Did you recently acquire an electric guitar and you were wondering if you actually needed to have an amp also to even play the guitar? The short answer is no, you do not absolutely need to have an amp to be able to play the electric guitar.
However, it will make your experience while playing this type of guitar much more fun, and I would strongly recommend getting one as soon as possible.
In this article, we will discuss what other options you have if you cannot yet afford to buy a guitar amp, and what other equipment will add tons of enjoyment to the electric guitar.
And as you’ll soon find out, you really don’t have to spend a fortune on a guitar amp just to get good sound and have hours of enjoyment from playing the electric guitar.
Table of Contents
Can I Play Guitar Through My Stereo?
The short answer to this question is that yes, you can actually play your guitar through your stereo, but the truth is, it’s just not going to sound that great.
This is especially true if you’re trying to play at louder volumes, because the sound will come out sounding rough and distorted, and not in a good way. You could also blow out your speakers and permanently damage them.
The reason for this is that your home speakers were designed to play certain types of musical frequencies. When you play an electric guitar through your home stereo, the frequency range could damage your speakers.
If you have no other choice but to use your home stereo as a makeshift guitar amp, always start off with the volume super low – on both the stereo and your guitar.
Playing your guitar through the speakers at higher volumes will be the thing that actually destroys the speakers, so I wouldn’t even risk it. And as you’ll find out in a little bit, there are some pretty affordable alternatives to playing your guitar through your stereo.
Can I Plug Headphones Directly Into My Electric Guitar?
To this day, I am still not aware of any guitar that allows you to plug in your headphones directly into the instrument. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they will never get invented.
Even if you were to use some sort of an adapter with your headphone jack, you will most likely not hear anything at all if you plugged it into your guitar directly.
The reason for this is because when the sound goes from your guitar to a guitar amplifier or headphone amp, the sound is amplified and that’s what enables it to create sound. Your headphones can’t do this.
You will also need some sort of power source in order to amplify the sound from your electric guitar. By simply plugging headphones directly into your guitar, you are not providing any power source, and therefore nothing happens.
Can You Tune an Electric Guitar Without an Amp?
While some guitar amps have tuners built into them, you do not actually need a guitar amp to be able to tune your electric guitar. There are a few types of guitar tuners on the market, and most don’t require you to have an amp.
One type of tuner, that is both convenient and super affordable is a clip-on guitar tuner. They can be used for both electric and acoustic guitars, and most have the option to either tune by microphone or tune by vibration.
They clip onto the headstock of your guitar very easily and can either be taken off after you are done tuning your guitar, or they can be left on.
I tend to leave mine on during each practice session, and then I take it off when I’m done, so it doesn’t leave any unwanted marks.
You can also use stand-alone guitar tuners. They tune your electric guitar by using a guitar cable to plug the guitar into an input jack. I have one of these as a backup tuner, but I find that using a clip-on tuner works better.
Best Affordable Amps for People on a Budget
When it comes to finding an affordable guitar amp to get you started on your electric guitar journey, it can be overwhelming for beginners.
In the beginning, avoid buying anything with too many bells and whistles, as this can be very overwhelming for some. The best thing to do is to buy a practice amp when you are first starting to learn.
Below you will find a few of the best guitar amps that are perfect for both beginner and intermediate players.
All three of these amps are produced by top-notch companies that are recognized in the music industry, so you know you are getting a great quality guitar amp. And best of all, they are all under $100, so they won’t break the bank.
Last update on 2025-01-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
What Equipment Do I Need To Play Electric Guitar?
The minimum amount of equipment you need to play an electric guitar is the guitar itself. Just because you may not have a guitar amp to go along with your electric guitar does not mean you cannot learn chords, notes, and songs. It just won’t sound as good.
Besides the guitar itself, there are a few pieces of equipment that will enhance the enjoyment that you can get from playing it. Obviously, one of these things is an amp.
Amps range from the small and basic ones we mentioned above, all the way to modeling amps with tons of built-in sounds. I would start off with a basic and highly affordable practice amp.
You can eventually upgrade once you have nailed down the basic concepts of guitar playing and you are even more ready to experiment with your tone. Plus, you can still add effects to your amp so you’re not completely limited either.
Other types of equipment you will need for your electric guitar include guitar cables (so you can plug your guitar into an amp), a guitar strap, guitar picks (thin ones), and a guitar tuner. All of these are pretty inexpensive and can often come in a package deal.
