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All About Modeling Guitar Amplifiers And Their Advantages

There are a staggering amount of electric guitar amplifiers
available these days. And, well, that's a good thing - after all, they each have their own distinct sound - and their own unique purpose and applications. But when you start out down the road to learning electric guitar and you're ready to get that first amp, it really can be a tough decision selecting that perfect model. Sure, you can spend hours at the local music dealer, trying out and testing all the different kinds of amps. But, in the end, this method can be problematic for a number of reasons.
  1. First, you really can't do an amp justice if you test out more than 1 or 2 amps per store visit. - all the nuances and sounds of an amp are too much to take in and remember distinctly if you try to sample more than 1 or 2 per visit. you'll just end up confused. And you'll say things like "now which amp was it that had that feature?"
  2. Then there's the atmosphere of the music dealer. Don't get me wrong, music stores are great and there a lot fun to be in, but it's usually loud,(especially the guitar department), and it's difficult to hear the amp the way you need to when you want to do a serious evaluation. You end up competing with all the other musicians in the store just to hear yourself.
  3. Then there's the difference in gear. Unless you bring in your own guitar and effects, (which can be a good idea sometimes), you won't really know how the amp will sound with your own rig.

So What Can You Do?





So what choice do you have? Do you have to buy one of each amp in the store? Well, in a way, yes... The answer is to look at modeling amps.


What Exactly Is A Modeling Amp?
Over the years, several amps have developed the respect of the guitar player community because they are great. The design of these guitar amplifiers has achieved a legend status. Specific examples of these amps might include


The makers of the modeling amps design the amps to produce a copy of the sound of the original, famous amps. And they allow you, the guitar player, to switch from one famous amp to another with the turn of a knob.




Here is a list of some of the popular modeling amps available today:




So when you go amp shopping, whether you're out picking up that first great amp, or have a few amps already, consider all you get with a modeling amp.