How to Dial In a Guitar Amplifier

A guitar player must "dial" in a guitar amplifier to find the correct settings for the music they are playing. By doing this, the true potential of a guitar amplifier is never realized, and the player never sounds as good as he should. Dialing in a new guitar amplifier takes a few minutes, but it is worth the time to get a superior tone while playing. Read on to learn how to dial in a guitar amplifier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Set all tone controls to the 12 o'clock position. Turn any effects such as reverbs and chorus, as well as boosts off. They should not be experimented with until the amplifier is correctly set up. Turn the gain for the channel you are dialing in to 12 o'clock position and the master volume to the 9 o'clock position. The lead channel should be set up first. Turn the guitar amplifier and guitar on.
2. Play a song consistent with the type of music that will be played on the amplifier. Adjust master volume for proper loudness and gain for desired distortion. This may take several repetitions of the song.
3. Adjust the midrange control after the proper distortion level has been established. When the best possible sound is found with midrange adjustment, adjust the high-end or treble tone controls. Finally, adjust the low-end or bass controls. The adjustment of each control may take several repetitions before the perfect sound is found.
4. Repeat steps two through four for all other channels on the guitar amplifier. Different styles of music can be dialed in to the different channels.
5. Ignore the graphics equalizer, if equipped with one, until all channels are satisfactorily set up. Once all channels have a good tone, the equalizer can be used to further customize sound and should be set up one slider at a time starting from the middle and working first through the treble controls, and then the bass.