Guitar through regular stereo amp

**Jonathan Levin** · 01-03-2015, 02:24 PM

I was curious: is it possible to play an electric guitar through a regular stereo amp? I've heard that you should not, but if I am not rocking out, just some mellow jazz stuff no effects I was wondering if just the AUX input might work. Not sure if my amp has either line or mic in.

I don't want to screw up my stereo system, but I thought until I get a proper amp....

just a thought.

thanks all.

Jonathan

**soto** · 01-03-2015, 02:27 PM

I tried this once and the tone was exactly like what you hear in the Beatles' song Revolution. Lots of fuzzy distortion.

**docbop** · 01-03-2015, 02:55 PM

I found when done right its usually way too clean good if you want to work on technique and hearing all the extraneous noises you make with your arm or bad guitar chords. The main problem is a guitar is not a match for an AUX input or a Line In. Those are expecting a line level input and passive pickups on a guitar doesn't come close to that. If the stereo has a microphone input you'll have a good chance, but then there can be an impedance mismatch. Guitar pickup are HiZ so if stereo has a hiZ mic in then okay, but mixer and other gear have LoZ inputs so you would need to buy and direct box or impedance matching transformer. Shure used to make a small one I used to plug my guitar into my tape recorder, but then back to my first statement it's cleaner than you expect.

**soto** · 01-03-2015, 03:10 PM

Ah yes, it was the mic in I had used to get the fuzzy sound.

**teok** · 01-03-2015, 03:21 PM

When I was 13 I would to plug my first electric guitar into my parents's stereo because I had no amp. It's pretty awful sounding.

**John A.** · 01-03-2015, 04:07 PM

Stereos rarely have a pre-amp input that has enough gain and is the right impedence for a guitar. If you use some sort of direct recording pre-amp that puts out line level and does guitar-speaker emulation you can make it work OK, but It'll never sound quite like a guitar amp. I do the equivalent of this (using computer/recording rig connected either to powered speakers or my stereo). It works, but it's not the real thing. You can also plug a guitar into the phono inputs of a stereo, which has way more gain than line-ins, but it usually sounds terrible. Also, home stereo speakers are usually not designed to handle the dynamic range of an instrument, so you have to watch your volume, or risk frying your speakers.

John

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-04-2015, 07:35 AM

I've used a guitar amp modeler into a small desktop audio mixer into a good home stereo and it sounded awesome. Sort of the same theory as playing through DAW monitors.

**artb** · 01-04-2015, 08:19 AM

I learned about lo fi instrument amps the hard way. Got for $3. at junk sale an old tube amp. Replaced all the capacitors, tubes ok, and the cheap looking speaker with a fine modern one. Sounded awful. Everything electronic seemed to be fine so tried the old speaker. Unbelievable nice sound. artb

**Jonathan Levin** · 01-04-2015, 06:10 PM

Thanks so much guys! I looked at my stereo amp and there is no mic input. There is an input on the from of the stereo that is meant for connecting a video camera with audio L&R. Not sure if this would be the same level as the AUX In.

The more I hear, the more it sounds like this may not be the way to go.

I do have a L.R. Baggs Para-Acoustic DI if you guys think that might help in some way. I could plug my guitar into that and then the DI into the stereo????? Or would this really blow up everything?

Thanks.

Jonathan

**boatheelmusic** · 01-04-2015, 09:57 PM

Edited below

**boatheelmusic** · 01-04-2015, 09:58 PM

That vintage Silvertone amp is quite highly prized in certain quarters,,,,,google the model number. $350-$500, no kidding.

**DRS** · 01-05-2015, 12:33 AM

I have!
You use the mic input on your tape deck and then set it to monitor. Use the tape deck level to adjust gain. Amp volume for overall volume. But be careful, you go from a very sterile clean to fizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in a fraction of a rotation of the input.
You do have a tape deck, don't you?

**KirkP** · 01-05-2015, 03:40 AM

I think playing guitar through a household stereo puts the speakers at risk, unless they have high power ratings. Most stereo speakers have been designed to play compressed music.

**Woody Sound** · 01-05-2015, 01:39 PM

You might be able to use the phono input if the preamp is hot enough. I don't know. Try it with a 1/4" to rca adapter.

**KirkP** · 01-05-2015, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan Levin

... There is an input on the from of the stereo that is meant for connecting a video camera with audio L&R. Not sure if this would be the same level as the AUX In.
...
I do have a L.R. Baggs Para-Acoustic DI if you guys think that might help in some way. I could plug my guitar into that and then the DI into the stereo? ...

If you don't mind putting your stereo speakers at risk, your idea of running the Baggs DI into the audio inputs intended for a camcorder should work. You'll need an audio Y-cable and possibly some adapters to go from the 1/4" output on the DI to the two RCA inputs on your stereo. Any electronics or music store should have them.

Don't use a phono input. It has more gain, but the RIAA EQ in that channel is only suited for playing phonograph recordings.

**GuyBoden** · 01-05-2015, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by KIRKP

I think playing guitar through a household stereo puts the speakers at risk

Yes.

**John A.** · 01-05-2015, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan Levin

Thanks so much guys! I looked at my stereo amp and there is no mic input. There is an input on the from of the stereo that is meant for connecting a video camera with audio L&R. Not sure if this would be the same level as the AUX In.

The more I hear, the more it sounds like this may not be the way to go.

I do have a L.R. Baggs Para-Acoustic DI if you guys think that might help in some way. I could plug my guitar into that and then the DI into the stereo????? Or would this really blow up everything?

Thanks.

Jonathan

The video camera input is line level, and plugging a guitar directly into this won't work. Nothing will break, but that input is not designed to amplify as low level a signal as a guitar pickup, so you won't get a usable amount of volume. I haven't used the LR bags para di, but from what I've read, I don't think that will really work either (its main functions are impedance matching and eq, with a little boost for passive piezo pickups) because its output is not loud enough for a line level input. But you won't hurt anything by trying. What definitely WILL work is something that puts out line level, such as a Korg Pandora Px4 or a Line6 Pod, or a mic pre-amp. But something like a di box that is designed to be plugged into the input of a mixer or mic pre isn't loud enough for the purpose you're describing. In the end, the best tool for amplifying an electric guitar is a guitar amp. Everything else is a kludge.

john