Using a small valve combo as a preamp

[Delberthot]

An idea I've had for some time now but am unsure how effective it would be.

Would it be possible to plug your bass into a small 5 or so watt all valve guitar combo to get a 'proper' overdriven valve sound before taking a line out to your bass amp?

Or am I completely barking up the wrong tree?

[DirkThrust]

I suspect that even the small 5 watt output would be enough to fry the input of a standard amp

[charic]

Why not get a valve overdrive pedal instead?

Just seems a tad random

[umph]

5 watt valve amp > 50watt 8ohm resistor on a big heatsink > power amp.

is what i'm doing except i've wired a 600ohm balanced output into the output transformer

[Mr. Foxen]

Ashdown Little Bastard has the DI tapped from the output transformer, so it has that option, still need a cab for it though.

[skankdelvar]

* 5w valve combo > line level out > bass amp in or effects loop return

* No line out? 5w valve combo > spkr out > hughes and kettner red box (or similar) > line out to bass amp in or effects loop return (send H&K RB spkr out to speaker)

But probably easier to buy a dedicated valve pre-amp / distortion. Or something like a Tech 21 Leeds / SVT

Edited October 13, 2010 by skankdelvar

[Mr. Foxen]

Massive valve bass amp.

Also, some more massive valve bass amps.

Doom

[RickIronWitch]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='986491' date='Oct 13 2010, 01:02 AM']Massive valve bass amp.

Also, some more massive valve bass amps.

Doom[/quote]

I like your logic.

[dincz]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='986300' date='Oct 12 2010, 10:53 PM']An idea I've had for some time now but am unsure how effective it would be.

Would it be possible to plug your bass into a small 5 or so watt all valve guitar combo to get a 'proper' overdriven valve sound before taking a line out to your bass amp?

Or am I completely barking up the wrong tree?[/quote]

This will drop the voltage to a level suitable for an instrument input:
[attachment=61253:1001.jpg]

Edit: You won't need a 50W resistor. 10W should cover the worst case.

Edited October 13, 2010 by dincz

[Slipperydick]

If theres a headphone socket, you might try using that, with a 1w 100 Ohm resistor across it as a load.

Might also be worth trying it fed into a slave amp, or the FX return as this is probaly nearer to a match in terme of signal level.

Suck it and see ! as my granny used to say.