Low gain input on amps?

[blackba]

Something I have always wondered is why there are 2 inputs on older amps, a low gain and a high gain. Most people seem to plug into the high gain input, so what was the original purpose of the low gain input?

Having two inputs does allow you to jumper channels, which is cool. You can also use the lower gain input to keep the volume down a bit, but the tone changes when doing this.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Something I have always wondered is why there are 2 inputs on older amps, a low gain and a high gain. Most people seem to plug into the high gain input, so what was the original purpose of the low gain input?

Having two inputs does allow you to jumper channels, which is cool. You can also use the lower gain input to keep the volume down a bit, but the tone changes when doing this.

most skip a gain stage with the low input.

 

[D-Rock]

I know Peavey uses these still. My head has them. There is a 6 db difference between the two. Peavey recommends using the low gain input with guitars that have high output pickups. But I use the high gain input all the time.

 

[ttosh]

I use the low gain input a lot. It gets rid of some of the nasty high end when using a pedal. I find it weird that a lot of people don't use the low input.

Some of the best tones I have heard was through a Cameron modified Marshall low input with a great clean boost. Just amazing singing lead tones and bitching rhythm tones.

 

[amiller]

For the stuff I play, I think the hi input on my JSX sounds like crap. The lo input on the JSX sweetens up the tone a bunch.

 

[shreder75]

I use the low gain mode on my amp alot...first gear, which is essentially the low gain input....I plug it in there and crank the gain up...I like the option of being able to do whichever though...when I have fat fingers, I go to high gain mode =)

 

[Strat+Marshall]

I use the low gain input a lot. It gets rid of some of the nasty high end when using a pedal. I find it weird that a lot of people don't use the low input.

Some of the best tones I have heard was through a Cameron modified Marshall low input with a great clean boost. Just amazing singing lead tones and bitching rhythm tones.

Yeah I had a cameron Sovtek mig100 that was great in the low input. Great classic crunchy sound.

 

[blackba]

Does anyone know the history behind the low gain input? I agree its a cool option to have, but I am not sure why is was created in the first place....

 

[Inearthed]

I use the normal input on my 5150, I used the high gain input for a long time but I found that using the normal input I could get a better sounding clean tone on the rhythm channel without having to drop the gain down to 1 or 2 on that channel. Also the normal input does a decent job at taming feedback and white noise on the high gain channel. Don't even need a noisegate anymore.

 

[blackba]

Did a google search and still wasn't really able to find out the reason behind the two inputs in the first place...