Black Friday Guitar Amp Buying Guide

Buying a guitar amp can be confusing because of all the choices out there. Here's a guitar amp buying guide to give you some tips on how to get the most for your first purchase on Black Friday.

Types of Amplifiers

There are four main types of guitar amps today: solid-state, modeling, tube, and hybrids. Solid-state amps have transistors versus using vacuum tubes. Modeling amps are digital, and hybrids amps might use a vacuum tube and a solid-state. It is believed by purists that a vacuum tube amp is best, but these can be hard to find and be very expensive.

Size and Power

The power of amps is measured in watts. For home play and small venues, anything under 30 to 50 watts is fine. Also, speakers that are 8 to 10 inches in diameter are great and should get the job done. Larger amps have 100 watts and 12-inch speakers are more appropriate for large concert halls.

Construction

The type and thickness of the wood has a big influence on the sound produced by the amp. Which is why you need to protect it from damage. Looks for guitar amps that have protective plastic coverings over the corners and edges to help the amp last longer and be more durable.

Configurations

There are two main configurations for guitar amps, combos, and stacks. A combo is simply where the amplifier and speaker are built together in one box. A stack is simply where you buy an amplifier, and speaker box separately and simply place them on top of one another, hence the term "stack."