One of the questions that many rock guitarists ask is if running pedals, specifically distortion pedals, will ruin a bass guitar amplifier. As a bass player you may wonder why on earth a guitarist would use a bass amp. Well the answer is simple. A bass guitar amplifier is usually much more resilient, especially the speakers.
Many guitarists buy bass guitar amplifiers for just this reason. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Scott Holt who played guitar with Buddy Guy used the popular Fender Bassman 50 watt in a 4×10 configuration. One caveat would be to make sure you don’t buy a low watt practice amp. These are not made to take the beating of playing with a band.
What bass guitar amp should a guitarist look for? Since bass guitars amplifiers have heavier magnets for the speakers and the transformers are much stronger, most bass guitar amplifiers will work as a good general purpose amplifier. You will get a different tone since most bass guitar amplifiers are made for lower frequencies, but it is possible to adjust for that with the controls on many models.
I would look at the frequency range of any bass guitar amplifier that I was considering purchasing. Also, if you want to play lead guitar and are looking for screaming distortion and tone at the higher ranges, I would definitely look at a guitar amplifier versus a bass guitar amplifier.
Your best bet is to go to a music store that will allow you to try the amp at concert volume and see for yourself what the tonal characteristics are. You may be surprised and find out that the durability of a bass guitar amplifier is worth looking into. You wouldn’t be the first to use one on a live or studio gig.
I was on tour playing guitar in 1988 and our semi full of equipment and stage gear flipped in Arizona. My guitar amp was trash, but the bass players Fender bass amp survived with a little bit of scuffing on the cabinet. At least I got a new amp from the insurance, but it wasn’t fun playing that night through the house PA with my pedals.