Do I need an amplifier to play an electric guitar? [Archive]

ephemera

Aug 26th, 2006, 12:02 AM

The signal from the guitar is not high enough to directly put your guitar cable into your input of your soundcard/computer. It will sound distant and just bad.

What you would need is a 'DI BOX' or direct input box that boosts the guitar signal to 'LINE level' that your soundcard can accept.

Or what I did was toss my cheapass amp in the garbage and baught a LINE6 POD 2. It offers lots of effects and different AMP emulations and you can use headphones or have it output to your computer soundcard.

Or you can just get an AMP. It might be a better option for you. Just turn it on and go.

I would recommend going to SongBird Music on Queen West. All their stuff is used gear and low prices.

Look for something like 15 watts or more and look for 'valve' emulation or tubeblaster or whatever. THat means its digital but doesn't sound like crap, but emulates tube amps somewhat. Make sure to try out the amp.

sPiKyAZN

Aug 26th, 2006, 12:06 AM

For speakers,I have Logitech Z-5500,if it helps.

If I decide to buy an amp for about $60,where are they sold in Toronto? I don't really want to buy those on ebay.

fyi technically your z-5500 has a built in amp...

Sonbuster

Aug 26th, 2006, 12:12 AM

technically you don't need an amp ifyou're just practicing alone and that you don't want to disturb others. you can still hear the tones.

dazz

Aug 26th, 2006, 12:15 AM

Thanks for the links and explanation guys.
I know nothing about guitars or amps. I just decided that I want to learn how to play one.
I'll wait for the guitar and then will see if I want to get an amp for it. There are also 9V headphone amplifiers,I saw on a few websites. Those are really cool and I might just it.

jason9945

Aug 26th, 2006, 04:41 PM

fyi technically your z-5500 has a built in amp...
Yes, but thats entirely different from a guitar amp.

Paolo

Aug 26th, 2006, 05:52 PM

electric guitars output is similar to that of an analog microphone
so if your pc sound card has a microphone (or phono) level input, it WILL work, but be carefull with the gains, test it so it doesnt clip/distort.

vladislav

Aug 26th, 2006, 06:08 PM

You can try it through line in or mic, but that will give you a pretty limited range. You can get a cheapo amp or I'd say it's better to get a pre-amp multifunctional pedal of some sort like ZOOM 505 and connect it to your pc.
I just did a search for zoom on craigslist and this came up - http://toronto.craigslist.org/msg/198493914.html
I've seen them as low as 50$ used so I'm sure you can find a better deal.
This will give you a lot more 'sound' to play with and once you pick what you like the most you can go and buy a proper amplifier.

hagbard

Aug 26th, 2006, 06:42 PM

Dude, you don't even need the guitar.

http://www.usairguitar.com/Resources/alb.jpeg

or if you prefer playing more religious music:

http://www.jessicadestefano.com/jesusair.jpg

tigger03

Aug 26th, 2006, 06:55 PM

buy a small guitar amp from Long & McQuade. It'll cost you $40-$50.

danfromwaterloo

Aug 26th, 2006, 07:34 PM

you can use headphones just plug the headphones into the guitar but you will need the adaptor so that it will fit because the plug into the guitar is bigger than your normal jack

Won't work.

dazz

Aug 26th, 2006, 07:41 PM

buy a small guitar amp from Long & McQuade. It'll cost you $40-$50.

I'll swing by there next week.

I don't want to buy anything just so I can use my pc as an amp. It's cheaper to just go and get one of those cheap amps.

All I need now is some instructions on how-to-play a guitar :)

jason9945

Aug 26th, 2006, 07:45 PM

Your probably going to get a delay on your headphones if you play it through your pc. Even more so if your processing it at all.

ElectricEclipse

Aug 26th, 2006, 08:19 PM

I was in the same situation for a while, ended up getting guitar port which allows uses ur comp as a sub. Just google it to lazy to explain tbh, neways i was lucky i got mine for 80 or $90 of rfd, think its a bit over 100$ new if u look around online.

jimsmith

Aug 26th, 2006, 08:30 PM

pig nose amp

poedua

Aug 26th, 2006, 08:33 PM

steves music store which is queen and spadina, or long and mcquade at bloor and dovercourt (around there not really sure)

another vote for steves music store...definitely worth a visit before you buy

Teraric

Aug 26th, 2006, 09:05 PM

vladislav

Aug 26th, 2006, 09:12 PM

Get a DI box or a Mixer then use a program like Amplitude or GuitarRig. Amazing peices of software for the at home setup, not so good live. It allows you to practice with an amazing amount of effects and not have to buy everything.

You also need a good sound card for those programs or the delay will kill you.
I would say small guitar amp is the easiest thing to do but a multi-effect pedal will most definitely give him 10 times the entertainment for the same money. Also since the op got electric guitar first vs acoustic that's another plus for the pedal vs amp.

Vashin

Aug 26th, 2006, 09:15 PM

Don't buy a cheap amp just yet. I'd save up and take a look at the microcube, I think it's around 100-125.

At worse you can always just play the guitar unplugged until you have enough money for a roland microcube.

dazz

Aug 26th, 2006, 09:30 PM

You also need a good sound card for those programs or the delay will kill you.
I would say small guitar amp is the easiest thing to do but a multi-effect pedal will most definitely give him 10 times the entertainment for the same money. Also since the op got electric guitar first vs acoustic that's another plus for the pedal vs amp.
What's a good soundcard? SB Audigy seems to be common
And what the hell is Pedal? or DI box. What are the differences between a normal amp? What effects are you all talking about?

Teraric

Aug 26th, 2006, 10:54 PM

What's a good soundcard? SB Audigy seems to be common
And what the hell is Pedal? or DI box. What are the differences between a normal amp? What effects are you all talking about?

It will work, but the rule of thumb is that most of the SB family sucks for recording. The ASIO drivers will cause some latency issues with software based audio programs, or any VST plugins (such as GuitarRig and Amplitude) that have independant programs that can be run outside of Cubase.

Your BEST bet is to get a soundcard from M-Audio, perhaps one of those cheap USB units. I can't rememember the name, try to Google "maudio fast track", they also have some firewire solutions if you are using a laptop or a PC with some ports. I personally own a M-Audio PCI soundcard and I would never go back

A DI box is a simple little device that takes Unbalanced (aka single ended) inputs from either a mic or guitars and converts it into a balanced signal that is more suited for inputting into a mixer or sound card inputs. The signal outputed from a guitar is 100 ohms and the nominal input is 50. Thus you will end up having a crap sound if you plug in direct and also it can cause damage.

A pedal is just a term referring to a device that alters your guitars tone in some way, it can be delay, overdrive, phasers, volume, wah, etc etc etc.

This all being said and done. Go to Long and McQuade, buy a small amp and perhaps a junkie Digitech multieffects pedal and you will be set for at least 6 months or more. Or if you have some more money to burn, get an Line6 POD. The Roland cubes are a great little soildstate amp, I personally always liked the little Peavey Transtube amps for practice, they aren't tube in reality but have a good tone. It was my first amp many years ago and I got it for under $90.

However, not all Long and McQuade's sell Peavey amps, it depends on the city and what other guitar shops are in the area.

teknoluv

Aug 26th, 2006, 11:03 PM

I don't want to buy anything ... All I need now is some instructions on how-to-play a guitar :)
Something like this?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10047062&catid=11282

The Robson Electric Guitar System is a 10 watt guitar amplifier with overdrive containing an integrated electronic tuner and headphone jack. The kit includes an interactive tutorial CD-ROM with starter lessons, interactive guitar tuner, virtual metronome, chord dictionary and digital recording software for all your learning needs.

http://www.futureshop.ca/multimedia/products/large/10047062.jpg

cwb27

Aug 26th, 2006, 11:27 PM

I'd be VERY careful plugging a guitar into a computer without the use of Direct Inject (DI) box. DI boxes are used to equalize the sound and remove any spikes in power that can blow out your mixer/non-guitar amp, hence why any semi pro/pro show ALWAYS use DI boxes. Plugging it right into your computer's Line In has a high probability of causing audio distortion and possible sound card damage due to the audio range and power an electric guitar pick up can produce.

Also, guitar amps (that are decent and not super cheap) have full range drivers that can take the punishment caused by high frequency squeels and also 'pops' that an electric guitar can cause. If you use a pair of computer speakers, depending on the noise you make, you could possibly blow a driver/horn much easier than you think.

If you're going to learn how to play guitar, do it right and get the proper equipment. I understand you're on a budget, but entry level guitar amps are not that expensive.

jason9945

Aug 26th, 2006, 11:28 PM

dazz

Aug 27th, 2006, 12:15 AM

Is there a difference between those sub $100 amps?
Anything I should look for?

vladislav

Aug 27th, 2006, 02:10 AM

Is there a difference between those sub $100 amps?
Anything I should look for?

Yes there's a world of difference. The reason I'm telling you to get a multifunctional effects pedal is so that you can decide what sound you like.
If you are set on getting an amp I would suggest anything from Roland Cube line, in your case probably Roland Cube 15 will be the best amp you can get to learn to play on. It has enough tone variety and it is a very good amp.
I have 4 guitars and sometimes I feel like playing one, sometimes another, same with amp, sometimes I like my Cube 30, sometimes I want to hear Guitar Rig software through my computer, sometimes just Zoom 505 will do. It all depends. As a beginner nothing will compare to ZOOM 505 unit connected to a computer, it will give you hundred times the variety in sound comparing to any amp you can buy for the same money. It has a built in preamp so you can safely connect it to your computer.
Here's what the sucker looks like -
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ZOM505II

It probably doesn't matter because you will fool around with a guitar for a bit and then drop it but to get the most fun out of the experience a multi-effect pedal is your best bet.

ScoFF

Aug 28th, 2006, 09:08 PM

Yes, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years off an on and I've just got an amp now.
I've been playing with just a little multieffects unit that can plug into an amp or headphone out to headphones or to a stereo. It's pretty nice and loud through my stereo...I've even played in in my car with that thing.

I liked because it let me play with all sorts of effects like wah-wah, clean chorus, flanger, delay, anything I can think of. I can pretty much make it do what I hear other bands do on the radio so I kept my interest level up for a begninner.

I got a Boss GT-3 that I paid $800 for but you can now get it on ebay for under $100. Pretty good. I also got a Zoom PFX-9003 that does most of those things for under $100 new.

Get something like a that or a POD. You'll be happy. If you don't like it sell it and get your money back.

WorldIRC

Aug 28th, 2006, 10:19 PM

I work at Long & McQuade in North York. We have new amps starting around $60-75...we sometimes even have used stuff for less. Worth checking out!!

Shiifty

Aug 29th, 2006, 12:15 PM

I plug my guitar into my PC input and play along with music real time, with no delays at all. Output goes to earphones or the stereo. I use Winamp to play the music, and use a plugin that can change the tempo and pitch of the music so I can slow it down to learn it.

I also use a distortion pedal between the guitar and PC, which increases the gain slightly. Your guitar WILL work plugged directly into the PC, however, it may be low volume and of course you won't have any effects such as distortion, reverb, wah, etc.

If you play regularly, trust me, you'll want an amp. It's portable, no fuss (just plug in and play) and cheap. You can find used cheap ones to start you off until you know if you want to play regularly or not. Then upgrade and sell your old one, get a pedal, or two, or three, start a band, make it big, you know. :D

Spare-Flair

Aug 29th, 2006, 01:13 PM

Guitar into PC soundcard was just a nightmare for me and I'm a huge techie. The soundcard would have this delay you couldn't get rid of, ramping up gain to audible levels would cause insane feedback and noise, using a noise filter would cause clipping...

You need some good quality hardware like a POD and possibly pedals or preamps to get a decent reliable sound out of your PC. For me, it was so much of a hassle having to get a guitar jack adaptor, extension minijack cord, have to boot up a program, set the Windows or individual sound card volume and mic input settings, fiddle with PC volume, boot up a program adjust gain and output, adjust program settings, and then have to hook up other equipment between PC and Guitar just to get something decent sounding.

All I wanted to do with plug in and jam and the PC is a headache for that if you don't have the proper equipement and software. That said, if you just want to hear the guitar's clean tone, you can just plug right into the PC but it'll basically just sound like an acoustic guitar...for that you don't even need a PC, you can hear the guitar without any amp at all if you are going for that. Most of the time, I will practice and play just with the electric guitar unplugged and it's fine.

But yeah, when I got the itch to just plug in when I wanted and jam wherever I wanted (you don't want to be stuck sitting at your computer), I bought a Fender G-Dec from Long & McQuade. It's got amp modeling, hundreds of effects, and the best thing is that it teaches how to play to rhythm because it's got a built in drum and bass machine.

As for learning how to play, get a program called Guitar Pro, http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php

Best way to learn most songs. Better than reading unhelpful and mundane ascii tabs.

dazz

Sep 3rd, 2006, 02:00 AM

Yes there's a world of difference. The reason I'm telling you to get a multifunctional effects pedal is so that you can decide what sound you like.
If you are set on getting an amp I would suggest anything from Roland Cube line, in your case probably Roland Cube 15 will be the best amp you can get to learn to play on. It has enough tone variety and it is a very good amp.
I have 4 guitars and sometimes I feel like playing one, sometimes another, same with amp, sometimes I like my Cube 30

Who Sells the Roland Cubes? So far no stores in Toronto sell them.

firestorm996

Sep 3rd, 2006, 09:56 AM

If you want modeling and online lessons and even online music to jam with (play with your favourite 'bands' - you play rhythm or lead since they've removed that part of the song or just play over top of the intact song) check out Guitar Port at Line6 (http://www.line6.com)

Cheers

KevC

Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:16 AM

I'd play unplugged until you gather nuff money for an amp. It'll be worth it.

angela44

Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:18 AM

I work at Long & McQuade in North York. We have new amps starting around $60-75...we sometimes even have used stuff for less. Worth checking out!!
I'm also a beginner here, and was wondering about how much would capos cost? I've seen them being indicated in most of the chords/tabs that I d/l off the net...

Also, do they just clip on a particular fret? ie: Capo on 3, do I "clip" it on the 3rd fret and play relative to that? Like 4th fret becomes 1st, 5th becomes 2nd, ...etc.?

And do capos vary between acoustic and electric guitars, or can I use the same for both?

thnx in advance! =)

vladislav

Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:29 AM

I'm also a beginner here, and was wondering about how much would capos cost? I've seen them being indicated in most of the chords/tabs that I d/l off the net...

Also, do they just clip on a particular fret? ie: Capo on 3, do I "clip" it on the 3rd fret and play relative to that? Like 4th fret becomes 1st, 5th becomes 2nd, ...etc.?

And do capos vary between acoustic and electric guitars, or can I use the same for both?

thnx in advance! =)

Capos are about 20$. Yes they just clip on a particular fret :)
You can use the same capo for both most of the time, just read what capo says.

vladislav

Sep 3rd, 2006, 11:32 AM

Who Sells the Roland Cubes? So far no stores in Toronto sell them.

I can't help you there, I think big stores can order one for you or you can buy one off ebay. I bought mine used.

Spor 13

Sep 3rd, 2006, 01:43 PM

Who Sells the Roland Cubes? So far no stores in Toronto sell them.

Cosmo's does. It's at Yonge/16th in Richmond Hill. I bought my Cube30 from there. They also have the Cube15 and Cube60 as well as the Bass Cubes.

vladislav

Sep 3rd, 2006, 03:34 PM

Cosmo's does. It's at Yonge/16th in Richmond Hill. I bought my Cube30 from there. They also have the Cube15 and Cube60 as well as the Bass Cubes.

yeap, http://www.cosmomusicwarehouse.com/p/guitars.htm

dazz

Sep 3rd, 2006, 08:03 PM

I just got an adapter plug for my guitar and tried plugging it into the Line-in. It sounds nice,with no delays or anything.
Then,I went to the creative panel and played with all the effect settings like, heavy metal,alien,chipnuck,jazz,concert,etc. Quite nice and loud(logitech z5500 :) ...). I wish,it had
more real settings though. Heavy metal sounds ok,but not 100% real.
I'd assume,it's all software. Is there any other software that can do this in a better way?

Spor 13

Sep 4th, 2006, 11:28 AM

GuitarRig is great...very fun to play around and find some new tones. GuitarRig 2 is even better cause it has the looper so you can make your own loops add up to 8 layers or something like that and then you can learn to solo over them.

vladislav

Sep 4th, 2006, 12:22 PM

Yeap Guitar Rig rocks, it can give you countless hours of fun. It is quite expensive but I'm guessing you are planning to get it by 'other' means :)

Lenny

Sep 5th, 2006, 12:55 AM

I got my amp second-hand it's a big traynor tube amp.
http://www.songbirdmusic.com/
http://paulsboutique.ca/

pauls boutique is very helpful and honest as far as customer service goes in music shops and the guys at song bird are alright as well.
check it out.

bobafeet

Oct 16th, 2006, 04:41 PM

Hey,
No need for an amp. If you buy a Pre-amp and hook it into your computer, you can play around all you want and the "pre-amp" is not lost because it's actually a multi-effects pedal.

Get a line 6 POD 2.0 for guitar, they sell new around 250$, or get em on eBay Canada maybe... Or the competitor is cheaper, VAmp.

PODs are multi-effect pre-amp, you can hook em in the computer or an actual amp. Enjoy!