Newbie Q about Amps

Bass_Snake · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject: Newbie Q about Amps

Just wondering if Preamps are the same as Head? Sorry about the embarrassing question. Embarassed

Fred

Mkuk0 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject:

No worries its a good question. 'Head' really refers to an amp in its own right, this usually includes a pre amp. Combo systems have an amp and a speaker all in the same cabinet. I dont think you get pre amps on their own, they are always built into a head. Hope this helps Smile

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Bass_Snake · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject:

Cool, so that means preamp is a head right??

Ankhanu · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject:

No.
The Preamp is the portion of an amp that will have your tone shaping elements, like your treble, bass and mid controls, effects, signal boost, and the like before the signal goes to the power amp and out into the speakers. Almost all heads and combo amps have a preamp built in. You can buy a separate preamp unit that will run into an amp, generally they're for shaping your tone and giving signal boost (often you see them as tube preamps to run into a solid state system and get a tube sound).

A head, as mentioned, is simply an amplifier without a built in speaker system (cabinet). They generally sit on top of a speaker cabinet... looking like a head on a speaker body...
A Cabinet is simply a box with speakers in it.
A Combo amp is a head and cabinet all as a single unit... these are what you see most frequently in your local music shop.

Bass_Snake · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:33 pm Post subject:

Cool, I get it.