Volume?

The only way your gonna be quiet enough is if you use the headphones like your dad suggested or else just play unplugged.

Headphones shouldn't affect your sound at all

You'd be surprised how loud an electric can be unplugged. If you play it while theres not much noise around, you can easily hear it. I often play in my room right before i go to bed unplugged so i dont wake anyone up, and i have no trouble hearing it all. If I played it as hard as i could, i bet i could probably wake my parents up.

In an apartment, with parents, headphones are probably the best option. You might even think about skipping the amp and getting a POD or V-AMP -- you'll get more and better sounds, and you can plug your headphones straight into it.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHVAMP2
http://www.zzounds.com/item--LINPOD20

I have a Bass V-AMP Pro (which also has guitar stuff) that I use to practice with late at night while my wife sleeps. It sounds great in headphones - and sounding great is important, because playing guitar is more enjoyable when it sounds good.

I do use a V-amp2, and for the current price it is a no-brainer. The POD2 was usually just a tad more expensive, but for twice the price there is really no point in going for the Line6 stuff...

A Korg Pandora PX4 (or the less expensive PX3) is another alternative for headphone practicing. I have both a POD 2.0 and the PX4. The PX4 is much more convenient for practice. It is small, runs on batteries, has a usable rhythm accompaniment (drums & bass) and lots of easy-to-use amp models and effects. As a practice tool and even a multi-effects unit for quickie recording, it's just about perfect. The only fault I find is with its phrase trainer, which produces annoying artifacts. The PX4 goes for US$199. The PX3 is similar and significantly cheaper if you can find it.

The V-amp2 is good, plus less expensive than the PX4, but has no rhythm accompaniment.

-Greg

I would look for an amp with a headphone jack. I know there are many today. There will be some occasions when no one is around. Your neighbor must go to the store sometimes. Then you will be able to play the amp. It just does not sound the same listening to an amp live versus headphones. For home practice a 15 Watt amp is plenty. You can even go less like 10 Watts or even 5 Watts. You will be surprised how loud a 10-15 Watt amp is.

Another option is one of the little headphone amps. I used to own one of these and it sounded great. They are battery powered and some have a belt clip. So you could even go outside if you had to play your guitar.

C-Tech Pocket Rocket

Lots of great ideas here. Here's mine. If you have an all tube amp I would think about getting whats called an attenuator. It will allow you to get that cranked amp sound and tone at lower volumes. Even adjust it down to headphone level. Attenuators are something every guitarist should have in their arsenal right along with their effects, like Equalizers, compressors, reverb, delays, etc.

Joe

ooh...lots of cool ideas...thanks guys...

You might want to check out the Roland MicroCube too. I use it for a bedroom amp and if I just want to sit outside. It has a headphone jack, models a few diff amps and has some built in effects.... plus it can run on 6 AA batteries. Can be had for under $100 here in the states. I love the little thing ;)

Well, I have to warn you. About what? Well, unfortunately, I don't practice much or play until late at night. My roommate hits the hay about 9pm-11pm. I can't hook up to my Fender amp for a few reasons. At low volumes, I don't get any natural cranking of the amp. Okay, not so bad. But nothing sounds quite right at that volume. It sounds sterile.

My way out is to play through headphones. I turn on the CD player with through my stereo speakers from my sounds system at fairly low volumes and my headphones left ear piece into my processor. That makes it almost impossible to create havoc for anyone but myself.

Still, I think Laz has talked about headphone overindulgence and I've done my share. You see, you can crank up headphones and think the volume is reasonable but often it's too much. Some days I've woken and said, “Man, my ear is hurting a bit. Hmmm, I wonder why.” I think back to what I was playing the previous night and realize it's the volume too high on the headphones.

Use headphones, but be reasonable. I guess I'm trying to say headphones can fool you into thinking you're not really listening to really loud guitar playing. I can attest that it IS loud at times and almost worse than listening through a regular amp. Why? The headphones mask the “real” volume. Okay, I'll leave it at that.

have you considered getting an acoustic? you need no amp, and you can take it anywhere. And in my opinion there's nothing better sounding than a nice acoustic in the open air...or in a bathroom...great acoustics in the bathroom. a nice woody tone. ah i love it

acoustics are loud though. much louder than a electric unplugged, hhahaa, 10000 gazillion times louder.

Acoustic guitars are great, but they won't give you that cranked amp sound and tone like an electric plugged into an all tube running at its saturation point at low volume. Which I achieve using Equalizers and attenuators. Then add an effect like a "Acoustic Environment Simulator" allows to simulate adding baffles or sound absorption materials to alter the high end response of your signal. Better than an equalizer because it actually knocks out frequencies over the entire spectrum, simulating real world acoustics.

There are many single and multi-effects pedals that will also create/simulate/imitate this cranked amp sound with your amp actually set at a low volume. Speaking for myself this way just doesn't have that feel I've grown to love over the years.

Joe

For pushy old ladies you'll need around 200 watts through a pair of 4 x12s :lol: