Do you really need an amp? Think twice if you are just starting

Gear & Tools Talk 🎚 Other Gear & Accessories
61

Since I started this, I feel obliged to offer an update on my point of view now that I have 1,000+ hours of practice and 2+ years. Mind you, it is mostly unplugged or high gain practice.

I think I am gonna walk back what I said in the OP.

After owning a proper starter amp for 1 year, namely a 5150 Iconic 1x10, and a full-blown pro level modeler for 9 months, a Boss GT 1000 Core, a Fender Micro ultra portable practice headphones amp as well as a bunch of pedals that I have all sold, etc…

I now agree that once you get going for real, a good amp is easier on a busy person than a good modeler. If you get the amp you want, from there you just tweak it a little but you are fine within minutes. It is like changing tire sizes, wheels, brakes, body armor on a 4x4. But you still have your 4x4 and not another brand or model.

By contrast, after 9 months I still do not have the time to really fool around with the 1000s of options on the Boss 1000. I have effects and all sorts of presets for use with the amp and a few presets I can use for metal without the amp. That’s it. But you change an IR and it is like your Toyota is now a Wrangler. Totally different animal. The amp is just so easy.

But the trick is, don’t buy beginner crap. Get a decent digital whatever to get started and then get straight for the amp your heart desires.

I set the 5150 Iconic in W-D-W using the Boss 1000 and 2 studio monitors that take the pitch shifted signal and any effects while the amp speaker gets back the dry signal. Easy peasy. Only works for home, sure, but it is all I need. Same effect as pro setup but at home level. Incredible, enormous sound.

I will sell the Iconic though it is a perfect practice amp IMO and get a 5153 50w 1x12 combo with power control from the factory. Then I will use the Boss 1000 more and the amp less simply because I do not want to use a big time amp to play practice routines. But when it comes to the sound that I really want to use when I have kinda learned something, the proper for the person amp makes it so much easier…

But a “beginner” amp like my first tube HT5 that is not YOUR thing can really turn you off as it happened with me. There is no fixing that, if you bought the wrong car for yourself, no number of car mods will help you, same here if you get the wrong beginner amp for yourself, no pedals or EQ will fix that.

Unless you are collecting, guitar hobby is cheap, get the right gear early. My 2c

62

Agreed. Good followup Steve. Hind sight can be 20/20 for sure.

A simple, good sounding amp can really be the ticket. Adj. the tone stack (or maybe not) a bit, the volume a bit and away ya go!
More than that really may not be necessary.
I think of it like, what do I adj. on my acoustic guitar. Nothing, it’s just me. It’s what’s left. How I play. :wink:
All the effects in the world won’t make me sound good, if I can’t play. And them effects won’t cover up my errors either. I gotta learn to play straight up clean imho.
After that, perhaps a few effects for some spice, but to me, too many choices seems to be just overwhelming. Ya may never find that perfect tone. With a good sounding, plain amp, the tone ya get is you and how you (me) play.

The choice is yours… :slight_smile:

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63

I have a 20w Fender Champion, which took me a while to find the sound I wanted, but now I have it the convenience of turning it on and playing is really enjoyable.
I have a traditional set of pedals- reverb,delay ,overdrive and chorus. All in all,I think my set up is in the region of 300ÂŁ,so a significant outlay, but Ive taken my time to build my pedals(none are especially expensive but they sound good-for home use).

I recently added a Yuer 10w amp(with blue tooth) for backing tracks and listening to Justin. Its my front room amp and has headphones.

Knowing what I know now, I could probably get by with just the Yuer.I’m 60 now now,so am wise enough to avoid most of the more outlandish claims of amp and pedal makers.

So,I’m not ampless, (definitely age related), but also the enjoyment of not being stuck infront of a laptop.