If you crank that amp up loud, then things start to get dirty. This travels through the guitar’s output jack, down the cable and into the amplifier. The vibrating strings slice through a magnetic field created by magnets in the guitar’s pickups, and create a current. When you plug an electric guitar into a guitar amplifier, it doesn’t just make things loud: It adds its own character to the sound. Spoiler alert – the guitar world has taken a big turn towards the awesome. And along the way, we’ll look at hardware to connect up your guitar to the iPad, and at some speaker options so you can actually hear yourself play. That’s what we’re looking at today – iPad (and iPhone) guitar amp simulations, along with virtual effects pedals. And we have iOS devices and apps which can replace whole suitcases full of effects pedals.

Mid-range and even low-end guitars are better-made and cheaper. And like most things, except mobile phones, everything is better than it was in the 80s. Now, 30-odd years later, I’m at it again. I learned from books and by playing along with CDs, and I jacked my Charvel guitar (awesome) into a Session guitar amp (terrible), and I never really got any better.

Bias guitar amp designer