Most stage pianos and many digital pianos do not come with built-in speakers. This means that they require external speakers to be heard, but what if you already have a guitar amp? You may be wondering, “can I use a guitar amp for a digital piano?”
You can use a guitar amp for a digital piano. Guitar amps are a more affordable alternative to powered speakers for digital pianos. It is best to use a simple amplifier with no effects, as they will hinder the tone of the piano. Use an instrument cable from the mono output to connect to the amp.
Using a guitar amp for a digital or stage piano that does not have onboard speakers is possible, but the right amp must be used, and it must be connected in the right way. In this detailed guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know for using a guitar amp for a digital piano.
Is It Possible To Use A Guitar Amplifier For A Digital Piano?
Modern stage pianos and many modern digital pianos are not equipped with built-in speakers. This is usually to save weight, cost or to provide the player an opportunity to use the exact type of speakers that they prefer.
However, this leaves many digital piano players with the problem of how to get a sound out of the instrument.
Using a guitar amplifier is a viable option for a digital piano speaker. Guitar amps are designed to handle instruments with the same frequency range as a digital piano, so they can handle all of the notes that the instrument produces.
Guitar amps are also well built, and they have a mid-boosted frequency response with a flat sound floor that makes them perfect for producing a true tone from a digital instrument such as a stage or digital piano.
Using a guitar amp for this purpose is a more affordable option as well because most powered speakers that are intended for use with a digital piano are very expensive, while some guitar amps are surprisingly inexpensive.
A guitar amp is a good option for a speaker if your digital piano does not have onboard speakers.
Which Guitar Amp Works Best For A Digital Piano?
There is a vast range of guitar amps available on the market, and each has its own characteristics and attributes. Which guitar amp is best for use with a digital piano?
The best guitar amp to use for a digital piano is an amp with few effects, a boosted mid-range, and good bass capabilities. These attributes will complement the sound of a digital piano well.
Some pianists like to use simple, practice amps such as a Vox Pathfinder for their digital or stage pianos, and others prefer to use bigger tube amps for their organic tonal qualities.
Check out the Vox Pathfinder here on Amazon.
Whichever amp you choose, it is best to use one that does not have many built-in digital effects, as they will change the way the pianos sound. A more simple amplifier with few effects will produce a tone that is more true to the way the instrument sounds.
How To Use A Guitar Amplifier For A Digital Piano
Using a guitar amplifier for a digital piano is possible, but it must be connected to the instrument correctly. This process is not challenging, but without knowing how to do it correctly, your piano may not sound good through the amp.
Digital and stage pianos are stereo instruments, and guitar amplifiers are mono speakers. This means that for the best sound possible from a digital piano through a guitar amp, the mono audio output from the instrument must be used.
Most, if not all, digital pianos are equipped with multiple types of output connections, but almost all of them are stereo output sends.
This means that digital pianos are designed to be used with multiple speakers, and they have a Left and Right signal output to achieve the best possible tone from the instrument.
This can be a problem when using a guitar amplifier, as all guitar amps are mono speakers. This means that they can not properly output a stereo signal, and if a stereo signal is run through a guitar amp, only part of the signal will be heard.
To use a guitar amp with a stage or digital piano, you must be careful to plug the amp into a mono signal send. This is usually the right signal output from the piano, depending on the brand of piano you use and the country that you live in.
If you use the mono signal output from the digital piano, connecting the instrument to a guitar amplifier is as simple as using a standard instrument cable with a TR/jack connector.
Check out this YouTube video that discusses using a guitar amp for a digital piano.
What’s The Difference Between Keyboard Amps And Guitar Amps?
There are keyboard and digital piano amplifiers available on the market, but what is the difference between these amps and regular guitar amps?
The major differences between these two types of amplifiers are the frequency range of the amplifiers and the way the amps affect the sound of the instrument. Keyboard amps sound cleaner and have a much broader frequency range than guitar amps.
Check out this popular keyboard amp here on Amazon
Keyboard amps are made to simply make a piano louder, while guitar amps are made to produce a tone of their own.
The frequency range of a keyboard is much wider than guitar amps, as pianos are capable of playing much lower notes than guitars can.
The difference between using these two types of amps for a digital piano is that a guitar amp will add more tonal color to the sound, while a keyboard amp will sound clearer when playing very low notes on the piano.
Check out my article on who makes the best keyboard, Yamaha, Casio, or Roland? You can find this article here.
Conclusion
Guitar amps can be used for a digital or stage piano, but the amp that you use must be chosen very carefully as to not negatively affect the tone of the piano.
Use a simple guitar amp with no effects and bass frequency capabilities for the best results.
Remember to use the mono signal send from the piano, and the guitar amp will work just fine with the piano.
Guitar amps are a good alternative to active speakers and keyboard amps. Only be careful about which one you choose to use!