Friday, September 6, 2013

Picking A Good Jazz Guitar Amp

By Gloria Mason


After buying a jazz guitar that you love, next you need to buy a good jazz guitar amp. An amp is important for getting the right sound from your guitar. Sounds are amplified through it, making it sound better than without amplification. Quality of the amp you purchase is also important. Most professional musicians believe a good guitar is useless without a good amp to go with it.

There are four different types of amps available. One best suited for jazz music will probably not be the most high tech or coolest looking option, but it serves it's purpose well. It is important to know the difference between all four types before making a purchasing decision since different types of music can effect the quality of sound a particular amp is capable of producing.

Tube style amplifiers were the first kind ever made. Their sound is both rich and warm. Inside the amp, glass tubes are used to produce a louder sound compared to most other types. However, it can be expensive to upkeep them and they tend to be bulky. When they are being moved you also need to be careful so that none of the glass tubes get broken.

Solid state amplifiers use transistors instead of tubes. The transistors make them more suited for frequent use. When using these amps for jazz music, a little tuning will probably be needed to get rid of distortion at high frequency ranges. Most musicians firmly believe that while they are more reliable they also lack sound quality.

Digital amps have become a mainstream trend through their use of digital technology. They can imitate many different sound ranges, included distorted sounds and those of the tube style amp. Cheap options can sound very fake, so more sophisticated digital amps are needed for playing this type of music if you want superior sound quality.

Hybrid amplifiers use both tube and solid state technology to achieve sound. The tubes are responsible for the tone and the transistors for the power. This is a good alternative to consider if you want a tube amp but don't won't to spend a whole lot of money. Their sound quality isn't the best, but it's descent and they are very reliable.

Jazz musicians have differing opinions when it comes to amps. Traditionally, acoustic sounds were used so they are still preferred by many which makes tube amps very popular. All other types are still used though. It really depends on what your preference is.

The sound type, mobility and how frequently the amp will be used all play important rolls in choosing the right amp. There is no strict rule that says only one specific style can be used as a jazz guitar amp. It is best to bring your guitar along with you so that you can test the sound of each amplifier before deciding what to buy. This makes it a lot easier to choose something you love that still falls within your budget.




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