amp

[LonewolfPhoenix]

Kiora bro's. Okies, Ive been teaching myself guitar for about 4 years now and have 2 acoustics but have always had a thing for electrics (mainly strats)... now I know next to nothing about amps so was hoping for someone to tell me whether or not a speaker system (for a large-ish stereo) would work as an amp? ... And if yes, then what particular plug hole would be used, etc.
If anyone can help I'd be grateful cause I'm getting a strat pretty soon and want to know whether to chuck in an amp with it or not.
Cheers bro's. :p

[Bucky]

Well it all depends on what you mean by "work".

If you mean: "can I get the sound of my electric guitar to be amplified so that I can hear it out of the speaker?"

Well, then yes. Any 1/4 or RCA line input on it should do fine.

If however, you mean: "can I plug my electric guitar straight into this stereo, and have what comes out sound anything like a guitar amp?"

Well, then the answer is NO, NO, NO, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO!!!

Let me explain. A stereo/P.A. system is designed to impart as little "color" to the sound as possible. Its amp and speakers are desiqned to reproduce as much of the lows and highs as possible in the music source, with as little distortion as possible.

Well if a stereo is the "family minivan" of sound reproduction, then a guitar amp is the "Ferrari Racer". They're designed with an almost polar opposite set of priorities. For starters, the amp and speakers are designed to drastically limit the frequency range that comes out (notice that you never see horns or tweeters on electric guitar amps?). Why? Because all those brillliant highs and boomy lows sound absolutely, obnoxiously, painfully, horrible sounding when you're amplifying an electric guitar, especially when overdriving or distorting the amp. Which brings us to the second difference. All of the things that a stereo system tries to avoid (i.e. distortion, coloration, etc...) are the things a guitar amp tries to enhance. Why? Because magnetic pickups in electric guitars produce the most dull, sterile, pathetic, nonmusical sound imaginable by themselves. And its the guitar amp's job to add coloration, distortion, etc..

So what can you do? Well here's a couple of options.

1. Break down and buy yourself a guitar amp. Even a super-cheap used one will sound better than running through your stereo.

2. If you have your heart set on using your stereo, then purchase a pre-amp that has cabinet emulation on it. Tech-21 Sansamp, Hughs & Ketner, Rocktron, or even an old Alesis Quadraverb GT would do. Run your guitar into that, then out of it into your stereo.

The second method would make it tolerable sounding, but understand, its like putting "racing slicks" on a "mini-van".

Hope that helps

[Lordathestrings]

Great analogy, Bucky!

[spanky10940]

I can't agree more! good info too...

now for the amp - it seems as tho you are lookin to save a few bucks on this right? Might I suggest the Roland Micro Cube? Awesome little piece of equipment... 2 watts, headphone jacks, recording jacks. effects and a fwe amp models to play with. Runs about $130 usd... a good friend bought one of these and we used it to play out with the other night.. right into the mixing board... by itself, this little thing will blow your head off!!!

www.roland.com

[adaosh]

I also suggest buying the Roland Cube 15. It's a 15 watt Amplifier, cheaper and has more wattage than the Micro Cube. Cost about $95 bucks at www.zzsounds.com (http://www.zzsounds.com) ... It has very good reviews.

[Stormy]

You could buy a behringer V AMP2. It's cheap and won't sound too bad either. :cool: Other than that i'd get something like a secondhand Marshall AVT20 or a Roland cube30. ;)

[Pack66]

I would also suggest trying a Roland cube 15. I have one & I love it!

[weemikey]

I can't agree more! good info too...

now for the amp - it seems as tho you are lookin to save a few bucks on this right? Might I suggest the Roland Micro Cube? Awesome little piece of equipment... 2 watts, headphone jacks, recording jacks. effects and a fwe amp models to play with. Runs about $130 usd... a good friend bought one of these and we used it to play out with the other night.. right into the mixing board... by itself, this little thing will blow your head off!!!

www.roland.com


YES! YES! YES! I just got one of these and I'm having so much fun. I don't think the Cube 15 has as many bells and whistles as the Microcube. The thing has a GREAT sound, great amp emulations, multiple delays and reverbs, plus all the flangeresque stuff that I don't touch, but might be fun.

The other thing that most people really never understand is that you don't need a big amp unless you're playing out with a band. I can DRIVE the Microcube in my living room and still hear the phone ring. I can't say enough good things about it.

[Dr_simon]

I have just got a Marshall Microstack MG15w head (with reverb) and two 1x10 in cabs. 290 USD and sounds great !