All electric guitars depend on an electronic amplifier (or guitar amps) to boost the sounds made by the guitar player to a listenable volume. Acoustic guitars may also require guitar amps in order to boost their musical output for large audiences. Guitar amps can also be used to vary the tone of the guitarist’s playing to great effect.

Guitar amps come in a variety of sizes and power ranges, reflecting the number and variety of people the music is aimed at and also the quality of sound required. Specific guitar amps have been designed for electric, bass and acoustic guitars, each format reproducing the tonal balance expected of each instrument.

Electric guitar amps will generally also include switches or inputs which reproduce the guitar sound with a different tone, most notably a distorted or fuzz tone. This enables the guitarist to switch from ‘pop’ mode to a heavy rock sound without the need for effects pedals and making the guitar a much more versatile instrument.

Many practice guitar amps (which, incidentally, are capable of producing a surprisingly high level of volume) also come with a headphone socket to enable the guitarist to play without disturbing the neighbours. This invention has been a godsend for many a parent and neighbour.

Over the years traditional valve amps have come to be replaced by transistor models. Transistor guitar amps can generally reproduce the sounds made by the valve amps and more, although some purists, particularly those working in the rock or electronic blues genres, claim the sounds produced by a transistor amp can never truly match the ‘feel’ of a valve amp.
Here at Fret Music we stock a wide range of great value guitar amps from a number of key brands, all ready to power your creativity and give you the sound you want.