How To Choose An Electric Guitar Amplifier

No matter what type of music you play, there is a guitar amplifier that is just right for you. So how do you find the perfect guitar amplifier? You must first answer the question of what type of music you are going to play.

There is a guitar amplifier for just about every type of music under the sun. There are some amps that are perfect for jazz, some that are perfect for rock-n-roll and some that are perfect for high-gain heavy metal distortion. There are many different types of guitar amp construction that you will want to consider when buying an amplifier as well.

Currently there are 3 main types of guitar amplifier on the market. There is the classic and eternally popular tube amplifier. There is the rugged and reliable solid-state amplifier which has no tubes. The latest and greatest amplifiers are digital modeling amplifiers which can sound like many different amplifiers.

First of all, there’s the tried and true tube amplifier which has been around since the beginning of the electric guitar. It has a thick, warm sound which brings out many of your guitar’s overtones. Tube amps are very versatile and can cover both clean and distorted sounds. They really shine when playing Rock-N-Roll because tube amps like to get a gritty type of distortion.

Solid State amplifiers do not use any tubes and have a reputation for being a very clean and clear amplifier. They are also very rugged and don’t require as much maintenance as a tube amp. Although solid state amplifiers have excellent clean tones they’re also perfect for modern heavy metal tones. Solid State amps do well in both Country music and Heavy Metal.

The most current trend in electric guitar amplifiers are the digital modeling amps. These amplifiers have computer simulations of other amplifiers built into them so they can sound like any other type of amp. No matter what type of music you play, a digital modeling amp will be able to give you a useable sound for that genre.

My own personal favorite guitar amplifier is the Fender Cyber-Twin SE amplifier. It falls into the digital modeling amplifier family but it is really a hybrid of tube amplification and modeling. The sounds the Fender Cyber-Twin SE creates are truly fabulous.

In summary let’s look at which amps are the best for certain types of music. I feel like you would be best with a tube amp if you’re playing Jazz or Rock-N-Roll. Get a solid state amplifier if you’re playing extreme heavy metal or country. If you’re going to be playing a lot of different styles of music then you’re going to be best served by getting one of the excellent digital modeling amplifiers on the market today.