Hey guys,

When I purchased my new equipment to learn to play the guitar. I new I wanted a Fender Strat along with a good Fender amp. What I didn't know is you don't need an amp to practice... I would bet that 90% of my practice time is without an amp.

I'm just in the beginning stages of practice and playing, 3rd week, and know the time will come when I'll want to turn up the amp and let fly. But its nice to know I can just pick it up at anytime and play!

I'm a little surprised in all the research I did on the net about the electric guitar that I never read you don't HAVE to have an amp. I'd of gotten an amp anyway but its really nice to be able to practice without one.

Harry

Yes for practice you don't need to use an amp when you're working on your technique etc. In fact you're probably better off not plugging in when you're developing things.

Read an interview with Eddie Van Halen years ago and he said when he's practicing at home he rarely plugs in, just picks a guitar up and go's at it.

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

Hey Gorgon,

That's good to know that even someone like Eddie Van Halen practices without an amp. I'm using Gibson's "Learn and Master Guitar" because just like I new I had to have a Fender Strat, I also new I had to have the best learning tool out there and everything told me it's the Gibson course!

I'm not close to an instructor and we have poor internet here in the mountains so I needed something that is CD based and the "Learn and Master Guitar" is really excellent! But its not all about an instructor or training course is it? So much of it is picking up the guitar for 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there on your own and just practice and use your fingers. Its nice that you can pick it up and not have to be concerned about an amp. It was very good news indeed!!!

Thanks for the shout Gorgon,

Harry

Yes you can practice without an amp, but be careful because what you are practicing may sound different through the amp. The amp is unforgiving when you miss a note and help curve future mistakes.

With that being said, I practice as much time on the amp as without.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Yes and it's better for late night practicing and stuff like that as well. Sometimes depending on where we live playing through a loud amp is not really practical. Other members of the household most times don't want to hear it blasting

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

What you're practicing will definitely sound different though an amp. I highly recommend leaving the amp off and paying more attention to what you're doing. Use an amp and effects as enhancements and not crutches. It makes a world of sense.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I'm much the same Harry an arms length away and you still got that Strat sound and feel unplugged, a little audio interface ( pod ) into the computer keeps the noise down when reqr'd

I used to practice without the amp just because I didn't like my playing. I think it is good for a learner because you will use a nice full attack instead of letting the amp do the work. You can also play while watching TV (I used to do this all the time for boring stuff like drilling scales, mindless exercises) and it won't overpower the audio on the TV.

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In my opinion a Chrystal clear amp is necessary for real technique perfection. its very difficult to hear sloppy playing on an electric unplugged. but that's only when you want to finely hone your skills.

with me the only time i ever really pick around with no amp is while I take a dump no amp needed due to the natural acoustics

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i love playing loud thru a tube amp. really, i do. my wife does not care one bit. plus, i use alot of feedback.
i also have a small device called a tascam gt-1. it is very small and uses headphones. it has 10 presets that can be modified. i'd be completely lost without it. i use it not only because it sounds good but i can work on songs for hours without annoying the wife. you know playing the same riff over and over till you get it down. they cost around 150 bucks if i remember right. put the cd in and go.

Thanks guys,

That's some good information and I thank you for it. And there is no question that the amp brings out any would-be flaws in delivery. As a beginner however not having that kind of clarity could be a good thing!

As for "somebizarredude" comment on bathroom duties I for one would not play guitar in the bathroom! OK, unless I was maybe planned to play "Classical Gas by Mason Williams"!

Thanks guys, you're great as always,

Harry

Harry,

Most of the time I don't use an amp. But eventually you have to plug in and all your mistakes come out all the more. I agree sometimes a good clean amp sound, no effects, etc brings it all together.

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I remember when we were free!

Of course you can play without an amp.

But.

You won't learn how to play an ELECTRIC guitar that way. You need an amp if you want to learn to play electric guitar.

Sure you can work on scales and what not but you can't work on electric guitar technique without an amp. An amp can add sustain and feedback just as a example. Playing with distortion requires a different technique then playing without it is another. It's a pretty different thing then playing unplugged.

If you want to play electric guitar you need to work on the techniques that make playing with an amp sound good. If you're hearing more mistakes when you play thru an amp that's not the amps fault, it just means you need to practice playing with one.

To me electric guitar playing involves the guitar and the amp as a system.

As a rule, I never practice with an amp, never did. I figure if I can properly learn whatever it is that I am working on acoustically to where I'm satisfied with it, it would only sound better with an amp. I've always operated under the philosophy of, if you crank your amp up to '10', play something and it sounds incredible, then shut the amp down and continue playing whatever it is and it still sounds really good, you're surely on the right track. I've been playing since 1967 and this methodology has always served me well.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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You dig?

Congratulations Harry. Discovering a new way to accomplish something is a pleasant surprise. New equipment, two of my favorite words.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.