If you’re new to the world of guitar amplifiers, you’ve come to the right place. While we won’t delve too deeply into the subject, we will do a brief exploration into the types of guitar amps available to help you decide which setup is right for you. Whether you’re looking to understand guitar cabinets and amplifiers heads, or you’re interested in investing in combo amp, we’ll try to make your decision easier so you can start playing ASAP.
Cabinets, Amp Heads, and Combos
You will be faced with two basic choices of speaker setups. You can either invest in a cabinet and amp head as two separate components or opt for a combo amp, which integrates these two pieces into one unit. But first, let’s break down these options to understand what they mean.
Guitar Cabinets and Amplifier Heads
A guitar cab is simply a set of speakers that have no amplifier. For a guitar cabinet to work, it needs to be connected to an amp head. In other words, an amp head feeds the signal of your guitar to the guitar cab, which ultimately projects the sound. So, in this arrangement, you will need both components – the guitar cab and amp head – for your guitar to make sound.
Combo Amplifiers
A combo amp combines the cabinet and amp into one unit. As in the above category, there are advantages and disadvantages to having this kind of setup.
Reasons to Buy Guitar Cabinets and Amp Heads
It's important to note that a guitar cabinet significantly affects the tone of your guitar. Apart from the materials used to build the cabinet, the speaker size and the size of the box are often what dictate the sound. When you separate the speaker and amp into two different components, you’re given a lot of options with respect to the sonic quality and volume of your guitar sound. You’re able to mix and match your amp and cabinet to produce the exact sonic qualities you’re looking for. (Just make sure your impedances match). Furthermore, with this type of configuration, you’ll be able to choose the size and number of the speakers you’re using, allowing you to get the appropriate amount of volume you need. Lastly, by separating the two units, it’s often easier/lighter to transport.
Reasons to Buy Combo Amps
If you like to keep things simple, then it doesn’t get any simpler than a combo amp. It requires basically no setup, and you avoid the hassle of impedance matching or finding the optimal cabinet for your amp. Given that the speakers in combo amps have been specifically paired with the amp by the brand’s engineers, your combo amp should sound fantastic right out of the box. Combo amps are also optimal for stage monitoring. You can basically just tilt it and turn it into a wedge like setup. Another big plus is that many combo amps can be paired with extra cabinets if you want a more expansive or louder sound. So, buying a combo amp won’t preclude you from adding different speakers down the line. Overall, for those just starting their amp journey, combo amps are also the ideal entry point. They also tend to be more affordable than buying separate cabinet and amp head components.
What Cabinet Should You Buy?
A 1x10 or 8-inch speaker is easy to grab and go. But it also has very specific sound characteristics, including tight low frequencies and prominent mids and highs. It tends to have a quick and tight response overall and works especially well for smaller gigs.
A 1x12 or 12-inch cabinet is one of the most common choices for guitarists and they’re usually the ones you also see in combo amps. A 12-inch speaker broadens the midrange a bit further and offers a more generous low-end. It won’t sound as tight as a 10-inch cabinet, but your low frequencies will be more powerful. A 12-inch can generally be paired with a 50-70-watt amp, or even 100 watts.
A 2x12 has two 12-inch speakers, which either come in diagonal or horizontal speaker arrangements. This double speaker setup increases the spread, boosts the low-end and opens up the mids further for a broader sound.
A 4x12 has four 12-inch speakers. A speaker like this might pair well with a 50-100-watt amp. It’s great for bigger stages, especially if you need a low-end thump. That said, if portability is a priority, you may want to consider getting two 2x12 speakers to make it easier to transport this stuff in your car.
You can combine and mix and match your cabinets, again, as long as you’re using the right impedance or using a cabinet switcher. But that’s for another article. Especially if you’re just starting out, often, the easiest thing to do is match the same brand of cabinet with the amp, like the example below.
What Amp Head Should You Buy?
Like guitar cabinets, a head amp can have a significant effect on the tone of your instrument. For example, some are more conducive to a heavy metal-like sound, while others offer a more neutral flavor. Some amp heads offer a variety of sound qualities, giving you flexibility over the tone you’re going for, whether you’re looking for an ultra-clean sound or something dirty and crunchy.
Before we continue, let’s go over the two types of amp heads available:
Tube Amp Heads
We’ll mostly focus on tonal qualities here. Anyone familiar with tube amps in general knows that they tend to sound a little warmer than solid state amps. And when cranked up, the tone gets even sweeter due to the magic of harmonic distortion and natural compression. So, if you’re looking for that crunchy guitar sound, for instance, a tube amp will certainly deliver. Though you might gravitate to the tube amp sound, you may want keep volume a consideration. If you’re into that an overdrive feel (which requires you to crank up your amp), then the volume would likely be too high for your grandmother’s basement. Also, tube amps tend to be more fragile, so you’re taking a risk every time you take it on the road. Finally, you’ll need to replace your tubes at a certain point since they lose definition and start to suffer from background noise after long-term heavy use.
Solid State Amp Heads
Solid state amp heads are usually cleaner or less saturated. Even as you turn up the volume, the natural sound delivery remains. For this reason, a lot of jazz musicians go for solid state amps, as they can rely on a clean and clear tone even when they’re having to play at louder volumes in larger spaces. Solid state amp heads are also great for smaller spaces since, unlike tube amps, the sonic qualities remain the same regardless of the volume levels.
Finally, solid state amps are often more affordable and tend to offer more features. For example, solid state modeling amps tend to feature a multitude of different amp sounds from clean to crunchy. A lot of models, like the Blackstar Silverline Deluxe below, also offer tons of effects, like reverb, phaser, flanger, tremolo and delay, to mention just a few.
Which Combo Amp Should You Buy?
Basically, you can apply the same elements of solid state and tube amps described above to combo amps. Wattage and volume should also be a consideration, as should the type of on-board effects and tonal options you’re interested in. For example, the BOSS Katana-50, featured below, is a 50-watt 1x12 modeling combo amp that features 12 different amp characteristics with five onboard FX categories. So, essentially, you can achieve any sonic quality you desire. Especially for those looking for a versatile, all-in-one solution, this kind of amp is an optimal pick.
Yes, you have a lot of choices to make. But the discovery process is loads of fun. And especially if you’re just starting out on your guitar amp journey, we highly recommend combo amps as an entry point. However, if you’re more ambitious and adventurous, a cab and amp head might be the ideal solution for getting precisely the sound you want. Good luck on your travels and rock hard, or soft, depending on your neighbors.
For more information about the new product examples listed, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages for details. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
0 Comments