Guitar
Lessons
by: Pete Williamson
SELECTING THE BEST TYPE OF AMPLIFIER
FOR YOU
So, you’ve got your eye on
an electric guitar, or an acoustic
with a pick-up. Then you’re
going to need an amplifier! But
there’s such a huge range,
it can be daunting to even know
where to start looking. Well, there’s
some key questions that can help
guide you…
How good does the sound of my amp
need to be?
Well, are you aiming to form a
band and play some gigs, or just
be able to hear your electric guitar
in your bedroom? If you’re
a bedroom player, then any old amp
will do to get you started. It’ll
come down to your personal preference
as to how much you invest. If you
want to get out and play live, then
you might need to think about a
quality amp - like a Marshall, Fender
or other top brand. In the Pro Guitar
Tips course, we devote a whole chapter
to ‘How to Get a Great Tone’,
to help you decide between a solid
state or valve amplifier. It could
actually take over a whole blog,
it's such a personal choice too.
But as someone starting out, the
next question you need to ask yourself
is:
How loud do I need to play?
As loud as %&*^ing possible,
I hear you say! Well, to simplify
things a bit, amplifiers come in
all different volume sizes. It’s
fair to say the bigger the amp,
the louder the sound. Amp power
is rated by watts, with really loud
amps ranging from 50-200 watts.
If you’re just looking for
a bedroom practice amp, then around
10 watts will do you nicely. If
you want to be able play with a
live drummer and still hear the
sound of your guitar, then you’ll
probably need 30+ watts of amp power.
How am I going to transport the
amp?
I know a lot of guitarists who
think they need the biggest amp.
But I don’t know a lot of
guitarists who do stadium sized
shows! Bigger doesn’t necessarily
make you play any better! Remember,
the bigger your amp, the harder
it’s going to be to transport
to rehearsals and gigs – at
least until you get your own road
crew! You don’t want to put
too much stress on your back just
trying to lift the thing. Use common
sense! Most gigs you'll play will
use PA systems, where a microphone
is placed in front of the amp, which
is re-amplified to be mixed with
rest of the band to heard by the
audience.
How much money should I spend on
an amp?
If you’ve got a limited budget,
then I recommend spending the bulk
of it on your guitar. A better guitar
will be easier to play and will
deliver rewards when it comes to
sound quality. You can always upgrade
your gear, but it’s great
to start with something with longevity.
Exactly how much to spend on an
amp comes back to your intended
use, and personal preference. As
usual, the more you spend the better
the amp will sound. (The next figures
are a rough price range guide in
US and Australian dollars.)
Beginner: US $100-200 AUD $150-300
Intermediate: US $250-500 AUD $300-700
Professional: US $500-3000+ AUD
$700-4000+
The combination of equipment is
really important to your overall
sound. A great amp with an average
sounding guitar (and/or guitar player!)
is still going to sound average.
Trust your ears to tell you what
sounds good, and practice hard!
More guitar lesson can be found
at http://www.pro-guitar-tips.com/guitarlessons.htm
