How to Connect an Electric Guitar to a Combo Amp

Combo amps are a considerable value for both novice and veteran electric guitar players. They tend to be more portable than separate cab and amp setups and usually cost less than it would to purchase the amp and cab separately. Connecting a combo amp to your electric guitar is a simple process.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Combo amp
• Electric guitar
• 1/4-inch guitar cable

1. Plug the combo amp's power cable into a wall socket. The vast majority of combo amps require a grounded socket to function.
2. Connect one end of the guitar cable to the electric guitar. The guitar input is located toward the right end of the electric guitar if you're a right-handed player and the left end if you're left-handed.
3. Take the other end of the guitar cable and connect it to the input jack of your combo amp. The input jack is usually located near the top of the combo amp on the same side as the speaker, but it can also be located on the top of the combo amp near the handle.
4. Turn on the combo amp. You can usually locate the power switch on the opposite end of the input and dial row that the input jack is on.

Tips & Warnings

• Have both the volume and gain knobs on your combo amp set to "0" when turning on your combo amp.
• Dial up each knob slowly after you turn the combo amp on until you have your ideal tonal quality and volume level.
• If there's no sound coming from your combo amp, even after you have connected your electric guitar and adjusted your volume and gain knobs, make sure that the volume switch on the electric guitar isn't set to "0."
• Don't have your combo amp's power switch in the "On" position when plugging your combo amp into the wall socket.