What Is A Good Amplifier To Go For?

Choosing a guitar amplifier requires a little more thought when first starting out. There are 2 main components that make up a guitar amplifier.

The first is the actual AMPLIFIER itself. The amplifier is the control box. This is where the electric's are. It is the power source, the head unit. It controls the volume, bass, treble, middle e.t.c.

The second are the SPEAKERS. These are just circular cones, which pump out the sound. They are all controlled entirely by the amplifier. The bigger the speakers, the more volume they can handle.

Guitar amplifiers need both components to work. You can either buy both amplifier and speakers together, or you can buy them separately. It all depends on what you are looking for.

Guitar Amplifiers can be broken up into 3 sorts. They are as follows:

First type of guitar amplifier If you are a beginner, the best thing to go for is a small 10-Watt amplifier. Again, there is no need to go for a big brand just yet. Small amplifiers are often referred to as practice amps. The diagram across shows what a small practice amplifier looks like.

They are not big in sound, but are ideal for home practice. One tip is to look for a practice amplifier with 2 inputs, so 2 people can plug in and play together. Also try to look for an amplifier with at least one effect built in. Whether it is reverb, chorus or distortion, this will give you something to play around with when you are practicing at home.

Second type of guitar amplifier The diagram illustrates a middle range amplifier. This sort of amplifier is around 15-20 Watts. It can still be used as a practice amplifier, and even on stage at live events. It is a lot louder than a practice amplifier, and normally has a lot more features to offer. These amplifiers usually have different channels as well. What channels allow you to do is set each one on a particular setting and switch between each while playing. So you might set one channel on distortion, and another on clean for example.

Third type of guitar amplifier
The third is the biggest sort of amplifier to go for. They are huge, and are often referred to as a "Stack." These amplifiers are so big that they come in 2 separate pieces and have to be stacked one on top of another. The Amplifier head contains a lot of high voltage electric's. You sometimes have to even warm them up before you begin to play. Also equipped with their own fuse, these guitar amps are made for stage performances. The speakers are referred to as the 'Cabinet Unit" and often have anywhere from 1 to 9 speakers put in. Usually around the thousand-dollar mark. The following diagram represents a Stack.