Do I Need A Guitar Amp To Learn Guitar?

You may have just started out playing the guitar or are looking into what to get to start playing, and you may be asking yourself “Do I need an amplifier to learn the guitar?”

In this blog, we will cover the following questions:

• Do I need an amp to learn the acoustic guitar?
• What is an electro-acoustic guitar?
• What amplifier options do I have for electric guitar?
• What amplifier is right for me?

The benefit of using a guitar amplifier is not only to be able to play at louder volumes, but you able to add some different tones to your overall sound like a powerful distortion so you can rock out, or a reverb to make it sound like you are playing in a cathedral, a chorus to make your guitar sound shimmer, or add a bit of delay to create waves of repeated sounds and create atmospheres. Depending on what type of guitar you are learning to play changes what is available to you, so let’s explore the differences!

Do I need an amp to learn the Acoustic Guitar?

Luckily, the answer is simple, yet there are some very interesting options out there to shape the way you practice. If you play an acoustic guitar, you do not need an amplifier to practice as the sound projects from it, being loud enough to be able to practice with ease. The benefit here is that you will only hear exactly how you are playing to be able to easily identify if you are playing correctly, or if there are any areas that would be helpful to work on.

Browse Our Range of Beginner Acoustic Guitars

What is an Electro Acoustic Guitar?

Electro-acoustic guitars come with a pickup built into the guitar, so you are able to plug it straight into an amplifier, or even an audio interface if you fancy recording directly into your computer.

Browse Our Range of Beginner Electro-Acoustic Guitars

What Amplifier Options do I have for Electric Guitar?

If you are looking into playing the electric guitar or have already started playing, an amplifier is probably a must-have as an electric guitar will not be too loud acoustically. There are so many options available today for electric guitar players. Let’s go through the options!

In the following video, JustinGuitar kindly demonstrates the differences between beginner amplifiers for us.

• Practice Amplifiers – Built to be your perfect partner for all things practice. Practice amps tend to be equipped with smartphone apps that work alongside the amp and contain anything from tone selection, metronomes, a guitar tuner, and even chord charts for songs to help you learn!
• Micro Amplifiers – A micro amplifier does everything the practice amp does, but takes its larger size brother and shrinks it down into a small, compact amplifier packed full of tone.
• Modelling Amplifiers – A digital amplifier that has a range of different tones & effects. Want to sound like your favourite band? Dial in the exact tone you like!
• Valve Amplifiers – The rich, engaging, life-like sound gives the raw, pure tone which is heard on countless legendary songs.
• Headphone Amps – If you fancy playing with an amplifier but want to practice without disturbing anyone so you can focus, why not plug in a headphone amp into your guitar, which plugs into a pair of headphones?

Browse Our Range Of Practice Amps Here

What Amplifier is Right For Me?

In this video, we demonstrate the differences between some popular practice amplifiers to help you decide what amplifier works perfectly in a home situation – after all, this is where most guitar practice takes place.

Conclusion

In summary, depending on what type of guitar you want to play dictates whether using an amplifier is needed, however with the options available to us now, practicing the guitar has never been easier with the versatility that practice amps offer, especially with the handy smartphone apps which work with them to give you the tools you need to learn effectively, and most importantly – fun!

If you’d like to know more, check out these handy articles, guides, and collections:

• The Best Guitar Headphone Amps In 2024
• The Rising Popularity of Desktop Amplifiers! But Which One Should You Go For?
• A Guitarists Guide to Practice
• Ultimate Guide To Beginner Guitar Gear
• Shop The Best Gear For Beginners