My amp has both a master volume and an output volume which is the same as most amps I’ve seen. I sort of understand the difference, but what I’m curious about is when to use each and then also the volume knob on my guitar. Like I said, newbie question…
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Hi Chris,
Master volume to set the overall level and the volume to adjust each patch so they are about the same level as each other. Volume knob to control output of guitar e.g. turn the volume down lowers signal to amp. A typical use of this might be if you have an overdriven amp setting and want to quickly get something cleaner.
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Hey Chris,
the way I use a master vol, and pre volume amp is.
Set the pre vol for the amount of overdrive you want. A low setting will yield clean tones, the more you turn it up, the more overdrive you will get. Turn it all the way up will the most overdrive (distortion).
The master vol. adj. for final vol. control. So ya could have much overdrive via the pre vol. but the overall volume could be low and tolarable via setting the master vol. at a low setting.
Also, be aware that the master vol. can induce overdrive too.
Basicly, the pre vol. controls preamp vol. master vol. controls amp vol. Both can induce overdrive.
Ya can use your guitar vol. control to lower overall vol from the amp. You could have the amp in a state of some overdrive, then roll the vol. on the guitar down some and the amp will likely clean up and have less overdrive.
If ya got a two channel amp. The vol. and pre vol. controls act the same.
I have one amp that has only vol. on it’s clean channel. If I want to overdrive that channel I can, I just gotta turn it up loud to get it overdrive. The other channel has a pre vol and a overall vol. So as stated as stated by James. Ya can be playing clean on the clean channel, then switch channels and have the distortion on the other channel. You can set volumes of both channels to unity so both are near the same volume.
In conclusion. Preamp vol. is controlled by pre vol. control on amp. Amp volume is controlled by the master volume. Both can induce overdrive, it’s just different parts of the amp that are being overdriven.
This may or may not apply to a solid state amp. Some solid state amps are I believe designed to be clean when cranked even. So I may depend on your amp.
I have a solid state amp that mimicks a tube amp and I can control how much it acts like a tube amp (peavey transtube). On it’s clean channel, when I got it set to act like a solid state amp, I can crank it up very loud w/o distortion (overdrive). When it’s set to act like a tube amp, I crank it up and at about 3 on the vol. control it starts inducing overdrive. Like a single vol. control tube amp.
Hope that helps.
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@Socio and @HappyCat Thanks! Your explanations help a lot. I can see what you mean about controlling the overdrive. Just need to work with it more to get comfortable with how everything works together.
Play with them vol. controls Chris. You’ll for sure get the hang of it. It’s a lot of fun and you’ll be able to get all kinds of different tones just with them 2 vol. controls.
fwiw, there’s even more to it (probably more than I know would be my guess).
Ya can dial in for breakup (distortion). Pluck your strings on your guitar hard and it’ll break up. Pluck your strings lightly and it’ll clean the tone up. Dynamics of playing guitar.
There is much to be explored here I believe.
Again, just with them 2 controls. Master vol. and pre volume.
Have fun man! 
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It also partially depends on your amp. For example, my Boss Katana has amplifier Volume and Master volume. I use the Master volume to adjust the overall volume of the amp, and the amplifier Volume to adjust the relative volume of different amp models that I save as presets so there’s not a huge change in volume when I switch from a clean amp preset to a crunch preset to a lead preset, or visa versa.
The guitar volume knob I use to adjust how much signal the guitar sends to the amp to clean up and/or quiet the sound. For example, I’ll set the amp up for a hard rock distortion sound, and by rolling back the guitar volume knob I can go down to light distortion or even a clean sound. So I might start out with a quiet, clean section with the volume knob rolled back and light picking and then roll the volume knob up to go to heavy distortion with heavy picking, or visa versa.
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Thanks! very helpful. Particularly, the 2nd paragraph. Hadn’t thought about it from that perspective.
As mentioned above and many other places, lowering the guitar knob volume ( aka “cleans up the sound”).
When a player uses this technique, does he raise the amps output volume, to compensate for the lowered guitar volume and vice versa?
Normally you set your amp for the guitar’s full volume sound (guitar volume knob at 100%) and use your volume knob to adjust from there - roll back the volume knob to reduce distortion and volume or roll up towards full to increase distortion and volume.
Another cool thing with the volume knob that I learned from Tom Morello is mimicking the sound of a violin or similar bowed stringed instrument: roll the guitar volume all the way off, then play a note with vibrato and quickly roll the volume back on.
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Interesting comment Alexander.
I can’t say that I normally turn my amps to max volume.
I’ve got three, at max volume they all have quite a bit of background hiss that annoys me.
I do use my vol. on my guitar to bring the volume back, but I’m coming back from about 3 to 5 (5 being half volume) on the master vol. control. This for me brings the vol. back to a play at home volume for me. I’m just starting to hear the amp background hiss at half of full volume.
When my wife is home I don’t bring the amp to half full vol. to keep the peace on the home ft.
fwiw, @ about half turned up on all three of my amps I’m certainly into mild overdrive, unless I turn down the guitar or turn down the preamp vol., if it has one.
The amps I got one is a vol. only control (single channel amp), another has vol. and master vol. (single channel). This one is easiest to control volume on for me. My last amp is 2 channel. Clean channel is vol. only, lead channel as it’s called on this amp is vol. + master vol.
All of these amps are quite loud at half vol. 12w tube, 15w tube, 80w solid state.
I will say that if I’m turned up to where I hear background hiss, once ya start playing the hiss is not particularly notable. Bringing back the guitar vol. though and I can start to hear the hiss again.
Just my observations for the amps I have.
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Sorry, by “set your amp for the full volume sound” I meant to set your amp for the sound you want when your guitar’s volume knob is at the full volume position - all the way up.
So on my amp, my Master volume is at 20% and my guitar volume is at 100%, and I will roll down the guitar volume to clean up the sound as needed.
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Or get an Ebow!
What kind of amp?
This will give you a pretty good idea on the basics: TGP: » Volume, Gain, Master Volume: Set Correctly on Your Guitar Amp
If you are using a tube amp you will want to know how to dial it in: How to Quickly Dial In a Tube Amplifier | The Tonesmiths Report
As for the guitar volume knob, I never dime mine because it gives me no room to crank up on a lead section. I never dime the tone knob either because it makes the tone too brittle (to my ears at least). YMMV.
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Clint @CT
Thanks for them two good reads. Very informative. I think they really help answer Chris’s question.
I will also take heed to what’s noted in them 2 reads.
I know I’m not a lead player, but for sure I keep my vol. knobs dialed down a bit. I surely use them to go from clean to dirtier, but mostly use vol. on the guitar to keep the vol. dialed down to keep the wife happy. Keeps me happy too. I find I really don’t play particularly loud.
Agreed there too. I’m partial to vvtt controls. I love the pickup selector in the middle position and then having the tone controls kinda opposite of each other. But generally neither control is set at 10, perhaps close though on one of them. I kinda start at half way and adj. to suit whatever song I’m doing.
Very good articles and thanks for sharing them.
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