Guitar amplifier

A guitar amplifier (or guitar amp) is an instrument amplifier designed for use with an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic-electric guitar. A guitar amplifier receives an electric guitar's pickup-generated signal and shapes that signal's tone through a preamplifier and amplifies it through a power amplifier; it is then projected through loudspeakers. When the preamp and power amp circuits are combined with one or more loudspeakers in a single enclosure, it is known as a combo. When the preamp and power amp are housed together for use with an external speaker cabinet, it is known as a head.

There is a wide range of sizes and power ratings for guitar amplifiers, from small, low-wattage practice combos to heavy, high-wattage heads that are usually paired with large external cabinets. The components chosen for an amp's circuit have a significant impact on its tonal character, which can be further sculpted by emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain frequencies using equalizer controls and through producing distortion (also known as overdrive). Reverb is a common built-in effect.