Guitar amps are an important part of the guitar playing experience. They amplify the sound of the guitar, making it louder and fuller. This makes them an essential part of any live performance or recording session. But how do they work? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how guitar amps work and what goes into making them sound the way they do.
How Guitar Amps Work
Guitar amplifiers are electronic devices that take the signal from a guitar and amplify it to be much bigger and stronger.
The first stage of amplification is done by the amplifier’s preamp. This takes the small signal from your guitar and increases it, also adding some coloration.
Channels on an amp can be swapped or “swapped out” for others where this stage is set differently, giving the player a range of tones. The preamp then gives the signal to the power amp section, which is what actually makes it loud. This is done by taking the small electrical current from the preamp and using it to move a larger speaker cone.
It does this by pulling the speaker cone in with a magnetic field when it gets positive voltage, and pushing it out with a magnetic field when it gets negative voltage.
The final stage is the output stage, which controls volume and tone. It does this by using another current to move another speaker cone.
Inside an amp
Inside one of these babies can be a really wild place. They are packed with all kinds of electronic components, mainly resistors, transistors and diodes. The first thing you can see on the circuit board is usually the preamp section.
This is an array of small transistors arranged so that they amplify different frequencies to give your guitar its unique sound. Underneath them is more of the same, with the power amp adding its own array of transistors to amplify up to a point where it’s powerful enough for external speakers.
Then there are capacitors and inductors, which store energy and create resonance respectively. These can often be seen connected on top of some diodes. Sometimes you’ll find coils here too, which form a filter. Surrounding all this is the output section, where different resistors and capacitors alter your guitar’s tone.
Effects
Along with changing your guitar’s sound by adjusting circuits, there are also effects that can be added to the signal path. Things like reverb, delay or chorus can be added here to give your guitar a unique sound. This can be done with special equipment made to modulate the current going through the amps, but it’s often simpler to just do it after the fact on editing software or a dedicated effects pedal.
Conclusion
Guitar amps are an important part of any guitarist’s tone and live playing setup. They provide great sound, and can even be built by hand. The way they work is complex, but the basic principle is simple: small electrical current runs through a speaker cone to make it move. If you’d like to learn more about amps, you can visit our blog on common guitar amp problems .
Now that you know how guitar amps work, you can be the life of the party. All you need to do is let people know your newfound knowledge on guitar amps, and they’ll love you for it!
Hi there! I am Jack Musau, the founder of this Best Guitar Amp Review site. I am an avid musician with several years using both traditional and electric guitars and created this site to assist others looking to find the best guitar amplifiers in the market today. I also offer private coaching and training on how to use guitars and guitars amps of all kinds. You can reach out to me using my email, jack@soundspros.com.