Guitar Amplifiers

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Peavey MP4 Amplifier - recently sold units.

Guitar Amplifiers Buying Guide.

Buying a new or pre-owned guitar amp can be a difficult can be a challenge to decide on the right amp for you, your guitar and your musical style. Here is a basic guide to assist your amp choice. Sure you need to inform yourself about amplifier specs and features, but do not stress too much. The simple approach is pick your budget, review a few models and make the purchase. The state of current technology and manufacturing techniques means that most amps are of good build quality and will deliver acceptable performance.

What is the right budget

There is a general rule of thumb, advocated by musicians, the cost of the amp ought match the cost of the guitar. Why? Well the amp is the channel through which your musical talent will broadcast to the audience. Bottom line is; don’t retard your instrument’s potential by pairing it up with a less than suitable amp. But that does not mean that amps of a lower price are of a low quality. The state of amplifier manufacturing processes, that incorporate computer aided technologies, means that unit quality improves while retail prices become lower. This trend benefits amp buyers.

Given the multitude of roles that amp units can fulfill, they have been optimized to be paired up with 4 different types of instruments: the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass guitar, electronic keyboard.

Electric Guitar Amplifiers: These are very popular amps. But their popularity has a lot more to do with the success of the electric guitar itself.

Acoustic Guitar Amps: The electronics of these amps capture and project the full range of the acoustic guitar's highs, mid-ranges and bass tones. Typically, the acoustic amplifier houses inbuilt speakers; feature a microphone plug and a line-in for guitar pickups.

Bass Amplifiers: These amplifiers are optimized to not distort sounds of the lower lower registers.

Keyboard Amplifiers: These amplifiers are optimized to simply and accurately reproduce and project the keyboard sounds like a PA system.

Types of Amplifier Units

Combo Amps: House both amp unit and speakers in one box. These amps are what you will most commonly find in the market. These are very good for carrying around, as long as they are not too large.

Amplifier Head: This type of amp is a single unit without speakers. Amp heads require a cable connection to speakers. It is advised to use high voltage cables for connecting the amp head to the speakers. Avoid standard type instrument cables. This type of an amp is also great for connecting a large number of speakers.

How an amplifier works

The primary function of an amplifier is to convert electrical signals into sound. The electrical signal to sound is achieved by the preamp and power amp circuitry. The preamp works on the signal it gets from the instrument and makes it good enough for the power amp and the other instruments within the amplifier such as the EQ and the effects loop etc. The power amp boosts the signal so that the speakers can produce the audible sound.

Vacuum Tube Amplifier

Vacuum tubes are what you will find in the original radios 50 odd years ago.

When over-driven and heated with electrical current, tube type amps produce a tonal warmth and a unique 'distortion effect' not found in digital type amps. Although tube amps are considered an older technology, being replaced with solid state technology, they remain popular for many musicians.

Solid State Amps

These amplifiers are a newer generation of circuits which attempt reproduce the authentic tonal sound quality of the vacuum tube.

Trying to decide whether to go in for a vacuum tube based amp or a solid state based amp is a very personal question. The sound and tonal differences produced by both type of amps is generally only detectable by a trained ear, however purists tend to opt for the vacuum tube amps because of the more analog tone and distortion sound quality. Newer generations of musicians tend to opt for the latest in amp technology, namely solid state circuits, primarily because this type of amp suits modern music genres. Plus very affordable quality amps are available with this newer technology.

The Proper Channel

When research amplifiers, ensure the unit is capable of multiple channels, which can be set independently allowing the user to seamlessly switch between channels. Multiple channels and channel switching is an important feature to look for when making buying choice for an amplifier. Electric guitarists use this to switch between the loud distortion sound and the clean rhythm tones. A footswitch, which is generally supplied with new amp purchases, manages channel switching.

Electrical Power

The power capacity of an amplifier is measured in Watts. And it is this wattage capacity that drives the speakers. Bear in mind the following guide when researching your amplifier purchase:

a) The higher the wattage spec, the louder sound capability of the amplifier.

b) Vacuum tubes produce a markedly louder sound per Watt of power as compared to solid state circuits. For instance, a 5 Watt powered vacuum amplifier produces sound similar to a 40 Watt state amplifier.

c) If you are buying for a beginner then make sure that the amp unit has a headphone jack.

Amplifier Effects

Amps offer a number of effects which you can switch between. These can be summarized as:

Line-6-spider-amp-controls

a) EQ: The amp unit will feature 2 or 4 dial knobs that control the range of sound frequencies For instance, increase treble settings for a brighter sound, adjust the middle EQ to full and the treble and bass to zero to achieve a the natural sound of the guitar, add extra bass tones by increasing the bass frequency. As an example, increasing the treble settings will produce a brighter sound, increase the middle EQ with treble and bass to zero to deliver a raw natural sound of the instrument. And then play with the bass control for added bass depth.

b) Effects Loop: An effects loop allows you to modify the signal between the preamp and the power amp using an external chord.

c) Digital Effects: Most modern amplifiers feature a range of digital effects that may include; flange, phase, reverb, echo, chorus, pitch shift and so on. Presets can be saved and assigned to channels in the more modern digital types of amps. And many amplifier models feature a selection of effects presets for easy selection.

Speakers

Obviously this is what the world listens to! So it is good to have the best speakers which you can buy. bear in mind that heaver and more expensive speakers are generally translate better sound quality. Better speakers will also allow for a better coloration of the amplifier’s signal producing richer and more superior sound.

Speaker types:

- 8” Speakers: smaller amplifiers.

- 10” Speakers: housed in practice amplifiers.

- 12” Speakers: found in general performance amplifiers.

- 15” Speakers: these speakers suit bass amps and built into separate speaker cabinets.

Ending remarks

Before buying an amplifier, clarify the purpose of the amp for your needs now and in the future. Establish your budget and research brands and models within your budget range. There is no reason to over spend your budget. Why buy a Porsche when all you need is a ford for commuting purposes, as an analogy. Among these are – the types of music that you play, the number of instruments in the band, the placement of the amp, is the drummer loud, the size of the performance etc.

Some helpful tips

- 40 Watt solid state amp driving a 10” speaker will hold up its own in most performances. However this may not do so well if the band has a drummer as well.

- 60 Watt solid state amp paired with a 12” speaker will do well in all but the loudest situations.

- 30 Watt tube amp is loud enough for a full rock band in most conceivable scenarios.

This guide is a starter for you on the path to buying the right guitar amp that meets your musical style and performance needs.

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