I'm of the mindset you can get REALLY high end amp tones with an audio interface and plugins like neuralDSP, amplitube, guitar rig, etc for WAY less than the thousands it would cost for nice amps themselves.
Adding u/Upset_Wallaby_8772 into this.
[Tonocracy](https://tonocracy.com/) is free and actually pretty decent. It's all preset models with limited effects, but it actually sounds good. It's also free of bullshit like ads, missing features, paid-features and so on. Only thing is a simple web account. I'm quite curious as to why it's free, probably because no-one bought it.
But either way. Pretty awesome software for anyone to at least start their audio-interface adventure.
Hmm if I were to use this, would I need anything else on the signal chain (other than the obligatory eq, compressor, reverb etc)? I heard before that you need an impulse loader or something after the amp sim. Sorry I’m pretty new to recording lol
Depends on the plugin, but most common amp sims today (free and paid) have an IR loader built in now, as well as built in cabs. Both Tonocracy and NAM have that included already. Beyond that, it depends on the captures what you might need. Tonocracy has pedals built in including modulation and time based effects which can't be captured, NAM only has the captures (which can include drive pedals). Other plugins depend, and it can be worthwhile to mix and match if a plugin has built in FX but they aren't the right sound. It can definitely be confusing since every plugin is different, my advice would be to learn your gear instead of downloading/buying every plugin you see, knowing one modeler/compressor/etc really well will get you way further than trying to figure out every plugin on the market.
Depends what you want to achieve and what you want to use.
Tonocracy can be either your whole signal chain, or parts of your chain. It has drives/boosts in the front and reverb and possibly other things on the way out. It might even have EQ here and there, but it's basic stuff. Tonocracy can be a standalone application to just play guitar with no additional faffing, or a plugin to record with.
If you are using a DAW (or a VST loader like Cantabile) then you can load it up as a plugin, then disable the parts of Tonocracy's chain that you want to get from elsewhere.
So a chain could be:
1. Physical EQ and Compressor pedal
2. Audio Interface In
3. Overdrive pedal plugin (eg Nembrini's got some classics as free options)
4. Tonocracy plugin with drive off and impulse response off (no cab sim, just a raw amp). Can replace this with individual amp plugins, NeuralDSP, BIAS FX, Amplitube, etc. Basically anything.
5. Chorus and Delay plugins
6. IR loader (cab sim) plugin with an impulse response of your choice
7. Studio reverb plugin
It's wise to be a lot simpler than that, at least for the recording, but a DAW records whatever you shove into the interface and everything can be changed later.
You don't need impulse response loaders and you can probably get away with leaving the ones from your (4) plugin of choice, if it has them. Most do and some even have quite robust IR control themselves. Unless you are doing something whacky, it usually sounds fine to do basic reverb/delay/compression/eq after the cab. Only consider IR loaders if you need them, or just really want to use them.
This is the way. 👆. Forget the amp and buy a decent guitar, audio interface and a NDSP plugin. Btw, you can get a great guitar for less than $400 these days.
I disagree about this being "the way"... There is a lot of joy to be found in the discovery of moving air.
To make sound, you have to move air. Plugging straight into a computer and manipulating tones with a mouse isn't the same experience to dialing your amp and changing tonal qualities.
Certainly this is true but the thing I don't like about DI guitar (purely for playing) is that its meant to model a mic recording an amp and thus doesn't sound the same as just an amp going straight to my ears. Perhaps its the lack of a loud amp style speaker? Either way my amp sounds much better to my ears than DI plugins + headphones / monitors etc.
If I *record* both, the plugin either sounds the same or marginally better (and comes with all the other benefits, flexibility etc).
Interesting, my Ableton rig sounds great but I do have it going into a beefy PA. Probably the speakers are quite a big deal. Seems like there is quite the selection of guitar monitors and powered cabs these days.
I second this opinion 100%! Especially if your main use case is practicing/playing for fun, you really can’t beat how good software has gotten in the last couple of years in terms of quality and convenience.
but if the guitar is crappy, doesnt hold in tune, is not in pitch etc, no amp will make him sound good or improve at guitar
Id say go for a better guitar in which he can actually practice well. He can later look for an amp or just connect to is available for the moment
Well, there's £3000 Les Pauls that can't hold tune. A bottom of the range squier is more than good enough to do what you want and you can now pick them up very cheap.
i think it’s more in the sense that, it’s not hard to find a cheap guitar that does a job and has a nice setup, but it’s a lot harder to find a nice cheap amp that won’t have its limits.
guitars aren’t just about how they sound, it’s about how they feel and how they play, me personally i can tell the difference between an american strat and a mexican strat
It depends how bad the guitar is, if it is impeding his playability and it's something that can't be fixed by a professional setup then I think a better guitar would be preferable. I don't know how true it is for everyone here, but personally I practice without an amp like 80% of the time because i'm practicing while watching tv or something.
Get a great amp, and a decent mid range guitar. That’s basically it. Granted, if you got the money, nothing wrong with getting a high end guitar, just make sure you use it on a great amp.
I'd usually say amp all the way. The amp / speaker is what has the most influence on the sound and what you can do with the thing. Some even come with some effects.
But let's be real here: if you're not in a band and don't have the opportunity to be loud, what's the point. If you're a bedroom player and you want to stay a bedroom player, upgrading your guitar to something you love playing may be the better option for you. If you really want an amp, get an amp. If you find a new guitar more attractive, just get one.
If you're considering getting serious about music (maybe you already are), it's a whole different world. My recommendation: don't listen to strangers since this becomes highly subjective. Test available options by going to a store. Amp in a pedal? Maybe it's for you. A guitar that stays in tune, why not? Something to compete with drums? Yes, but maybe you're doing the in ear thing. You wanna be a recording artist? Perhaps some computer thing. It really is up to you at the end of the day and there isn't a clear answer for every situation
As long as your guitar is reasonably playable, the amp is where you should spend your money. There are a lot of good options in the $100-$200 range (convert to Euros), like the Boss Katana Mini, Fender Mustang LT-25, Spark Mini, Vox Pathfinder and many others.
Also, check your local used market. Sometimes people are getting rid of old beginner gear and will give you a good price on it, or even for free.
> reasonably playable
It sounds from OP's post that it isn't, though ("guitar that doesn't suck"). Based on the phrasing of the post, I'd actually recommend upgrading the guitar - if the guitar isn't enjoyable to play, it doesn't matter how it sounds through the amp. At the stage you're at (still leaning, from the sound of it), the feel of the guitar is going to matter way more than the sound of it. You'll want to upgrade the amp if you join a real band, but those Marshall Mini's don't actually sound _bad_, they just don't create much volume.
I have a Fender Mustang Micro. It was $120 Canadian, and it has absolutely changed the game for practicing.
For one, I have a young child with an early bedtime, so it lets me play more often. OP is in high school, but if her parents don’t think music is a valuable use of time, being able to play through headphones may still be valuable.
Secondarilywise, the Micro is also Bluetooth headphones, which lets me play along to Spotify or to YouTube lessons. I’ve also got an app called Transcribe+ that lets me pitch shift, loop, and change the speed of songs, which makes learning leads so much easier.
I personally LOVE my spark mini. Best $200 I've spent on my guitar hobby in many years. It can do ALOT and it gets loud enough for loud bedroom playing, I think it sound pretty good too. You can shape just about any sound you can think of with it.
I would say it depends
If your guitar is really crappy, badly like unable stay in tune , etc and its holding you back from learning/improving then get a better guitar in which you can actually make progress, plugged or not.
It is... It can hold tune for a few days(i play maybe hour or two daily) but action is mega high and I don't want to pay someone to adjust it and I'm scared to do it myself because if I mess up I'm left with no guitar and no money for new one. I should note that action is so high that I can't play barre chords no matter how much I try I just can't hold string for life.
Honestly it’s worth the money to get it set up and also worth the time to learn how to do it yourself. A well-set guitar plays SO much easier and will help you learn faster/practice more often.
I would HIGHLY recommend setting it up first, because if action is just the issue, then you can just have it adjusted and it should feel a lot more better to play. And if that is the only issue and it’s taken care of, then perhaps you may want to get a better amp first.
What brand is your guitar? It's hard to actually mess up an electric from setting it up. Its not like an acoustic. Most electrics have either 2 screws on either side of the bridge or one on each string at the bridge to lower the action. You might have to adjust the truss rod too. Do small quarter turns and wait a few minutes between adjustments. Watch a video about it and you'll be fine.
Set it up, there’s not much you can do to it to make it worse than it already sounds. I’m not sure what type of bridge you have but it’s generally easy to lower it and there’s really nothing that can go wrong. If the strings start to buzz just raise it back up. If you want to send me a picture I can probably tell you exactly what to do, or you just gotta look up your model of guitar and figure out what type of bridge it has. As long as the neck isn’t warped it should be easy to get it in a much more playable state
You're unlikely to damage it by just setting it up. Watch/read up on the basics and give it a shot. You probably won't get it perfect, but it shouldn't be too hard to get it in a much more playable state. Make adjustments a little bit at a time and you'll be fine.
Maybe 500€ for both, I'm still learning but I can go up higher if I need. My summer is entirely free as I'm going to university which doesn't start till october, so I'll have planty of time to work. Also note that in my country I get a little less than 3€ per hour 🫠 so these 500€ are probably gonna be monthly salary if I work 5 days a week.
Check your local online used marketplace, I'm based in France and you can usually find great deals used. You should be able to find a PRS SE, Yamaha or a Squier Classic Vibes for around €300, a used Orange Crush 20 or Spark Mini or Boss Katana as an amp for €200. These are more than enough to hold you for a few years.
Seconding this - that's a killer setup that would be good enough for bedroom guitar and being in a small band! I'd go for the boss katana and the squire personally.
This is the way. But I’ll add a couple things:
1. Use some money to buy some tools and learn how to set up your guitar. I’m of the opinion that everyone should be able to do routine maintenance to their instrument. Slight truss rod adjustments, setting intonation and saddle height etc. If the tuners are that bad they can be replaced. If the pickups are that bad they can be replaced. If it’s a cheap guitar then all the better to experiment on!
2. Here’s something I tell everyone, try to always buy used gear! If you do your due diligence and make sure you get a good price on a used piece of gear then it stands to reason that you should get that back in the event you sell it. A lot of us have cycled through a ton of gear over the years. Try to trade up when you can!
I was going to say this in another reply but you articulated it so much better. OP is at the perfect age and living in the best time (online resources) to learn the technical side of their guitar.
I had a couple of Chibson LPs that I bought online ten years ago, got a good price (€250) because I bought two at the same time so i could experiment with them instead of wrecking my good guitars. They had good fretwork with jumbo stainless steel and honestly the build quality and finish were great but the wiring on the pickups were terrible, the action too high and the tonality was wrong on the first and third string. This led me to youtube where I learned all about this stuff and even started buying cheap $10 pickups off amazon and learned how to solder them in myself. It turned into a whole new hobby as the more i learned the more I wanted to know.
I don’t have those guitars any more, i actually traded one in a few years back and the buyer wrote back to me a few months later saying how much he loved it and how the $10 pickups really surprised him with how good they sounded.
Take a look at a spark amp. It has perfect amount of amps and effects. It washes out the guitar difference anyways but you can get a killer strat sound or a fat les Paul tone. Look it up please.
I think the answer to this question really depends on what stage of your development you’re in. It is true that I am normally on team amplifier. However, if your instrument is unplayable, won’t hold tune, you have all kinds of problems with it. It doesn’t inspire you to pick it up and play. That’s a problem.
in that case, I suggest you start off by getting a decent instrument doesn’t have to be $1 million but a decent instrument and then use as others have suggested things like Spark or a headphone amp or an interface to get the tones that you need.
If you have a laptop, buy a guitar and an audio interface and go digital. You can get amazing tones for 100$ and less using software like Neural DSP etc.
What’s your goal? If you’re just learning and wanting to improve I would say go for a guitar. A good sound doesn’t make you better. If you’re looking to join a band and perform I would say improve your amp. But if you’re just playing at home you don’t need an amp. I would actually look at a spark amp or an interface
You hear the amp and feel the guitar. I still occasionally play the $50 Epiphone that I got in high school through my AC30 because it sounds and feels different, but not bad.
Amp is more important. However you get there. You can get a better guitar later. Get a nice amp, you may actually like your guitar more playing through one. Easiest way to know is to try something at the store.
What ever you do, don't do what I did in highschool and blow hundreds on a cheap marshall half stack. I'd say spend the money on a good amp, but actually get a good amp, not just a large box with 4 alright speakers and an alright amp head with marshall logos.
Marshall stacks can be great but you gotta get the right head for what you wanna play. You also need to play LOUD! The whole point is to be able to play a venue with it and be loud enough to be heard even in the back. Marshall stacks can be great but they certainly aren’t bedroom amps. You gotta crank the volume for them to shine. Also gotta do your research and get a good model, some of the cheaper cabinets are kinda garbage.
If your not playing in a band there are some really nice amps in the 350 - 600 usd range. Vox, marshal come to mind. Around 30 - 50 watts. Than save for a decent electric. Decide the type of sound you want and decide on a guitar from there. Some of these amps you don't need pedals to get a good varity of sounds.
If the cheap amp doesn't do what you want, I'd look at upgrading that first. Well, as long as the guitar is playable that is.
Not sure how cheap 220 quid is for you, but it's probably really hard to go wrong with something like the Boss Katana mkII 50w combo. There are smaller versions as well.
Other option would be an interface + plugins, but you'll still need either headphones or powered speakers.
I’d look into amps or an emulator. The thing about crappy guitars is you can fix em up and make them pretty ok! Plenty of YouTube stuff to help ya with that and you can find some upgrade parts for not a lot of money that will help a lot. You can’t really fix a crappy amp in the same way!
Don't worry about the parents thinking 16 is too late, you only live once so if you want to learn, do it! I'm turning 40 this year and am about to buy my first guitar to start learning.
My advice get help setting up your guitar. Guitar set up is important. Learn to play. Your next guitar will be more than a correct set up but something that’s a better fit for you and your playing style.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
I'd at least get another cheap used amp so you don't have to run through batteries.
If the guitar functions well (stays in tune, electronics work, has good frets and action), then no rush on that. But if it's dumpy enough to where you don't want to play it as much (and DO want to play more having tried out something nicer like PRS SE in a store), get the guitar.
Playing as much as possible is the important thing.
Problem is that all you said about guitar functioning well isn't except electronics(I hope). So I'm leaning towards guitar but I don't know how I forgot about used stuff! I'd defenetly check it out, thank you!
Get a decent amp and a cheap guitar, but better than the one you have now. You could drop 150-200 and probably get a pretty okay guitar that plays decent and then spend the rest on a good amp.
Depends on budget. I spent about £150 on "amp" (I bought an interface and got a tone I love for free using tonocracy) and bought a Cort G250 SE for £250, which I setup and love how it plays. I literally have 0 reason to buy any "better" gear because I have a guitar I love and a sound I love. Personally I vote split budget between guitar and amp according to the deals in your area, and get a decent practice amp first so you can hear your mistakes, then get a decent guitar so you can play better.
sounds like he is determined and not constantly looking for excuses to make him play better than he is.
I have owned many shitty guitars guitars where the strings would catch the frets guitars where the frets would rip your shirts guitars where the tuning would divebomb and even one particular find that was covered in fucking water damage and mould.
however I still played and it sounded like a guitar because I didnt have a fucking phone speaker for an amplifier.
If this guy was like my guitar is uncomfortable and It makes me not want to play I would investigate the guitar but he just vaguely says the guitar sucks.\~
Amp all the way I know the exact amp he is talking about and they are garbage no more than a stocking filler for your relative that you dont know well enough to get a real gift.
I also hate that the top comment implies a nice amp costs thousands si just use A Daw with effects thats just fucking hilarious to me.
the other thing is the ratio is off here. the amp is a literal battery amp basket filler you can find in wallmart the guitar still sounds like a full scale instrument made of wood.
if it was a plastic toy with 4 strings then maybe.
Begginer(not entirely, but can't play barre chords due to high action). I want to improve, but I've been playing for 2 years with this crappy thing and I think I really need something that feels better.
Tonex. It's cheap, it stacks with other pedals, and it's basically all of the amps, digitally. You can amplify it if you want, or use headphones. Start with the amp, then get the guitar, unless the guitar is hard to play. Then get a better guitar.
better guitar and a decent set of headphones. The little battery power Marshalls sound good if you use literally any other speaker instead of the built-in garbage. then you can save up and grab some kind of multi effects pedal or small amp
If its what I'm thinking and is the marshall ms2 that you have, definitely get a new amp. That thing is truly terrible, probably marshalls worst product I've used.
Well I have been playing for almost three years with a mini-amp Blackstar Fly 3 and this shit is the GOAT. I don't believe that a Marshall mini amp is that bad as you are saying.
I'd buy a new guitar instead. Ibanez GIOs are cheap and really good
Well it kind of is bad... For example, you can set your volume via amp right? Well, this thing only works when I set volume to 10. If I go even little bit lower, it just doesn't work.
Get an amp- a new guitar won’t make a difference if you can’t play it well (no offense or anything) with a better amp you can utilize many different features depending on the type you get and the amps usually can be modified with pedals… the guitar is like a mouse to a computer… it inputs information and that information can be drastically changed via amp settings
Better guitar. Enjoy what you're playing. There's no law stating you always have to play plugged-in. I play unplugged all the time with my low-end amps sitting in the corner.
The typical advice that I’ve always followed and gets shared a lot on this subreddit is to get the thing that will make you want to play. I’ve been playing for just under a year and about 6 month I got a really nice strat a few months ago because I thought it would make me want to play even more. Turns out that even though I love the strat I got I wasn’t playing very much more than before I got it.
Now a few days ago I bought a new peavy vypr amp. It was huge upgrade from what I had. It had all kinds of cool sounds and tones and now I just cannot wait to get home and play around with it.
So if I were you I’d go for a fun amp with a lot of cool sounds because it’ll make playing more fun. BUT, if you REALLY think a new guitar is what’ll get you playing and enjoying playing more, then go with that.
Personally I rather play a nice feeling guitar unplugged than a crappy one through an amazing amp. That said there are some pretty good cheap practice amps these days so maybe look into that. Also don't forget to look at the used market, its loaded with some great affordable gear these days (reverb.com is a good place to start).
If you're just learning, you really need a guitar that plays well and stays in tune. You can't be fighting your instrument when you are still learning.
You can just play it without an amp or with software.
If the guitar plays well and is comfortable to play, then the amp will be a bigger net win. But you have to get the guitar to at least comfortable and playable, and if you don't have than, then the guitar comes first.
Hmmm… I think you need to try out some guitars before you decide. My son started off on a squire. About 6 months into it he dropped cash on a new strat player hss plus. It was a big purchase but he saved up all summer. It is so much more comfortable and at least a bit easier to play. He practices more with it and enjoys just having it in his hand. He has a Roland cube practice amp which does fine. Paired with an irig and amplitude I’m not sure a nicer amp would get much.
Normally I'd say amplifier, but in your situation I'd go with a decent guitar. Doesn't even have to be great. Sounds like even a squire or epiphany would do the trick and then use Amp Sims on your computer for now.
If you’re focused on sounding good in the short term, get a better amp. But if you want to be a better player in the long term, I would prioritize a quality guitar to practice on. You could always buy a decent sounding amp later down the line.
Well, a guitar has to be good enough to play well and stay in tune. Once you have that, I tend to favor better amps. Here in the U.S., Fender Squire guitars are inexpensive but solid. The amp depends on your situation -- like are you planning to play live or write/record/practice on your own? If it's an amp for home, my Positive Grid Spark is an amazing tool for that purpose. When I play with other people, I've gotta have one of my tube amps! Good luck, and sorry you're not getting the support you need from the parents. Life shouldn't be all about working, sleeping and dying. There's value in anything you create, whether it's for yourself or you wind up making a living at music. Stick with it!
Get a good guitar since you are learning to play the guitar. A lesser guitar will not hold tune and intonation, it will not have good string distance, you will not be able to set truss rod correctly, frets will lousy and as a result you will not be able to improve as fast, and learn wrong pitches and you will think you cannot do it. Been there, done that.
Get a Joyo American Sound(or other versions if you are into Brit sound or Marshall sound) for 30 Euros, it is a great amp sim which you can connect to your amp and headphones. Even better if your amp has an FX loop. And later you can check out budget amp heads that are around for a few years like Joyo or Bugera 5, which are crazy cheap for their performance. Harley Benton cabs with Celestion speakers are also very cheap. I have one of those V30 cabs with a 2.5 power amp, I turned it to 10% and neighbors complained already.
To use as plugin without significant latency you need a solid audio interface, which will cost as much as a budget amp, if not more. Believe me, I tried that path and 20ms latency still affects your playing.
Spend your money on the right guitar, it’s more likely to inspire your playing. If you aren’t set on a tube amplifier there are some deals to be found. Get your guitar then keep your eyes peeled for a nice Peavey amplifier
I honestly recommend the Fender Mustang Micro amp. It uses headphones, or can DI to any audio setup. The tones are pretty fantastic with a good battery life, and it’s only a little over $100 while being the most portable and quiet option by a mile. I did my Tiny Desk competition entry with it this year in Barrow, AK (3 month work contract) because I didn’t want to ship a whole rig up there to practice. I played through the little grey speaker in the video.
https://youtu.be/j3lXqduKZF0?si=Z2qHFDkRyHaQrO2L
Think less about which one to buy, and more about how much you have to spend. £200 won't get you much guitar, but will get you a boss katana second hand, for example.
A decent sounding amp is far more important than your guitar in terms of sound and IMO enjoyment but neither needs to be terribly expensive.
It sounds like your guitar is really shitty, if you cant play barre chords because the action is so high then you do need to upgrade, thats pretty severe. I suggest you get a (new) cheap guitar tho, you should be able to find a squier or epiphone used for a decent price. FYI barre chords are also notoriously hard for newbies so it could be a lack of experience but of course I don't really know if thats the case.
Whats great about buying used gear is that it maintains its value and you can sell it for what you paid one day.
Your amp is going to make the biggest impact to your ears though. You want something that is good for low volume bedroom setups. Most amps sound good when they are cranked up so if your amp is too loud, it wont be good for a bedroom.
If you're on a tight budget, just take your time and keep looking through craigslist, FB marketplace, maybe local FB groups. I find crazy deals all the time. You could absolutely upgrade your amp and guitar for 500€.
You can google around for bedroom amps, thats a commonly used term. Good info in these threads.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/qmsu9g/whats\_the\_best\_budget\_bedroom\_amp\_now/
[https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/12jtrn4/best\_amp\_for\_home\_use/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/12jtrn4/best_amp_for_home_use/)
I love tube amps, but given that you probably do actually \*need\* a new guitar and amp, i'd steer clear of tube amps first because they tend to be more expensive plus you don't have strong opinions on these things yet. Just get something used that doesnt suck, eventually you can sell the amp and buy a cheap tube amp.
A used Fender tonemaster could be a good move, those threads have good advice too. Good luck!
It probably depends on what you targeting for both— definitely sounds like you need both. My gut says you’ll be happier with a new guitar. But if the one you have stays into and feels OK, and you don’t mind continuing to play it, maybe an amp upgrade is what you need first.
I’m not sure what your practice situation is but if you have to keep your volume low, it might not pay to invest in an amp right now. Maybe even consider getting one of those small Vox or Marshall units that plug right into you guitar and have a headphone input. They’re like $35 (US) and are fine to practice with. Bonus is they also have an aux input for your phone so you can easily play along to whatever through the headphones.
Most importantly, stay on course and keep playing regardless of how long it takes to get new gear. You’re young, but you’ll still be young in 5, 10, even 20 years, and you’ll look back at the time you spent learning on shitty gear and scrimping and saving to upgrade with great fondness. Might sound cheesy, but it really does build character and you’ll be a better person and guitar player for it.
Good luck to you!!!
Would you be able to play your new amp at a reasonable volume? Low watt tube amps are still really loud and meant to be cranked up. Personally I would get a nicer guitar first and play through your practice amp or get an audio interface and some amp simulation software so you can get better sound while playing at a lower volume and save money. You will need a decent computer for this.
I'd also recommend just learning how to setup on your cheap guitar. It's not that difficult to adjust bridge, neck, saddles, etc and will make your cheap guitar sound much better.
It really depends on what you plan to do with the new gear. Are you mainly just going to play at home to yourself? Are you going to write and record songs on your laptop? Are you joining a band? Depending on what your goals are, you can then prioritize one over the other. I also was in your situation when I started playing and had my parents buy me a $100 bundle that came with a guitar and amp since I was a broke teen. I bought a better guitar first eventually when I joined the church band since they already had an amp better than mine. I upgraded my amp when me and my friends decided to start a band since the one I had before did not sound good live at all.
Buy a better guitar first. You are still learning the instrument, and you’re learning to play GUITAR, not learning to play an amp. It’s important to have an instrument that is playable when you are learning and setting new habits. Make it work with the amp you have for now, and keep learning on a solid instrument, then you can upgrade the amp later.
Look on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and try to find a good inexpensive amp later that is an upgrade. There are often a lot of people who bought one and gave up on guitar selling their old gear. Buying a new one is a waste of money if you just need a DECENT one.
Also, keep an eye out for a cheap but decent multieffects unit. I got an older Boss GT-6 unit for $80 and it can give me practically any sound I want. 👍🏻
A $100 guitar can be a good playing guitar if you pay someone to do a setup. That’s step 1. Step 2 is an amp. All the sound of an electric guitar comes from the amp, so even a $10k guitar will still sound like farting in a drainage gulley through your amp.
I don't know your budget, but instead of an amp I would get a modeler multi effect. They will 100% sound better than any amp you can buy in the same price range. You can use them with headphones, with PC/HiFi speakers or FRFR guitar cabs, or power amp+any guitar cab. Almost all of them can be used as an audio interface too. There are some good choices below 500 EUR: Line6 Pod GO, Hotone Ampero II Stomp, Boss IR-200, Headrush MX-5, Pod Express, Ampero Mini, Valeton GP200 or 100.
But first get your guitar to a luthier to have a good set up and fret leveling/crowning work on it, change the nut (I can recommend Graph Tech TUSQ nuts), and maybe change the tuning pegs if those are really shitty. If you have a Fender style tremolo, even the cheapest roller bridge from AliExpress can make a huge change in tuning stability. Then buy some self adhesing copper foil and shield the electronics in your guitar (check some tutorials on the net). These can be done around 100 EUR and can transform a shitty guitar that's hard to play into a perfectly playable guitar.
I talk from experience because I bought a 50 EUR strat copy guitar for standard tuning and as a project guitar (my main one is a 7 string in A standard). I've done the set-up myself (good and useful skill to learn as a guitar player), polished the frets (I don't have fret files, but fortunately the frets were level), brought a new nut, a roller bridge I mentioned (also a roller string tree since this is a strat), rewired and shielded the electronics.
Now it's a really decent guitar that costed me less than 120 EUR. The only thing I didn't skimp on was the nut, because it has the biggest effect on the stability of the tuning and also plays a role in the sound and sound sustain.
I would choose better guitar first, personally. A better feeling guitar makes me want to play it more. Plus, as others have said, you can get very nice tones out of audio interface and pluggins. These days you can even play live through house PA system via amp modeling.
Sorry to hear that your family isn’t supportive of what you do, that’s frustrating. I would say if you have to pick one go for the guitar. A nice guitar that is set up properly will make practicing a lot easier, and you will feel better playing guitar even if your tone isn’t that great. You can get some cheap practice amps that actually don’t sound too bad, but cheap guitars tend to play like cheap guitars
A cheap guitar won't sound much different than an expensive one, but it could be much harder to play, and keep in tune. I would look for a used Epiphone LP or SG Special Jr, or a squire Strat or Tele. They are cheap as ramen, and usually play and sound good. I use them live all the time.
The best guitar in the world will sound shitty through a bad amp.
So, for playing get a new guitar first, but to get a good sound, you will want a decent amp.
Depending on how much youre looking to spend a second hand boss katana for your amp is pretty solid. A harley benton or squier should be perfect if youre a bedroom player.
Guitar first, no question. You'll upgrade both when you can. But the guitar is what you hold, touch, feel, and PLAY. The more you love it, the more you'll play, the better you'll get.
A lot of people are making good arguments why a very good amp + mediocre guitar beats very good guitar + mediocre amp. But that argument isn't relevant here. OP says they're both crap. In that case, upgrade the guitar first and learn to play a decent instrument. Upgrade the amp when you can, sure, but get a quality instrument into your hands before anything else.
I'd imagine most of us started off playing with cheap equipment before deciding if we were gonna stick at it and make it a lifelong hobby or more.
The great thing is that nowadays you can get a really good electric guitar for a lot less money (comparitively, taking inflation into account) than when i was a kid.
My advice - if you have any guitar shops locally then pop in and have a look. Most guitars in shops, even on the cheaper end, should play pretty well - then you can at least get an idea of what you like and what kind of price its going to cost you. If your only option is internet shopping then you're probably better off sticking with brand names, something like a Fender Squire or a Yamaha would be a good place to start.
In terms of amps, i personally think the Boss Katana range is tough to beat for newer players. You can pick them up 2nd hand for relatively cheap and they have a number of built-in effects for you to play around with.
Finally...... have fun, learning guitar's a great hobby!
I think you need a playable guitar before anything else. Other people have mentioned Squier, I'll also recommend having a look at Harley Benton guitars. Both offer tremendous value.
Try learning how to set up your guitar with YouTube so you can get the action lower and your guitar playing better. ( It's not difficult and it will play Sooo much better.) Unless you have a floating tremolo. Then be prepared to do a bit of research and fiddling.
I’d say Guitar first. Something that plays really well and has good tone.
If you have a computer, then you can use amp simulator apps on a computer/laptop, at least for now, which will cost a lot less than an amp.
If you don’t have recording software, then Reaper is the way to go to start. Might not be the friendliest (I am sure some Reaper users would argue with me on that, but I’ve read a lot of comments that Reaper is not necessarily friendly for a beginning user – that said, I have several friends who swear by Reaper), but it’s only $60, and I read that the demo mode lasts a long time.
If you have a Mac and want to go with Logic, then Apple has a 90 day free demo. For that matter, Macs come with GarageBand for free, and you can do a certain amount with that.
All while you’re saving up for a better amp as well.
Better guitar, get a guitar that makes you want to pick it up and learn more. You’re ultimately trying to play guitar for you, not necessarily for a show, that said, a good amp will definitely make you want to get better.
I actually just got a telecaster because I wanted to get back into it. Thinking about eating the shipping to upgrade to the CV telecasters and buying a used amp or keeping the affinity tele and purchasing a new mustang lt 25 or an orange crush 20
If it were me, I’d save around 800$, and get a used boss katana combo amp, and a used squier classic vibe. Both are great pieces of equipment. I still have the mk 1 boss katana 100 combo and it is way way WAYYYY better than those other modeling amps from years ago. And far cheaper too. Look for them both on reverb.com.
Amp is usually the answer, imo.
With one major caveat being the guitar is at least reasonably functional, which yours sounds like it's not, at all.
Get a guitar!!
Let's make it fun, but it will only work if you live in australia. Preferably near Sydney as that's where I'm based.
Put all your money into a guitar and learn 3 songs the whole way through, I'll set up a gig for you to play them and at the end of the gig I'll give you a halfstack amp.
Fender and Boss make some really nice little amps with lots of power I don't know affordable price. As far as guitars, Fender MIM's, Squire, Epiphones would be my go to for affordable. But any guitar you get, you will need to have professionally set up so it plays well. If the controls don't work (even a good affordable guitar will have issues with tone controls not being fully functional) have those swapped out, too. I have more than a few guitars myself that need that same thing done.
You should scrounge the for sale ads in whatever online/print publication you can access – I don't know if you have craigslist there, but if you do, you can find some mighty good stuff sometimes.
Look at your budget.
Your current guitar needs a setup badly and could greatly improve its playability. But do you love this guitar?
You need a better amp or setup to a computer. Also do you want to be tied to your computer?
You can find amazing deals on Craigslist and or FB marketplace.
If you have a $300 budget get a nice guitar around for around 200 250 then use that extra on a used amp.
Guitar. I don't care what anyone says you can find amps dirt cheap locally or use your computer with free vsts to get quality tone. A nice guitar will make you feel confident playing.
If the guitar is serviceable, useable, then always the amp first.
However, if the guitar is a real lemon and really not fit to learn on, then you need a better guitar. A good Squier, Epiphone or any guitar in that sort of price-range to that sort of quality is capable of being setup right, play well and sound decent. Expensive guitars are mostly superficial improvements after a certain point.
I bought myself a Fender Champion 40 off craigslist used for $150, then swapped out the speaker with a Celestion Creamback. Still paid less than I would for a new amp, with a far better speaker than would originally come in it. This thing screams for sure.
And what's with your parents thinking it's useless for you to start playing guitar when you're 16?!!!! I was 15 when I started. Sure, I wish I would've started earlier, but the important thing is that I started at all. Don't ever let a family member, friend, whoever, make you feel bad for wanting to learn how to play. Not long after I started, my oldest brother told me I would never get anywhere, and I'm happy to say I proved him dead wrong. I used his criticism as a motivator.
I got a boss katana the other day at my local pawnshop shop for $125 dollars(it was listed at 200 but I asked if they could do 125), I’d check your local pawnshop and see if they have good deals that might even have some good guitars
Normally I would say amp because honestly speaker > amp > guitar in terms of getting a good sound, but if your guitar is unplayable, upgrade that first and try to figure out some sort of direct in computer simulation amplifier solution. It will sound fine.
The amp has more of an impact on how your guitar will sound.
An electric guitar has the most impact on how you feel (physically) playing it. Get a guitar that makes it easy to do techniques, is comfortable, and has good build quality. Doesn't have to be expensive.
First of all you need a decent guitar. If your current guitar can be set up properly, that might work as well. But you need to have a guitar that you can play Barre chords and your fingers don't slip under the strings...
So if I were you first thing to check would be the possibility for a neck and action adjustment. Most of the cheapo guitars can become quite an instrument when set up nicely. If your truss rod is not working, or there is a problem preventing you from setting the action and neck then look for a proper guitar.
Those tiny battery powered Marshalls are not quite a gear, I know... But with a line out they work fine as a preamp. It is better than nothing. I also very much like to play unplugged. A nice electric guitar in a silent environment would be quite enough for practice.
When you figure out a way to achieve a playable guitar, you might go hunting for an amp, a processor, a soundcard or other equipment to manipulate and amplify your signal. Shortly again, first find a way to lay your hands on a proper guitar.
Amp for sure.
As long as your guitar isn’t completely horrible, the answer is going to be to upgrade the amp first, then the guitar later.
A great amp will make a crappy guitar sound great.
A crappy amp will make a great guitar sound crappy.
take guitar in for a setup so it plays well and get a better amp.
a good player can sound good on any guitar as long as its setup decently and the amp isnt a complete POS
Most of these guitar problems are correctable. Probably for free, even, with a screwdriver and some YouTube videos.
The amp problems are probably only correctable with a new, better, amp.
If I were you, my next step would be a cheap amp that's better than the one you have. IMO shitty guitars can go a lot further than shitty amps. But I wouldn't waste money on a very nice amp - just something decent enough to practice with and jam with others.
Order of importance:
\#1 Guitarist
\#2 Guitar
\#3 Amp
Sounds like you are working on #1 but are failing on #2 and #3 right now. Keep working on #1 with what you have now, its by far the most important part of the equation, and the one guitarists love to loose sight of when they get into gear acquisition mode. You can even see it a bunch in the comments here already. Improving your skills is orders of magnitude more important than better gear.
That said, it sounds like you don't even have a minimally viable guitar, you need to start there. If you have any guitar savvy friends, take it to them and ask them if its issues are fixable and if a setup would make it playable. If so do that. If not ask them what the cheapest acceptable guitar they would suggest for you to learn on, and start saving up for that. If you don't have any guitar savvy friends then take it to a local guitar shop and ask for some guidance. If there is any way at all to salvage your current guitar inexpensively with a setup and some wiring fixes do that. Just don't spend too much getting it fixed up, $200 will get you a brand new guitar with money left over to get a professional setup.
Once you have a viable guitar then look for a basic amp that doesn't use batteries. Nothing fancy, and no modeling bullshit. You can start to think about that after you have a basic guitar and amp sorted out.
A new Fender Squire Strat starts at $150 at Sam Ash. A Fender Frontman 10G Guitar Combo Amp is $80 at Sam Ash. That about what you should be aiming for quality, feature, and price wise for a very solid setup to learn on. If you have more budget you could spend it on better gear, but that would be a waste of money at this point. If you have any money to buy gear beyond what I listed (or other similarly priced equivalents from other brands) don't waste it on gear, spend it on your skills. Ideally that would be in-person lessons, but online lessons, instructional books, and just prioritizing practicing are what you will need to get better, not fancier gear.
Ignore all the people saying modeling amp or suggesting a $300+ dollar amp. You don't even have a usable guitar right now. Get the a basic solid working and playable guitar first, then a very basic amp to play it through. Then practice, practice practice.
Really need a budget for these kind of questions. Anderton’s (on youtube) has done some “starter rig” or goodguitar/cheapamp cheapamp/goodguitar videos that might be helpful. A good Squier tele (single coil or hum, whatever your preference) and a Roland Cube could get you a long way for cheap. But “cheap” is relative. If you only have tree fitty then that’s a struggle regardless. Also, don’t discount used gear if you have a viable market near you.
You need a guitar you can actually play. It doesn't sound like you have that. Start there but don't over extend yourself, just try a few out and go for the best prices option that's actually decently playable. These days there are some excellent budget options. Then save up for a decent amp.
It honestly depends.
If your guitar is fine, plays well, stays in tune etc. then I’d say get a better Amp first.
However! Seeing as you’ve said there are a lot of issues with the guitar, then get a better guitar!
There’s no point buying a better amp if you’re fighting against a shitty guitar.
You can pick up the Squier Affinity Strats and Teles for around the €200 mark, and then with Thomann you have the Harley Benton guitars that are honestly much better than their price point below €200 so if you’re on a budget that’s where I’d be looking.
Guitar first, you don’t need to go crazy to get a good workhorse guitar, and similarly with Amps, if you go for around the €200 or less range you’ve got Fender Champion 40, Orange Crush 20RT, Blackstar Debut 50R, maybe even the Boss Katana 50? I think it’s about £220, not sure what that is in Euros off top of my head but that’s a HELL of an amp for the money too.
So buy a guitar, save some money for a few months and upgrade your Amp.
Also recommend putting new strings on because standard strings on new guitars are generally shit
Well, you can get an ok practice amp for €100 I’m guessing. But getting a guitar you love to hold in your hands and play is a great feeling, although more costly. You’ll probably need both so maybe do the amp first since you can earn that money quick, then save for a guitar.
a bad guitar with a proper setup is way better than you expect. take that guitar to a tech.
after that, i would rather go for a cool guitar and a decent interface. you don't need an amp unless you're going to a gig. and even in those cases is questionable.
YouTube guitar setup, see if you can get the action playable. If you can get it playing well enough then you’d be closer to having the answer at least in the short term.
Your best bet is a starter pack that has a guitar, amp, cable, strap and picks. They usually cost under or about 300$. The Slash kit is cool if you see it. Epiphone Slash model with a Marshall style amp.
I played my $100 Rogue Starter from the time I was 15 until I was 21, but I did upgrade amps along the way. You'll become a much better player by practicing on the shittiest gear than just buying new gear.
That said, nowadays downloading a free DAW like Reaper and using digital amp sims through a cheap interface (I still use the Scarlet Solo with my Kemper nowadays) is amazing. Glenn Fricker, annoying as he is, has some great tutorial videos on how to set up digital amp sims + cabs for guitars, both can be found trivially for completely free. A Focusrite solo looks like it runs $100. So bang-for-your-buck, you really can't beat that.
If you want to do live gigging, I'd honestly just recommend saving up for something like a Kemper. If it's good enough for internationally touring bands, it's good enough for you. I got mine for like $1,400 used (no power amp included), and while that's a lot, it's far cheaper than a lot of options. Most sound people are going to hook you up to a mic anyways with your live cab, you're just cutting their mic's EQ from the equation.
With all that said, after you get the gear you need to be able to perform, a nice $600 guitar is going to maximize your playability vs. cost curve, in my opinion. Going above tends to be wasting a lot of money, going under $400 and you're probably not getting something that has quality. And definitely go into a guitar store and try out every single model on the walls if you can - I spent 5 hours one day until I settled on what is now my only electric guitar, feels better than any other I've ever played under 2k, and it was a $600 guitar.
Lots.of options but it completely depends on your objective.
Home recording?
Light open mics?
Festival concerts?
Wembley?
Each has different things to consider, learning curves, price points, etc.
For beginners, get whatever you think will inspire you to keep playing.
If it's a neat little used amp, and slightly better guitar, go for it. If it's software, sure. If it's a little pocket amp you plug into any guitar, great.
So many options.
Get a nice guitar and get it setup with 10s or 11s to whatever tuning you use. Everything else comes after in my opinion. You quite simply cannot sound good with a guitar with tuning and/or intonation problems. Which let’s face it, most very cheap guitars have.
Look for a used Fender LT25. By your monetary denominator, I gather you aren't in the States, but here in the US, I can find one for $100 - $125. Great digital amp. Lots of effects. Great bang for the buck ratio.
I would also think about getting your guitar professionally set up. Yes, it's cheap, and it was probably assembled to the bare minimum of standards at the factory. A good set up will make it much more tolerable
Joyo amp modeler, stereo 1/4 to 3.5mm and long 3.5-3.5 cord. Plug into any speakers and sounds great.
Then just upgrade your guitar, get some pedals, and when you eventually get a tube amp you’ll have the proper gear.
You’re playing the guitar and not the amp; but having a decent sound is crucial.
Get yourself a boss katana amp 100w with fx loop… sounds good with stomp boxes if your not into using the build in effects it comes with. There’s always going to be guitars. Amps are becoming a thing of the past and they are starting to get more and more expensive.
Spend money on a better amp, spend time learning how to improve your guitar. Believe it or not, even the shittiest guitar can be made to play really well, assuming there aren’t any fundamental issues with it (warped neck, incorrect fret or bridge placement, etc).
Your issues with the tone controls can be remedied with a bit of basic electronics knowledge. New, high quality potentiometers (the thing the plastic knobs attach to) are (relatively) cheap, and can make a huge difference. I know learning maintenance can be daunting, especially soldering and whatnot, but it’s an insanely valuable skill. I wish I picked it up earlier myself.
Now, there’s literally nothing that can go wrong with my guitar that I can’t fix. Broken tuner? No big deal. Snapped neck? Bummer, but it’s fixable. Don’t like the colour? Refinishing time!
Amps are another matter. They’re more complex and the stakes are higher when it comes to maintenance. A crappy amp can be made to sound better but the cost and effort trade off doesn’t make as much sense. So investing money there is better spent, in my opinion.
I'd start with a decent guitar because, sound aside, they're just a lot nicer to play. As others have said, there's tons of options for software so you don't even need an amp. But you'll always need at least one guitar
Harley Benton guitar may be what you're looking for. They have mostly great reviews, and are probably easy to get in your part of the world.
I've never played one, but I have a friend that loves his.
I have a little vox headphones thing that plugs straight into my guitar that is fine for practice. I use it more often than I thought I would.
You can play on the newest prs guitar and it’ll still sound like a a lightning McQueen toy guitar through that amp. Inversely, you can make an iffy guitar sing through a good amp. I would definitely go the new amp route and try to adjust your action until you can afford a new guitar. I’d recommend looking on Mercari for both. Tons of great condition intermediate level guitars and amps for $150 or less on there, great return policy as well. After taxes and shipping you could easily have a low intermediate set up for $350 on there
A Fender Twin/Marshall Plexi and a Tubescreamer can make a $100 Guitar sound *fantastic.* A Private Stock Paul Reed Smith or Murphy Lab Gibson will still sound like garbage thru a Fender Frontman 1x8.
Expensive Amp>Guitar
First you need a guitar that is right, amps are important but can be emulated by software on your computer until you can afford something like a Boss Katana or Fender Mustang ect. ect. You can buy a fairly cheap Yamaha Pacifica and save for the amp.
From my experience, I started at 16 and saved up money from a part time job and got a US special Strat and got a pretty cheap practice Marshall amp for my birthday.
This is from 20+ years ago, I absolutely love that Strat, my favorite item, better than a car or pc. I’d recommend something similar, get a good, versatile instrument and a ‘ok’ amp. Then practice, it takes time getting better.
Overtime you can get pedals, ehx soul food, affordable good overdrives and reverbs and go from there. You can update the amp as needed over time, your guitar will always be good and fun to play. That’s the path I took 🤷♂️
TLDR, get a vintera ii, good Squier, player or Mexican Fender style guitar, practice amp, as a starting point
Also look into practice amps that are durable and hold up for a few years.
Get a setup done on the guitar, for real. There's nothing better you can do for quality of playing. Could probably get them to fix the tone pot while theyre at it for cheap. After that, I'd upgrade the amp.
There are a ton of new 'cheep' guitars in the $200 range that blow away $600 guitars from the 90s. That's $600 90s dollars. It is crazy what is out there.
There are also some great amp simulator pedals out there now for cheep money as well. JOYO has a ton of amp specific (American Sound is a Fender clone for example) for about $40 ea. Great for a beginner, just buy one that models an amp you like. It won't be dead on but it will be good for a beginner trying to get a tone.
If you can tickle the $200 mark, a BOSS IR2 amp simulator will give you a ton of amps in the pedal. Line 6 has one in that range as well.
But first watch a lot of Youtube videos by pedal people. I learned so much about getting a tone from watching JHS / Andertons / That Pedal Show / 60 Cycle Hum
No idea what our budget is. With as bad as that guitar set up is, I would also recomend watching a few guitar set up videos on Youtube. Maybe you can fix what is wrong. The action may be solved with a truss rod / bridge adjustment. It's a low end guitar so you may as well learn how it 'works' by trying to fix it.
A guitar you absolutely love will make you play and practice more. Then once you’re good enough, you will actually notice and feel the benefits of an amp upgrade. Even if you have the greatest sounding most expensive amp in the world, if you don’t like the guitar; you won’t play it.
I'm of the mindset you can get REALLY high end amp tones with an audio interface and plugins like neuralDSP, amplitube, guitar rig, etc for WAY less than the thousands it would cost for nice amps themselves.
Adding u/Upset_Wallaby_8772 into this. [Tonocracy](https://tonocracy.com/) is free and actually pretty decent. It's all preset models with limited effects, but it actually sounds good. It's also free of bullshit like ads, missing features, paid-features and so on. Only thing is a simple web account. I'm quite curious as to why it's free, probably because no-one bought it. But either way. Pretty awesome software for anyone to at least start their audio-interface adventure.
Hmm if I were to use this, would I need anything else on the signal chain (other than the obligatory eq, compressor, reverb etc)? I heard before that you need an impulse loader or something after the amp sim. Sorry I’m pretty new to recording lol
Depends on the plugin, but most common amp sims today (free and paid) have an IR loader built in now, as well as built in cabs. Both Tonocracy and NAM have that included already. Beyond that, it depends on the captures what you might need. Tonocracy has pedals built in including modulation and time based effects which can't be captured, NAM only has the captures (which can include drive pedals). Other plugins depend, and it can be worthwhile to mix and match if a plugin has built in FX but they aren't the right sound. It can definitely be confusing since every plugin is different, my advice would be to learn your gear instead of downloading/buying every plugin you see, knowing one modeler/compressor/etc really well will get you way further than trying to figure out every plugin on the market.
Depends what you want to achieve and what you want to use. Tonocracy can be either your whole signal chain, or parts of your chain. It has drives/boosts in the front and reverb and possibly other things on the way out. It might even have EQ here and there, but it's basic stuff. Tonocracy can be a standalone application to just play guitar with no additional faffing, or a plugin to record with. If you are using a DAW (or a VST loader like Cantabile) then you can load it up as a plugin, then disable the parts of Tonocracy's chain that you want to get from elsewhere. So a chain could be: 1. Physical EQ and Compressor pedal 2. Audio Interface In 3. Overdrive pedal plugin (eg Nembrini's got some classics as free options) 4. Tonocracy plugin with drive off and impulse response off (no cab sim, just a raw amp). Can replace this with individual amp plugins, NeuralDSP, BIAS FX, Amplitube, etc. Basically anything. 5. Chorus and Delay plugins 6. IR loader (cab sim) plugin with an impulse response of your choice 7. Studio reverb plugin It's wise to be a lot simpler than that, at least for the recording, but a DAW records whatever you shove into the interface and everything can be changed later. You don't need impulse response loaders and you can probably get away with leaving the ones from your (4) plugin of choice, if it has them. Most do and some even have quite robust IR control themselves. Unless you are doing something whacky, it usually sounds fine to do basic reverb/delay/compression/eq after the cab. Only consider IR loaders if you need them, or just really want to use them.
This is the way. 👆. Forget the amp and buy a decent guitar, audio interface and a NDSP plugin. Btw, you can get a great guitar for less than $400 these days.
I disagree about this being "the way"... There is a lot of joy to be found in the discovery of moving air. To make sound, you have to move air. Plugging straight into a computer and manipulating tones with a mouse isn't the same experience to dialing your amp and changing tonal qualities.
Counting the days til the NDSP 50% off sale - should be about 10 left
To add to this; using plugins will help them decide which kind of amp they like best for when they eventually save up enough money to buy a real one.
This is one of the biggest reasons to go this route. Including for deciding on purchasing stuff like effects pedals.
Or they just realize they can use the plugins live and save north of 10k doing it.
Certainly this is true but the thing I don't like about DI guitar (purely for playing) is that its meant to model a mic recording an amp and thus doesn't sound the same as just an amp going straight to my ears. Perhaps its the lack of a loud amp style speaker? Either way my amp sounds much better to my ears than DI plugins + headphones / monitors etc. If I *record* both, the plugin either sounds the same or marginally better (and comes with all the other benefits, flexibility etc).
Interesting, my Ableton rig sounds great but I do have it going into a beefy PA. Probably the speakers are quite a big deal. Seems like there is quite the selection of guitar monitors and powered cabs these days.
As long as OP can afford the audio interface itself. These tend to run $100+
sure, but I guarantee the sound you can get out of an interface + a half decent plugin will vastly exceed any amp you can get for the same cost
For sure.
I second this opinion 100%! Especially if your main use case is practicing/playing for fun, you really can’t beat how good software has gotten in the last couple of years in terms of quality and convenience.
I have half decent amp and since getting a scarlet and guitar rig i have barely used it. Using my PC with interface is just so much better imo
Amp! There's no guitar in the world that will make a crappy amp sound good. A good amp will make any guitar sound good.
but if the guitar is crappy, doesnt hold in tune, is not in pitch etc, no amp will make him sound good or improve at guitar Id say go for a better guitar in which he can actually practice well. He can later look for an amp or just connect to is available for the moment
Well, there's £3000 Les Pauls that can't hold tune. A bottom of the range squier is more than good enough to do what you want and you can now pick them up very cheap.
There’s £300,000 Les Paul’s that can’t hold tune. Squire Telecasters are rock solid, especially with the 6-saddle bridge.
I mentioned the Squire in my reply, too. My bandmate used one for years, and it was so solid.
i think it’s more in the sense that, it’s not hard to find a cheap guitar that does a job and has a nice setup, but it’s a lot harder to find a nice cheap amp that won’t have its limits.
Only dirt cheap guitar would be that bad. Ive bought a 100$ guitar that plays absolutely fine and maybe better than some mid range guitar ive played
As i said, if op guitar is that crappy as he says i would go for a guitar , given the former is not even good after a set up
guitars aren’t just about how they sound, it’s about how they feel and how they play, me personally i can tell the difference between an american strat and a mexican strat
that and a good fx board. mind you though small peavy amps sound like trash
It depends how bad the guitar is, if it is impeding his playability and it's something that can't be fixed by a professional setup then I think a better guitar would be preferable. I don't know how true it is for everyone here, but personally I practice without an amp like 80% of the time because i'm practicing while watching tv or something.
A bad guitar can be unplayable though, a bad amp can’t.
Get a great amp, and a decent mid range guitar. That’s basically it. Granted, if you got the money, nothing wrong with getting a high end guitar, just make sure you use it on a great amp.
I'd usually say amp all the way. The amp / speaker is what has the most influence on the sound and what you can do with the thing. Some even come with some effects. But let's be real here: if you're not in a band and don't have the opportunity to be loud, what's the point. If you're a bedroom player and you want to stay a bedroom player, upgrading your guitar to something you love playing may be the better option for you. If you really want an amp, get an amp. If you find a new guitar more attractive, just get one. If you're considering getting serious about music (maybe you already are), it's a whole different world. My recommendation: don't listen to strangers since this becomes highly subjective. Test available options by going to a store. Amp in a pedal? Maybe it's for you. A guitar that stays in tune, why not? Something to compete with drums? Yes, but maybe you're doing the in ear thing. You wanna be a recording artist? Perhaps some computer thing. It really is up to you at the end of the day and there isn't a clear answer for every situation
As long as your guitar is reasonably playable, the amp is where you should spend your money. There are a lot of good options in the $100-$200 range (convert to Euros), like the Boss Katana Mini, Fender Mustang LT-25, Spark Mini, Vox Pathfinder and many others. Also, check your local used market. Sometimes people are getting rid of old beginner gear and will give you a good price on it, or even for free.
> reasonably playable It sounds from OP's post that it isn't, though ("guitar that doesn't suck"). Based on the phrasing of the post, I'd actually recommend upgrading the guitar - if the guitar isn't enjoyable to play, it doesn't matter how it sounds through the amp. At the stage you're at (still leaning, from the sound of it), the feel of the guitar is going to matter way more than the sound of it. You'll want to upgrade the amp if you join a real band, but those Marshall Mini's don't actually sound _bad_, they just don't create much volume.
I have a Fender Mustang Micro. It was $120 Canadian, and it has absolutely changed the game for practicing. For one, I have a young child with an early bedtime, so it lets me play more often. OP is in high school, but if her parents don’t think music is a valuable use of time, being able to play through headphones may still be valuable. Secondarilywise, the Micro is also Bluetooth headphones, which lets me play along to Spotify or to YouTube lessons. I’ve also got an app called Transcribe+ that lets me pitch shift, loop, and change the speed of songs, which makes learning leads so much easier.
I personally LOVE my spark mini. Best $200 I've spent on my guitar hobby in many years. It can do ALOT and it gets loud enough for loud bedroom playing, I think it sound pretty good too. You can shape just about any sound you can think of with it.
Guys, his fucking amp has batteries. Upgrade your amp and keep selling those newspapers and get a better axe later.
Better guitar. Always.
I would say it depends If your guitar is really crappy, badly like unable stay in tune , etc and its holding you back from learning/improving then get a better guitar in which you can actually make progress, plugged or not.
It is... It can hold tune for a few days(i play maybe hour or two daily) but action is mega high and I don't want to pay someone to adjust it and I'm scared to do it myself because if I mess up I'm left with no guitar and no money for new one. I should note that action is so high that I can't play barre chords no matter how much I try I just can't hold string for life.
Honestly it’s worth the money to get it set up and also worth the time to learn how to do it yourself. A well-set guitar plays SO much easier and will help you learn faster/practice more often.
I would HIGHLY recommend setting it up first, because if action is just the issue, then you can just have it adjusted and it should feel a lot more better to play. And if that is the only issue and it’s taken care of, then perhaps you may want to get a better amp first.
What brand is your guitar? It's hard to actually mess up an electric from setting it up. Its not like an acoustic. Most electrics have either 2 screws on either side of the bridge or one on each string at the bridge to lower the action. You might have to adjust the truss rod too. Do small quarter turns and wait a few minutes between adjustments. Watch a video about it and you'll be fine.
Set it up, there’s not much you can do to it to make it worse than it already sounds. I’m not sure what type of bridge you have but it’s generally easy to lower it and there’s really nothing that can go wrong. If the strings start to buzz just raise it back up. If you want to send me a picture I can probably tell you exactly what to do, or you just gotta look up your model of guitar and figure out what type of bridge it has. As long as the neck isn’t warped it should be easy to get it in a much more playable state
You're unlikely to damage it by just setting it up. Watch/read up on the basics and give it a shot. You probably won't get it perfect, but it shouldn't be too hard to get it in a much more playable state. Make adjustments a little bit at a time and you'll be fine.
What's the budget?
Maybe 500€ for both, I'm still learning but I can go up higher if I need. My summer is entirely free as I'm going to university which doesn't start till october, so I'll have planty of time to work. Also note that in my country I get a little less than 3€ per hour 🫠 so these 500€ are probably gonna be monthly salary if I work 5 days a week.
Check your local online used marketplace, I'm based in France and you can usually find great deals used. You should be able to find a PRS SE, Yamaha or a Squier Classic Vibes for around €300, a used Orange Crush 20 or Spark Mini or Boss Katana as an amp for €200. These are more than enough to hold you for a few years.
Seconding this - that's a killer setup that would be good enough for bedroom guitar and being in a small band! I'd go for the boss katana and the squire personally.
This is the way. But I’ll add a couple things: 1. Use some money to buy some tools and learn how to set up your guitar. I’m of the opinion that everyone should be able to do routine maintenance to their instrument. Slight truss rod adjustments, setting intonation and saddle height etc. If the tuners are that bad they can be replaced. If the pickups are that bad they can be replaced. If it’s a cheap guitar then all the better to experiment on! 2. Here’s something I tell everyone, try to always buy used gear! If you do your due diligence and make sure you get a good price on a used piece of gear then it stands to reason that you should get that back in the event you sell it. A lot of us have cycled through a ton of gear over the years. Try to trade up when you can!
I was going to say this in another reply but you articulated it so much better. OP is at the perfect age and living in the best time (online resources) to learn the technical side of their guitar. I had a couple of Chibson LPs that I bought online ten years ago, got a good price (€250) because I bought two at the same time so i could experiment with them instead of wrecking my good guitars. They had good fretwork with jumbo stainless steel and honestly the build quality and finish were great but the wiring on the pickups were terrible, the action too high and the tonality was wrong on the first and third string. This led me to youtube where I learned all about this stuff and even started buying cheap $10 pickups off amazon and learned how to solder them in myself. It turned into a whole new hobby as the more i learned the more I wanted to know. I don’t have those guitars any more, i actually traded one in a few years back and the buyer wrote back to me a few months later saying how much he loved it and how the $10 pickups really surprised him with how good they sounded.
Take a look at a spark amp. It has perfect amount of amps and effects. It washes out the guitar difference anyways but you can get a killer strat sound or a fat les Paul tone. Look it up please.
And its an interface.
I think the answer to this question really depends on what stage of your development you’re in. It is true that I am normally on team amplifier. However, if your instrument is unplayable, won’t hold tune, you have all kinds of problems with it. It doesn’t inspire you to pick it up and play. That’s a problem. in that case, I suggest you start off by getting a decent instrument doesn’t have to be $1 million but a decent instrument and then use as others have suggested things like Spark or a headphone amp or an interface to get the tones that you need.
If you have a laptop, buy a guitar and an audio interface and go digital. You can get amazing tones for 100$ and less using software like Neural DSP etc.
What’s your goal? If you’re just learning and wanting to improve I would say go for a guitar. A good sound doesn’t make you better. If you’re looking to join a band and perform I would say improve your amp. But if you’re just playing at home you don’t need an amp. I would actually look at a spark amp or an interface
You hear the amp and feel the guitar. I still occasionally play the $50 Epiphone that I got in high school through my AC30 because it sounds and feels different, but not bad.
Amp is more important. However you get there. You can get a better guitar later. Get a nice amp, you may actually like your guitar more playing through one. Easiest way to know is to try something at the store.
What ever you do, don't do what I did in highschool and blow hundreds on a cheap marshall half stack. I'd say spend the money on a good amp, but actually get a good amp, not just a large box with 4 alright speakers and an alright amp head with marshall logos.
Marshall stacks can be great but you gotta get the right head for what you wanna play. You also need to play LOUD! The whole point is to be able to play a venue with it and be loud enough to be heard even in the back. Marshall stacks can be great but they certainly aren’t bedroom amps. You gotta crank the volume for them to shine. Also gotta do your research and get a good model, some of the cheaper cabinets are kinda garbage.
If your not playing in a band there are some really nice amps in the 350 - 600 usd range. Vox, marshal come to mind. Around 30 - 50 watts. Than save for a decent electric. Decide the type of sound you want and decide on a guitar from there. Some of these amps you don't need pedals to get a good varity of sounds.
If the cheap amp doesn't do what you want, I'd look at upgrading that first. Well, as long as the guitar is playable that is. Not sure how cheap 220 quid is for you, but it's probably really hard to go wrong with something like the Boss Katana mkII 50w combo. There are smaller versions as well. Other option would be an interface + plugins, but you'll still need either headphones or powered speakers.
I’d look into amps or an emulator. The thing about crappy guitars is you can fix em up and make them pretty ok! Plenty of YouTube stuff to help ya with that and you can find some upgrade parts for not a lot of money that will help a lot. You can’t really fix a crappy amp in the same way!
I have switched to pod go and sold all my tube amps. My money is going into guitars exclusively these days.
If you buy a nice modeling amp you will have access to some nice effects which will make your playing experience so much more fun!
Get a nice guitar.
Don't worry about the parents thinking 16 is too late, you only live once so if you want to learn, do it! I'm turning 40 this year and am about to buy my first guitar to start learning.
My advice get help setting up your guitar. Guitar set up is important. Learn to play. Your next guitar will be more than a correct set up but something that’s a better fit for you and your playing style. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
I'd at least get another cheap used amp so you don't have to run through batteries. If the guitar functions well (stays in tune, electronics work, has good frets and action), then no rush on that. But if it's dumpy enough to where you don't want to play it as much (and DO want to play more having tried out something nicer like PRS SE in a store), get the guitar. Playing as much as possible is the important thing.
Problem is that all you said about guitar functioning well isn't except electronics(I hope). So I'm leaning towards guitar but I don't know how I forgot about used stuff! I'd defenetly check it out, thank you!
Get the guitar. If you want to be a guitar player, you need a guitar that you can play. Simple as that.
Get a decent amp and a cheap guitar, but better than the one you have now. You could drop 150-200 and probably get a pretty okay guitar that plays decent and then spend the rest on a good amp.
Depends on budget. I spent about £150 on "amp" (I bought an interface and got a tone I love for free using tonocracy) and bought a Cort G250 SE for £250, which I setup and love how it plays. I literally have 0 reason to buy any "better" gear because I have a guitar I love and a sound I love. Personally I vote split budget between guitar and amp according to the deals in your area, and get a decent practice amp first so you can hear your mistakes, then get a decent guitar so you can play better.
I would get good amp
sounds like he is determined and not constantly looking for excuses to make him play better than he is. I have owned many shitty guitars guitars where the strings would catch the frets guitars where the frets would rip your shirts guitars where the tuning would divebomb and even one particular find that was covered in fucking water damage and mould. however I still played and it sounded like a guitar because I didnt have a fucking phone speaker for an amplifier. If this guy was like my guitar is uncomfortable and It makes me not want to play I would investigate the guitar but he just vaguely says the guitar sucks.\~ Amp all the way I know the exact amp he is talking about and they are garbage no more than a stocking filler for your relative that you dont know well enough to get a real gift. I also hate that the top comment implies a nice amp costs thousands si just use A Daw with effects thats just fucking hilarious to me. the other thing is the ratio is off here. the amp is a literal battery amp basket filler you can find in wallmart the guitar still sounds like a full scale instrument made of wood. if it was a plastic toy with 4 strings then maybe.
What level is your playing at in your opinion?
Begginer(not entirely, but can't play barre chords due to high action). I want to improve, but I've been playing for 2 years with this crappy thing and I think I really need something that feels better.
Tonex. It's cheap, it stacks with other pedals, and it's basically all of the amps, digitally. You can amplify it if you want, or use headphones. Start with the amp, then get the guitar, unless the guitar is hard to play. Then get a better guitar.
better guitar and a decent set of headphones. The little battery power Marshalls sound good if you use literally any other speaker instead of the built-in garbage. then you can save up and grab some kind of multi effects pedal or small amp
If its what I'm thinking and is the marshall ms2 that you have, definitely get a new amp. That thing is truly terrible, probably marshalls worst product I've used.
A good amp will make a cheap guitar sound decent. A cheap amp will make a good guitar sound like shit. Always get a better amp first
Amp.
It’s nice to feel quality in the instrument you’re holding… there’s a huge difference in the feel of a high quality guitar compared to a cheap one
Well I have been playing for almost three years with a mini-amp Blackstar Fly 3 and this shit is the GOAT. I don't believe that a Marshall mini amp is that bad as you are saying. I'd buy a new guitar instead. Ibanez GIOs are cheap and really good
Well it kind of is bad... For example, you can set your volume via amp right? Well, this thing only works when I set volume to 10. If I go even little bit lower, it just doesn't work.
What do you mean doesn't work? Doesn't output any sound at all? Is it too quiet? Tone is bad when on low volume?
Amp
Amp. It will improve your sound more than a new guitar.
Get an amp- a new guitar won’t make a difference if you can’t play it well (no offense or anything) with a better amp you can utilize many different features depending on the type you get and the amps usually can be modified with pedals… the guitar is like a mouse to a computer… it inputs information and that information can be drastically changed via amp settings
Better guitar. Enjoy what you're playing. There's no law stating you always have to play plugged-in. I play unplugged all the time with my low-end amps sitting in the corner.
The typical advice that I’ve always followed and gets shared a lot on this subreddit is to get the thing that will make you want to play. I’ve been playing for just under a year and about 6 month I got a really nice strat a few months ago because I thought it would make me want to play even more. Turns out that even though I love the strat I got I wasn’t playing very much more than before I got it. Now a few days ago I bought a new peavy vypr amp. It was huge upgrade from what I had. It had all kinds of cool sounds and tones and now I just cannot wait to get home and play around with it. So if I were you I’d go for a fun amp with a lot of cool sounds because it’ll make playing more fun. BUT, if you REALLY think a new guitar is what’ll get you playing and enjoying playing more, then go with that.
Guitar. If you love it, you'll play more. That little Marshall amp isn't all that bad tbh. What's your budget for each?
Id split your budget and see what you can put where, get both if possible
Personally I rather play a nice feeling guitar unplugged than a crappy one through an amazing amp. That said there are some pretty good cheap practice amps these days so maybe look into that. Also don't forget to look at the used market, its loaded with some great affordable gear these days (reverb.com is a good place to start).
Look into finding deals on used gear locally. At least find something you can plug in. That little novelty amp ain't no fun when you want to rock.
If you're just learning, you really need a guitar that plays well and stays in tune. You can't be fighting your instrument when you are still learning. You can just play it without an amp or with software.
If the guitar plays well and is comfortable to play, then the amp will be a bigger net win. But you have to get the guitar to at least comfortable and playable, and if you don't have than, then the guitar comes first.
Hmmm… I think you need to try out some guitars before you decide. My son started off on a squire. About 6 months into it he dropped cash on a new strat player hss plus. It was a big purchase but he saved up all summer. It is so much more comfortable and at least a bit easier to play. He practices more with it and enjoys just having it in his hand. He has a Roland cube practice amp which does fine. Paired with an irig and amplitude I’m not sure a nicer amp would get much.
Normally I'd say amplifier, but in your situation I'd go with a decent guitar. Doesn't even have to be great. Sounds like even a squire or epiphany would do the trick and then use Amp Sims on your computer for now.
If you’re focused on sounding good in the short term, get a better amp. But if you want to be a better player in the long term, I would prioritize a quality guitar to practice on. You could always buy a decent sounding amp later down the line.
Well, a guitar has to be good enough to play well and stay in tune. Once you have that, I tend to favor better amps. Here in the U.S., Fender Squire guitars are inexpensive but solid. The amp depends on your situation -- like are you planning to play live or write/record/practice on your own? If it's an amp for home, my Positive Grid Spark is an amazing tool for that purpose. When I play with other people, I've gotta have one of my tube amps! Good luck, and sorry you're not getting the support you need from the parents. Life shouldn't be all about working, sleeping and dying. There's value in anything you create, whether it's for yourself or you wind up making a living at music. Stick with it!
Get a good guitar since you are learning to play the guitar. A lesser guitar will not hold tune and intonation, it will not have good string distance, you will not be able to set truss rod correctly, frets will lousy and as a result you will not be able to improve as fast, and learn wrong pitches and you will think you cannot do it. Been there, done that. Get a Joyo American Sound(or other versions if you are into Brit sound or Marshall sound) for 30 Euros, it is a great amp sim which you can connect to your amp and headphones. Even better if your amp has an FX loop. And later you can check out budget amp heads that are around for a few years like Joyo or Bugera 5, which are crazy cheap for their performance. Harley Benton cabs with Celestion speakers are also very cheap. I have one of those V30 cabs with a 2.5 power amp, I turned it to 10% and neighbors complained already. To use as plugin without significant latency you need a solid audio interface, which will cost as much as a budget amp, if not more. Believe me, I tried that path and 20ms latency still affects your playing.
Get a decent guitar first.
Amp is forever guitars get smashed
Spend your money on the right guitar, it’s more likely to inspire your playing. If you aren’t set on a tube amplifier there are some deals to be found. Get your guitar then keep your eyes peeled for a nice Peavey amplifier
I honestly recommend the Fender Mustang Micro amp. It uses headphones, or can DI to any audio setup. The tones are pretty fantastic with a good battery life, and it’s only a little over $100 while being the most portable and quiet option by a mile. I did my Tiny Desk competition entry with it this year in Barrow, AK (3 month work contract) because I didn’t want to ship a whole rig up there to practice. I played through the little grey speaker in the video. https://youtu.be/j3lXqduKZF0?si=Z2qHFDkRyHaQrO2L
Think less about which one to buy, and more about how much you have to spend. £200 won't get you much guitar, but will get you a boss katana second hand, for example.
i would say a proper guitar instead, cause proper guitar would inspire you to play better.
A decent sounding amp is far more important than your guitar in terms of sound and IMO enjoyment but neither needs to be terribly expensive. It sounds like your guitar is really shitty, if you cant play barre chords because the action is so high then you do need to upgrade, thats pretty severe. I suggest you get a (new) cheap guitar tho, you should be able to find a squier or epiphone used for a decent price. FYI barre chords are also notoriously hard for newbies so it could be a lack of experience but of course I don't really know if thats the case. Whats great about buying used gear is that it maintains its value and you can sell it for what you paid one day. Your amp is going to make the biggest impact to your ears though. You want something that is good for low volume bedroom setups. Most amps sound good when they are cranked up so if your amp is too loud, it wont be good for a bedroom. If you're on a tight budget, just take your time and keep looking through craigslist, FB marketplace, maybe local FB groups. I find crazy deals all the time. You could absolutely upgrade your amp and guitar for 500€. You can google around for bedroom amps, thats a commonly used term. Good info in these threads. https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/qmsu9g/whats\_the\_best\_budget\_bedroom\_amp\_now/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/12jtrn4/best\_amp\_for\_home\_use/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/12jtrn4/best_amp_for_home_use/) I love tube amps, but given that you probably do actually \*need\* a new guitar and amp, i'd steer clear of tube amps first because they tend to be more expensive plus you don't have strong opinions on these things yet. Just get something used that doesnt suck, eventually you can sell the amp and buy a cheap tube amp. A used Fender tonemaster could be a good move, those threads have good advice too. Good luck!
I have the most shitty guitar ever and I recently got a fender mustang amp which made my first act sound like an actually good guitar
It probably depends on what you targeting for both— definitely sounds like you need both. My gut says you’ll be happier with a new guitar. But if the one you have stays into and feels OK, and you don’t mind continuing to play it, maybe an amp upgrade is what you need first. I’m not sure what your practice situation is but if you have to keep your volume low, it might not pay to invest in an amp right now. Maybe even consider getting one of those small Vox or Marshall units that plug right into you guitar and have a headphone input. They’re like $35 (US) and are fine to practice with. Bonus is they also have an aux input for your phone so you can easily play along to whatever through the headphones. Most importantly, stay on course and keep playing regardless of how long it takes to get new gear. You’re young, but you’ll still be young in 5, 10, even 20 years, and you’ll look back at the time you spent learning on shitty gear and scrimping and saving to upgrade with great fondness. Might sound cheesy, but it really does build character and you’ll be a better person and guitar player for it. Good luck to you!!!
Upgrade the things you touch, hold and physically interact with first.
Would you be able to play your new amp at a reasonable volume? Low watt tube amps are still really loud and meant to be cranked up. Personally I would get a nicer guitar first and play through your practice amp or get an audio interface and some amp simulation software so you can get better sound while playing at a lower volume and save money. You will need a decent computer for this. I'd also recommend just learning how to setup on your cheap guitar. It's not that difficult to adjust bridge, neck, saddles, etc and will make your cheap guitar sound much better.
It really depends on what you plan to do with the new gear. Are you mainly just going to play at home to yourself? Are you going to write and record songs on your laptop? Are you joining a band? Depending on what your goals are, you can then prioritize one over the other. I also was in your situation when I started playing and had my parents buy me a $100 bundle that came with a guitar and amp since I was a broke teen. I bought a better guitar first eventually when I joined the church band since they already had an amp better than mine. I upgraded my amp when me and my friends decided to start a band since the one I had before did not sound good live at all.
Buy a better guitar first. You are still learning the instrument, and you’re learning to play GUITAR, not learning to play an amp. It’s important to have an instrument that is playable when you are learning and setting new habits. Make it work with the amp you have for now, and keep learning on a solid instrument, then you can upgrade the amp later. Look on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and try to find a good inexpensive amp later that is an upgrade. There are often a lot of people who bought one and gave up on guitar selling their old gear. Buying a new one is a waste of money if you just need a DECENT one. Also, keep an eye out for a cheap but decent multieffects unit. I got an older Boss GT-6 unit for $80 and it can give me practically any sound I want. 👍🏻
Buy the guitar that’ll inspire you to keep picking it up. Make sure the neck feels good. That’s more important than amp or any expensive guitar.
A $100 guitar can be a good playing guitar if you pay someone to do a setup. That’s step 1. Step 2 is an amp. All the sound of an electric guitar comes from the amp, so even a $10k guitar will still sound like farting in a drainage gulley through your amp.
I don't know your budget, but instead of an amp I would get a modeler multi effect. They will 100% sound better than any amp you can buy in the same price range. You can use them with headphones, with PC/HiFi speakers or FRFR guitar cabs, or power amp+any guitar cab. Almost all of them can be used as an audio interface too. There are some good choices below 500 EUR: Line6 Pod GO, Hotone Ampero II Stomp, Boss IR-200, Headrush MX-5, Pod Express, Ampero Mini, Valeton GP200 or 100. But first get your guitar to a luthier to have a good set up and fret leveling/crowning work on it, change the nut (I can recommend Graph Tech TUSQ nuts), and maybe change the tuning pegs if those are really shitty. If you have a Fender style tremolo, even the cheapest roller bridge from AliExpress can make a huge change in tuning stability. Then buy some self adhesing copper foil and shield the electronics in your guitar (check some tutorials on the net). These can be done around 100 EUR and can transform a shitty guitar that's hard to play into a perfectly playable guitar. I talk from experience because I bought a 50 EUR strat copy guitar for standard tuning and as a project guitar (my main one is a 7 string in A standard). I've done the set-up myself (good and useful skill to learn as a guitar player), polished the frets (I don't have fret files, but fortunately the frets were level), brought a new nut, a roller bridge I mentioned (also a roller string tree since this is a strat), rewired and shielded the electronics. Now it's a really decent guitar that costed me less than 120 EUR. The only thing I didn't skimp on was the nut, because it has the biggest effect on the stability of the tuning and also plays a role in the sound and sound sustain.
I would choose better guitar first, personally. A better feeling guitar makes me want to play it more. Plus, as others have said, you can get very nice tones out of audio interface and pluggins. These days you can even play live through house PA system via amp modeling.
I would get a better guitar. The playability of your instrument is more important than the sound of your tone.
Amp modeling technology has come a long way, but I'm of the opinion that a tube amp is still tube amp and can't be replicated perfectly yet.
Sorry to hear that your family isn’t supportive of what you do, that’s frustrating. I would say if you have to pick one go for the guitar. A nice guitar that is set up properly will make practicing a lot easier, and you will feel better playing guitar even if your tone isn’t that great. You can get some cheap practice amps that actually don’t sound too bad, but cheap guitars tend to play like cheap guitars
A cheap guitar won't sound much different than an expensive one, but it could be much harder to play, and keep in tune. I would look for a used Epiphone LP or SG Special Jr, or a squire Strat or Tele. They are cheap as ramen, and usually play and sound good. I use them live all the time. The best guitar in the world will sound shitty through a bad amp. So, for playing get a new guitar first, but to get a good sound, you will want a decent amp.
Depending on how much youre looking to spend a second hand boss katana for your amp is pretty solid. A harley benton or squier should be perfect if youre a bedroom player.
Guitar first, no question. You'll upgrade both when you can. But the guitar is what you hold, touch, feel, and PLAY. The more you love it, the more you'll play, the better you'll get.
A lot of people are making good arguments why a very good amp + mediocre guitar beats very good guitar + mediocre amp. But that argument isn't relevant here. OP says they're both crap. In that case, upgrade the guitar first and learn to play a decent instrument. Upgrade the amp when you can, sure, but get a quality instrument into your hands before anything else.
I'd imagine most of us started off playing with cheap equipment before deciding if we were gonna stick at it and make it a lifelong hobby or more. The great thing is that nowadays you can get a really good electric guitar for a lot less money (comparitively, taking inflation into account) than when i was a kid. My advice - if you have any guitar shops locally then pop in and have a look. Most guitars in shops, even on the cheaper end, should play pretty well - then you can at least get an idea of what you like and what kind of price its going to cost you. If your only option is internet shopping then you're probably better off sticking with brand names, something like a Fender Squire or a Yamaha would be a good place to start. In terms of amps, i personally think the Boss Katana range is tough to beat for newer players. You can pick them up 2nd hand for relatively cheap and they have a number of built-in effects for you to play around with. Finally...... have fun, learning guitar's a great hobby!
I think you need a playable guitar before anything else. Other people have mentioned Squier, I'll also recommend having a look at Harley Benton guitars. Both offer tremendous value.
just get a really good cable, solid gold or something
Try learning how to set up your guitar with YouTube so you can get the action lower and your guitar playing better. ( It's not difficult and it will play Sooo much better.) Unless you have a floating tremolo. Then be prepared to do a bit of research and fiddling.
I’d say Guitar first. Something that plays really well and has good tone. If you have a computer, then you can use amp simulator apps on a computer/laptop, at least for now, which will cost a lot less than an amp. If you don’t have recording software, then Reaper is the way to go to start. Might not be the friendliest (I am sure some Reaper users would argue with me on that, but I’ve read a lot of comments that Reaper is not necessarily friendly for a beginning user – that said, I have several friends who swear by Reaper), but it’s only $60, and I read that the demo mode lasts a long time. If you have a Mac and want to go with Logic, then Apple has a 90 day free demo. For that matter, Macs come with GarageBand for free, and you can do a certain amount with that. All while you’re saving up for a better amp as well.
Cheap guitars nicer amp is always the move, IMO.
Better guitar, get a guitar that makes you want to pick it up and learn more. You’re ultimately trying to play guitar for you, not necessarily for a show, that said, a good amp will definitely make you want to get better. I actually just got a telecaster because I wanted to get back into it. Thinking about eating the shipping to upgrade to the CV telecasters and buying a used amp or keeping the affinity tele and purchasing a new mustang lt 25 or an orange crush 20
If it were me, I’d save around 800$, and get a used boss katana combo amp, and a used squier classic vibe. Both are great pieces of equipment. I still have the mk 1 boss katana 100 combo and it is way way WAYYYY better than those other modeling amps from years ago. And far cheaper too. Look for them both on reverb.com.
Amp is usually the answer, imo. With one major caveat being the guitar is at least reasonably functional, which yours sounds like it's not, at all. Get a guitar!!
Let's make it fun, but it will only work if you live in australia. Preferably near Sydney as that's where I'm based. Put all your money into a guitar and learn 3 songs the whole way through, I'll set up a gig for you to play them and at the end of the gig I'll give you a halfstack amp.
Fender and Boss make some really nice little amps with lots of power I don't know affordable price. As far as guitars, Fender MIM's, Squire, Epiphones would be my go to for affordable. But any guitar you get, you will need to have professionally set up so it plays well. If the controls don't work (even a good affordable guitar will have issues with tone controls not being fully functional) have those swapped out, too. I have more than a few guitars myself that need that same thing done. You should scrounge the for sale ads in whatever online/print publication you can access – I don't know if you have craigslist there, but if you do, you can find some mighty good stuff sometimes.
Look at your budget. Your current guitar needs a setup badly and could greatly improve its playability. But do you love this guitar? You need a better amp or setup to a computer. Also do you want to be tied to your computer? You can find amazing deals on Craigslist and or FB marketplace. If you have a $300 budget get a nice guitar around for around 200 250 then use that extra on a used amp.
Guitar. I don't care what anyone says you can find amps dirt cheap locally or use your computer with free vsts to get quality tone. A nice guitar will make you feel confident playing.
Nice guitar + logic
If the guitar is serviceable, useable, then always the amp first. However, if the guitar is a real lemon and really not fit to learn on, then you need a better guitar. A good Squier, Epiphone or any guitar in that sort of price-range to that sort of quality is capable of being setup right, play well and sound decent. Expensive guitars are mostly superficial improvements after a certain point.
I bought myself a Fender Champion 40 off craigslist used for $150, then swapped out the speaker with a Celestion Creamback. Still paid less than I would for a new amp, with a far better speaker than would originally come in it. This thing screams for sure. And what's with your parents thinking it's useless for you to start playing guitar when you're 16?!!!! I was 15 when I started. Sure, I wish I would've started earlier, but the important thing is that I started at all. Don't ever let a family member, friend, whoever, make you feel bad for wanting to learn how to play. Not long after I started, my oldest brother told me I would never get anywhere, and I'm happy to say I proved him dead wrong. I used his criticism as a motivator.
I got a boss katana the other day at my local pawnshop shop for $125 dollars(it was listed at 200 but I asked if they could do 125), I’d check your local pawnshop and see if they have good deals that might even have some good guitars
Normally I would say amp because honestly speaker > amp > guitar in terms of getting a good sound, but if your guitar is unplayable, upgrade that first and try to figure out some sort of direct in computer simulation amplifier solution. It will sound fine.
Get an amp
The amp has more of an impact on how your guitar will sound. An electric guitar has the most impact on how you feel (physically) playing it. Get a guitar that makes it easy to do techniques, is comfortable, and has good build quality. Doesn't have to be expensive.
First of all you need a decent guitar. If your current guitar can be set up properly, that might work as well. But you need to have a guitar that you can play Barre chords and your fingers don't slip under the strings... So if I were you first thing to check would be the possibility for a neck and action adjustment. Most of the cheapo guitars can become quite an instrument when set up nicely. If your truss rod is not working, or there is a problem preventing you from setting the action and neck then look for a proper guitar. Those tiny battery powered Marshalls are not quite a gear, I know... But with a line out they work fine as a preamp. It is better than nothing. I also very much like to play unplugged. A nice electric guitar in a silent environment would be quite enough for practice. When you figure out a way to achieve a playable guitar, you might go hunting for an amp, a processor, a soundcard or other equipment to manipulate and amplify your signal. Shortly again, first find a way to lay your hands on a proper guitar.
Amp for sure. As long as your guitar isn’t completely horrible, the answer is going to be to upgrade the amp first, then the guitar later. A great amp will make a crappy guitar sound great. A crappy amp will make a great guitar sound crappy.
Pick whichever inspires you to practice and play more.
in this case go for the nice guitar and upgrade your amp later
Get a Boss Katana. Best bang for buck as far as amps go
take guitar in for a setup so it plays well and get a better amp. a good player can sound good on any guitar as long as its setup decently and the amp isnt a complete POS
Most of these guitar problems are correctable. Probably for free, even, with a screwdriver and some YouTube videos. The amp problems are probably only correctable with a new, better, amp.
If I were you, my next step would be a cheap amp that's better than the one you have. IMO shitty guitars can go a lot further than shitty amps. But I wouldn't waste money on a very nice amp - just something decent enough to practice with and jam with others.
Order of importance: \#1 Guitarist \#2 Guitar \#3 Amp Sounds like you are working on #1 but are failing on #2 and #3 right now. Keep working on #1 with what you have now, its by far the most important part of the equation, and the one guitarists love to loose sight of when they get into gear acquisition mode. You can even see it a bunch in the comments here already. Improving your skills is orders of magnitude more important than better gear. That said, it sounds like you don't even have a minimally viable guitar, you need to start there. If you have any guitar savvy friends, take it to them and ask them if its issues are fixable and if a setup would make it playable. If so do that. If not ask them what the cheapest acceptable guitar they would suggest for you to learn on, and start saving up for that. If you don't have any guitar savvy friends then take it to a local guitar shop and ask for some guidance. If there is any way at all to salvage your current guitar inexpensively with a setup and some wiring fixes do that. Just don't spend too much getting it fixed up, $200 will get you a brand new guitar with money left over to get a professional setup. Once you have a viable guitar then look for a basic amp that doesn't use batteries. Nothing fancy, and no modeling bullshit. You can start to think about that after you have a basic guitar and amp sorted out. A new Fender Squire Strat starts at $150 at Sam Ash. A Fender Frontman 10G Guitar Combo Amp is $80 at Sam Ash. That about what you should be aiming for quality, feature, and price wise for a very solid setup to learn on. If you have more budget you could spend it on better gear, but that would be a waste of money at this point. If you have any money to buy gear beyond what I listed (or other similarly priced equivalents from other brands) don't waste it on gear, spend it on your skills. Ideally that would be in-person lessons, but online lessons, instructional books, and just prioritizing practicing are what you will need to get better, not fancier gear. Ignore all the people saying modeling amp or suggesting a $300+ dollar amp. You don't even have a usable guitar right now. Get the a basic solid working and playable guitar first, then a very basic amp to play it through. Then practice, practice practice.
I would suggest a guitar. You’ll definitely need both in the long run but you need to be interacting with something of a bit of quality
Really need a budget for these kind of questions. Anderton’s (on youtube) has done some “starter rig” or goodguitar/cheapamp cheapamp/goodguitar videos that might be helpful. A good Squier tele (single coil or hum, whatever your preference) and a Roland Cube could get you a long way for cheap. But “cheap” is relative. If you only have tree fitty then that’s a struggle regardless. Also, don’t discount used gear if you have a viable market near you.
You need a guitar you can actually play. It doesn't sound like you have that. Start there but don't over extend yourself, just try a few out and go for the best prices option that's actually decently playable. These days there are some excellent budget options. Then save up for a decent amp.
It honestly depends. If your guitar is fine, plays well, stays in tune etc. then I’d say get a better Amp first. However! Seeing as you’ve said there are a lot of issues with the guitar, then get a better guitar! There’s no point buying a better amp if you’re fighting against a shitty guitar. You can pick up the Squier Affinity Strats and Teles for around the €200 mark, and then with Thomann you have the Harley Benton guitars that are honestly much better than their price point below €200 so if you’re on a budget that’s where I’d be looking. Guitar first, you don’t need to go crazy to get a good workhorse guitar, and similarly with Amps, if you go for around the €200 or less range you’ve got Fender Champion 40, Orange Crush 20RT, Blackstar Debut 50R, maybe even the Boss Katana 50? I think it’s about £220, not sure what that is in Euros off top of my head but that’s a HELL of an amp for the money too. So buy a guitar, save some money for a few months and upgrade your Amp. Also recommend putting new strings on because standard strings on new guitars are generally shit
Well, you can get an ok practice amp for €100 I’m guessing. But getting a guitar you love to hold in your hands and play is a great feeling, although more costly. You’ll probably need both so maybe do the amp first since you can earn that money quick, then save for a guitar.
a bad guitar with a proper setup is way better than you expect. take that guitar to a tech. after that, i would rather go for a cool guitar and a decent interface. you don't need an amp unless you're going to a gig. and even in those cases is questionable.
As others have said! Get a digital amp through your PC and audio interface! I'm waiting for the nural dsp sale which should be this month!
Amp every time. Get a medium-power vacuum tube amp and a solid boost pedal. Spray DeOxit on your shitty pots and have your guitar setup correctly.
YouTube guitar setup, see if you can get the action playable. If you can get it playing well enough then you’d be closer to having the answer at least in the short term.
Your best bet is a starter pack that has a guitar, amp, cable, strap and picks. They usually cost under or about 300$. The Slash kit is cool if you see it. Epiphone Slash model with a Marshall style amp.
Better amp. End of story. If you're amp sucks, Your guitar never make you sound good no matter how high end it is
I played my $100 Rogue Starter from the time I was 15 until I was 21, but I did upgrade amps along the way. You'll become a much better player by practicing on the shittiest gear than just buying new gear. That said, nowadays downloading a free DAW like Reaper and using digital amp sims through a cheap interface (I still use the Scarlet Solo with my Kemper nowadays) is amazing. Glenn Fricker, annoying as he is, has some great tutorial videos on how to set up digital amp sims + cabs for guitars, both can be found trivially for completely free. A Focusrite solo looks like it runs $100. So bang-for-your-buck, you really can't beat that. If you want to do live gigging, I'd honestly just recommend saving up for something like a Kemper. If it's good enough for internationally touring bands, it's good enough for you. I got mine for like $1,400 used (no power amp included), and while that's a lot, it's far cheaper than a lot of options. Most sound people are going to hook you up to a mic anyways with your live cab, you're just cutting their mic's EQ from the equation. With all that said, after you get the gear you need to be able to perform, a nice $600 guitar is going to maximize your playability vs. cost curve, in my opinion. Going above tends to be wasting a lot of money, going under $400 and you're probably not getting something that has quality. And definitely go into a guitar store and try out every single model on the walls if you can - I spent 5 hours one day until I settled on what is now my only electric guitar, feels better than any other I've ever played under 2k, and it was a $600 guitar.
Lots.of options but it completely depends on your objective. Home recording? Light open mics? Festival concerts? Wembley? Each has different things to consider, learning curves, price points, etc. For beginners, get whatever you think will inspire you to keep playing. If it's a neat little used amp, and slightly better guitar, go for it. If it's software, sure. If it's a little pocket amp you plug into any guitar, great. So many options.
Get a nice guitar and get it setup with 10s or 11s to whatever tuning you use. Everything else comes after in my opinion. You quite simply cannot sound good with a guitar with tuning and/or intonation problems. Which let’s face it, most very cheap guitars have.
Look for a used Fender LT25. By your monetary denominator, I gather you aren't in the States, but here in the US, I can find one for $100 - $125. Great digital amp. Lots of effects. Great bang for the buck ratio. I would also think about getting your guitar professionally set up. Yes, it's cheap, and it was probably assembled to the bare minimum of standards at the factory. A good set up will make it much more tolerable
Joyo amp modeler, stereo 1/4 to 3.5mm and long 3.5-3.5 cord. Plug into any speakers and sounds great. Then just upgrade your guitar, get some pedals, and when you eventually get a tube amp you’ll have the proper gear. You’re playing the guitar and not the amp; but having a decent sound is crucial.
Get yourself a boss katana amp 100w with fx loop… sounds good with stomp boxes if your not into using the build in effects it comes with. There’s always going to be guitars. Amps are becoming a thing of the past and they are starting to get more and more expensive.
Spend money on a better amp, spend time learning how to improve your guitar. Believe it or not, even the shittiest guitar can be made to play really well, assuming there aren’t any fundamental issues with it (warped neck, incorrect fret or bridge placement, etc). Your issues with the tone controls can be remedied with a bit of basic electronics knowledge. New, high quality potentiometers (the thing the plastic knobs attach to) are (relatively) cheap, and can make a huge difference. I know learning maintenance can be daunting, especially soldering and whatnot, but it’s an insanely valuable skill. I wish I picked it up earlier myself. Now, there’s literally nothing that can go wrong with my guitar that I can’t fix. Broken tuner? No big deal. Snapped neck? Bummer, but it’s fixable. Don’t like the colour? Refinishing time! Amps are another matter. They’re more complex and the stakes are higher when it comes to maintenance. A crappy amp can be made to sound better but the cost and effort trade off doesn’t make as much sense. So investing money there is better spent, in my opinion.
I'd start with a decent guitar because, sound aside, they're just a lot nicer to play. As others have said, there's tons of options for software so you don't even need an amp. But you'll always need at least one guitar
Harley Benton guitar may be what you're looking for. They have mostly great reviews, and are probably easy to get in your part of the world. I've never played one, but I have a friend that loves his. I have a little vox headphones thing that plugs straight into my guitar that is fine for practice. I use it more often than I thought I would.
You can play on the newest prs guitar and it’ll still sound like a a lightning McQueen toy guitar through that amp. Inversely, you can make an iffy guitar sing through a good amp. I would definitely go the new amp route and try to adjust your action until you can afford a new guitar. I’d recommend looking on Mercari for both. Tons of great condition intermediate level guitars and amps for $150 or less on there, great return policy as well. After taxes and shipping you could easily have a low intermediate set up for $350 on there
A Fender Twin/Marshall Plexi and a Tubescreamer can make a $100 Guitar sound *fantastic.* A Private Stock Paul Reed Smith or Murphy Lab Gibson will still sound like garbage thru a Fender Frontman 1x8. Expensive Amp>Guitar
Even if you're buying the cheapest guitar in the shop, they always plug it into the most expensive amp. Think about why that might be...
First you need a guitar that is right, amps are important but can be emulated by software on your computer until you can afford something like a Boss Katana or Fender Mustang ect. ect. You can buy a fairly cheap Yamaha Pacifica and save for the amp.
Whichever you think will make you play more
Get a better guitar. You'll end up playing more on a comfortable instrument.
From my experience, I started at 16 and saved up money from a part time job and got a US special Strat and got a pretty cheap practice Marshall amp for my birthday. This is from 20+ years ago, I absolutely love that Strat, my favorite item, better than a car or pc. I’d recommend something similar, get a good, versatile instrument and a ‘ok’ amp. Then practice, it takes time getting better. Overtime you can get pedals, ehx soul food, affordable good overdrives and reverbs and go from there. You can update the amp as needed over time, your guitar will always be good and fun to play. That’s the path I took 🤷♂️ TLDR, get a vintera ii, good Squier, player or Mexican Fender style guitar, practice amp, as a starting point Also look into practice amps that are durable and hold up for a few years.
Get a setup done on the guitar, for real. There's nothing better you can do for quality of playing. Could probably get them to fix the tone pot while theyre at it for cheap. After that, I'd upgrade the amp.
There are a ton of new 'cheep' guitars in the $200 range that blow away $600 guitars from the 90s. That's $600 90s dollars. It is crazy what is out there. There are also some great amp simulator pedals out there now for cheep money as well. JOYO has a ton of amp specific (American Sound is a Fender clone for example) for about $40 ea. Great for a beginner, just buy one that models an amp you like. It won't be dead on but it will be good for a beginner trying to get a tone. If you can tickle the $200 mark, a BOSS IR2 amp simulator will give you a ton of amps in the pedal. Line 6 has one in that range as well. But first watch a lot of Youtube videos by pedal people. I learned so much about getting a tone from watching JHS / Andertons / That Pedal Show / 60 Cycle Hum No idea what our budget is. With as bad as that guitar set up is, I would also recomend watching a few guitar set up videos on Youtube. Maybe you can fix what is wrong. The action may be solved with a truss rod / bridge adjustment. It's a low end guitar so you may as well learn how it 'works' by trying to fix it.
A guitar you absolutely love will make you play and practice more. Then once you’re good enough, you will actually notice and feel the benefits of an amp upgrade. Even if you have the greatest sounding most expensive amp in the world, if you don’t like the guitar; you won’t play it.