Image of Guided shopping e gitarre e gitarre spielen aber wie amps kopfhörer 2

How to play electric guitar - with headphones

If you want to practise alone without disturbing family or neighbours, amplifiers, complete systems and pedals with a headphone output are a sensible solution. Electric-guitar software plugins on PCs and mobile devices can also be used with headphones (via an interface).

Advantages and disadvantages of playing electric guitar with headphones

Compared with our five other categories, this solution has the following

advantages:

play quietly by yourself
practise anywhere on the go (depending on equipment)

Disadvantages:

less authentic feel (sound in the room)
headphones can start to press on your head after a while
not really suitable for live or band use

Decide now:

Here you'll find three ways to play your electric guitar quietly through headphones:

Image of Guided shopping e gitarre e gitarre spielen aber wie amps 1 2100x1400

Amps with headphone output

Advantages:

first choice for purists with an additional headphone output (the best of both worlds)
If you don't want to miss the feel and control of an amp
Solid hardware build.
A PC or smart device is not strictly required to operate.
Resale possible (boutique gear can even hold its value).

Disadvantages:

Amps are large, heavy and cumbersome to transport
Compared with the other two options, relatively expensive to buy and only partly suitable for beginners.

Learn more

Image of Guided shopping e gitarre e gitarre spielen aber wie amps 2 2100x1400

Pedals with headphone output

Advantages:

Pedals and complete systems with a headphone output are all-in-one solutions for modern electric guitarists.
Very portable.
Solid hardware construction.
Somewhat more affordable than the amplifier option.
For players who like to tweak controls and continue to use (or collect) external effects.
A PC or smart device is not strictly required to operate.
Resale possible (boutique gear can even hold its value).

Disadvantages:

Pedals and complete systems always require either a PA or headphones to be used
Depending on the features and number of effects used, this option can become costly.

Learn more

Image of Guided shopping e gitarre e gitarre spielen aber wie amps 3 2100x1400

Playing through plugins with headphones

Advantages:

You can play electric guitar with just a PC or tablet plus an interface and the appropriate software.
Practical for beginners as it keeps costs low. Most people already have a computer or mobile device and only need to invest in the software.
You're very flexible within the software.
Excellent for solo songwriting or sketching song ideas.

Disadvantages:

It becomes difficult to play with others at the same time.
Latency can cause problems.
Not for tone purists
A PC or smart device is required.
Software registration makes resale difficult.

Expert opinion:

Or even easier: plug the ToneX Plug from IK Multimedia directly into your electric guitar's jack and connect your headphones — you'll be playing authentic amp and pedal sounds without any additional equipment. Thanks to advanced tone modelling technology, the ToneX Plug delivers realistic sounds of famous amps and rigs in an extremely compact format. Ideal for silent practice, on the go or spontaneous sessions, and small enough for any pocket.