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Welcome to the Guitar & Amp Department!
This is the first step in becoming Expert Certified in the world of guitars and
amplifiers! The courses you are required to complete are: Orientation - Tech Specialist – Expert, in that order. Once you have read and understand the material
you will go on-line and complete an assessment for each level.
You will need 90%
or better to pass the assessment. Regardless of your score, at the end of each
assessment you will be shown the questions you answered incorrectly so you will
know the areas you need to brush up on.
Orientation –
In this level you will be introduced to the various parts of both the electric and
acoustic guitar as well as the woods used in the construction of instruments. You will
be taken through the basics of both tube and solid state amplifiers and given an
introduction to some of the accessories you’ll be expected to offer customers when
selling guitars and amplifiers.
Although it is not required at this time it is highly recommended that you review the
Accessories Certification material as well to become even more familiar with many of
the products you will encounter on a daily basis.
Congratulations and welcome to Guitar Center!!
With Sincerest Regards,
Training Staff – Guitars & Amps
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Acoustic Guitars
We carry many acoustic instruments with lots of variations. You may recognize the familiar
“dreadnaught” acoustic as the most common shape used in making acoustic guitars historically.
However, the huge popularity of the acoustic guitar has resulted in a desire for more specialized
shapes and tone woods to meet the demands of professionals and hobbyists at all levels of
musicianship (and income!). Here are the basic body shapes:
• Body Shapes
Standard
Dreadnaught
Cutaway
Dreadnaught
The most
common body
shape for steel
stringed guitars.
The cutaway
simply allows
easier access to
the high notes.
Jumbo
More bass and
volume than a
dreadnaught.
Largest of the
steel-string
bodies.
Grand
Auditorium
Nice even
response of
lows & highs.
Finger-stylists
prefer this style
Classical
Smaller body.
Nylon strings.
Also used in
Flamenco
styles as well.
• Solid Top vs. Laminated Top
First let’s define these terms: Laminated woods are those that use multiple layers of wood (not
necessarily the same species) bound together to make one piece. A solid wood is one piece of
wood through its thickness. The back and sides of an acoustic guitar could also be solid or
laminate but for now we’re discussing the top only.
Generally speaking solid woods are more flexible than laminated woods and will, therefore, be
more responsive to the amount of string energy introduced. The listener hears a fuller, louder,
more rich-sounding guitar. Laminated materials are used where limiting the cost of the guitar is
the primary concern. As laminated materials are stronger, enhanced durability is a side benefit to
the use of laminated woods in guitar construction, however, solid top guitars are always
considered a step up from a laminated top guitar.
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Acoustic Guitar Anatomy
Headstock
Tuning pegs or
machines
Position
Markers / or
“Inlays”
Top or
“Soundboard”
Binding
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Guitar Tone Woods
Spruce is what acoustic guitar tops are typically made with and is sometimes used to make
the tops of hollow body electrics. It has a very high strength-to-elasticity ratio (light & strong)
compared to most other woods. The most commonly used variety is Sitka, from Alaska.
Other species include Engelman, Adirondack, German, and/or Italian (Alpine) spruce.
See Spruce tops on these instruments:
Sitka – Taylor 414CE, Martin D28
Engelman – Taylor 710CE
Mahogany is a very common wood used for the back & sides. It is durable, quite resonant,
and economical because of its relative abundance. It is the lightest and least dense of all
hardwoods. It has a tighter bass response than rosewood, and, while bright, is warmer in its
treble response than, say, maple.
See Mahogany on these instruments:
Gibson Les Paul Studio – body and neck
Gibson SG – body and neck
Taylor 500 series – mahogany back and sides
Martin D15 – all mahogany
Rosewood is among the heaviest and densest of the hardwoods. Guitars with rosewood
backs have very lush, full bass response. Today, most rosewood comes from East India.
Brazilian Rosewood, although many times more costly, is still much in demand as a
premium tone wood. Rosewood is also the most common wood used for fingerboards.
See Rosewood on these instruments:
Gibson Les Paul STD – rosewood fret board
Taylor 800 series – rosewood back and sides
Martin D28 – back and sides
Maple is chosen as both a tone wood and for its beautiful figuring. For Acoustic/Arch top
guitars, its use on the back/sides adds an upper midrange sweetness that has a cutting
edge to its attack. For electrics such as Gibson Les Pauls & PRS guitars, maple is used for
the carved top layer, giving extra bite and sustain to the mahogany on the back. For an
electric guitar, maple is often used for the fingerboard to create a “brighter” sounding
instrument.
See Maple on these instruments:
PRS Custom 22 – maple top
Gibson ES335 – maple top, maple back and sides
Taylor 600 series – maple back and sides
Gibson J200 – maple back and sides
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Ash is used mostly for making electric guitars & bass bodies and is generally a heavier
wood. Another type of Ash called Swamp Ash is popular as well. Swamp Ash looks the
same as regular Ash but is much lighter. Ash resonates & sustains easily, is blond-ish in
overall color with jagged patterns of brown figuring through its grains. Many Fender Strats
& Tele’s are made with this gorgeous wood.
See Ash on these instruments:
Fender ’72 Thinline Tele - body
Fender ’52 Butterscotch - body
PRS Swamp Ash Special
Fender ’75 Reissue J Bass
Alder is very popular for use in guitars. Alder is lighter than ash and is the most popular
wood ever used for the Fender Strat. It is average weight and has a fairly straight and linear
grain. The tone is even and balanced. Alder is typically found only on electric instruments.
See Alder on these instruments:
Fender Strat – almost all sunburst models and solid color painted models
Fender Basses – same finishes as the strat
Ebony is a very hard and durable wood and looks flat black. Its most popular use is the
bridge on acoustic guitars. Another popular use for this wood is for fret boards on nicer,
more custom guitars like the Les Paul Custom and Taylor Acoustics. It’s also the most
common fret board wood found on fretless basses. Ebony is never used as a body wood or
a neck wood. Ebony is bright with a very percussive, fast attack.
See Ebony on these instruments:
Gibson Les Paul Custom – fret board
Gibson BB King Lucille – fret board
Poplar is lightweight and is usually a painted instrument due to the odd grain pattern. It is a
soft wood that has good mid-range response and works well with humbuckers. Poplar is
generally less expensive than Ash or Alder which makes it popular for use on mid to lower
priced electric guitar and bass bodies.
See Poplar on these instruments:
Fender Mexi Strats and Tele’s
Jackson Soloist
Fender Jimmie Vaughan Strat
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Electric Guitar Anatomy
As you can see, both the electric and acoustic guitar shares many of the same parts and
construction techniques. How you actually hear the instrument is where they become quite
different. Many acoustic guitars have pickups already installed and virtually any acoustic
instrument can be amplified by one means or another, but for now let’s just discuss the two main
types of pickups you’ll find on an electric guitar.
Single Coil Pickups –
The defining aspect of single coil pickup is that they contain only one coil of wire as its conductor.
The pickup may contain a single magnet, a single magnet with adjustable pole pieces, or
individual magnets for each guitar string, but there will be only one coil of wire wrapped around
the magnet. Because of its design, single coil pickups are susceptible to many forms of
electromagnetic radiation such as sixty-cycle hum, noise from fluorescent lighting, etc. Tonally,
single coil pickups often tend to be lower in output, brighter, and more open sounding than
humbuckers.
Humbucking Pickups –
Humbucking pickups, or humbuckers as they are often called, are basically two single coil
pickups wired together in phase (and most often in series) in such a way that their magnets are of
reverse polarity to one another. In layman terms, this means that the guitar signal from each half
of the pickup (one single coil) can be added together to make a more powerful signal, while the
hum is cancelled (or bucked). Tonally, humbuckers often tend to be higher in output, darker, and
thicker than single coil pickups.
A common part found on both the acoustic and electric guitar is the Truss Rod –
The truss rod is a metal rod embedded in the neck. The primary function is to counter the
tendency for the strings to pull the neck creating a bow which results in poor action that is either
too high or too low. The truss rod is adjustable, but this should only be attempted by experienced
Individuals, as improper adjustment can damage an instrument beyond practical repair.
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1sstt Position:
2nndd Position:
Bridge Pickup
Bridge / Middle
Pickup
““S
Sttrraattooccaasstteerr””
Style
5-Way Switch
Diagram
1 Click towards neck
(This position is HumCanceling)
All the way back, towards bridge.
2 clicks from bridge
3rrdd Position:
Middle Pickup
3 clicks from bridge
(This position is HumCanceling.)
4tthh Position:
Middle/Neck
Pickup
All the way forward,
towards neck.
5tthh Position:
Neck Pickup
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1sstt Position:
PRS 5-Way Rotary
Switch Diagram
Bridge Pickup
( Series )
Outside Coils
( Parallel )
One “click” counterclockwise
All the way forward clockwise
Two clicks counterclockwise
2nndd Position:
Three clicks counterclockwise
Four clicks counterclockwise
3rrdd Position:
4tthh Position:
5tthh Position:
Inside Coils
( Series )
Inside Coils
( Parallel )
Neck Pickup
( Series )
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Amplifier Overview
There are two basic designs you will deal with – heads & cabinets, and combos. The examples
below are guitar amps and although the speaker configurations may differ, the definitions apply to
bass amps as well.
Head & Cabinet
This system has the amplifier chassis in its own cabinet or “Head”, thereby isolating it from the
speaker cabinet. The head usually sits on top of a matching speaker cabinet, the most common
of which is a 4X12 cabinet (1/2 stack), or two 4X12 cabinets (full stack).
Benefits:
-
More Volume
Better bass response
Flexible speaker
configurations
Combo amps
This amplifier type has its speaker and amplifier chassis combined into one cabinet. This design
is portable and very efficient. Combo amps can deliver a huge sound in a small package, making
them ideal for just about all applications. Combo amps are also available in many differing sizes
and wattage, allowing customers more variety.
Benefits:
- Portable / Compact
- Wide variety of sizes to choose from.
Tube Amplifiers
This type of amplifier uses vacuum tubes to amplify the guitars signal.
Pros: -Tube amps offer a wide tonal range and a rich full sound.
- More dynamic than most solid state amps.
- Usually have a better range of distortion.
Cons: - Usually more expensive than solid state.
- Tubes have to be replaced occasionally.
- Usually heavier than solid state amplifiers.
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Solid State Amplifiers.
This type of amplifier uses transistors to amplify the instruments signal. The majority of bass
amplifiers are solid state. This is primarily because solid state amps can provide a lot of clean
power without being bulky and heavy. Keep in mind that there are also tube amplifiers in the bass
world, and that they are also some of the finest, but they’re usually larger, heavier, and more
expensive.
Pros: - Wider variety to choose from.
- Lots of power in a smaller package.
- Very reliable with almost zero maintenance
- Less expensive than most tube amplifiers.
- Usually lighter then tube amplifiers.
Cons: - Does not accentuate tones and sustain as well as tube amps.
- Distortion lacks the dynamics tube amps provide.
- Fundamental harmonics and overtones do not sound as rich as tube
amplification.
Tubes or Solid State, what’s best?
You are going to hear this question sooner or later. As you move through the levels of
certification you will gain a more comprehensive understanding of how tube and solid state amps
operate but for now here is the consensus:
The majority of experienced guitar players prefer tube amps hands down. On the other hand,
there are many that are happy with solid state amps. Your best approach is to find the amplifier
your customer likes best and fits their needs. Use the facts and develop a good demonstration to
help guide your customers.
Sales tip: When asked by a customer, it’s always ok to share your opinion on Tube & Solid
State amps, or any gear, as long as you don’t talk bad about one or the other. The
customer may own, or was recommended, one or the other and we don’t want to insult
their personal choice. Example, “I play a tube amp because it fits my style. It really comes
down to a personal choice for every guitar player. What players do you listen to?”
Tube Amp Do’s and Don’ts
Tube amplifiers require certain procedures that must be followed to avoid causing severe and
expensive damage to the amplifier. Fortunately there are some simple guidelines that are easy to
remember. Please make sure you understand this section before operating any tube amplifier.
Speaker Cable
Always make sure you are using a speaker cable (NOT A LINE/INSTRUMENT) to connect the
head to the cab. NEVER turn on a tube head without a cabinet plugged in.
The Standby Switch.
The function of the standby switch is just as the name implies. It puts the amp in a standby mode
allowing the power tubes to idle with no output leaving the amplifier. This could be considered a
“safe” mode.
• Always make sure the standby is on before turning on or powering up a tube amplifier.
Give the amp a minute or two before turning off the standby and operating.
• Never turn off a tube amplifier without first putting it in the standby mode. Wait about 20
or 30 seconds after putting the amp on standby and then kill the power.
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Matching Ohms (Impedance) for Heads / Cabinets
When hooking a tube head up to a speaker cabinet, the ohm’s rating on the cabinet(s) needs to
match the ohm’s setting on the head. Ohms, or impedance, is electrical resistance and must be
matched properly. Imagine hooking up a car battery to a flash light – that flash light wouldn’t last
more than a fraction of a second before the bulb fried. This section can be confusing so see your
department manager if you are still unsure about Impedance Matching after reading this.
Example A: Cabinet is 16 ohms--- set the selector on the back of the head to 16 ohms or in
some cases, just use the 16 ohm speaker output on the back of the head.
Example B: Two 16 ohm cabs-- would equal an 8 ohm output on the back of the head.
When using 2 cabs with an equal ohm rating, divide the cab’s rating in half, and that will be your
ohms setting at the head. This is important. Improper matching can cause damage to the head,
as well as result in substandard tone and performance!
Use 8
ohms
setting
Use16
ohms
setting
16 ohm
cabinet
16 ohm
cabinet
16 ohm
cabinet
Introduction to Accessories
It is important to offer your customer all the necessary accessories when selling a guitar or
amp!! Items such as strings, picks and cables are obvious; however, take time to become
familiar with all the great add-ons that your customer could use.
Strings
Steel Winding vs. Nickel Winding (Electric guitar strings)
•
Steel is a denser material than nickel. This makes the sound of a steel string brighter
and somewhat louder than a nickel string.
•
Nickel strings will have a more mellow sound.
•
Some string manufacturers use a nickel alloy. Using this wrap wire will result in a
brighter tone, but still not as bright as steel.
•
These two compositions of electric strings also apply to bass strings. The majority of bass
players prefer nickel strings due to the fact that nickel is a softer metal therefore much
easier to play on.
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80/20 Bronze vs. Phosphor Bronze (Acoustic guitar strings)
•
80/20 bronze strings sound and look bright. Most 80/20 bronze strings are about 80%
copper and 20% zinc, a combination that actually produces brass. Phosphor bronze
strings are real bronze, not brass.
•
Phosphor bronze strings are darker in sound and appearance. As far as performance is
concerned, phosphor bronze strings tend to last longer than regular 80/20 bronze strings.
Coated Strings
•
Coated strings have taken a large portion of the current string market. The benefit to the
customer is longer string life.
•
Uncoated strings allow sweat, dirt, dust, and oil to settle in between the windings of the
strings. This causes the string to lose its sound due to the added unwanted mass.
•
Coated strings prevent dirt, oil, sweat, and dust from settling in between the windings.
This allows the string to resonate naturally for a longer period of time.
Cables
Cables are a very vital item to a musician. A bad cable can turn the best shows into the worst,
and the best rig into the worst sounding. A cable can and will effect your sound.
Shielded Cables
•
You will find shielding on all microphone and instrument cables.
•
The purpose of shielding is to keep outside noise, called RF, from entering the line level
signal and coming out through the amplifier. RF is created by cell phones, radios, TV’s,
wireless units, and dirty power. Anything that runs on electricity can produce RF signals.
•
The shielding is a wrap that is either coiled or braided around the copper wire conductor.
Unshielded Cables
•
A signal traveling from a head to a cabinet or a speaker to an amp is much higher in level
than the signal from an instrument to an amplifier. If this cable was shielded it would
hinder the signal passing through it.
•
These will mostly be referred to as speaker cables and are sold by gauge. The lower the
number, the thicker the gauge of the inner conductor.
•
If you were to use an unshielded cable from an instrument to an amplifier you would
notice much more noise due to the lack of shielding. Most commonly observed as a
“buzzing” sound.
Final Notes
It’s important that you move on to the next level, Tech, as soon as possible! Don’t forget the
importance of hands-on learning as well. Spend some time in the acoustic room and
experience the different tone woods for yourself. Fire up a tube and solid state amp to really
hear and feel the difference. Again, congratulations and welcome to Guitar Center!!