Your electric guitar was made to put out a vibrant, clear sound. Buying the right amplifier will assure a high level of sound, play and enjoyment. To make sure you get the best amplifier for your style of play and for your guitar, you will need to do some homework and most likely some legwork. The purchase of the right amplifier is a long-term solution so let's get it right the first time.
Let's start at the beginning. You need to determine your requirements. Usually the determining factors in buying an amplifier are budget, style and audience. If you will be playing for fun in your basement or garage, your requirements are less demanding than a guitarist who intends to play for big audiences. Checking with internet providers before visiting the local stores will help establish a reasonable budget. Today, there is no reason to spend more than your budget permits.
The Internet is the best and perfect medium to get information about amplifier before buying your guitar amplifier. Internet providers offer advice, chat rooms, forums and deep discounts. Before you finalize any purchase, you should always cross-check with online providers. Be sure to check manufacturer's warranties and glean any information you can so that when you visit those local stores you have product knowledge.
Tube amplifiers and solid state amplifiers are the two staples of the industry. You will select one of these types. Tube amplifiers became popular in the mid 20th century. They present accurate tone and are very reliable. The tube will need to be changed after a period of time and tubes are not inexpensive. Tube amplifiers also require regular maintenance.
The newer solid state amplifiers are basically maintenance free. The sound is sharp and they have great range. Best of all, there are no tubes to replace.
Tube amplifiers have the classic look. The tones are genuine and experienced guitarists feel they put out a bit more warmth. Tube amplifiers are more expensive than their counterparts which has increased the demand for solid state units.
Tube amplifiers are heavier and require more careful handling. While the sound generated by the tube is truer, it is often not as vibrant as the sound of the lighter solid state amp. Generally, experienced players prefer the tube amp while beginners migrate to the solid state.
Most beginning packages today are combination packages. Speakers, power amplifier and preamp are the mechanisms of guitar amplifier. These all-in-one packages are terrific for stay-at-home guitarists. They are easy to connect and easy to use. The speakers range from 8 inch to 12 inch sizes. Even if you take your act on the road and play before smaller audiences, these combo packs can get the job done.
When shopping for your first amplifier, ask as many questions as it takes to get comfortable. There is no need to rush. Remember that there are very competitive providers on the internet. Make sure to see, touch and hear the various systems at your local stores and then check the online opportunities. Wherever you end up, always consider the combination packs. These are great fits for most beginners.
Showing posts with label Tube amp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tube amp. Show all posts
Friday, 15 January 2010
Friday, 6 November 2009
All Amped About Guitar Amps: Which One Goes Where?
An important part of creating your own home recording studio requires understanding how the amp works, but more importantly, what job each type of amp has. This is, however, a simple concept to understand. For example, electric guitars require the use of an electric guitar amp whereas electric bass guitars require the bass amp. Acoustic-electric guitars use acoustic amplifiers, and, of course, acoustic guitars do not use amps. This basic information, however, is not all that is needed for a successful amp set up. Let's take a closer look.
Amps are a very tricky subject as there are just so many out there. The basic idea of them is to take the ultra low voltage coming from the pickups and bring them up to line level. Seems simple, but there is a lot that goes into how that signal is boosted.
The main two types of amps are tube and solid state. Tube amplifiers are the grand daddies of amplifiers and use vacuum tubes as their main amplifier. Solid state amplifiers use modern chips in place of the tubes. The difference is that tubes tend to add a warmth and smoothness to the sound but can also add a good amount of noise too. Solid state amps are more clean and solid, but can sound cold. All amps, whether for guitar, bass, or acoustic work the same but differ in where they focus their characteristics. This is not to say that you should plug a guitar into a bass amp. Sometime it will work, and sometimes it just won't.
The Relationship between Electric Guitars and Electric Guitar Amps
Electric guitars work on pickups. A pickup works by using a magnet that is wrapped in wire. The magnetic field rides just through the strings so when the string is strummed or plucked, it alters the magnetic field and produces an electrical signal at the same frequency as the note being played. The "tone" of the pickup is determined by how many times the wire is wound around the magnet. A standard electric pickup is wrapped around 5000 times, which is nothing to sneeze at.
A Humbucker pickup uses 2 of these wrappings to reduce the amount of noise that can be produced by the pickup. This, obviously, increases the quality of any guitar using Humbucker pickups.
Bass Electric Guitars and Their Amps
Bass guitars work pretty much the same way that an electric guitar does. The reason for a bass sounding so deep is the fact that they use thicker strings, which vibrate at a lower frequency by nature. Specifically, a bass amp is specially designed to focus on the lower frequency spectrum and boost it. A normal guitar amp focuses more on the mid to high frequency spectrum.
Furthermore, a guitar wire is wound around 5000 times using #42 wire. The more times it is wound, or the more tightly wound it is, the more the lower frequencies get tapered off. To exaggerate this effect, a bass uses thicker wire as well. Sometimes the pickup is split so that it looks like a z on the body. This way the two higher strings have a boosted sound and the lower ones produce a thicker sound because of the unique shape.
Acoustic-Electric Guitars and Acoustic Guitar Amps
Acoustic-Electric guitars and their amps work entirely different from electric guitars and amps as they use what is called a "piezo pickup."
A piezo pickup is essentially a dynamic microphone that only reacts when the string is plucked. This creates a more natural sound in relation to the actual acoustic sound. Today, even some electric guitars have piezo pickups added to them because they are so unique.
Now that you have the know how, you should also know that some amps are inter-compatible between guitars. What you can't know, however, is how well one guitar type, like a Fender, will be compatible with a different brand, like Line6, as I mentioned above. As Soundetta.com has suggested many times, ample amount of research can benefit you in decision making but I still insist that there is nothing better than pulling up a seat in your local guitar store with your girl in one hand and line into one amp at a time. Rock on.
For more information about guitar amplifiers and guitars, visit my blog Soundetta.com: Your Music Arena!, which is all about music!
Amps are a very tricky subject as there are just so many out there. The basic idea of them is to take the ultra low voltage coming from the pickups and bring them up to line level. Seems simple, but there is a lot that goes into how that signal is boosted.
The main two types of amps are tube and solid state. Tube amplifiers are the grand daddies of amplifiers and use vacuum tubes as their main amplifier. Solid state amplifiers use modern chips in place of the tubes. The difference is that tubes tend to add a warmth and smoothness to the sound but can also add a good amount of noise too. Solid state amps are more clean and solid, but can sound cold. All amps, whether for guitar, bass, or acoustic work the same but differ in where they focus their characteristics. This is not to say that you should plug a guitar into a bass amp. Sometime it will work, and sometimes it just won't.
The Relationship between Electric Guitars and Electric Guitar Amps
Electric guitars work on pickups. A pickup works by using a magnet that is wrapped in wire. The magnetic field rides just through the strings so when the string is strummed or plucked, it alters the magnetic field and produces an electrical signal at the same frequency as the note being played. The "tone" of the pickup is determined by how many times the wire is wound around the magnet. A standard electric pickup is wrapped around 5000 times, which is nothing to sneeze at.
A Humbucker pickup uses 2 of these wrappings to reduce the amount of noise that can be produced by the pickup. This, obviously, increases the quality of any guitar using Humbucker pickups.
Bass Electric Guitars and Their Amps
Bass guitars work pretty much the same way that an electric guitar does. The reason for a bass sounding so deep is the fact that they use thicker strings, which vibrate at a lower frequency by nature. Specifically, a bass amp is specially designed to focus on the lower frequency spectrum and boost it. A normal guitar amp focuses more on the mid to high frequency spectrum.
Furthermore, a guitar wire is wound around 5000 times using #42 wire. The more times it is wound, or the more tightly wound it is, the more the lower frequencies get tapered off. To exaggerate this effect, a bass uses thicker wire as well. Sometimes the pickup is split so that it looks like a z on the body. This way the two higher strings have a boosted sound and the lower ones produce a thicker sound because of the unique shape.
Acoustic-Electric Guitars and Acoustic Guitar Amps
Acoustic-Electric guitars and their amps work entirely different from electric guitars and amps as they use what is called a "piezo pickup."
A piezo pickup is essentially a dynamic microphone that only reacts when the string is plucked. This creates a more natural sound in relation to the actual acoustic sound. Today, even some electric guitars have piezo pickups added to them because they are so unique.
Now that you have the know how, you should also know that some amps are inter-compatible between guitars. What you can't know, however, is how well one guitar type, like a Fender, will be compatible with a different brand, like Line6, as I mentioned above. As Soundetta.com has suggested many times, ample amount of research can benefit you in decision making but I still insist that there is nothing better than pulling up a seat in your local guitar store with your girl in one hand and line into one amp at a time. Rock on.
For more information about guitar amplifiers and guitars, visit my blog Soundetta.com: Your Music Arena!, which is all about music!
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
The Electric Guitar - How To Buy The Right One
One of the most challenging tasks facing any guitarist is selecting the right electric guitar for their musical needs. Whether you are young or old, a beginner or a master musician, there is no sound in the world like a finely tuned electric guitar. The thing is that it can be overwhelmingly difficult to choose the right guitar.
The basic construction for a guitar is the same for almost all of the different types of guitars. All electric guitars are comprised of the same parts: a body, a neck, a head stock piece, electrical pickups and a bridge.
Unlike an acoustic guitar, electrical guitars require an amplifier to broadcast the guitar's sound. The sound for an electric guitar is generated when a musician plucks the strings and the vibration of the strings is transmitted through the pick-ups to the amplifier.
Now, there are two very important considerations when purchasing the perfect electrical guitar: price and sound.
Electrical guitars can be priced as low as ninety-nine dollars all the way up to twenty thousand dollars, so knowing your budget is crucial. A beginning guitarist should look for starter kits that will include a guitar, amplifier and some instruction books.
Electric guitars are divided into four different categories: Acoustic-Electric, Electric, Hollow Body Electric and Steel Electric and each one is designed to generate a different sound.
Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic guitars with pick-ups installed so that they can be wired into an amplifier or a public address system. These are some of the most popular types of guitars for touring bands as they are well built and last a long time.
An electric guitar is typically made of a solid wood body and sound is only generated through the pick-up system. An amplifier is required to increase or decrease volume. These are the most popular models of guitars for beginning enthusiasts and prices can range from $99 and up. Most manufacturers like Fender and Gibson have beginner electrical guitar kits that come with a guitar, an amplifier and training manuals to get started.
A hollow body electric guitar is constructed in the same way as a traditional electric guitar with one exception. A hollow-body guitar has 2 chambers cut out of the body. The end result is that the guitar generates additional sonic resonances because of the chambers and delivers a completely unique sound. These guitars are most often played by Jazz enthusiasts and are available in many different sizes and tones.
The last type of electrical guitar is the steel guitar. Steel guitars are so different in design from traditional guitars that it requires many years of specialized training to learn to play them properly. The steel guitar was made famous by Jeff Healey and is played on its back as opposed to being strung around the player's neck. The strings are often elevated above the fret board and allow for the use of a 'tone bar'. A tone bar is a cylindrical tube that is worn over the middle finger of the fret hand, and provides the classical steel guitar 'whine'. The steel guitar is most often used with country and western style music.
Regardless of whether you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar it is always advisable that you research thoroughly. Speak with employees of guitar shops and test every guitar you may be buying. Search the internet to decipher between the different manufacturers and models available until you are certain you have found the electric guitar of your dreams and then buy it!
If you're considering buying an electric guitar, then have a look at the esteban electric guitar To learn more, visit our as seen on tv music site.
Copyright 2007. You may reprint this article on your site provided you include author's resource box and active links.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_G
The basic construction for a guitar is the same for almost all of the different types of guitars. All electric guitars are comprised of the same parts: a body, a neck, a head stock piece, electrical pickups and a bridge.
Unlike an acoustic guitar, electrical guitars require an amplifier to broadcast the guitar's sound. The sound for an electric guitar is generated when a musician plucks the strings and the vibration of the strings is transmitted through the pick-ups to the amplifier.
Now, there are two very important considerations when purchasing the perfect electrical guitar: price and sound.
Electrical guitars can be priced as low as ninety-nine dollars all the way up to twenty thousand dollars, so knowing your budget is crucial. A beginning guitarist should look for starter kits that will include a guitar, amplifier and some instruction books.
Electric guitars are divided into four different categories: Acoustic-Electric, Electric, Hollow Body Electric and Steel Electric and each one is designed to generate a different sound.
Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic guitars with pick-ups installed so that they can be wired into an amplifier or a public address system. These are some of the most popular types of guitars for touring bands as they are well built and last a long time.
An electric guitar is typically made of a solid wood body and sound is only generated through the pick-up system. An amplifier is required to increase or decrease volume. These are the most popular models of guitars for beginning enthusiasts and prices can range from $99 and up. Most manufacturers like Fender and Gibson have beginner electrical guitar kits that come with a guitar, an amplifier and training manuals to get started.
A hollow body electric guitar is constructed in the same way as a traditional electric guitar with one exception. A hollow-body guitar has 2 chambers cut out of the body. The end result is that the guitar generates additional sonic resonances because of the chambers and delivers a completely unique sound. These guitars are most often played by Jazz enthusiasts and are available in many different sizes and tones.
The last type of electrical guitar is the steel guitar. Steel guitars are so different in design from traditional guitars that it requires many years of specialized training to learn to play them properly. The steel guitar was made famous by Jeff Healey and is played on its back as opposed to being strung around the player's neck. The strings are often elevated above the fret board and allow for the use of a 'tone bar'. A tone bar is a cylindrical tube that is worn over the middle finger of the fret hand, and provides the classical steel guitar 'whine'. The steel guitar is most often used with country and western style music.
Regardless of whether you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar it is always advisable that you research thoroughly. Speak with employees of guitar shops and test every guitar you may be buying. Search the internet to decipher between the different manufacturers and models available until you are certain you have found the electric guitar of your dreams and then buy it!
If you're considering buying an electric guitar, then have a look at the esteban electric guitar To learn more, visit our as seen on tv music site.
Copyright 2007. You may reprint this article on your site provided you include author's resource box and active links.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_G
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
PRS guitars tube amp line unveiled At NAMM.
PRS....
AFTER NEARLY FOUR years of close collaboration with architect and amp design master Doug Sewell, PRS Guitars has developed a line of tube amps that meet the needs of various playing styles while
Producing clean tones that overdrive nicely, the Dallas harkens to the classic American reverb
amps with more useable gain and slightly fuller midrange. Its percussive attack, sweet highs, and solid lows produce open, three-dimensional tone and huge clean sounds.
Guitarists seeking classic British and American tones with what Sewell calls "Texas attitude" will likely latch onto the Blue Sierra. Gain structured for equally great clean sounds to medium gain overdrive tones, the Blue Sierra works well with both single coils and humbuckers. Medium gain settings allow aggressive clean sounds to crunch that are easily controllable with pick attack.
Recalling '50s American amps but with very wide gain structure, the Original Sewell model amp provides expressive tone centering in the medium to medium-high range. Tones are warm and harmonically rich, giving an expressive quality to lead work. Smoothness was emphasized with sweet highs and tight lows surrounding a fat, warm midrange.
(410) 643-9970
www.prsguitars.com
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