ComputerHunter.org

 

Turn It Up: Plugging Into The Perfect Guitar And Amp Settings


Yowza! Did you hear that hideous noise? It sounded like a combination of nails on a chalkboard, a cat in a dryer, and a baby wailing at the top of his lungs. Do you have any idea of what made that awful sound? As a long-time musician, I think I may have the answer for you. It's a guitarist fiddling for the first time with his new amp.

Before I bought my first amp, I wouldn't have thought that a human could produce such a horribly wretched sound. But, now I know better. In the process of finding the perfect settings for your guitar and amp, you are sure to discover all kinds of disagreeable screeches and squeals, shrieks and screams. And, believe it or not, these unpleasant and often other-worldly sounds are all part of the learning experience.

I've often been asked to give beginners online advice on how to dial in their amps and guitar settings. For a number of reasons, this is no easy task. As you know, the experience of sound is totally subjective. What I may like, you may not. This said, it's hard to give definitive advice about guitar and amp settings.

So much is involved in getting the sound just right for your tastes-including the room you're playing in, the gauge of your strings, the guitar you're jamming on, and the type of amp itself. All of these come together to create a playground for experimentation: a place where you can twist this knob here and turn that knob there and, before you know it, you're a musical stylist, an expert in designing the perfect sound.

I can, however, offer a few general tips that might help out as you begin playing with your amp.

  • Always start with your dials pointing to 12 o'clock and twist and turn from there. 12 o'clock will give you the baseline to work from and you can let your ears tell you what does and doesn't work from there.
  • No matter how many other bells and whistles your amp has, you're almost always looking at a four basic areas you'll be most interested in learning how to manipulate:
    • Treble Adjusting this setting will affect the amount of high end in your sound. If you go big with treble, you'll end up with a very sharp and crisp sound. However, if you go too big, you'll likely end up with a harsh sound.
    • Middle The mids can be the most important setting to your overall sound. Adjusting these settings can really impact the overall character of your sound. Low settings can give you the classic rock-n-roll sound, while higher mids will take you down the honky-tonk, bluesy path. Play around with the mids to really see how much change you can create in your sound with the simple twist of a knob!
    • Bass If you like that deep, booming sound, you'll definitely want to go fat on your bass. On smaller amps, however, you might not be able to get the full effect of the bass simply because of their size. But, no matter how you like it, be sure to see how the bass and treble can work with one another to create your ideal sound.
    • EQ / Filter / Tone/ Contour They're called by different names on various amps, but they all do the basically the same thing: adjust all of your basic settings (e.g., treble, mids, and bass) with one knob. If you want to find out what the maker of your amp considers "correct" settings, play with these knobs to hear how your treble, mids, and bass all can work together for radically differing results.

  • If you've got a valve (tube) amp, be sure to:
    • always replace the whole set when even just one tube blows
    • never move your amp while it's still hot
    • be extra careful that you line up he pins in each tube perfectly with their corresponding holes on the amp

  • To make sure you keep your amp in top condition, be sure to:
    • keep your amp in a dry location
    • always use the best quality leads (guitar, speaker, microphone, and effects)
    • always have your amp serviced by a capable technician

    In the end, you have to know this one rule of amps: there is no right or wrong way to set it up. If you like what you hear, you've done a great job. If you don't like what you hear, remember the settings and the sound and don't dial those in again. Experiment, experiment, experiment and have fun!

    Jon Butt is the publisher of Musical Instruments Guide , a free resource dedicated to all things musical. From electric guitars to drum sets, tubas to bagpipes, and every musical accessory in-between, the Musical Instruments Guide is packed full of informative articles, find top-rated musical instruments and online merchants







    Google News - Top Stories

    Radio Australia

    As Palin Brings Up Ayers, Obama Team Cites Keating
    Washington Post - 1 hour ago
    By Anne E. Kornblut and Michael Abramowitz The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for the first time criticized Sen. John McCain for his role in the "Keating Five" savings-and-loan scandal yesterday, saying the issue was fair game after a ...
    Video: From Policy To Personality CBS
    McCain ready for combat in 2nd presidential debate USA Today
    Los Angeles Times - Financial Times - Minneapolis Star Tribune - Christian Science Monitor
    all 3,855 news articles


    Washington Post

    Suit on Tobacco Ads Sparks Feisty Debate
    Washington Post - 40 minutes ago
    Former solicitor general Theodore B. Olson, second from left, leaves the Supreme Court after morning statements. The court began another term yesterday.
    Supreme Court Opens Term With a Tobacco Fraud Case New York Times
    High court likely to side with cigarette-makers USA Today
    CNN - Los Angeles Times - The Associated Press - kypost.com
    all 437 news articles


    Canada.com

    Tear gas fired at mass Thai rally
    BBC News - 2 hours ago
    Police in Thailand have fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration by thousands of anti-government protesters in Bangkok. Dozens of people were injured as police intervened in the dawn protest in front of parliament.
    UPDATE 3-Thai police fire tear gas at parliament protesters Reuters
    Thai Police Fire Tear Gas to Disperse Protesters, Several Hurt Bloomberg
    Aljazeera.net - The Associated Press - AFP - Bernama
    all 434 news articles


    CBS News

    California: Six Bodies Found in Los Angeles Home
    New York Times - 33 minutes ago
    By AP An unemployed man with a finance degree who was despondent over his own financial problems shot and killed his wife, their three children, his mother-in-law and himself in their home in a gated community in Los Angeles, the police said.
    LA man kills family, himself over financial woes Reuters
    Police: Jobless father kills family, self CNN
    The Associated Press - FOXNews - USA Today - Sony Insider
    all 332 news articles


    ABC News

    Senator Warned a Friend That Jail Was a Risk
    New York Times - 1 hour ago
    By NEIL A. LEWIS WASHINGTON - The day after the FBI confronted Bill Allen, an Alaska oil services millionaire, with evidence that he had tried to bribe state lawmakers, he reached out to Senator Ted Stevens by telephone to discuss how their ...
    Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail" Reuters
    Stevens, contractor on tapes made public at trial The Associated Press
    San Jose Mercury News - ABC News - CNN - The Miami Herald
    all 165 news articles

    Google
     

    Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base