| Here are some things to keep in your head when you | | | | distance or thick walls from the rest of the world. If |
| are going out to buy your first guitar amp. There are | | | | you must practice in your bedroom, get some |
| different amps to suit different styles of guitar music. | | | | headphones. |
| Blues, jazz and blues based rock are best served by | | | | To use for practice or for small gigs you need a low |
| the so-called "vintage" sound. This is the sound of the | | | | wattage amp. It's best to go for a good tone so that |
| sixties, brought to the world by the likes of Led | | | | your relationship with your amp will always be one of |
| Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream. You can get that | | | | mutual respect. Don't let a guy in a guitar store sell you |
| authentic sound by getting yourself an effects | | | | a big bad amp with a boatload of effects. You won't |
| program that can replicate many of the vintage amp | | | | be needing any of that for quite a while, if ever. You |
| sounds. For playing heavy metal high gain amps are | | | | will eventually become disenchanted with loudness but |
| the way to go. These amps give you greater distortion | | | | a good sound is a joy forever. So get a thirty watt |
| than the vintage amps. | | | | amp and start working on being a serious musician. |
| Let's go onto the possibility that sometime in the near | | | | The thing that makes the sound of your electric guitar |
| future you are going to be a professional or | | | | into a nice tone is your pre-amp. You plug your guitar |
| semi-professional guitar player. You will be getting paid | | | | into it and it works on the noise from the strings to give |
| to play the guitar on stage. People will enjoy hearing | | | | it bass, treble and a number of other qualities that go |
| you play at your gigs but don't get the idea that your | | | | into a great tone. You will find some pre-amps using |
| family will be enjoying listening to your guitar practice. | | | | MIDI technology to generate your tone. Using this kind |
| The message here is to get a practice amp or an | | | | of setup you can save your settings and access your |
| amp that's small enough to play through without | | | | preset effects with a pedal. It is best to get yourself a |
| making your family and neighbors mad. Either that or | | | | separate effects box. This will give you better quality |
| make sure the place you practice is separated by | | | | effects and greater versatility. |