Selecting An Amp

pSELECTING AN AMPLIFIER ...........................

If you're going to play electric guitar, you'll need an amplifier. The "amp" is necessary because the electric guitar does not generate enough sound on its own. While experienced players sometimes practice on unamplified electric guitar, this is not a good idea for any beginner. It is important to learn to play with a nice, light touch. Beginners will tend to pick and/or strum much too "heavy" or "hard" on an unamplified electric guitar, as they can't properly hear what they're doing. The amp is an absolute necessity.

Here are some guidelines for selecting an amp for a beginner:

The amp should be relatively small in size, and light enough to be transported easily. If you browse through catalogs or websites, you'll often see the term "combo" amp. This means the entire "amplifier" (the actual amplification components plus the speaker) is housed in a single unit. (Some amps come with the "amp head" seperate from the "speaker cabinet".) You're looking for a combo amp.

An 8 or 10 inch speaker is ideal. Smaller results in poor sound; larger is unnecessary, although 12-inch is OK.

You don't need or want too much power. How loud an amplifier gets can usually be estimated by how many "watts" the amp offers. (This is actually a gross oversimplification; there are countless variables that account for an amp's sound and output level.) Over 50 watts or so tends to be super loud. Even 25 watts may be overkill for what you're looking for. Look for something in the 8 to 15 watt range. Even less is OK. It'll pack plenty of punch.

Get the best sounding amp your budget affords, so it will remain a viable practice amp or back up as your playing improves and you eventually have something bigger.

Many amps come with built-in "effects"; ways to change the guitar's sound. These typically include "chorus", "delay", "tremolo", "distortion" or others. These are fine features, but are absolutely not necessary.

Regarding "distortion": This effect warrants special attention. It is commonly used, and is usually achievable at a moderate volume from beginner/practice amps. Many amps are "2-channel", meaning you can press a button (or step on a foot switch) to change between "clean" and "distorted" (or "overdriven") settings. If you can't get a desirable distortion sound from your amp, you may need to consider purchasing a "distortion pedal" separately.

This is strictly a matter of personal taste, but I insist that an amp have "reverb". ("Reverb" is a slight echo that adds dimension to the sound.) Some guitarists never use reverb, but it is prevalent. And reverb isn't an effect that is reproduced well in a foot pedal. I simply don't even consider any beginner/practice amp without reverb.

This website is a companion to the book Sensible Guitar, an instructional method book for all guitar students. Most of the site is dedicated to providing supplemental material for students and teachers using the book. However, the "Info & Advice" pages are offered as a service to potential students (or, more exactly, the parents of young students). All of the material is provided by the book's author and publisher, Chris Cass, a long-time music educator who teaches guitar in southern Connecticut. All recommendations and opinions expressed here are the author's own. Questions, comments, and opposing view points are welcome via email.

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