Advice On Buying A Guitar Amplifier

by rbudding

posted on 06/23/2009

So you are looking at purchasing an electric guitar amplifier? Awesome! This is an exciting road to go down, and I hope that I can help.

First, hopefully you have an electric guitar. If you don't have an electric guitar, owning an amplifier is kind of useless. You can't do a whole lot with an amplifier unless you have a guitar to plug into it. It will probably just sit against the wall.

Next, you need to evaluate how dedicated you are to playing guitar. If you are just beginning, you won't require as much of an amplifier as a person who has been playing for several years. You also need to evaluate if you will be playing gigs or be playing on stage, as you will probably want a different kind of amplifier than if you are just playing in your bedroom.

There are two kinds of standard amps, solid state and tube. Tube amplifiers run current through some assortment of vacuum tubes. These amplifiers are the cream of the crop. If you can afford it, this is the way to go. They have a beautiful, warm and responsive tone. Solid state amplifiers do not have tubes. They are thus much cheaper, and tend to have a dry, digital tone. A lot of it comes down to what you can afford. Evaluate what you want to spend, and then look to find the best amplifier you can find for that amount of money.

Overall, no matter what kind of amplifier you purchase, if you can't play well you will still sound bad. Most of your tone comes out of your fingers. You need to find a sound that works for you. If you can tweak great tone out of cheap equipment, you will be set for life. I hope this article helps you on your search for a great new piece of gear.

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