Acoustic treatment vs sound-proofing
Egg boxes on the walls, blankets hung over doors, foam stuck to the ceiling – we’ve seen it all before. But don’t be fooled; these aren’t forms of sound-proofing. These are types of acoustic treatment, which make your room less reflective, and therefore better-sounding.
So sticking egg boxes to the walls won’t help keep your guitar practice quiet, but they might make it sound a little better. It’s a method more often used by producers so that they can tune their mixes more accurately, but you’re welcome to give it a try…
How many guitars do you need at home?
A question that’s haunted guitarists since the dawn of time – you have to face up to it at some point. Firstly, what are the advantages of having more than one guitar at home? You can often get different sounds, different feels, and if you’re anything like us, you can’t help but like the way they look.
So, ask yourself: do you need more than one sound at home? And possibly more importantly, do you have the space? We’ll talk a little more about saving space later on, as it plays a crucial part in your guitar’s home life. It’s not uncommon to see a Strat, Tele and Les Paul in the same collection. This provides you with three crucial guitar sounds that’ll cover just about anything. Beyond that, consider guitars with different pickups, hardware, additional strings/range – and don’t forget an acoustic. Having more than one guitar can keep you on your toes, and more importantly, keep those creative juices flowing!
Above: Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel has an impressive guitar collection – but do you really need that many?
How do you get the best guitar tone at home?
This depends entirely on your preferred setup. If you’ve got an amp, or you prefer to play through an amp in general, consider the type.
What’s the best guitar amp for home use?
A compact amp will be quiet and practical for home use, but if it’s valve-powered, you might need to work a little harder to get a good sound. That’s where attenuation comes in (see above).
With digital and solid-state amps, the sound isn’t normally affected by volume. This means you can play your chosen tone at pretty much any volume, which is great for home use.