shake777 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 As usual, looking for an answer. What are the risks of using my guitar through my system? Thanks, Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I can only repeat what I've been told since I asked that of Klipsch some 30 years back. "Through" your system is sort of OK if you don't crank the heck out of it. Even then, Klipsch had specific drivers purpose made to handle the very abnormal signal waves that a guitar can produce. Using Klipsch directly from a guitar amp is a no-no. Guitar amps can produce a bunch of strange wave forms. If you just tap the strings at a high level, you run the risk of pushing your driver well beyond the point of no return. At least thats what the old timers at Klipsch told me. If you have all the latest guitar effects in a rack that limit the really harsh stuff, it could be fine. What the equipment should be is out of my experience. (A limiter or compressor comes to mind.) I have run my guitars through my setup a few times but at relatively low levels. That was a long time ago. Maybe a call to the experts would give a better and more current idea of what you should do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldenough Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 What no guitar amp??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Just a couple of stomp boxes. Line out into an aux. input. I jast wanted to hear how it sounded..... The amps were packed away in the back of the bus and I needed some pratice time so, what the heck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 As long as you plug into a line level input you shouldn't harm anything. It may not sound very good but you won't break your receiver or speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Everything will probably work ok but would be much better with a compressor/limiter. If you have feedback or something else like that go on, all bets are off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 The answer is NOOOO!!!!! Guitar amps and speakers are made to accept overloads and breakup playing overdriven for hours at full volume. They are also quite band limited - no extended lows and no extended highs - even the speakers rolloff about 5-6KHz. Using your stomp boxes would be the worst of all - they boost signal level, harmonic distortion, and compression. Technically you could do it, but the level would have to be so low it would not be much more satisfying than playing unplugged. The temptation would be to turn it up a little, but the problem is that unlike listening to music, you would not be able to tell the difference between the distortion of your effects and the distortion generated by the amp and speakers going into distress. You would have no real clear warning signs of trouble, so you turn it up a little more and before you know it the next time you play music something sounds blown... Do yourself a favor and get a Roland MicroCube; about $100, has the Roland/Boss COSM modeling engine with built in effects and amp models, plenty loud for 5 watts at home, smaller than a car battery with a carry strap. It even sounds on stage with a mic and has an excellent line out for sending to a PA mixer (so it makes a great spare amp, I put it in my trunk for every gig). I have six Fender tube amps I save for the stage (one at a time) - I do almost all my home playing through the Roland MicroCube. It even runs off battries if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 your gonna shoot your eye out kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shake777 Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Thank you for the helpful answers. I'm going to buy a small Vox amp since I had a Buckingham when I was a kid and have an intense fondness for the brand and look. I've held off so far since I just don't play that much. Now I find that they are very inexpensive. My guitar sounds good over the HT but why risk several thousand dollars even if its a small risk? The shiny stuff is to keep my neighbor minimally protected from one of my RT12ds. Thanks again. Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 The answer is NOOOO!!!!! And that sums it up quite nicely! Thanks pauln for making the point much more clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 the voltage swing on a guitar pickup is 100mv to 1 volt. that means you can not plug it into an aux input, tuner input, tape input, etc as these have a line level expectation of 150mv. The only input on house stereo gear that can handle a 1V input are things like the amp in jacks, or the power amp in jacks. so if you plug it into your power amp in jack, and your speakers can handle the output of your amps at the 1v drive level (1v on most power amps will give you 100% amp output) , then sure, you can rock the neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 sometimes it's helpful, if you want to start an informative thread, to start a few decoy threads about acoustic measurements, crossovers, amplifcation power, wires, capacitors, tube swapping or other passionate subjects. this keeps all the habitual thread busters clustered together arguring with each other and out of the thread you really were interested in. the habitual thread busters have a social need that only this behavior can satisfy. vasporhen gets produced in their brains, and they feel good, warnm, and secure. I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to say since it's a little off topic but it does appear that you have busted this thread. Just curious, do you feel "good, wamm, and secure"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to say since it's a little off topic but it does appear that you have busted this thread. Just curious, do you feel "good, wamm, and secure"? Pay no mind to that, Xki, that's just speakerfritz's slightly cynical sig line. He did give good and helpful info above it, didn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 If you had a good audio card in a computer that can accept the input, I see no real problems. I have been running Karaoke through my system, - uncompressed and have not blown up khorns, RB5s or Heresy's with either a Yamaha HTR-5250 or Bel Canto REF1000's that should really be able to blow them out. I am also not talking at whispering levels either. Maybe the microphone input, though not compressed or limited, even when dropped on the floor and such, doesn't have the transient response of a guitar. I guess you can afford to try to do what you can afford.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Pay no mind to that, Xki, that's just speakerfritz's slightly cynical sig line. He did give good and helpful info above it, didn't he? Yes, absolutely! I was genuinely curious and stand corrected. speakerfritz, my appologies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thank you for the helpful answers. I'm going to buy a small Vox amp since I had a Buckingham when I was a kid and have an intense fondness for the brand and look. I've held off so far since I just don't play that much. Now I find that they are very inexpensive. My guitar sounds good over the HT but why risk several thousand dollars even if its a small risk? The shiny stuff is to keep my neighbor minimally protected from one of my RT12ds. Thanks again. Nic I wish the picture of your axe was clearer. Even as it is, there's a certain pavlovian response that is triggered! Rock On! The shiney stuff made me smile. Does it actually work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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