This is an introduction to our amplification department. This covers backline amplification for all instruments including electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and keyboard.

The very first consideration is what size in watts do I need my amp to be. Most of the quoted watts outputs on this site are RMS so they are accurate. Remember also that 100watts is only partly louder than 50 watts not twice as loud. A valve amp whilst only rated at 30watts e.g. Vox AC30 is as loud as any 80 watt transistor amp. It will also be far richer in harmonics giving the so called valve sound.

If you are playing in a small environment e.g. at home, a small practise amp of 15watts will do the job fine however a bigger amp will give you far more depth of sound.

If you are playing guitar in a band you should be using an amp capable of 100watts the bass player and keyboard player should ideally have 3 times more power i.e. 300 watts. Because of budget constraints this is not always possible however be aware that you need reserve power to sound good.

A combo amplifier is an amp and speaker(s) combined in one unit. A head and cab(s) are a separate amp head and speaker cabinet(s).

A good speaker(s) will make a tremendous difference to the efficiency of an amp but won’t always sound good right up close. A near field type of speaker will sound great in the shop or at home but will not reach the back of the room at a gig.

Ensure the amp of your choice has sufficient EQ i.e. bass, middle and treble controls. Most good bass amps will have a graphic equaliser. Do you need reverb?. Nearly all modern guitar amps come with 2 or 3 switched channels providing a variety of clean and distortion settings.

Generally however all amps with a decent name tag are good value. Just check out the specs to make sure it’s the amp for you. We are linked to some fantastic web sites so have a good look around. Each department guitar amps, bass amps and keyboard amps have an introduction by a well respected person from the industry