With my first "professional" level guitar and amp, I was almost at that percentage. But I spent about 3 times as much on the amp (a Marshall 100 watt full stack) as the guitar (a Fender Stratocaster), so the percentages were: 75% amp and 25% guitar.

Of course, a crummy player will always sound crummy, no matter what gear he/she gets his/her hands on.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

What is important to "me" are my music books, and watching some one play live, well.

I've only been playing a year so my red squier and used frontman 15g are more than what I need.

I do have my eye on a siena American standard and a '65 deluxe, will need a TS808, maybe a compression and a delay pedal. When I can play, keeps me motived.

Great forum!

both are important. but for me at home i can play my loud loni strat without amp also.

cheers

To me all of these answers would work. I've had guitars that sounded good thru any amp because of the quality of the guitar. Then i've had some that were just horrible and the amp still sounded prety good. Now for the answer to the question for me it is 100% guitar because thats were it all starts and the amp just enhances what is coming from it. I agree that almost anyone could play a $50 junker thru a $2000 amp and it will sound as good as a more expensive guitar but at the same time if that same guitar is played thru a cheap amp with no effects and no head room or fullness it will sound like the crap that it is. With this question it really makes me glad i like acoustic better.

Miami Mike,

This is a very interesting question. IMO I think the breakdown is

1. Player--%60
2. Guitar--%30
3. Amp--%10

I agree with some of the posts that w/o the player, the amp and guitar is useless. Without the guitar the amp and player is useless. But you combine the player and guitar, you really do not need an amp as you can play without an amp.

With that being said, the amp does make a powerful statement when the guitar is played plugged in. If you are good enough, you can play a crap guitar with a great amp and have a decent sound.

RK

I agree with RK. Player way in front.
Gotta have a decent axe or it just won't play right.
A good amp just adds (way) more to the sound but can never make up for a lousy player with a dead guitar.

IMHO of course!

Gridlok

I'm always more excited about getting a new guitar than I am about a new amp, but we all know that a good amp can make just about any guitar sound decent. A great guitar will never make a bad amp sound good.

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"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...

Hi Mike,
For Me its mostly Amp, I have several guitars that all sound great through a good amp. But all sound bad through a bad amp... So yes a good guitar is a must, but a better amp is essential

Bill

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Hey, Boy Blue is back!

All the pieces are important unless you are playing acoustic.

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Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.

Good guitar, better amp. If you play your Strat better than Hendrix but you have no amp, does anyone here you ?

John.E

Actaully yes, just not as loud

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riley

I still marvel at the prospect of people playing electric guitars without amps. I keep trying to wrap my head around it but it's really hard because I keep coming back to one inescapable fact ... that's not what they were designed for. They were designed to be plugged in. Yup. It's true. Just look at 'em for a while & it'll all start to make sense. 2¢

Back on topic, Leo made amps before guitars. Question answered.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

And Gibson made amps way before Fender. They also made guitars way before amps.

When I see someone play a amp, with nothing plugged into it, I'll admit I'm wrong. Its a simple fact that the amp is there to serve the guitar only.

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No no and no

How good does a Dumble amp sound...is there a guitar equivalent?

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Haha! Good one Niki!

I'm probably on the guitar, (and player) side because of many years playing acoustic before owning a Strat.

Gridlok