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278 Part V: Gearing Up: Outfitting Your Arsenal TEAM LinG
Most amps are defined by their power-amp rating (express in output watts).
An amp with a high power rating (over about 40 watts) is heavier, more
expensive, and professionally oriented. You access this power with the
master volume. The master volume determines the overall loudness the
listener hears.
You can increase your loudness of your amp in one of two ways: increasing
the input gain or increasing the master volume (which controls the power
amp). But to achieve a distorted sound at a low volume, you turn the gain
way up but keep the master volume down. This balance ensures that the
signal gets distorted in the preamp stage, but stays below deafening levels as
it goes through the power amp and out to the speakers.
Speakers
Speakers are the last in the amp’s signal chain and turn the electrical signal of
the amp into actual sound. A speaker is a surprisingly simple system, which
uses a vibrating wire coil, magnets, and paper. You control the speakers by
turning the volume knob up or down, which regulates the amount of level —
or electrical current — the speaker receives. More current equals louder
sound!
When considering an amp, always know the brand of speakers that it uses,
because certain speakers have their own individual sound, like being brittle
or clean or warm, and so on. For the best quality amp speakers check out
Celestion, ElectroVoice, Eminence, Fane, JBL, Jensen, and Vox — a few brand
names known for their guitar-amp speakers.
The flexibility of having separate channels
An amp may have separate paths, or channels, capable of producing two
independent sounds. Using separate channels, you can set up one sound for
rhythm playing (chords, riffs) and one for lead (melodies, waling solos), and
then switch instantly between them by using a footswitch, which leaves your
hands free to keep playing the guitar, for a seamless transition from rhythm
to lead. On some amps, you don’t have two entirely separate paths but
instead a footswitch-activated boost (for increased volume and distortion).
(See Figure 15-8 for an example of an amp with one channel and a footswitchactivated
boost.)