by Philip Brown

Created on: May 02, 2008

Here are some ideas as to what you will need to build a complete sound system for your electric guitar.

1. Amplifier

You have many choices here but the most basic one is tube vs solid state. Solid state is cheaper and more reliable but does not have the same dynamics or warmth of a tube amp. For a good starter solid state amp I would recommend the Line 6 Spider series. They come in different sizes but I would recommend getting the smallest one if you are practicing alone and saving money for a better quality tube amp when you start to play out with a band. A Fender Blues Jr. would be a good choice for an inexpensive first tube amp. A tube amp will sound better when played loud and a solid state amp will most likely sound worse when played loud. Also don't buy a 100 watt Marshall half stack and expect that it will be easy to practice with in your room because it will be major overkill. Start small and work your way up in power when the need arises.

2. Effects

Distortion, Overdrive, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Delay and Wah-Wah are some of the most basic effects but there are tons of choices here. You can opt to buy individual pedal effects or go for a digital multi-effects unit. Multi-effects boards are great for beginners who are experimenting and figuring out what effects they like. You get a lot of options for little money but the trade off is in sound quality. Individual effects usually sound much fuller than digital multi-effects and are simpler to use if you don't like programming. Boss, Digitech, and Line 6 all make good quality multi effects units for beginners on a budget.

3. Cables

Often overlooked but essential to good tone. Better quality cables give cleaner signal. Cheap cables also tend to go bad more quickly and can cut out high frequencies especially with long cables. The last thing you want is to be on stage and have one of your cables go bad so buy the best quality you can afford.

4. Do Your Homework

I would recommend reading product reviews on Harmony-Central.com before buying anything so you have a better idea of what you are getting yourself into. Hopefully this will give you some ideas as to what you need to get started building your electric guitar sound.

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