So much is made of selecting guitars that sometimes people forget that the sound needs to come out of somewhere! Perhaps it’s similar to people paying more attention to the design of the car than the engine inside. Ultimately, it’s the combination of your guitar and amp that determines your sound, and though guitars are sexier it’s important not to forget about the piece that makes it heard!
Your amp should reflect the kind of guitar you have in a few ways. Off the bat, it makes no sense playing on a three thousand dollar guitar with a two hundred dollar amp. Ditto for expensive amps with cheap guitars. They need to meet somewhere in the middle. For an indie sound sometimes people favour cheaper guitars because they have a “grungier” sound, and they may want a powerful amp to make it loud, but in most instances this rule of thumb is reliable.
Also, if you want to play jazz or blues, an old school tube amp will perfectly suitable. This is true for your Fender solid-body guitar or your old hollow or semi-hollow guitar. It gives your chords and solo lines a mellow quality you just can’t get any other way. Different companies produced quality amps, but it’s really the warmth of the tubes that gives amps from that time they’re sound. Experiment with many before making your purchase.
If harder blues and rock is your thing, the Marshall stacks are a dream. Favoured and made popular by Hendrix, it’s synonymous with loud rock played with a punchy, distinct crunch. Yes the stacks have a commanding stage presence, but only a superficial musician considers this in their purchase! You must think sound first. When considering amps you need to do a blind hearing test where all you consider is the sound.
For acoustic playing, consider what sounds the cleanest and what best suits your guitar. Martin’s are bass heavy and presumably you want to emphasize this part of the tone. Larivees will have different specs. Ultimately, you must consider the sound of both elements since that’s what your listener will be hearing. It’s a package deal.
Don’t buy an amp on recommendations or based on the guitars companies reputation. Bring your guitar and the cord you’ll be using to the store and sample it at length when the store is quiet. Try out a few amps and go back and forth. This will help you compare amps that are similar. It’s not enough to just play one, then play another, then make a final decision. Sometimes the staff at a store can be intimating, or there’s another player who’s sounding really good and playing loudly can be embarrassing (unless you’re better!). The best is to be patient, ignore everyone else in the store and really listen to the way your guitar sounds in each amp. It’s also a good idea to bring a friend who knows about these things to get another objective opinion. There’s a tendency to get excited and buy something, or privilege a the sales man’s advice. But this is too important a decision to be made with anything but the highest degree of care and consideration. Happy playing!
Long & McQuade is one of Canada’s biggest online music stores and offers a wide selection of guitars, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, guitar amps and guitar lessons.