If I get this right, you want to plug your guitar into a SS amp and take a line out or effects out and put that into a tube amp's effect's return. That can be done. As @BatUtilityBelt mentioned, you may encounter impedance mismatch or not, depending on the design of each amp's effects loop. If this happens your tone may get weak and sterile sounding. The good news is many SS amps made after 1990 have loops which are pretty much the same impedance as pedals, which tube amps (especially more recent ones) are designed to match.

DO NOT plug the speaker output of any amp straight into the effects loop of another amp, unless you want to release the magic smoke from each amp.

[toomanycats]

This is a topic that hits me close to home because I came of age as a guitarist when rack mounted gear and the famous Bradshaw rigs were becoming prominent. Having one foot back in an era when great guitar tone meant plugging straight into a cranked Plexi, rack mounted units like the ADA MP-1 were somewhat of a mystery to me.

If you already had a JCM-800, which essentially has an additional solid state preamp stage built in, why then would you need to plug into a rack mount amp before the amp itself?

This, to me, was the age when guitar tones went off course, getting too fizzy, processed, and artificial sounding.

[Tonray's Ghost]

This is a topic that hits me close to home because I came of age as a guitarist when rack mounted gear and the famous Bradshaw rigs were becoming prominent. Having one foot back in an era when great guitar tone meant plugging straight into a cranked Plexi, rack mounted units like the ADA MP-1 were somewhat of a mystery to me.

If you already had a JCM-800, which essentially has an additional solid state preamp stage built in, why then would you need to plug into a rack mount amp before the amp itself?

This, to me, was the age when guitar tones went off course, getting too fizzy, processed, and artificial sounding.

Well my stated goal is to sound more artificial as my natural talents make my natural sound pretty lame. I guess I'm waiting for an AI neural plugin so my muscle memory can be replaced/downloaded on the fly. Monday SRV plugin, Tuesday Wes Montgomery, Wednesday Barney Kessel, Thursday Steve Marriot, Friday Keith Richards and so on and so on and so on.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Well my stated goal is to sound more artificial as my natural talents make my natural sound pretty lame. I guess I'm waiting for an AI neural plugin so my muscle memory can be replaced/downloaded on the fly. Monday SRV plugin, Tuesday Wes Montgomery, Wednesday Barney Kessel, Thursday Steve Marriot, Friday Keith Richards and so on and so on and so on.

I think you just found the only justification I would use for a neural implant.

[Tonray's Ghost]

Well my stated goal is to sound more artificial as my natural talents make my natural sound pretty lame. I guess I'm waiting for an AI neural plugin so my muscle memory can be replaced/downloaded on the fly. Monday SRV plugin, Tuesday Wes Montgomery, Wednesday Barney Kessel, Thursday Steve Marriot, Friday Keith Richards and so on and so on and so on.

I think you just found the only justification I would use for a neural implant.

"First implant of Elon Musk’s brain chip company malfunctions"

Uh...I think I'll wait until they get all the bugs worked out

[toomanycats]

Well my stated goal is to sound more artificial as my natural talents make my natural sound pretty lame. I guess I'm waiting for an AI neural plugin so my muscle memory can be replaced/downloaded on the fly. Monday SRV plugin, Tuesday Wes Montgomery, Wednesday Barney Kessel, Thursday Steve Marriot, Friday Keith Richards and so on and so on and so on.

I think you just found the only justification I would use for a neural implant.

"First implant of Elon Musk’s brain chip company malfunctions"

Uh...I think I'll wait until they get all the bugs worked out

When the implant malfunctions everything you play will sound like this.