Welcome to the second instalment of our beginner’s introduction to the marvellous but occasionally confusing world of guitar amplifiers. So let’s crack on and get rid of the confusion straight away…
In “Guitar Amplifier 101” we explained the absolute basics about the different kinds of equipment available to guitarists today, hopefully guiding our readers towards buying a piece of kit with features that suited their needs, wallet, and ability to lift the thing up a flight of stairs. So with any luck you’re now the proud owner of your first guitar amplifier – congratulations!
But how does it work? What are all those controls for? Why are there so many sockets, lights, buttons and switches? How come this thing looks more complicated to operate than a commercial airliner?
I Play Acoustic Guitar
3: Guitar lead . This should be obvious, but is sometimes all-too-easily overlooked. And until the glorious day comes when guitar and amplifier manufacturers decide to fit all their products with Bluetooth as standard, we’re still relying on physical connections between equipment. Your guitar connects to an amplifier through a guitar lead, AKA ‘jack to jack’ lead, which features a 6.3mm or 1/4” mono ‘Jack’ or ‘TRS’ (tip-ring-sleeve) plug at each end of a shielded cable. This is used to transfer the unbalanced audio signal from your guitar to the amp. And it’s definitely worth investing in a good one with high quality connectors (Switchcraft or Neutrik are particularly good brands) that will last longer.
A quick side note here; if your amplifier consists of a head and separate speaker cabinet, now is the time to connect them up with an appropriate cable. New systems will probably use the excellent Speakon connectors, whilst older kit will need a speaker cable – basically the same as a standard guitar lead, but with unshielded cable that uses thicker gauge wire. Do NOT use a guitar lead as a speaker cable, unless you like fire…
Before plugging in and firing up, let’s quickly examine the amp controls, and explain what they do. Trust us here, it’s not as complicated as it may look!
Electric Guitar Plugged Into Amp, Front View For Sale As Framed Prints, Photos, Wall Art And Photo Gifts
Power switch . Turns the amp on/off. Can be located on the front, top or (annoyingly) the back of the amp. Tube amplifiers sometimes also feature a ‘standby’, allowing the valves to get and remain warm without the speaker being active.
Channel switch . Many amps feature a ‘clean channel’ (just with volume control, usually for a clean tone) and a ‘gain’ channel (with volume/gain controls, allowing you to dial in overdrive/distortion/crunch sound). The channel switch button changes between these sounds instantly.
EQ . A selection of dials that can include ‘Low’, ‘Mid’, ‘High’, and sometimes even more options (‘Low-Mid’, ‘High-Mid’ etc etc).A few guitar amps have a graphic EQ instead, which basically does the same job.These controls allow you to tailor your tone, increasing or decreasing the level of low, mid and high range frequencies in the sound being produced.
Zeny Beginners 39
Reverb . The most common effect usually built-in to amplifiers. This adds increased ambience to the sound, making it feel like you’re playing in a larger and more echoey space.
FX . Many modern amps come with a range of digital effects built-in, with dials or buttons allowing you to choose the effect type and level. Probably the most complicated part of the manual that your amp came with!
Tuner . Another increasingly common feature of modern digital guitar amps. And hey, always useful if you’ve misplaced your regular guitar tuner!
Beginner Electric Guitar & Amp Package
Footswitch . Allows you to plug in a channel switch pedal (which may even have been included with your shiny new amp) and change between clean/distorted sounds without using the switch on the amp. Very useful for gigs and rehearsals.
Line out . Allows you to send the amplifiers sound to external audio devices (mixing desk, recording equipment etc) at the standardized ‘line’ level.
Now it’s time to make some noise! Start with the amp switched off for the moment, and follow this step-by-step guide to powering up for the first time…
Miking Guitar Amps On Stage
5. Test the clean sound (using the clean channel if the amp has one) by turning the main volume control up to a comfortable level.
6. Test the gain/overdrive/distortion/crunch sound, using the gain channel if you amp has one. Turn the volume all the way down, raise the gain to halfway, then increase the volume to a comfortable level. Experiment with different levels of gain – this is probably the most fun part of getting to know your amp!
7. Now feel free to play with all the rest of the controls! This is where you can hear the multitude of tone colours that your amp is capable of producing, see how deep and shimmering the reverb can sound, and find out precisely what on earth all those built-in FX do…
Donner 5w Mini Electric Guitar Amplifier, Mini Guitar Amp Portable For Desktop Practice With A Retro British Tone(da 10)
In case you were wondering why we started this process with the power off, this is to avoid even the slightest chance of hearing the loud crackling noises that come from plugging a guitar into an active amplifier. No kidding; it sounds horrible, and isn’t particularly good for the health of the speaker (too many guitarists have learned that lesson the expensive way). So always try to have the amp muted or switched off when attaching your cable to your guitar. Alternatively you can plug the cable into the guitar BEFORE attaching the other end to the amp, and unplug the amp BEFORE unplugging the guitar.
You know so much now, go ahead and experiment with running your new guitar through your new amp - experiemtens are great way to learn and are always endless fun. But a word of caution: experiments are a great way to learn but you need a solid foundation first.
Now that you've started of with your guitar journey, you need to avoid these 25 fundamental mistakes in order to lay a strong foundation for yourself.
An Amp And An Electric Guitar On A White Background Stock Image
Ignoring these mistake will only make it harder and harder for you to master the guitar and you won't even know why?
So, check out the 25 mistakes you need to avoid as a beginner and get yourself on the fast lane to master the guitar.
Next up is the last part of our beginner’s guide to amplifiers - here we take a deeper look at how to tailor your sound. Read the last chapter Guitar Amplifier 103.
Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook: Darr, Jack: 9781882580484: Amazon.com: Books
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How Does A Guitar Amp Work: Breaking Down The Basics
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.This article was co-authored by Aaron Asghari. Aaron Asghari is a Professional Guitarist and the lead guitarist of The Ghost Next Door. He received his degree in Guitar Performance from the Guitar Institute of Technology program in Los Angeles. In addition to writing and performing with The Ghost Next Door, he founded Asghari Guitar Lessons, where he was the primary guitar instructor for many years.
Playing the electric guitar is a fulfilling hobby that requires time, patience, and dedication to master. Amplifiers are the piece of equipment that allows you to make sound with your electric guitar. While many traditional amps come with two pieces of equipment called the head and cabinet, combo amps have both technologies contained in one easy-to-use piece of equipment.
You can either connect your electric guitar directly to your combo amp or connect it through pedals to get different distortions. Both methods are fairly simple and user-friendly to do.
Guitar Amp Settings
This article was co-authored by Aaron Asghari. Aaron Asghari is a Professional Guitarist and the lead guitarist of The Ghost Next Door. He received his degree in Guitar Performance from the Guitar Institute of Technology program in Los Angeles. In addition to writing and performing with The Ghost Next Door, he founded Asghari Guitar Lessons, where he was the primary guitar instructor for many years. This article has been viewed 180, 007 times.
If you want to connect your electric guitar to your combo amp, all you’ll need is a guitar cable and a power outlet. To get it connected, start by plugging your amp into a power outlet and making sure the switch on the amp is turned off. Plug your guitar cable into the jack, which is a metallic socket that should be on the front or side of your guitar. Make sure the volume and gain are turned down on the amp so you don’t blow out the speaker when you turn it on. Then, plug the other end of the guitar cable into the input jack on the amp. Turn the amp on and slowly turn the volume and gain up until you get a sound you like. To learn how to hook up your combo app through guitar pedals, read more from our Guitarist co-author!You can’t get far with your electric guitar without an amplifier. It’s the device that takes the raw signal from your guitar and transforms it into a powerful, sonorous tone that can fill a room or even a stadium. But have you ever wondered how does a guitar amp work?
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