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What makes a guitar amp a guitar amp?

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 hh83
(@hh83)
Trusted Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 52
Topic starter  

Hey, i was wondering if someone could explain the difference
between a guitar amp (any type really) run clean, with no distortion
and a regular PA amp? I happen to have a PA system slightly available,
and when i plug in, it sounds more like a midi player than a guitar.

If i pre-amplify the signal in a guitar amp on the other hand,
use the usual PA amp as a power amp, i get sweet guitar sound.

Can someone tell me the tech differences? Or is the circutry
just made to give more "guitar-sound" sound?

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(@paul-donnelly)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1066
 

Can someone tell me the tech differences? Or is the circutry
just made to give more "guitar-sound" sound?
That's pretty much it, and a guitar amp probably has a speaker made for more of a guitar sound. I think PAs often have stronger mids.


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Guitar amps are typically made for lower levels of input signal voltage than PA, acoustic and keyboard amps. Typical single coil passive guitar pickups will put out maybe 100mV, humbuckers double that or so. Guitar amps are optimized for that. The other amps work well at "line level" voltages of 1-1.5V or so. Line level signals will overdrive a guitar amp. That's often a good thing, but it can also limit your dynamics. PA, acoustic and keyboard amps are intended to be operated very "clean," with minimal distortion. An electric guitar can sound good through them, but it's a squeaky clean sound.

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