How to Get Your Best Amplified Tone: The Guide to Guitar Amplifiers.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced guitarist, the power of your tone is determined by the sound of your amplifier. Even with the best sounding guitar setup, the tone of your instrument won’t reach its full potential until you’ve found the right pedal and amp combination that will push out the rich harmonics and powerful sustain you desire.
Finding the perfect amp requires more than just plugging into a box and taking the time to understand the various amplifier types and their differences. Before you even think about making a purchase, you have to investigate all the technical information available, explore different brands and consider the above-mentioned criteria – power, tone and versatility.
Let’s start at the beginning and take a look at the three basic types of guitar amplifiers: tube, hybrid and solid-state.
Tube amplifiers – these are the now well-respected vintage amplifier models of the traditional pre amp-output stage format, which use vacuum tubes as their power source. Commonly referred to as “Valve amps”, tube-amps are known for their warm, smooth and organic sound.
Hybrid amplifiers – these amp models incorporate both the valve and solid-state components. Many models feature a valve-driven pre amp, with the power amplifier being a solid-state design. Every brand does it differently, with some manufacturers even designing the amp with both sections in a single unit to take advantage of the different sound characteristics of both designs.
Solid-state Amplifiers – This type of amp is the opposite of a tube amp as it requires no vacuum tubes and uses solid-state transistors and components as its power source. This type of amplifier is known for its stronger signal and a more reliable operation. It is also capable of producing a wide range of tones that are considered to be more consistent and driven than those of tube amps.
Once you’ve identified the type of amp that best suits your needs, you need to compare various amps within that category to get the best sounding one. When it comes to power output, wattage plays an important role in determining the sound of your amp. Wattage can range anywhere from a practice-level 30W to a louder 200W stage amplifier.
The size of your amp will also be determined by its wattage, with the higher wattage amps often being larger for the need of additional space for the amp’s robust power section. Tone wise, different amplifiers use different components, such as tubes, transistors and circuit boards, that will give you a different sounding “voice”.
The other factor to consider when selecting an amp is its functional versatility, in terms of its effects loop, channels and onboard gain and EQ controls. Effects loops allow you to connect external effects such as reverb, delay and chorus to your sound. Channels allow you to switch between different preamp settings. This means that you can change the gain, EQ and tone at the press of a footswitch or the twist of a knob, allowing you to sculpt a vast range of sounds and textures.
So to get the best sound out of your amp, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want from it and to find the type of amp best suited to your needs. Once you’ve chosen your desired model, you can adjust and refine the sound to your heart’s content. So do your research, test out the models, and take your time when making your decision so you get the perfect amp for your sound!