Guitar Amp Buying Guide

From boutique handwired tube combos to cutting-edge digital processors, modern musicians are living in a golden age of amplifier options. There’s truly never been a better time to buy an amp, but with so many options available, how do you choose the perfect amp?

Whether you’re an electric guitarist, an acoustic guitarist, or a bassist, Sweetwater’s amplifier buying guide is here to lay out all your options for you. This article will cover everything from volume considerations to the different types of amplifiers, equipping you with the knowledge you need to pick out the amplifier of your dreams!

A Few Questions to StartWhat’s the Best Amp for My Instrument?Where Will You Play? How Much Power Will You Need?What Will You Play?Types of AmplifiersWhat Is a Tube Amplifier?What Is a Solid-state Amplifier?What Is a Digital Amplifier?Combos, Cabinets, and Speakers: What’s Best for You?Amplifier Head vs. Amplifier ComboSpeaker SizeSpeaker and Cab ConfigurationsFRFR (Full-range, Flat-response) CabsImpulse Responses and Cab SimsAdditional FeaturesMultiple Channels and Channel SwitchingBuilt-in EffectsEffects LoopsPower Scaling and AttenuationLine Out/XLR OutAudio-interface FunctionalityDedicated Mobile AppsMIDI

A Few Questions to Start

Before you dive into the deep end of Sweetwater’s assortment of amplifiers, it’s a good idea to survey your general musical needs. Your instrument, style, space, and budget are all crucial, so let’s look at how these factors shape your amplifier purchase.

What’s the Best Amp for My Instrument?

It’s important to point out that different instruments generally require very different amplifiers. In fact, it can be downright dangerous to play certain instruments through certain amplifiers; slapping your favorite low-B riff on your 5-string bass through an 8-inch guitar speaker might just end up blowing it! So, first things first — narrow down your amp list to your instrument of choice, whether it be electric guitar, acoustic-electric guitar, bass, or something else entirely.

Where Will You Play? How Much Power Will You Need?

Step two: Determine where you’re going to be playing and how much power you need. A festival-bound touring rig, a dedicated studio amp, and an at-home practice setup are going to necessitate vastly different levels of power. You might even be in a situation that forbids anything louder than an unplugged electric guitar. No problem — Sweetwater has plenty of amplifiers and digital processing units that feature headphone jacks, audio-interface capabilities, and other ways to achieve studio-grade tones without making a sound.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, gigging musicians and those looking to play in a live band need to make sure that their amplifier delivers enough projection. The primary way to judge an amplifier’s volume is by its wattage, but how many watts do you need? That’s a tough question.

Low-to-medium-wattage amplifiers below 30 watts are more than capable of covering both home and gigging duties, especially if you can mic up at the venue. Even many 100-watt behemoths can be safely played at home if they’re equipped with power scaling or built-in attenuation, but it doesn’t always make sense to go with such a powerful amp if you don’t have the space or the desire to rattle your neighbor’s windows.

It’s also important to remember that, even when they’re rated for the same wattage, tube amps are perceived as significantly louder than solid-state amps. Bass amps are their own thing entirely and generally require a far greater wattage than a guitar to be heard in a mix; it’s not uncommon to see bassists rocking 500- or 1,000-watt amps.

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What Will You Play?

Are you a dedicated funk bassist, a devout metalhead, a classic-rock disciple, or something else entirely? The truth is that any amplifier purchase (or any gear purchase period) is informed at least in part by your musical taste. Certain amps and brands are better geared toward certain genres. For example, a guitarist seeking an ultra-modern, high-gain metal tone is usually going to be happier with a cutting-edge, channel-switching monster than a vintage-style, single-channel tube combo. That’s a generalization, but there’s a very good reason why many types of music have “go-to” amplifier brands, models, and styles.

A great way to find out if an amp will work with your style is to research the amps played by your favorite musicians — if you love the sound of an amp on a record, then you’re probably going to love it even more in person! Another excellent strategy is to search for YouTube demos of gear on your radar, and our Sales Engineers are always equipped to aid you in your tonal travels.

Types of Amplifiers

Now that you know your basic amplifier needs, let’s explore the different types of amplifiers, including an honest look at both their capabilities and their limitations.

What Is a Tube Amplifier?

Tube amplifiers represent the oldest form of guitar and bass amplification, harnessing the power of little glass bottles called vacuum tubes to amplify your guitar’s output signal. Tube amps are revered in the guitar and bass community for their warm, smooth tone and their wonderful ability to produce natural distortion. Many musicians still hail tube amps as the ideal form of amplification, and it’s important to point out that solid-state amplifiers and digitally powered devices are often voiced to re-create the tones of tube amplification.

While they’re arguably the peak of the mountain when it comes to classic guitar tone, vacuum tubes are also temperamental and fragile and need to be regularly replaced. It doesn’t help either that tubes are an all-but-extinct technology outside of the audio world, which tends to result in tube amps and replacement tubes commanding a premium price compared to their solid-state and digital counterparts. Still, if you have the budget, the space, and the patience, then a quality tube amplifier can be one of the most rewarding gear purchases you’ll ever make.

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The Guitarist’s Guide to Electric Guitar Amps Part 5: Tube Talk

What Is a Solid-state Amplifier?

Solid-state amplifiers first came about around the middle of the 20th century, replacing the tubes of an amplifier circuit with transistors. The result is a lighter, more efficient, and more reliable amplifier that requires far less maintenance and care than a tube amplifier. Soundwise, solid-state amplifiers are quite a bit cleaner and firmer-sounding than a tube amp and have far greater headroom; many solid-state amps are squeaky-clean all the way up to 10, which is why you’ll see many models equipped with built-in overdrive and distortion effects.

Because of their ability to deliver loud, clean power without breaking up, solid-state amplifiers an excellent choice for jazz musicians, bassists, or any other musical application that calls for pristine clean tones. That’s not to say that solid-state amps can’t distort — remember that all your favorite overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals deliver dirt just fine without any help from vacuum tubes! Solid-state amps can also get a bad rap because many lower-priced practice amps use a solid-state design, but there are also scores of premium tubeless analog amplifiers out there.

What Is a Digital Amplifier?

Digital amplification is the newest form of amplification on the block, and it’s also arguably the most varied and sonically flexible. While both tube amps and solid-state amps are analog designs, digital amplifiers harness the cutting-edge processing power of digital technology. The umbrella of “digital amplification” encompasses everything from solid-state amplifiers equipped with modeling technology to digital floor processors that pack hundreds of digital amplifier-model replications into a pint-size box — the latter being an especially alluring prospect for gigging musicians as they can supply an all-in-one effects/amplification solution that fits on a pedalboard or even in a gig bag.

Well, if digital processors and amplifiers can pack a veritable studio locker’s worth of tones into a pedal-size package, then why haven’t they overtaken traditional tube and solid-state amplifiers entirely? They’ve certainly grown exponentially more popular over the last decade, but some musicians argue that the inherent imperfections of analog designs offer a more organic-sounding and dynamic-feeling playing experience that digital technology simply can’t replicate — a tough point to argue when more and more professional-level musicians are switching over to modeling and profiling processors. We’ll always have room in our rigs for amplifiers of all styles, but it’s undeniable that digitally powered amplifiers, from modeling combos to top-class profiling units to floor processors, offer the most versatile, pragmatic, and portable amplification solution.

Combos, Cabinets, and Speakers: What’s Best for You?

There’s no question that amplifier technology has come a long way in the past decade or two, thanks to the integration of digital processing power. However, physical speakers, cabinets, and configurations have largely remained stable. What’s more, digital technologies such as impulse responses and cab sims grant you the ability to capture the lively sound of a speaker cabinet, a room, or even an entire signal chain without the need for any physical speakers, cabs, or microphones.

Amplifier Head vs. Amplifier Combo

In the world of traditional guitar amplifiers, the two types of construction you’re going to run into are the combo and the head. In the simplest terms, a combo is an amplifier that has the speaker(s) physically integrated into the cabinet; it’s a “combo” of an amplifier and a speaker. Combos are compact, portable, and ready to play right out of the box — no external cables or cabs necessary. This makes combo amps an excellent choice for gigging musicians who frequently need to move their gear around.

In comparison, an amplifier head physically separates the amplifier circuit from the speakers, resulting in two different pieces of gear for one functional guitar-amplifier unit: the amplifier head and the speaker cab. By separating the amplifier from the cabinet (and, thus, the speakers), you’re free to play through a variety of different cabinets and speakers without fully committing to a single configuration. The versatility of a head/cab rig makes it a great choice for recording applications that allow you to keep the amp in a semi-permanent location, but larger models can be cumbersome to move in and out of cars and venues.

Speaker Size

Speakers come in a vast variety of sizes and are crucial in determining the overall tone of your amplifier. The larger the speaker, the better its ability to produce low-end frequencies. Conversely, smaller speakers are better geared toward the reproduction of higher frequencies. What speaker size should you go for? A 12-inch speaker is always a solid choice for guitarists — they’re the de facto standard choice for most guitar-amplifier models. With their punchy and midrange-forward tone, 10-inch speakers are also popular. Below that, you’re generally looking at more niche sounds, but there are plenty of incredible-sounding amps with 8-inch speakers and smaller. Bass speakers can clock in as large as 18 inches (though 15 inches is more common) to deliver a rich, full-bodied low end. In fact, many bass-guitar amplifiers and FRFR cabs sport both a larger speaker and a tiny, roughly 1-inch speaker known as a tweeter to perfectly cover the entire sonic spectrum.

Does Your Guitar Speaker Matter?

Speaker and Cab Configurations

Whether you’re running a 1×12-inch combo or a 4×12-inch stack, the physical configuration of your speakers goes a long way in shaping your tone. Multiple-speaker setups make you sound bigger with more enveloping projection, although they don’t dramatically increase your amplifier’s volume — a 4×12-inch cab is not four times louder than a 1×12-inch cab!

Another factor is whether your speaker cab has an open back or a closed back. Open-back cabs tend to have an airier tone with a rich, room-filling quality. In comparison, closed-back cabs supply a more focused punch and a firmer bass response.

Guitar Cabinet Shootout – with Sound Samples

FRFR (Full-range, Flat-response) Cabs

FRFR (full-range, flat-response) cabinets are essentially a miniature PA system for your digital processor, delivering a clean, uncolored platform to build your tones upon. FRFR cabs combine a built-in power amplifier, a high-wattage design, and (generally) a 2-way speaker system, which is meant to exactly replicate the signal you send in with no amplification. FRFR cabs are a superb choice for any musician who wants a more traditional amplifier-playing experience from their digital processing unit, allowing you to hit the stage or jam out at home without the need for any other external gear.

The 411 on FRFR Speakers

Impulse Responses and Cab Sims

If you prefer to ditch speaker cabs entirely, then it’s time to dive into the world of impulse responses and cab sims. A cab sim is a digital replication of a given guitar cabinet, mirroring the sound of the cab’s speakers, mic placement, and even the very wood. In comparison, an impulse response is like a sonic snapshot of the cabinet, the physical space the cabinet was recorded in, and sometimes even the amplifier itself. Both IRs and cab sims are convenient ways to breathe life and dimension into your tone without the need for physical speakers.

Additional Features

Finally, most amplifiers come equipped with a great variety of built-in features to elevate your playing, recording, and gigging experiences. Here’s a short list of the most common extra features you’ll encounter.

Multiple Channels and Channel Switching

Most modern tube and solid-state amplifiers feature multiple preamp channels, offering a quick way ­to instantly switch between two tonal profiles — think of them as built-in tonal presets. Different channels are often footswitchable, but it’s always a good idea find out whether or not a specific amp comes with a footswitch in the box!

Built-in Effects

Even the earliest amplifiers often had built-in effects, ranging from the splash of spring reverb to the swampy chop of tremolo. Many solid-state and tube amps will also have a built-in distortion effect — not to be confused with the natural distortion inherent to the amplifier’s design. Finally, many digital modeling amplifiers and processors boast a vast assortment of built-in effects.

Effects Loops

While certain effects sound great sent straight into the front of your amp, effects such as delay, modulation, and reverb can often wind up a bit muddy and undefined when played through the front end of a dirty amp. To ensure your time-based and modulation effects pedals remain crisp and clear, many amps have a feature called an effects loop that’s built in between the preamp and power-amp stages, allowing you to place a second run of effects pedals after the overdrive introduced in your amp’s preamp stage.

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How to Use Your Amp’s Effects Loop

Power Scaling and Attenuation

While power scaling and attenuation function in different ways, both have the same aim: to maintain your amp’s full-volume tone and feel at a reduced volume level. These two features are mainly found on tube amplifiers, but there are also a few solid-state amplifiers with onboard power scaling and attenuation.

Line Out/XLR Out

Many amplifiers and digital processing units include a line out or an XLR out that allows you to safely send your signal straight into a PA or an audio interface. This completely cuts out the need for a physical speaker cabinet at your gig, and it also enables easy, microphone-free recording.

Audio-interface Functionality

Many more amplifiers now sport full-fledged audio-interface functionality via USB, allowing your amplifier to double as a computer-ready recording hub.

Dedicated Mobile Apps

As amplifiers of all sorts grow in complexity, the time-tested assortment of knobs on the front panel simply won’t cut it! Many amplifiers and digital processing units now boast their own dedicated mobile app that allows you to edit and control parameters directly from your smartphone.

MIDI

Some amplifiers and digital processors include MIDI for changing various parameters, such as switching settings, presets, or channels.

Need Help Finding Your Ideal Amplifier?

As you can see, the world of modern amplification is vast, complicated, and incredibly rewarding to the well-informed musician! There’s an incredible variety of different amps to explore, and the list is growing all the time.

This article is but a primer meant to arm you with base-level knowledge of the art of amplification, but we can do you one better — Sweetwater’s Sales Engineers stand ever ready to aid you in your gear-acquisition endeavors. Simply dial up your personal Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 for expert advice on picking out the perfect amp for your respective space, style, and musical needs!

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