# Prefer amps or guitars for their differences?



## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

Curious as to the preference of the accomplished players. Do you find after owning a few amps that the tonal differences between amps are worlds apart, or subtle. Do you find the same with the myriad of guitars. With so many guitar woods, pickups and configs of their pickups, do you find that there are really only a few different "tones" once you have a few with the same config? I hear comparisons here to all these differences, but are they really that noticable? I am talking clean tone. I figure adding dirt, or effects can alter tone enough that they will sound close to identical. Clean guitar into clean channel on amp. Do you prefer amps or guitars for their difference? Myself, I have an even split between guitars and amps, but I am really just starting my gear journey within the last couple years.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Verne said:


> Clean guitar into clean channel on amp.


This is virtually my only approach...with a soupçon of reverb.



Verne said:


> Curious as to the preference of the accomplished players.


Overall, I prefer amps for the difference...but I am certainly not an "accomplished player".
In addition, I think that the various different types of guitar pickups (i.e., single coil, P90, humbucker, etc) are a significant contributor.

Interesting thread!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

greco said:


> This is virtually my only approach...with a soupçon of reverb.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm with you on that. 
I might get crucified for saying this but to me the sound out of an electric guitar is
80% pickups
20% electronics 
10% anything else.....
Yeah, yeah I know. How can you have 110%... well you can't.
Now dont get me wrong, obviously the construction will add to the sound in regards to the sustain and a smaller amount the tone you pups read but at the end of the day, the only thing they see is the vibration in the strings.

Amps on the other hand... well that's a whole kettle of fish. 

..... begin crucifixion now!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Speakers play a way bigger role than is usually discussed. The thing is, this doesnt really come into the forefront until you're recording or doing research on something.

Guitars and amps will sound very different, however players have a habit of ending up at "their sound" regardless of gear used. Isnt it interesting that legacy acts will go through artist deals and studios and the variation across their sound is usually relatively small?

If you play 4 different amps with one guitar - say AC30, deluxe, jcm800 and recto - through one speaker/cab/IR, the differences will be much more muted compared to any 1 amp and 4 drastically different speaker/mic setups. 

If differences between different amp topologies and guitars with different pickups are subtle, that is mostly on the player IMO.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I’m not an accomplished player by any means, but I have a pretty even mix of both. I probably have 13ish guitars amps and 10ish guitars. I find the biggest difference in guitars is usually pickup type (single coils,p90s,humbuckers etc) other than that I find reasonably subtle differences.
as far as amps they are all pretty subtle differences in sound if you’re playing them through the same speaker, but mixtures or combo amps and heads and cabs of different types and they are pretty noticable.
i have started trying them out with recording and I find you notice a much bigger difference that way than an audible sitting in the room difference.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

I'm not an "accomplished player", but I'll chime in anyways. The biggest difference between guitars for me is humbucker vs single coil vs P90. The rest, for me, is all about comfort/playability. I can get pretty much any sound I would ever be after with only 3 guitars.

For the rest of the chain, I just want 4 sounds. Clean and pristine, light/edge of breakup, mid-gain, and high-gain. Lots of ways to get those sounds, and I'm not particular to any specific amps or pedals. Whatever gets me there, which is usually anything that has the right amount of gain/breakup. @Budda was right. I'll pretty much land on the same kind of sound, regardless of what I'm using.

Also, as @Budda mentioned, the speakers (and mic type/position) are the biggest contributor to the final sound EQ-wise. So, those are always a consideration. But, in my case, I primarily play direct using cabinet/mic simulation (IRs). Once you find one you like, you rarely need to change it.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Do I find that there are a myriad of differences in both? Yes. Do I prefer one over the other? No.

How they sound and feel go hand in hand. Everything from the initial attack to the sustain and decay of the notes. Whether it's bright, or dark, or somewhere in between. Whether it's easy to play, or puts up a fight. The player makes the biggest difference, but they also respond to the guitar and amp. And unlike acoustic guitars, the guitar + amp are a single instrument.

So yeah, I find there are a lot of differences, before we even talk about adding overdrive or distortion.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I'll agree with the aforementioned that pickups and speakers figure into this a lot. As particular as I can be about other things, they're mostly psychological for me.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of my tonewood.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

BlueRocker said:


> Sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of my tonewood.


Alright, I'll admit.... the strings are gonna vibrate without the right combination of this and that and the other thing and tonewood is defnitly up there for what makes the magic.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Budda said:


> Speakers play a way bigger role than is usually discussed. The thing is, this doesnt really come into the forefront until you're recording or doing research on something.
> 
> Guitars and amps will sound very different, however players have a habit of ending up at "their sound" regardless of gear used. Isnt it interesting that legacy acts will go through artist deals and studios and the variation across their sound is usually relatively small?
> 
> ...


+1. Everything from the pickup onwards must go through the speaker. It's characteristic and enclosure will determine most of what you hear. Output power, output transformer bandwidth limitations plays a roll, albeit to a lesser degree, and is dependent on how hard the amp is being driven. And even in that case, the speaker plays a vital roll in the overall sound. Lastly, single coil, vs humbucker will have differences in their respective characteristics but piped through a shitty speaker would sound equally shitty.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

For me it's worthwhile every now and then to play somebody's Best-Buy budget Epi Les Paul or Squier tele through a Peavey Rage 158 just as a point of reference. 

You can get a remarkably good living room volume clean sound out of a gear combination that you'd be lucky to sell on kijiji for $100. 

So unless you need large clean stage volume or off in the weeds tone details if the setup you usually play is worth let's say $2000 - half on a nice amp and half on a nice guitar - you're getting 95% of the way there for 5% of the budget and the rest of the budget is spent on the remaining 5% of the sound quality and a bunch of intangibles that are helping your head space as a player get to the place where you feel completely immersed in what you're doing. 

j


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Sketchy Jeff said:


> For me it's worthwhile every now and then to play somebody's Best-Buy budget Epi Les Paul or Squier tele through a Peavey Rage 158 just as a point of reference.
> 
> You can get a remarkably good living room volume clean sound out of a gear combination that you'd be lucky to sell on kijiji for $100.
> 
> ...


When you put it that way... it really hurts my wallets feelings. I think because it knows you are right


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

to put it in a positive spin ... 
your head space is more valuable than you first think
j


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

The finest and most incredible instrument is your body. This is the alpha and omega of equipment you must learn to harness and utilize. There is a terrific reason why an A-class musician makes the the 50dollar instrument sound like its capable of delivering a song to the listener's ears; they know the song; they know the feel; most importantly they _listen_. It is near useless to try to talk about it. Much as, at times, music theory does little to describe music but to render it conversational between fellows. Sound is a magical property and it doesn't matter if it happens to be ultra-hi-fi or subsonic lo-fi...the way a player navigates consonance and dissonance is ultimately what matters more than any piece of equipment. A street magician playing pots and pans can amaze you if they so aspired to the heights of pure sound. Much as words are not their meanings, neither is equipment their music.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Mutant_Guitar said:


> The finest and most incredible instrument is your body. This is the alpha and omega of equipment you must learn to harness and utilize. There is a terrific reason why an A-class musician makes the the 50dollar instrument sound like its capable of delivering a song to the listener's ears; they know the song; they know the feel; most importantly they _listen_. It is near useless to try to talk about it. Much as, at times, music theory does little to describe music but to render it conversational between fellows. Sound is a magical property and it doesn't matter if it happens to be ultra-hi-fi or subsonic lo-fi...the way a player navigates consonance and dissonance is ultimately what matters more than any piece of equipment. A street magician playing pots and pans can amaze you if they so aspired to the heights of pure sound. Much as words are not their meanings, neither is equipment their music.


This.

I have tried to express this a few times in this thread but couldn’t find the words so didn’t post.


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

Kerry Brown said:


> This.
> 
> I have tried to express this a few times in this thread but couldn’t find the words so didn’t post.


It's the one instrument that can be used with ever-growing precision, it's the one instrument that learns, heals, and reinvents. Its the reason we practice. It's also the only way we might reach further depths and extrude more meaning out of the chords and melodies we've learned and discovered for ourselves.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Mutant_Guitar said:


> It's the one instrument that can be used with ever-growing precision, it's the one instrument that learns, heals, and reinvents. Its the reason we practice. It's also the only way we might reach further depths and extrude more meaning out of the chords and melodies we've learned and discovered for ourselves.


For real though, how much weed have you smoked today?


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

I find if a player has cheap sounding 1) amps, 2) speakers and 3) pickups, then different guitars of the same type tend to sound similar - especially w/ gain. Upping the quality of any one of those 3 creates distinction between the guitars & their tone no matter how similar their physical construction.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Funny this gets posted now...

A few weeks before Christmas, a buddy was over and we were just playing. Mostly back and forth noodling. I have three (seemingly) identical Strats. One, my very first parts build is a two piece ash body that I finished (poorly) myself, with Wolftone Flashbacks, and a maple (CBS) neck. (I cannot remember if the neck is Allparts, and the body Tom Anderson, or vise versa)
The second is a black Mighty Might body, Warmoth maple "boatneck" with Vineham "Black Strat" set (hint, the bridge pup is like 13k!)
and the final, was one I bought from a member here. It is by far the one that carries the most "high end" parts. Callham bridge, Warmoth "Wolfgang" neck, and Fender Texas Specials.

They all took turns going into his solid state Marshall, or my Fender Hot Rod tube (with clean or dirt)

We couldn't believe the difference. It makes sense the Vinehams were a totally different animal to the Woftones or the Fenders, but even the Fenders & Wolfs...

There are a lot of things at play, but even the difference in him playing or me was pretty significant. We are very different players. I have a way heavier attack than he does.


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

RBlakeney said:


> For real though, how much weed have you smoked today?


hehe, it's in the mail as we speak. Seems like the only thing Canadapost is doing these days is delivering "green" parcels. 
A personal admission: I've been sober since I joined the site this past November. Even with a weed package coming to me, I'm mulling over what in the world I intend to do with it. I've learned more about myself and progressed further with playing guitar in the past 3 months than I have all my ganja-life. I've been taking lessons with a great teacher, an unparalleled player, for about 8 months (with a couple gaps) and I was pie-eyed for most of the time. He's taught me to really watch for my ears. He imparted that those are last developed in a player since we are so often inspired/compelled towards activity before we realize what it might demand of us. Technique and theory steer one so briskly in this direction or that, before you know it you're too old to listen even though you've been getting better at it all the while. The ear should really guide you once you are capable. It's the reason we go back and listen to the same songs and the same albums over and over again...it's not just nostalgia, it's a heightening of meaning and increased listening ability (even if your high-freqs start to peter out).


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

My amps are mainly Fender tube combos different sizes and different speakers so they sound different although I can hear the DNA similarities between the Champ and the Deluxe even though speakers and cab sizes and circuits are different.

I find that I prefere the sound of some amps with some guitars.

As for guitars:
Mag 7 Telecaster, CS vintage pickups, ash body, rosewood board.
Broadcaster 70th, Blackguard pickups, ash body, maple board.

Those two guitars sound very different back to back through the same amp.

If sell the food stamps and fix the truck was a Legacy Act this would be it...lol


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

Amps


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Different guitars tend to coax different playing styles out of me. Different amps make spend a lot of time twiddling knobs trying to dial in certain tones. Both are good and fun, but I would have to give the nod to guitars for the difference factor.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Guitars


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

I guess I might call myself an accomplished player .. after almost sixty years of playing, anything else just doesn't sound right 
Definitely guitars and pickups, also strings and picks (!) or .. finger picking.
Amps can be dialed to a similar tone.


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## TimH (Feb 4, 2006)

I would have said amps before the current crop of digital offerings. Now I think any one of the Fractal/L6/Kemper offerings scratches that itch so give me more guitars!


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

TimH said:


> I would have said amps before the current crop of digital offerings. Now I think any one of the Fractal/L6/Kemper offerings scratches that itch so give me more guitars!


Funny, I was the exact same way and a bonafide amp junkie.

Ever since I really embraced modellers/profilers I feel very little amp gas and more guitar drool than ever.


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## King Loudness (May 3, 2010)

I prefer different guitars. My amps are all some variation on a Fender, and I don't think I've intentionally purchased a pedal since 2018 (aside from a TC Ditto + looper, as well as a couple of vintage phasers I acquired in a bulk deal involving an amp I wanted).

W.


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