However, doing so can be daunting, and we wouldn’t recommend newbies go down this path. Unless you’re planning to fill a stadium, or you live five miles from your closest neighbor, that isn’t the best idea. An amp between 10W and 50W is typically more than enough power for beginners. If you’re planning on practising at home or in smaller spaces, amps within the 10W to 50W range provide plenty of volume without overwhelming you or your neighbours (though it may be tempting!).

Modeling Amplifiers

If you crank up the gain but keep the volume low, you’re forcing the tubes to work harder than what they were designed to do. A gritty, saturated overdrive that, perhaps because of its unpredictability, has been cherished for decades. Choosing the right guitar amplifier is an essential step in shaping your musical identity. Generally speaking, smaller amps are better suited for practice or recording in small spaces, while larger amps provide more power and volume for live performances.

Learning with our performance-first approach

• The rule of thumb here is that larger speakers issue out stronger bass notes, and smaller ones are better at handling the higher frequencies.
• Many believe that transistors don’t offer the subtlety and responsiveness of tubes, and that taking them to breaking point results in a thinner, or harsher, distortion.
• But an onboard effect won’t sound as good as a dedicated boutique stompbox—for now, at least.
• With the School of Rock Method app, you can get live feedback as you play to make practice smarter, not harder.

This is a forum where guitarists, from novice to experienced, can explore the world of guitar through a variety of media and discussion. If you have guitar related questions, start with the “search” field at the top of the page. The best place to start if you’re new is right below in our “Rules” section. We can’t make the decision for you, but most beginners go with solid-state amps because they’re so affordable, portable, and versatile. Delve deeper into digital piano and synth amplification with our Keyboard Amplifier Buying Guide.

Considerations Based on Music Style

Many professional players use pedal boards that they customize with several effects pedals. For most beginner guitarists, a watt amp should provide enough volume for practice sessions without being too loud or overwhelming. If you plan on playing live shows, then look into getting an amp with at least 50 watts of power. Ultimately, the best way to determine what wattage is best for you is by trying out different amps and seeing which one works best for your style of playing.

It’s the amp’s job to boost that signal in order to drive the speakers, which ultimately project your music. For rock and metal, you’ll want an amp that can deliver high gain and tight, punchy tones. Tube amps with a strong midrange response are often preferred, as they provide the aggression and clarity needed for distorted guitar sounds. Amps like the Marshall JCM800 or the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier are iconic choices for these genres.

• Often, smaller combo amp that can easily be overdriven are used with a microphone that feeds the distortion-laden guitar tone into the sound system.
• For acoustic guitarists, channel switching offers different effects for different songs and the ability to switch between lead and rhythm settings.
• The amplifier you choose has a big role in producing the sound you want.
• However, with the variety of options available in the market, choosing the perfect amp can be daunting.

Country and folk guitarists often look for amps that can deliver bright, twangy clean tones with a touch of reverb. Amps like the Fender Deluxe Reverb or the Vox AC15 are excellent choices, providing the clarity and definition needed for fingerpicking and strumming. The type of music you play should heavily influence your choice of amplifier. Different genres have distinct tonal characteristics that certain amps are better suited to deliver.

The Best Beginner Guitar

Modeling amplifiers use digital technology to emulate the sounds of various amplifiers or effects pedals such as reverb, delay, and chorus. This allows musicians to be creative with their playing without having multiple pieces of gear on hand at all times. Some models even allow users to record directly into their computer via USB connection, enabling them to easily share recordings online or collaborate with other musicians remotely.

They’re fun to toy around with, and they’re useful introductions to the wild world of pedals. But an onboard effect won’t sound as good as a dedicated boutique stompbox—for now, at least. Wattage is the measurement of an amp’s power output, but they’re not on an absolute scale. A five-watt tube amp can be louder than a 20-watt solid-state, for instance. So while it’s satisfying to boast about your new 100-watter, the reality is that a bigger number isn’t necessarily louder, or better. Dialing in a tone that pleases your ears can take hours of fiddling with buttons labeled with arcane terminology, hours that could instead be spent on your instrument.

Practice Amps

That may have had a smidgen of truth a decade ago, but the digital or modeling amps today have come a long way in replicating those time-honored tones. They’re heavy, notoriously expensive and they require regular maintenance. And if you’re new to the instrument, you probably won’t be able to exploit a tube amp’s How to buy amp quirks—it’ll sound like a very ordinary solid-state amp. When buying a modeling amp, choose one that has a wide variety of modeling, ranging from clean Fender-type tones to more aggressive Marshall high-gain tones.

All guitar amps will have some sort of “equalization” (or EQ) built in. These controls will help you sound good in any environment, as you can shape the amp’s frequencies to sound best in whatever room you’re playing in. While tone and volume should be your foremost considerations, you should also determine what extra features you really need. Built-in effects are great if you want a no-hassle, all-in-one package, but they may not be as flexible as external effects pedals and processors. An effect loop is useful for effects like digital reverb and delay, but it’s not essential if your effects consists of a few stomp boxes. Line outputs with speaker emulation are helpful for home recording, and external speaker outputs are great for expanding your live rig.

Perform live shows and develop your skills in a supportive learning environment for all skill levels. With the School of Rock Method app, you can get live feedback as you play to make practice smarter, not harder. Bring your main guitar with you, even if you think the store stocks a similar model. I am willing to spend the $2500 or whatever to buy a bitchin half stack, even used but I just don’t know how to shop for one.

For instance, Jimmy Page used a small 15-watt Supro combo amp in the studio to create the huge guitar sounds on the early Led Zeppelin records. If your guitar amp never gets turned up past 3, you should probably use a smaller amp. You want to make sure the speakers are rated for the amount of power the amp will produce. There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing your first guitar amp, and you want to make sure that you’re making a good investment.

Hybrid amps combine the best of both worlds by incorporating a tube preamp section with a solid-state power amp. This design aims to deliver the warmth and responsiveness of a tube amp with the reliability and cost-effectiveness of a solid-state amp. Hybrid amps are a great option for players looking for a balance between tone and practicality.

Often, the amp head’s manufacturer has designed a special speaker cabinet designed for the amp head, which you usually purchase separately. In some cases amp heads and cabinets are sold together as guitar amplifier stacks. The size and type of speakers in your amp can have a significant impact on your sound.