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Guitar Amplifier Buyers Guide
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When it comes to providing a perfect sound, any experienced musician can tell you that the amplifier you use is just as important as the quality of the instrument you are playing. Often times, novice musicians will spend a fortune on a beautiful new guitar, but then get a bargain basement amp that negates the first purchase altogether. Let’s take a look at just a few of the most popular types of amps currently on the market and find out which one is the best for your instrument and your budget. This guitar amplifier buyer’s guide will also take a look at new versus used.
We’ll begin this guide with a look at solid state amps. Most guitarists start out with solid state amps since they tend to be the most affordable. The sound from a solid state amp is often described as cooler or somewhat 'tinny' sounding because of the way the solid state construction, which uses semiconductors, handles the sound that comes out of it. Solid state amps also offer a very quick response time which is great for more technical players who wish for a more accurate reproduction of their sound. Randall, Marshall, and Ampeg, and Fender are a few brands which create quality solid state amps.
Next, we'll will look at tube-based amps. If you purchased an amp in the 1970’s or before, chances are, it was a vacuum tube amp. These days, solid state amps have taken over thanks to their much lower cost, but many professionals prefer the warmer, smoother, more mid range sound that a tube amp provides. Since vacuum tube amps are based on much older technology, they are often larger, heavier and more difficult to move than solid state amps, but they tend to last a long time, are easy and often very affordable to replace when a part breaks and there tends to be less grating in the sound of a tube-based amp. Also, as technology continues to advance, many solid state amps have the ability to sound 'tube-like'. There are also hybrid amps available in which the preamp is powered by a tube but the power amp is driven by a solid state amp. Fender is well known for their quality tube amps.
Just like modern keyboards can now perfectly simulate the sounds of other instruments, modeling amps can provide extra sounds that aren’t really there. With one small modeling amp, you can simulate the sound of an entire cabinet, speaker sizes, specific brands and models of amps or you can add in digital effects to your sound like reverb, digital delay, chorus, etc... for a combined tone you simply can’t get from any other amp. Some modeling amps can even model the warmth of tube amps. Think of a modeling amp as a tiny digital effects studio and traditional amplifier all in one. As you can imagine, these types of amps are often very expensive since they provide so much additional functionality. Line 6 specializes in modeling amps and provides many affordable models.
Finally, this guitar amplifier buyer’s guide will look at new versus used amps. One of the biggest drawbacks for many young players is cost. The initial investment to buy a guitar can be outrageous, as can the cost of an amp. Many people end up buying used amps, which isn’t necessarily a bad idea as long as you protect yourself from buying a lemon. Always try to buy a used amp from a music store that provides some kind of warranty. If you cannot find a decent value on an amp from a music store, try Craigslist.com or check the musical instruments section your local newspaper's classifieds.You should be very careful when buying a used amp from an individual since there is no way to tell what it has been through and if it dies a week later, you are left with very little recourse. Make sure, if you go this route that you test all settings at multiple volumes, and make sure the tweeter on the speaker is not damaged. Any guitar amplifier buyer’s guide will tell you that new is the way to go, but if it comes between not having an amp at all and buying used, go with a used amp. Just make sure you know what you are buying.
Also, although I've mentioned and recommended some brands in this guide, I strongly recommend before you purchase an amplifier, that you test it thoroughly - test each channel, make sure the speakers are intact and do not rattle, make sure any available effects work correctly, etc...
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