Bass guitar into guitar amp enquiries

[indiegrungesound]

Good evening Basschaters! I'm once again coming to you for some pedal and amp advice.
I recently purchased an Electro Harmonix Nano POG pedal to use to send an octave up signal through a guitar amp. Originally, it was for a 2 piece side project band a la Royal Blood/Slaves/(First album)Drenge. However, it is most likely going to be implemented in my main band, which is an indie rock/classic rock 3 piece(I'm effectively now bassist and rhythm guitarist for the band, as I'll be playing bass through bass amp and a soon to be purchased guitar combo.)!
Therefore, I'd like to ask you all about the bass signal going through to the guitar amp. Basses aren't really supposed to be played through guitar amps, so I just wanted to know if I just need to switch to the bass EQ on a guitar amp to Zero whilst boosting the Treble and/or Mids. Or do I need to get a compressor, limiter or noise suppressor pedal to place in the signal chain to the guitar amp.
If it makes matters easier, my signal path is my bass (Either an Ibanez SR300 or Steinberger XT Spirit) into a Boss ME-50B. The Boss has Stereo outputs. One goes straight into a bass amp. The other goes via my Nano POG, into a Behringer AB100 Instrument/Amp Selector(Boss Line Selector copy)pedal-with signal volume no more than 75%-as a killswitch, into a guitar amp(A Reverb/Spring Reverb pedal has also been placed in the chain before the amp, but I don't know if this is going to be used permanently, if at all.)!
I await, look forward to and appreciate any advice you can give!
Thanks in advance!

[Dood]

You'll be fine as most (modern) guitar amps filter out the very low frequencies, especially on the drive channel - too much low end in front of the 'distortion section' can make things sound mushy and a bit incoherent. You may find that you want to lower the bass control anyway just to control the sound a bit. Often, amplifier designs will then boost the low end after the drive section giving it the necessary 'balls' especially for rock and metal.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='indiegrungesound' timestamp='1491679770' post='3274781']
Basses aren't really supposed to be played through guitar amps
[/quote]


Not true. A bass guitar signal can also not break a guitar amp or cab in anyway.

As dood says, most amps cut off the extreme low end, but I've had good results getting a more guitar-y sound with an EQ before the guitar amp, cutting lows and a slight mid boost usually around 1.5khz.

[indiegrungesound]

Thanks gentlemen! That sounds fairly sensible. I've also had feedback from a mate I know in a 2 piece band who plays guitar and bass through a Fender Hot Rod Deville combo. he did say I could use a compressor in the guitar amp signal chain, but he didn't think much of those made by Boss strangely enough!
Thinking more about it, there are LOTS of variables to consider. Firstly, my guitar signal path goes like this:
Bass - Boss ME50B (With Limiter switched on permanently. Overdrive, Bottom Boost and occasional Wah effects used.) - Nano POG (Octave up on full; Dry & Sub Octave off.) - Line Selector (Used as a Mute/Killswitch, as the guitar amp isn't on all the time through every song. Volume to amp not on full.) - Reverb pedal (Set as a Spring reverb. No idea if this will be permanent, used or useful yet.) - Amp.
I also think the type of guitar amp I'll be using will have a big say too. The amp that gave me concerns was a Fender Performer 100 Solid State combo that was in use at our rehearsal room. The speaker sounded like it was flapping after a couple of hours work. Then again, it's an old amp, so maybe it's already been through the wars as it were.
I was thinking of getting one of the new Boss Katana combos (VERY well priced, sound OK on various YouTube demos & they have in built distortion effects.); a Fender Super Champ (Used on an "Sound like Royal Blood" YouTube video by Andertons.) or a Fender Bassbreaker (Laurie Vincent from Slaves uses these amps currently, which sound great live and on record!).
I could also POSSIBLY do a Josh Homme a la Kyuss and get a guitar head and play it through a bass cab(s).
Overall, I think the EQ pedal might be a good bet! Is there anything else I might have overlooked?

[sk8]

My main bass head is a guitar amp. Not had any problems yet with my Bugera 1960

Also used my H&K tubemeister 18 as my amp in church and again, no problems.

I've also done the dual amp (one bass one guitar) pseudo rythym guitarist thing with a nano POG.

Edited April 9, 2017 by sk8

[Prime_BASS]

Nano pog first in the chain will perform better, i.e tracking.
Personally would have some dry in there to make it sound more natural.
I would then EQ the low frequencies out.
A touch of reverb will give it some air that won't be too noticeable at practice but in a big room and recorded will make a nice difference. Trick is to make it sound like a natural string rather than a synthy octave up

[indiegrungesound]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1491944788' post='3276735']

Nano pog first in the chain will perform better, i.e tracking.
Personally would have some dry in there to make it sound more natural.
I would then EQ the low frequencies out.
A touch of reverb will give it some air that won't be too noticeable at practice but in a big room and recorded will make a nice difference. Trick is to make it sound like a natural string rather than a synthy octave up
[/quote]

Thanks Prime! That thought did cross my mind. I must say that tracking hasn't been a problem with the POG (As I've said in prior posts, I LOVE the pedal!). I will try using the POG'S Dry Channel at my next rehearsal.
Now, I have a question regarding mention the EQ pedal option. Does it matter if the EQ pedal, if purchased, is a standard one or a bass specific one going into the guitar amp? I only ask because I've seen a 2nd hand Boss Bass EQ pedal in a local Cash Generators which MIGHT be useful!

[indiegrungesound]

Just wanted to post an update to thank Prime BASS for his advice. Running the Nano POG at the start of the chain works brilliantly! :-) Cheers again!

[bazzbass]

why run bass boost on the me50b when you need to reduce it further down the line?

[indiegrungesound]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1492669087' post='3282068']
why run bass boost on the me50b when you need to reduce it further down the line?
[/quote]
Good evening Mr Bazztard! That's a fair question, which I'm happy to elaborate on.
I use the Bottom Boost on the ME-50B on a couple of songs in my band. This previously has been as part of a standard 3 piece rock band line up, so it gives the bass a bit of extra "umphh" when required. It IS a bit counterproductive if I'm sending a treble heavy/octave up signal to a guitar amp. Thankfully, due to the advice I heeded from Prime_BASS on this feed, I sorted that issue out by switching the order of my pedals around.
The bass now, as suggested, goes in the EHX Nano POG. The dry output is then sent to the ME-50B and then the bass amp. The effect out output then is sent into the guitar amp on full "Octave up".
This means the Bass Boost only goes through the bass amp, thus leaving the guitar feed/signal to be more trebled!
Hope that makes sense! This type of effects and bi-amping experimentation is still new to an aging indie kid like me (It is damn good fun though!!:-))!

[Prime_BASS]

Glad you've found it works better for you.

In regards to the previous question about EQ pedal...
Again it's really a matter of taste. You could say that guitar focused EQ pedals will have EQ points better suited for guitar and the other way for bass ones.
I've heard great things with the use of either.

That being said the guitar amps EQ should be enough to really get a singing guitar tone, but I like to stay away from having to have knobs on amps at "my settings" in case I have to use a different and or let someone use my stuff

[indiegrungesound]

No worries Prime! I think that it's going to be a case of trial and error once I get the Katana amp. Thanks again for the advice! It's very much appreciated!