running a concert lead and bass

[feel the sunn]

I'm going to pick up a red/black concert bass and plan on using it to power a 2x15 78 bassman.  I already use my red/black concert lead for 2 4x12 cabs.  If I come out of the preamp out on the lead and go to the front input on the bass will I get the distortion from the lead through the 2x15 as well?  The signal will still go to the 4x12 too, right?  Should I use a speaker cable or guitar cable to connect the two?

Thanks

[Isaac]

Use a guitar cable.

If the distortion is being generated in the preamp of the Concert Lead, then it will be present in the preamp out signal. Yes, the signal will still go out to the 4x12.

[feel the sunn]

Thanks Isaac.  I just didn't know if the distortion came from the preamp or not.
Do you think any problems could arise in the bass from sending a hotter signal that's already been through the lead's preamp?

[JoeArthur]

The distort control overdrives a couple of FETs in the preamp - so it will be present at the preamp out.

I would suggest that you take the preamp out of the lead and plug it into the poweramp in on the bass.  There really isn't much of a point of going back through another preamp.

[Isaac]

Joe's right, although a case might be made for having another set of tone controls to use because the speaker cabinet will sound different. Another potential problem is not having a volume control on the power amp input.

No, a line out will not damage the input, and the volume controls on SS amps come before the first amplification stage. Turn the volume all the way down, then up slowly until you get the volume you want. Unless you use Joe's suggestion, and just go into the power amp in.

[feel the sunn]

Thanks guys.  I'm going to go into the front so I can utilize the eq and volume.  Glad to know that it won't damage the amp.  Running into the power amp in isn't an option for me anyway b/c this amp is missing it.

[JoeArthur]

No, a line out will not damage the input, and the volume controls on SS amps come before the first amplification stage. Turn the volume all the way down, then up slowly until you get the volume you want. Unless you use Joe's suggestion, and just go into the power amp in.

Since when did the volume controls on SS amps come before the first amplification stage?

In the concert lead/bass distort channel, the volume control is located between the second and third amplification stage... and the concert lead reverb channel has the volume between the first and second stage.

The volume control is not going to provide any preamp out level reduction into the first stage.

[Isaac]

You are, as usual, quite correct.

In other circuits I've looked at, every time I noticed the location, it was right after the input. Whether I'm just not very observant, or the circuits I looked at just happened to be that way, or I'm just wrong, who knows?

feel the sunn, given that, you might need an attenuator if you're going into the front panel.