Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: adamj on June 14, 2011, 05:08:01 PM

Title: Does this amp exist?
Post by: adamj on June 14, 2011, 05:08:01 PM
im looking at providing some basic guitar lessons to friends and a few others, and got thinking of the practicality behind it. I would want to take one of my electric guitars, which would therefore need an amp, and i would assume the majority of my potential clients would choose an electric over acoustic. I thought it may be practical to take a small cheap but decent sounding amp to lessons with me, on the off chance the student doesnt have their own.
A side note to this would be that while playing through my amp, hopefully of higher quality than the general starter pack amps, the student would see that better gear can help them sound great and help their inspiration when they think they sound dire through their own amp.

Do amps with dual guitar inputs exist which can be used simoultaneously? iv seen lo and hi input sockets, whats the difference here? (never fully understood them).

Alternatively, what would be a great, 10 or 15W amp, solid state would be fine, for taking to lessons?
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: choucas09 on June 14, 2011, 05:16:11 PM
1 or 2 watts would be more than enough. Blackstar HT1 maybe. In your position I'd use a Roland Microcube, highly portable and very acceptable tone. Can run off batteries too.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: HTH AMPS on June 14, 2011, 05:27:38 PM
Gallien Kruger

actually, 5 mins on their website and ebay show that they don't make guitar gear these days and there is nowt on ebay.  my first guitar teacher had a pair of them - very small, portable and sounded great (in an 80s rock kinda way - think Def Leppard)
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Dmoney on June 14, 2011, 05:35:37 PM
Hi and Low input can do a few things.
Normally using one renders the other useless, so no, you can't use them at the same time. They are probably switching jacks and can be bypassing a gain stage, or switching other components to get you more or less gain. Using a high or low input on the same amp usually relies on you not plugging anything into the other jack in order to achieve the desired functionality. it would depend on the amps circuit.
It might work on something like a super lead where you can jumper the inputs, because the input stage becomes a valve 'mixing' stage of sorts. but it wouldn't sound good. obviously, a superlead isn't what you want. Just trying to explain the 'hi-low' thing.
when I had some lessons recently the teacher had two Line 6 combos, I guess cos they were small, did the job, and they are capable of providing a lot of different sounds since not everyone will want to learn the same style of stuff.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: richard on June 14, 2011, 05:59:26 PM
Personally I don't think 2 guitars through on amp is a great idea. In your position I'd go for 2 Microcubes. They sound very good, they're more than loud enough and they're cheap.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: WezV on June 14, 2011, 06:19:05 PM
a lot of vintage amps have 2 inputs because they expected more of the band to plug in - seems like a good excuse to buy a vintage vox ac15 to me! 

of course you could just use a splitter box/pedal to put two guitars into any single amp

like this one
http://www.palmer-germany.com/130-1-duetto.html

the tone may not be perfect with 2 guitars playing through the same amp at the same time, but i cant see why it would do any damage
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: WezV on June 14, 2011, 06:23:21 PM
or one with the ability to mute signals as needed and do up to 3 guitars in one amp
http://www.palmer-germany.com/120-1-trinity.html

but i would check it is possible to have both instruments on at the same time with that one, it may mute the others when selecting each guitar.

Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Transcend on June 14, 2011, 06:24:25 PM
there are also the old carlsboro amps that have 4 inputs that you can use simultaneously as well as sound city
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: WezV on June 14, 2011, 06:27:42 PM
there are also the old carlsboro amps that have 4 inputs that you can use simultaneously as well as sound city

what sort of size do they come in though, i guess it needs to be portable as well.  

there are things like the old scala's, dallas's wem's and various other companies who made small practice amps with more than 1 input

Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Transcend on June 14, 2011, 06:34:20 PM
That is a very good point.

They are NOT portable in any way
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Elliot on June 14, 2011, 07:45:05 PM
The Fender GDEC 3 Fifteen is fifteen watts and has two guitar inputs (although only 1 amp sim at a time) - as well as a SD card input for backing tracks, built in tuner, looper, and click tracks.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Shag101 on June 14, 2011, 08:04:55 PM
This is a cheap alternative.   Don't know any UK stores to check prices though...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/141978-REG/DOD_VAC240_AC240_Resistance_Mixer.html
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: murraymurray on June 14, 2011, 09:01:42 PM
How about something like a pod x3, you can have 2 guitars input with separate signal paths i believe? Then run that into a powered speaker or something
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Telerocker on June 14, 2011, 09:30:27 PM
Two Fender Mustangs, cheap, lightweight and loaded with a lot of sounds.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: adamj on June 15, 2011, 09:03:42 AM
thanks for the suggestions folks, a lot to ponder over there!
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: sgmypod on June 15, 2011, 09:06:27 AM
Late reply to HTH gkruger great little amps loud as hell out of tiny box
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Ratrod on June 15, 2011, 11:59:47 AM
+1 to the Fender Mustang series.

Heard nothing but great things about them.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Alex on June 15, 2011, 12:00:12 PM
My guitar teacher had a small mixer to route up to three guitars in one amp. It worked really well and allowed to adjust volume issues between guitars.

He also used a Line6 combo - worked really well.
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: JDC on June 15, 2011, 06:58:23 PM
if you run 2 guitars through 1 amp isn't it going to sound a bit awful with distortion? especially if the student's timing is a bit lacking

I was thinking pair of cubes
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: doomcaster on June 19, 2011, 01:07:56 PM
I have an old carlsbro amp, it have 4 inputs, in two pairs, you can use inputs from different pairs at the same time and the have seperate eq and volum dials
Title: Re: Does this amp exist?
Post by: Keven on June 19, 2011, 03:49:06 PM
I would just buy 2 vox mini3's. great little amps and they sell for around 125$CAD around here. the mini3 also has 2 inputs, but one is for vocals only, but i figure with a distortion box plugged into that input you could do alot more!