A Question About Tone Options

[radarlove1984]

How important is an amp in regards to your tone?

I recorded myself playing today and was amazed at how bad I sounded. My guitar was in tune, and everything was played cleanly and in time with the music, but the guitar sound itself was terrible. I went back and recorded a few simple riffs just to make sure it wasn't a playing mistake, and again, it sounded terrible. The clean channel has so much bass you can barely make out the chords, and the distortion channel sounds incredibly dirty and brittle. I never really noticed this before because I was always playing at the time.

My amp is an $80 dollar discontinued solid-state Crate amp. My guitar is a used, 2004 model Gibson SG that was professionally set up and plays great.

It sounds obvious now that I type this, but is this cheap amp killing my tone?

And if it is, it looks like I need a replacement.

My budget is between $200-$400, and I need a replacement practice amp. Nothing too loud... 15w would probably do it. I could really use some recommendations, as I know nothing about what makes a good amp.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!