keyboard amp for guitar?

[Karma1]

I was wondering about the possibility of using a stereo keyboard amp (with stereo inputs) for guitar. I'd be running a Zoom G2.1Nu multi fx and Eventide Pitchfactor in front of it with my distorted lead sounds coming from the fx unit rather than the amp. Sometimes I use a Roland guitar-synth as well. I also have a Mesa Boogie V-Twin tube preamp pedal I can use with it.

 

I like the stereo effects I get from the Eventide and have been either using two guitar amps or going direct into the PA. Although I'm not getting the tone I want going direct. Most of the music I've been doing is ambient electronic with heavily effected clean sounds, although I do sometimes use high gain distortion for leads. I don't play at high volume, so I'd be looking a lower watt amp. Anybody tried this or have any thoughts about using a stereo keyboard amp with guitar?

[mrbrown49]

It'd be similar to going direct through a PA with a wider, flatter, frequency response than a typical guitar amp. That basically means the amp isn't doing much tone coloring so the majority of the tone shaping would be from effects or whatever you run out front. You may like it, you may not for what you are doing.

[Doctor49]

Bearing in mind the Zoom will give you amp models and effects, a flat power amp is probably the best thing anyway.

 

Thats effectively what you have with keyboard amps.

[caveman]

Plenty of clean head room.

[Toemoss]

Some keyboard players use a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 for there amp.

[mrbrown49]

 

Bearing in mind the Zoom will give you amp models and effects, a flat power amp is probably the best thing anyway. Thats effectively what you have with keyboard amps.

 

 

That's a good point.

 

 

Another plus is you will sound more or less the same at any volume. Something guitar amps are terrible at.

[jamdogg]

 

Some keyboard players use a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 for there amp.

 

 

For EPs they are great. Not so much for synthy stuff IMHO.

[Deadbeat Son]

I would imagine the KB amp would sound pretty similar to a PA. If you don't like your tone direct, you probably won't through the KB amp either.

[DeadNight Warrior]

The keyboard amp should give you a flatter response. Typically for guitar tones, this would sound {censored}ing horrible. Where it can be handy is where you're using a good modeling device and you want to make the most of the different poweramp and cab modeling, or for things like processing a piezo signal (where a normal guitar amp's higher freq roll-off can really dull the sound), etc..

 

Haven't used a Zoom anything since my early guitar playing years with a Zoom 505 (), so I dunno what your unit would be like.

 

With things like keyboard amps though, power is not the same as with a nice guitar tube amp. If you're talking about bedroom levels it's probably not going to be an issue, but if you need say rehearsal levels or something, where a tube guitar amp sounds ok (or better even) when you crank it up and get the power section really working, doing the same with what is essentially a SS PA set up is not going to get you the same kind of nice results. You want big clean power for flat response type amplification.

[DaleH]

Like said it should work fine with your Zoom.

You could get a Tech 21 Power Engine ,just a 60 watt amp and speaker for moddlers.

[Fersnachi]

I used to play through a Roland KC-500 keyboard amp

 

{censored}ing great tone on my strat with the neck pickup on!

[kayd_mon]

I have a Zoom G2 and a G7. I think the G2 will sound the best in a keyboard amp. I got the best tones out of my Zoom pedals plugging into the back of my bass amp, bypassing the preamp section. I also use that same setup for my keyboard.

[Spike Li]

 

The keyboard amp should give you a flatter response. Typically for guitar tones, this would sound {censored}ing horrible.

 

 

This is my experience.

 

I own a JC-120 but was looking for something similar that would be more compact and manageable (ie not so {censored}ing big and heavy).

 

I tried out a Roland KC 60 thinking it would pretty much be the same, but it wasnt. In fact it sounded horrible. I recommend going with a JC-120, or even a cube if you want something smaller.

[orbm1]

 

Like said it should work fine with your Zoom. You could get a Tech 21 Power Engine ,just a 60 watt amp and speaker for moddlers.

 

 

+1,000

 

I use a PE60 with my GT10 and it sounds awesome!

[saxcop2]

I use a tech 21 power engine with my digitech GNX3000. I think it sounds pretty good. I then ran it into a Peavey keyboard amp with the other output and it sound great with both. I wouldn't want to haul it all around though.

[brandass]

I use a KC150, and it sounds surprisingly good straight-up.

 

It sounds even better with a Tech 21 Blonde feeding it; in fact, I'd go so far as to say that that combination totally slays.

 

Given what you plan on feeding the amp I think you'd be better off with a keyboard rather than guitar amp, as others have said.