5.11.13

Getting The Right Jazz Guitar Amp

By Rachael Gutierrez


Jazz music was first heard in the United States Of America during the early part of the twentieth century. It was influenced by African music and popular music also. Over time, different branches of it grew in different geographical areas. For example, New Orleans came to be known for big band jazz. The guitar is one way of making this music but they need to be accompanied by a jazz guitar amp.

The body is the most important consideration when getting a jazz guitar. A solid body gives a steady sound and can handle high volumes without becoming distorted. The semi-hollow produces a warmer sound and has more flexibility than most guitars. A lot of notable guitarists, like John Scofield, worked with the semi-hollow. Archtops tend to be very expensive and used only by the highest paid professional musicians.

Getting the right amplifier can make all the difference to the sound of the music. They work by receiving a signal from the guitar from an electro magnetic device or a microphone, and that signal is then projected through speakers. There are several factors to think about when buying an amp, such as the wattage and whether it has a tube state or solid state.

Certain lower wattage amps are better for making music in a studio and produce a harmonious sound. Higher wattage amps make a grittier sound and can get to a loud volume with the sound quality deteriorating. Tube amps tend to be more expensive to buy and are harder to look after but offer a better sound quality compared to solid state amplifiers.

The purpose of amplifiers is to create the best sound they can. The tubes inside them are crucial for this. If they have been built using poor grade tubes then it is well worth making the effort to replace them with high grade ones, as this can improve the quality enormously. There are other items which can affect an amp's sound, these include the wiring and also the materials used during the construction of it.

For just jamming with friends at home, a practice amp will suffice. They tend to offer 10 to 50 watts, so you will not be able to make a huge sound but they are not designed to do that anyway. A 1 X 12 Combo has one 12 inch speaker and 50 watt of output. These tend to be very useful for one man live gigs.

2 X 12 Combos tend to be the best amps for medium sized gigs, practice and most venue sizes. They have a heavier cabinet than many other amps but most people should still be able to handle them. They can offer a warmer sound which is good for making jazz music and they tend to have the higher quality tube state technology as well.

There are other useful accessories you'll need to go with your jazz guitar amp. For instance, a lead is required to link the amp to the guitar. They are around ten foot long and manufactured from tweed. Many stores which sell amplifiers will also have accessories in stock, so you can buy them together, which saves time and effort.




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