Electric Guitar Amplifiers
An amplifier is a part of the electric guitar, if you consider most electric guitars have solid bodies and have no way of being amplified without one. So if you are using a cheap amplifier or one not suited to your musical needs, you quite possibly are wasting the potential of an awesome electric guitar on a lousy amp.
So what do you need to pay attention to when selecting an amplifier:
| Size Does Matter |
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Microamps: - 1-10 watts
- Great for the bedroom rockfest
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Practice Amps: - 10-30 watts
- 8"-10" speakers
- Can be used for small (your garage-small) venues
- 10" speaker recommended if you plan on doing so
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Small Venues: - 50 watts
- 12" speakers
- Check out Crate or Line 6 for powerful, professional sound
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Larger Venues - 120 watts
- Stacks with 12" speakers
- Stacks have speakers that are separate, which means they are lighter for transportation and can accommodate more speakers for more Rooock! (ok ok, I wont do that again)
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Classes
| Class A |
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- A class A
is conducting current at all times
- So there is no "kink" in the sound because of this continuous current
- Not nearly as efficient as a class B since it always running
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| Class B |
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- Class B
amps have "push-pull" output stage
- Employs two valves
- Each side amplifies 1/2 of the wave
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| Class AB |
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- Class AB
combines elements from classes A and B
- Varies from amp to amp as to what the balance between A and B is
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| Types of Amps |
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Tube Amps  - Claimed to produce the purest sound (what the pros use)
- More expensive because there fewer made
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Solid State or "Transistor" Amps  - The most common kind of amp
- Good challengers to the more expensive tube amps (for recovering purists):
- Vox Valvetronics
- Marshall Valvestate
- Fender Cyber Series
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Combo Amp  - Pre-amp is a tube amp
- Power amp is solid state
- A cheaper alternative to the tube amp
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Modeling or Digital Amp  - Includes effects
- Distortion
- Chorusing
- Flanging
- Wah-Wah
- Digital Reverb Units
- Note: not for purists who think nothing can sound like the real thing
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External Links- Music123 -- A great electric guitar amp buyer's guide that links links to reviews of different types electric guitars amplifiers.
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