- Determine the right amount of power for your needs. Some guitarists will tell you that bigger is better, but realistically, you don't need any more power than you're going to use. If you're playing mostly by yourself for practice, about 15 to 30 watts will do. Playing in a band will require at least 60 to 75 watts of power. Anything over 100 watts of power is usually too much, except in some loud, hard styles of music or for playing very large venues.
-
Beyond just the power, decide how large an amplifier you need. Amplifiers come in two basic configurations: combos and stacks. A combo amp combines the amplifier and the speaker in one enclosure and offers a more compact setup and more portability. A stack amp lets you choose which speaker works better for you.
Stacks that have a head and one speaker cabinet are called half stacks, while a full stack uses two speaker cabinets. The main difference is that a half stack usually has four smaller speakers in the cabinet, while a full stack has the four-speaker cabinet plus a larger speaker in the other cabinet for handling the low frequency notes. - After you've settled on how big your amp is, head out to the store to play one. Dealing with salespeople is actually very easy if you already know what you're looking for. If you're serious about buying a big dollar amp, bring your guitar along, because that's the only way you can be sure what the amplifier will sound like. Play several different models and make sure you twist all the knobs and punch all the buttons to be sure it has the features you want, without having too many features you won't use. If a feature is unfamiliar to you, ask the salesperson, she will be able to guide you through any special things you have to do to make the amplifier work for you.
