So you Want to Buy A Guitar Amp

By Bill McRea

Yes, you have a great electric guitar but that's not all about it. You need to buy a great guitar amp. Nothing can really replace a guitar amp. Yes, you can plug your guitar into the general PA system and still get acceptable sound but wait until you hear the same guitar plugged into a guitar amp.

Just like guitars, guitar amps come in different sizes and prices. You can get a decent guitar amp for less than $200. At the same time, there are amps that will cost you a few thousand dollars.

So what should you look for in an amp?

It depends on a few factors: It depends on the kind of guitar you are playing. Are you playing an acoustic electric guitar, a semi hollow guitar, an electric guitar or an electric bass?

The type of music genre you intend to use this amp for also matters a whole deal. A small guitar amp will be just fine if you are playing the guitar in a jazz group. However, if you intend to cut it in a rock group, you'll have to get something that can "make their ears bleed."

Are you going to be using this for the show or personal practice? You'll certainly get a few lawsuits if you intend to practice in the garage with the guitar amp that "them" rock guitar stars use in mega jams (That is, unless you leave alone in the wilderness).

Guitar amps have character. This is a huge factor in the selection of guitar amp cabinets. A particular Marshall guitar amp cabinet will produce recognizable sounds. Sounds that no self-respecting guitarist will agree to attempt otherwise.

That said, you can't possibly buy every guitar amp cabinet out there just because you want to take advantage of their various sound colors. Not to worry, some innovative companies have developed tools that can model most of the guitar amp models that we all have come to love so much. So, buy a guitar amp (as good as you can afford) and get such tools to model the other ones that you love but can only wish for.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.