How to play electric guitar

Playing electric guitar with amplification is more fun! Whether via the classic solution using an amplifier or via modern amp modelers, we show you individual ways to make music with your electric guitar.

Choose your individual solution to play electric guitar now:

Dive into our guide with useful tips and a practical comparison of the pros and cons of each solution. Have fun!

Our recommendations for beginners

From our many years of experience we've created a short ranking of the six categories for you. Our criteria target beginners on a limited budget, the option to practise quietly with headphones, band suitability, tone and versatility:

Place 1: At number 1 is the Boss IR-2 Amp & Cabinet Pedal from the Amp pedals category. Why? You can connect the pedal to your stereo system, play through headphones and make recordings with your PC. At home or on the go, its size and solid metal housing make it very robust. Crucially: the Amp pedal sounds exceptionally good! What is missing? The pedal doesn't include effects like delay, reverb or a tuner. For playing with your band you'll need a PA or an additional amplifier to make the amp pedal loud enough.

Place 2: Complete systems come in at number 2 in our ranking. They are the all-in-one package and offer everything you need to practise or perform on stage: amplifier and effect simulations, plus useful helpers like tuner and looper. They have the appropriate audio outputs to play your guitar loudly or quietly, or to record via an audio interface. Complete systems can be combined with and expanded by your existing equipment, such as guitar amplifiers. In general, the more expensive the complete systems are, the higher-quality their amp and effect simulations. (Be sure to watch for regular software updates from the manufacturers! Line 6 and Neural DSP are recommended here.)

Place 3: Many of you already own a PC, tablet or smartphone. What could be more obvious than installing a software plugin or app that simulates guitar amps and effects. In our ranking, playing electric guitar with mobile devices is in third place. Here you only need the appropriate software plus headphones or an audio interface for your PC, tablet or smartphone! If you want to practise alone or record your own songs as a singer-songwriter, this solution is right for you. If you want to play with a band or integrate your existing equipment, we recommend choosing one of our other solutions.

Place 4: If you visit one of our stores, you'll see them at the workstations in the electric guitar departments: desktop amplifiers! Plug your guitar in, tune up and crank out a few fat riffs — you can even use a backing track via Bluetooth. Perfect for desktop amplifiers! With a handful of amp simulations, built-in effects, a tuner and integrated speakers, these companions are always ready and within reach. That's important if you want to practise spontaneously. No fiddly setup or hunting down gear. That gets annoying and just wastes time — and quickly kills the desire to play. The solution here: desktop amplifiers. Practise quietly on your own or record the next solo at the PC, check! Minor drawback: the sound, of course, doesn't match tube amplifiers, high-end complete systems or amp pedals. Integrating existing equipment and playing in a band is also rather difficult here.

Place 5: Amp heads or combos come in three variations: tube, modelling or solid-state. That affects the tonal behaviour and how extensive the features are. Example: Tube = best sound, no built-in effects, expensive. Modelling = lots of sounds in the mid-range, built-in effects, mid price range. Solid-state = so-so tone but very affordable. Amp combos can be thought of as more powerful versions of desktop amps with more volume. Perfect for bands and small live gigs. If you want to learn more about amplifiers, click into the corresponding category!

Our category "play electric guitar with headphones" is not part of this ranking because you can't play electric guitar with headphones alone — you still need an amplifier. At the same time, several categories allow playing with headphones: complete systems, amp pedals, mobile devices, etc.

Tip: If you want to find out more about any of our categories and how to play electric guitar, just click the relevant link! Or visit our store and get advice on-site or by phone from our colleagues. We're happy to help you!

Expert opinion

The options shown here can of course be combined and expanded! Modern electric guitar equipment often features USB connections for PC integration to edit and save your sounds. Effect pedals can be placed before multi-effects, complete systems and amplifiers, enriching your tonal palette. Headphone jacks for silent practice and recording are integrated by many manufacturers and can be found on multi-effect pedals as well as on amplifiers.

Really great: ALL of the variants listed here are suitable for the living room, the practice room and the stage! It just depends on how much you want to carry. Let's rock!