4 Tips to Make Your Guitar Amp Sound Great
by: @scaleschords
A good guitar amplifier is one of the most important parts of making your instrument sound great. However, it is not enough to just have a good amp. You must also know how to get the best possible sound out of your amp. Let's take a look at some ways to make your guitar amp sound great.
You Probably Need More Mids
Scooped mids became very popular with the rise of heavy metal. However, what many people don't realize is that these big metal acts have world-class sound techs and expensive equipment to make their guitar sound cut through in any situation. Chances are that you don't have the same luxuries. If you're an independent musician who is playing small venues, cutting your mids will make it much harder for the audience to hear you clearly in a live situation. However, you probably shouldn't crank the mids as this will make you sound nasal. Use your ears to see if you're cutting through during sound check.
You Probably Need Less Gain
Gain is important for powerful lead tones and chunky rhythm playing. However, too much of it will kill your tone and cause tons of noise. You will also get much more feedback. If you absolutely require the highest gain possible, a good rule of thumb is to put on the highest amount of gain that you can without unintentionally feeding back. If you're at this threshold, it might be a good idea to invest in a noise suppressor.
Tubes Make a Difference
You may be surprised to hear that the tubes in your amp actually make a big difference in your guitar tone. Although you're not able to haphazardly switch between different types of tubes, different manufacturers' tubes have different tonal qualities. The way that each amplifier responds to different tubes also varies greatly. You should consult with a tech who has experience with the different tonal qualities of tubes as well as experiment to find sounds that suit your own personal taste.
Buy Better Cables
Many guitarists don't realize that the cables they're using have a big effect on their tone. Low-quality instrument cables will cause the tone to deteriorate before it even reaches the amp. If your tone deteriorates before it reaches your amp, there is no chance for it to sound as great as it can. Although you don't have to break the bank for the most expensive cables on the market, cheap cables will give you a noticeably weak tone.
There are many variables when trying to achieve the perfect guitar tone. Your guitar amp is one of the most obvious factors. Unfortunately, most guitarists never get the most out of their amplifiers. With these tips in mind, you don't have to be one of those guitar players.
