The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Electric Guitars

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-29-2020, 07:46 PM
Messi0457 Messi0457 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 13
Default Amp settings, getting different tones. I'm a total NOOB, please some advice

Hi, so my guitar journey started 5-6 months ago.

I started with acoustic and I've learned all the open chords and E and A shaped barre chords and I'm very comfortable with all of them.

So I decided to get an electric and see what's up. I had read and heard online that electric's weren't good for strumming and all I ever see people on YouTube doing reviews of electric guitars do, is soloing and doing lead stuff. I almost never find someone strumming an electric guitar on their reviews, which is primarily what I will use mine for, tough I will work on trying to learn to solo and do that fancy stuff.

Anyway, back to my question. I ended up buying a Squier Affinity Telecaster. I read in a lot of places that the amp is just as or even more important than the guitar, but since I'm stubborn and completely clueless to what I need I bought a Fender frontman 10g.

Now, settings. Can someone please explain to me how bass and treble work, and gain, and idk just a general guideline. Maybe give me some cool settings to try?
And also, with a pretty crappy amp like I have, is it possible to get all kinds of cool tones or am I very limited in the tones I can get?

I read that people who know what they're doing can get great tones from any amp.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-29-2020, 08:40 PM
stevecuss stevecuss is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Posts: 1,362
Default

Welcome to the wonderful world of electric guitar!

Lots of people strum electrics - 'rhythm guitar' would be the typical description, but strumming is a great option.

That amp is going to be a challenge to get a variety of tones, but you can likely get a good 'clean' sound with just the volume and then a 'distorted' sound with the gain.

Turn the volume up to where you like how loud it is, then dial the gain up maybe 1/3 and strum - that should be a 'crunch' sound and then up to make 2/3s and that will be more distorted and 'metal.'

Good electric guitar tone is a combination of guitar, effects and amp. Your amp is a practice amp, so won't be versatile or a tone monster, but you can have a lot of fun with it.

How about chasing some YouTube videos of intro to electric guitar rigs? That should help a lot.
__________________
Steve
Mcilroy A25c (Cedar, English Walnut) with Schatten HFN (custom MiSi Crystal Jack Preamp, putty install.)
Maton 75th Anniversary OM
50th Anniversary Fender Am Std Strat.
Gretsch 6120 Nashville Players in Blue.
Line 6 Helix.

If I played as much as I read threads, I'd be a pro....
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-29-2020, 09:08 PM
Messi0457 Messi0457 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 13
Default

I've struggled to find a beginner's video on amps on YouTube that pertains to my inquiries. But I'll keep on looking. Thanks for taking the time to give me some advice. I appreciate it.

And, which type of amp would you say would be a step up from a "practice amp" like mine?

Also I've noticed the "gain" on my amp does not do much at all. Would a distortion pedal do the trick? or do you still need a better amp to work the pedal?


And one more question lol. To anyone reading this.
I've trie using some decent headphones to use while I play, to save my family ear infections, but it sound so bad, it's all muddy through the headphones. It's hard to explain but it just sounds weird, like listening to music underwater kind of thing. Is it my headphones or do you need special headphones for playing guitar or what's the solution?

Thanks to all
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-30-2020, 05:01 AM
Bob Womack's Avatar
Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
Guitar Gourmet
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Between Clever and Stupid
Posts: 26,991
Default

Don't worry about not "getting it right" on the first amp. Tone is a sojourn. I've been playing fifty years and still search for tones.

Strumming. Because of the amount of sustain an electric guitar has, we typically learn to do palm muting because having all those strings sounding at once can lead to a hash.

The bass and treble knobs could be re-labeled, based upon how much drive you are using. If you playing with a clean sound, they could be referred to as "Mud/body" (bass) and "ice pick" (treble). When you run clean you'll need to balance the two. Too much treble causes the guitar to poke a hole in your ear. Too much bass muddies things up. There is a formula for setting old Fender tube amps but I don't think it applies to your amp. Strike a balance. When you are playing a driven tone, the labels could change to "mud" (bass) and "articulation" (treble). Drive eats high end, so as you push into the drive you'll need to select how much treble you need for your chords to be clear. The bass can add some girth, but it begins to muddy up the chords really soon.

Well, there's a starting point. Experiment. Use your own ears. Enjoy the trip!

Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring

THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-30-2020, 08:39 AM
blue blue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: WetSiiiide! WA
Posts: 7,851
Default

Might as well give this a shot!

__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-30-2020, 09:30 AM
stevecuss stevecuss is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Posts: 1,362
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Messi0457 View Post
I've struggled to find a beginner's video on amps on YouTube that pertains to my inquiries. But I'll keep on looking. Thanks for taking the time to give me some advice. I appreciate it.

And, which type of amp would you say would be a step up from a "practice amp" like mine?

Also I've noticed the "gain" on my amp does not do much at all. Would a distortion pedal do the trick? or do you still need a better amp to work the pedal?


And one more question lol. To anyone reading this.
I've trie using some decent headphones to use while I play, to save my family ear infections, but it sound so bad, it's all muddy through the headphones. It's hard to explain but it just sounds weird, like listening to music underwater kind of thing. Is it my headphones or do you need special headphones for playing guitar or what's the solution?

Thanks to all
Yeah, I think you'd solve a lot of your issues with a better amp. If you have the budget, try a small tube amp with build in effects. Buying used is often the way to go.

Something like the Fender Super Champ X2

And actually, searching for a used old Line 6 Flextone or Spider would be a step up and should be under $200 used.

That way you get a lot of amp sounds, effects. You'll get much further with the sounds you want that way.
__________________
Steve
Mcilroy A25c (Cedar, English Walnut) with Schatten HFN (custom MiSi Crystal Jack Preamp, putty install.)
Maton 75th Anniversary OM
50th Anniversary Fender Am Std Strat.
Gretsch 6120 Nashville Players in Blue.
Line 6 Helix.

If I played as much as I read threads, I'd be a pro....
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-30-2020, 11:31 AM
letterk letterk is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 194
Default

I'd highly recommend a practice amp like the Yamaha THR10II. Plenty of presets that sound decent right out of the box. Lots of downloadable patches as well. Sounds good at low volumes. And plenty of options to play with when you really want to learn how to use an amp.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-30-2020, 03:41 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 43,428
Default

I would start at all knobs at noon (5 out of 10). If there's too much gain (distortion) back it off to your liking. Then try and dial in the treble/mid/bass.

You are correct, a nice amp will make a world of difference.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-30-2020, 03:51 PM
dnf777's Avatar
dnf777 dnf777 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: NW Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,655
Default

Welcome, and good luck on your quest! Seek out advice here, and from players that you admire. And most of all- expirament and play! This is my all time favorite amp, with more tone shapes than I could ask for— and look at the complicated controls! The Dr Z web based videos are an excellent source of info on all things amp and tone
Attached Images
File Type: jpg A4E2638B-0672-45D4-94A0-F33E47B93CAA.jpg (106.7 KB, 67 views)
__________________
Dave F
*************
Martins
Guilds
Gibsons
A few others
2020 macbook pro i5 8GB
Scarlett 18i20
Reaper 7
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-30-2020, 04:12 PM
Messi0457 Messi0457 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 13
Default

Thank you for all the response, I really appreciate it. I will upgrade the amp some day but for the time being I'll have to make do with this.

I'll watch that video and see if he says anything I can use. Thank you!


What about headphones? I've been struggling to find an answer using google. I've tried apple earbuds and some old Bose headphones and it just sounds so weird, it sounds muddy. I can't play like that.
Would you say the problem is the quality of the headphones or maybe it'll just never send great using headphones?


And I'm really enjoying strumming on the electric btw. I find I use more barre chords than on my acoustic though. I prefer G, A, and Am barre chords over their open counterparts.

I'm working on learning the Under The Bridge riff and other RHCP riffs

Last edited by Messi0457; 10-30-2020 at 04:18 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-30-2020, 06:17 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Messi0457 View Post
...which type of amp would you say would be a step up from a "practice amp" like mine?

Also I've noticed the "gain" on my amp does not do much at all. Would a distortion pedal do the trick? or do you still need a better amp to work the pedal?
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevecuss View Post
Yeah, I think you'd solve a lot of your issues with a better amp. If you have the budget, try a small tube amp with built-in effects...
At this stage in your journey, I'd recommend keeping things as simple as possible - basic tone controls (bass/treble, possibly midrange) that actually do something, separate gain and master volume (lets you hear the contributions of preamp and power stages to your overall tone, as well as allowing to you to adjust for a broad spectrum from squeaky-clean to full-on distortion), and built-in reverb (to give your tone some "air") - and avoid the modeling rigs. While they have their place - working top-40 bands, hired-gun players, and home/small-scale recording studios who need "that sound" on a moment's notice - IME for a beginner they add a set of unnecessary complications; in addition, since you're interested in building your sound from the ground up - as those of us who got their start in the pre-stompbox days before the early-70's did - you'll never gain the mastery of your amp's controls or understand their impact on your tone, a fascinating and rewarding process in itself for any serious electric player...

Although low-wattage minimalist tube amps can be had for as little as $200 - I have a Bugera V5 Infinium that serves as my jamming/coffeehouse-gig amp - I'd give the Vox AC10 (about $400 if you shop around) a serious look as a step-up amp with a minimum of bells-and-whistles, loads of tone, and enough grunt to power you through a small-club gig (as long as your drummer isn't channeling John Bonham on every song ), all in a compact lightweight package. I've played a few of these as well as the equally-simple (but far more powerful - and heavy) AC30S1, and unlike some other low-end/low-power tube combos I couldn't find a single bad tone in it - and if I didn't already have two tube amps that cover the same general power ranges (an original '64 Ampeg top-panel/no-reverb Rocket that I bought brand-new, and a mildly-modified first-edition "blue-light" Bugera V22 that serves as my all-purpose stage rig) I'd probably own one of each right now; another advantage as you progress is the ability to swap tubes/speakers to fine-tune your signature sound (something virtually all of the A-list players do), but that's a story for another day...

If you'd prefer something in an analog solid-state rig - and for a relative beginner there's a lot to be said for the combination of simple controls, minimal maintenance requirements, and maximum wattage per dollar - an older Peavey "aluminum-stripe" or pre-1985 Randall "grey/orange stripe" combo would be an excellent choice; the latter in particular were arguably the first solid-state rigs with any real tone, old-school two independent-channel amps designed to compete with Fender's 1970's "silverface" tube combos and comparably priced in their day, and good examples can be had for $200-250. Similarly, the Peaveys were the mainstays of the country-music world in the '80s, and while the Bandit 65 and Special 130 would probably be too powerful for your needs (unless you're a jazz player who needs tons of clean headroom and dynamic range) one of the Studio Pro combos (available in 40/50/60-watt variations and 1x10"/1x12" cabinets over their lifetime) could be had in the $100-125 range; when you're ready to get into the world of stompboxes any of the above make excellent platforms, and if you want your piezo UST acoustic-electric to sound like a loud "acoustic" guitar without the brittleness and "quack," I've yet to find a better option...

Hope this helps...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Electric Guitars

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:35 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=