help new guitarist

[mattadams]

im a guitarist on a very low budget.im not ready to record. all i have is a guitar and i need to know what kind of amp i should get (remember low budget)and effects? thank you

[Dragon]

Well, I'm not trying to be rude at all, but feel free to pick whatever amp sounds good to you. Everyone likes certain kinds of sounds, and the inexpensive amps have relatively few choices of sound, so make sure you pick one that sounds the way you like with your guitar (i.e. don't buy it by mail where you can't hear it in advance).

[drstawl]

Other questions to ask yourself are: how loud does this rig need to be? Are you playing with a drummer? Are you playing outdoors?
And is clean more important than loud or the other way around? Buy a used amp. There are so many more amps owned than people who really use them creating a buyers market.

[foo]

Hi Matt,
drstawl is right - used is the way to go. What are you trying to accomplish? Is it practise at home, in the garage or playing small clubs (less than 300 people?)

Do you have a drummer is a very important question.

What type of guitar do you have, and what type of sound are you looking for?

Who are your favorite players?

foo

[mattadams]

thanks for the help. I practice in my room and in garage I don't play with a drummer yet but should in High School. Im more concerned about how clean it is, and would live it to be fairly loud. My guitar is a rogue rx250. In favorite players do you mean band?

thanx for the help matt

[This message has been edited by mattadams (edited 06-25-1999).]

[foo]

Hi Matt,

There are (basically) two types of amplifiers; those that use (vacuum) tubes, and those that use transistors to produce the sound. Generally speaking, the transistor amps are cheaper, lighter and need less maintaining. The tube amps have a (slightly) different sound because of the way the tubes behave when you drive them hard.

Conventional wisdom (now there's an oxymoron!) says that tubes sound better when you overdrive them, and that transistors sound harsh, but don't let that concern you.

A strength of transistors is that they do loud and clean very well, so tie that in with your needs and it looks like transistors is the way to go.

The only thing that counts is what sounds good to you.

Examples of good transistor amps, and 40 watts is plenty loud enough for a club gig (less if you are using mics):

Roland Jazz Chorus (may be too much $$)

Peavey Bandit (and several other Peaveys)

Fender (many to choose from)

Marshall ( again lotsa $$$, but many)

It is also better to go with a well-known name, as resale is easier. (... and you will be selling it - the quest for the perfect tone is ongoing

Don't necessarily discount an amp because it has tubes - again, if it sounds good to you, then it's good!

(My preference is for tubes, but many great players prefer transistors.)

Head for your local store on a Saturday afternoon and hang out - listen to what the guys are playing through, and to the conversations between the sales guys and the customers (... and don't play Stairway to Heaven

Speaker configurations are not too much of a concern - more is'nt necessarily better. Generally speaking, one good twelve-inch or two good ten-inch speakers will get the job done. Many bands that have ten (fifty?) speaker cabinets on stage only have one hooked up, or even none - the guitar is running through an old Fender Deluxe behind the stacks and being mic'd into the PA.

Good luck,
foo

[Crazy Diamond]

I remember my friend bought a used Celestion head with a Mesa/Boogie (i think) cabinet for 400 bucks from some old dude. There was a beer stain all down the side of the cabinet and 2 of the knobs were missing on the head. But it was THE BEST sounding rig i have heard in my life. I think buying used is the way for you to go. Just because something sounds good, doesn't mean it has to be expensive.
Happy Hunting

[harpzilla]

If you are still looking. There are lots of amps designed for just what you want. Crate makes a good one, Fender makes a good one. Several other brands. The Danelectro is fun and even looks cool.
You need a 15 watt solid state amp with about an 8 inch speaker. You can get that for under $100. In a few days you will wish you had something bigger and better. That never leaves. Meanwhile you have a very decent little practice amp that will last. I still use my 15 watt Crate as a powered stage monitor. It works.

[silencekit]

Still looking for an amp, Matt?
I can't tell you anything new here. the other people here seem to know what they're talking about. But whatever you do, don't ever buy a marshall vs 65. don't ask, just stay away from them. trust me and thank me later.