# 5150 as bass head?



## Kristianx510 (Nov 16, 2012)

I am looking to play a 5150 through a 4x10 bass cab. would that work fine, or would it damage the speakers?


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## jeleopard (Nov 16, 2012)

Think you'd damage the head....


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## Andromalia (Nov 16, 2012)

Don't see why it would damage the head, some very well known bass players use guitar heads or modded guitar heads. Using guitar speakers, yes, its a bad idea overall, but a guitar head, why not. Just check the usual ohm stuff and you should be ok.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 16, 2012)

I think David Ellefson recorded with a 5150 for a Paranoid Cover.


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## knuckle_head (Nov 16, 2012)

The cab won't carry lows well, but if you don't rely on the EQ section the amp will work okay. The tone controls are for guitar frequencies and will not serve bass so as close to flat as you can make it and you'll be okay.

Find a bass cab and you should be good


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## JPhoenix19 (Nov 16, 2012)

I used the power section of the Mesa Roadster Head for a bass gig I had a few years back. It sounded great, even though it only barely kept up with the band in a school gymnasium. If you're in a pinch I suggest using the power section of your 5150 with some kind of bass preamp (Sansamp, MXR m-80) driving it- but keep in mind that bass amps (even tube) usually have higher wattage output because the low frequencies require more power, and while a guitar amp would work it may not be able to get as loud as you might want it to.


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## Onegunsolution (Nov 17, 2012)

Theres something wrong about this thread, my comp blue screened as soon as i clicked it e__e Its safe to use a guitar head but using guitar speakers just has no pleasantries to it at all.


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## ihunda (Nov 17, 2012)

If you keep that permanent, you may need an EQ in front and an EQ in the loop as standard guitar preamp eq frequencies are an octave too high for bass.

Other than that, that peavey will rock that 4*10 cab!!!


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## abandonist (Nov 17, 2012)

It'll be fine.


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## engage757 (Nov 17, 2012)

Just don't use a guitar cab or you could really damage it.


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## Bigfan (Nov 17, 2012)

I use my 5150 head for bass all the time. It sounds great for dirty, grindy bass tones


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## cGoEcYk (Nov 17, 2012)

You could use an outboard pre like Sansamp VT, BDDI, Aguilar Tonehammer, etc and plug it directly into the power section via FX Return. 

The head only has so much juice (180-300w tube is more ideal for bass in a band setting, IMO) but it will sound cool and might get a dash dirty. Nothing like power tube OD.


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## Andii (Nov 17, 2012)

It sounds great. Set any on board preamp flat and the speakers will be safe. Jazz pickups hit the preamp in a way that makes the amp sound best. 

Here is a clip I made with a Dimarzio area J pickup and a 6505+:
Untitled Demo by Axon Soundworks on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free


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## SirMyghin (Nov 17, 2012)

Won't hurt the head, and it won't necessarily hurt the cab either. The only thing it will do is eat headroom and make the speakers heat up more / wear them a bit faster at high volumes. 

Volumes will need to come up as low frequencies take more to reproduce than higher frequencies (power wise).

A lot of your EQ is going to depend on if / where the amps low cut off on input is (and if it exists).

Basses through Mesa Marks sound pretty fucking awesome.


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## myampslouder (Nov 17, 2012)

Andii said:


> It sounds great. Set any on board preamp flat and the speakers will be safe. Jazz pickups hit the preamp in a way that makes the amp sound best.
> 
> Here is a clip I made with a Dimarzio area J pickup and a 6505+:
> Untitled Demo by Axon Soundworks on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free




Holy hell that bass tone is awesome!!!


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## rty13ibz98 (Nov 17, 2012)

using mine with a blue voodoo 412 and vader 412 for recording bass tracks tuned to G and my stuff isn't even sweating.


rich


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## tacotiklah (Nov 18, 2012)

As others have said, the head will be fine. Just avoid using a guitar cab since you will blow the speakers as you dial up the volume. Also make sure that you match the ohms of the bass cab with the head, and whatnot. But it should make for some really grindy tones.


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## MikeSweeney (Nov 18, 2012)

if you can use the 5150 as a pre-amp and run it into a bass head.
you will have a cool bass tone


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## Kristianx510 (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks for the responses everyone!!


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## DavidLopezJr (Nov 18, 2012)

Before solid state came around in the bass world, all bass amps were just high wattage guitar amps basically with more appropriate bass eq points.

You will be 100% fine using a guitar head as a bass head if you use a bass cabinet. Only issue you will come into will be headroom if you want tons of clean volume.


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## ShadowAMD (Nov 18, 2012)

I used Laney amps and cabs all the time.. Sounds shit hot, why not? I Rhyme, all the time.


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## Leuchty (Nov 18, 2012)

myampslouder said:


> Holy hell that bass tone is awesome!!!


 
 X 1,000,000


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## JoshuaKaroshi (Nov 19, 2012)

Counterparts recorded the bass through a 5150 and a bass cab on their album "The current will carry us." I didn't like the tone as much as the album "Prophets," but it was still good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p5HpwZNqNQ

@0:29


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## leandroab (Nov 19, 2012)

Andii said:


> Here is a clip I made with a Dimarzio area J pickup and a 6505+:
> Untitled Demo by Axon Soundworks on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free



complete signal chain? amp settings?


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## ejendres (Nov 19, 2012)

jeleopard said:


> Think you'd damage the head....



no you wouldn't. Look at the Fender Bassman.


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## Andii (Nov 20, 2012)

leandroab said:


> complete signal chain? amp settings?


Dimarzio Area J 500k pot>6505+>Countryman Type 10 DI between the speaker output and cab>presonusaudiobox>Lecab 2 running the s-preshigh impulse which is a Mesa cab(v30 speakers) with two sm57s pointed at it. 

Red channel

Bass 10
Mid 1.5 (J pickups are mid heavy)
Treb 5

Res 0 (the impulse was recorded through a 5150 power section with the red on 10, so 0=10)

Pres 0 (similar here the pres is probably equivalent to 8 or so)

Post 3 (since I'm capturing the power section I make it work to get it to behave pleasantly.)


When I am not recording I use a V30 cab and it sounds exactly like the tone in that recording except better.


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