As volume increases, the original guitar signal becomes increasingly deformed by the tube’s inability to amplify a signal perfectly. Later in the ‘50s and ‘60s, musicians began experimenting with exploiting one of the technical drawbacks of vacuum tube amplification. Before that they ran off of heavy battery packs! Electronics companies weren’t trying to create walls of guitar sound just yet.Įarly amplifiers had limited tone and frequency response, and most were just getting the ability to plug into an AC wall outlet. When the first guitar amplifiers came onto the scene in the late ‘20s and ‘30s they were initially intended for more of a PA application. Knowing that there are exceptions to these rules, well that’s what Rock and Roll is about isn’t it? Gain, a Rock and Roll Love Story This article is going to use the definitions of volume and gain as if we’re all talking about an analogue tube amplifier. These days, digital tech is beginning to create its own definitions of long used terminology based on new designs, evolving sounds, and technical ability. The terms we use, and how we use them are all based around tube amps of the 40s and 50s. We understand gain structures and volume definitions in terms of the analog technology that started this whole amplified music thing back in the day. This acts as a final MASTER VOLUME allowing the amp’s power section to provide the sweet buttery goodness it was built for while keeping the amp at a reasonable volume that doesn’t make ears bleed. Master Volumes however, change the tone of an amplifier and often don’t allow the power section to overdrive which is where a lot of secret buttery tones live in an amp.ĪTTENUATORS are used after the power amp and output transformer and before the speaker. When an amp has two volume knobs like this, the first VOLUME is most often used to dial in preamp stage distortion while the MASTER is used to control overall volume. MASTER VOLUME controls occur later in the amp topology prior to, or after the phase inverter (in a class A/B amplifier), and work to limit the final volume coming from the amp. A common phrasing on Fender amps and can be found on the Blues Jr. Sometimes GAIN is labeled as VOLUME and the MASTER VOLUME is labeled as MASTER. If no other volume knob exists on the amp, this acts as the “master” volume. On a guitar amplifier, GAIN controls the level of amplification through the preamp section.
GAIN, VOLUME, And MASTER Settings for Your Guitar Amp.
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