Can You Play Electric Guitar Without An Amp?
You can obviously strum an electric guitar without having it plugged in, however, you won’t be able to experience the guitar’s full potential.
Only when you plug an electric guitar into a full rig – which includes an amplifier and effects pedal – will you be able to experience everything the guitar has to offer.
However, there will be times where you won’t want to or won’t be able to play using an amplifier. Being able to practice silently at night, or travel without having to lug your amplifier around can be a real bonus.
Not to mention the fact that amplifiers can be pretty expensive, and can take up a lot of room – which can be a nightmare if you live in a small apartment.
The good news is technology has advanced a lot, so you no longer need to rely on an amp to be able to play the electric guitar. There are some pretty easy (and inexpensive) ways you can play without an amp, so let’s take a look at them…
4 Simple Ways To Play Electric Guitar Without An Amp
One of the major problems of using an amplifier is that the costs can add up pretty quickly. Having a full rig with amp heads, cabinets and pedal boards can set you back around $10,000. It’s also pretty inconvenient having to lug all this equipment round.
Thanks to the advancement of technology (and home recording equipment) you no longer need to rely on a traditional amplifier to play electric guitar.
There are a couple of handy ways you can get around using an amp. Some are a little more complex than others, and each has a different effect.
Play Guitar Through Headphones
This is one of the easiest ways to amplify an electric guitar. The best thing about using headphones is that you can practice in silence literally anywhere.
This is perfect if you live in a small apartment or a college dorm room. Basically, it’s great anywhere where you can’t crank up the amp.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just plugging your headphones into your guitar – even if you have an adapter. Typically, people will plug their headphones into their amplifier, but that defeats the purpose of not needing to have/use an amp.
Fortunately, there is a way around that. You can connect your headphones to your smartphone or computer (more on that later).
Alternatively, you can try using a guitar headphone amplifier. Whilst this is technically an amplifier, it’s not exactly what you think it is. This is a tiny battery operated amplifier that’s the size of a small portable speaker and plugs directly into your guitar.
They’re a fraction of the cost of an amplifier, and are pretty useful as they are so small you can take them anywhere you go. You can also plug your headphones straight into them without the need of any other device.
Play Electric Guitar Using A PC Or Mac
With the help of a simple USB audio interface, you will be able to directly connect your electric guitar directly to your computer. These are pretty cheap, and can help you get started straight away.
Once you have an audio interface, you need to download some software to actually play the guitar without an amp. Download a guitar modeling program like BIAS FX 2, and you’ll be able to access amps and a whole other range of effects.
This means you can access multiple effects tones without having to splash any cash on buying amps and pedals. To be able to hear your guitar, make sure either your headphones, or your computer speakers are plugged in too.
If you’re looking to record your electric guitar via a computer, make sure you download a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) as well.
This will act as a full recording studio available in one compact piece of software. You should be able to access any virtual amp software you’ve downloaded through a DAW.
Play Electric Guitar Using A Smartphone Or Tablet
Although using a computer gives you the most flexibility when accessing different guitar amps and effects, you can actually use an iPhone or iPad to play the electric guitar.
It is possible to play an electric guitar on an android device, but they are behind in terms of latency, and the android apps that are available aren’t up to par with their Apple counterparts.
Just like using a computer, you need to buy a special audio interface to connect your guitar to your smartphone. The most recommended audio interface is the iRig HD 2.
No other audio interface on the market holds a candle to its audio quality, and it’s pretty simple to plug in and play.
Once the audio interface is connected to both your guitar and your phone, you need to download an amp simulator. For iOS, we recommend Bias FX Mobile.
It’s pretty similar to the PC version and offers the same user experience. For Androids, Deplike is pretty similar.
When using your phone to play electric guitar, you can actually access mobile DAW apps to record. For iOS that would be Garageband, and FL Studio Mode for Android.
Play Electric Guitar With A Multi-Effects Pedal
Most modern multi-effects pedals have a jack that allows you to plug in any speakers or headphones. The great thing is that you don’t need to use an amplifier at all.
This is probably the most expensive option on the list, but it has the best sound quality, and there’s no need to connect your computer (unless for recording purposes).
As multi-effect pedals can easily be connected to PA systems and studio monitors, a lot of musicians actually use them instead of amplifiers when performing live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Play An Electro-Acoustic Guitar Without An Amp?
As electro-acoustic guitars are built like regular acoustic guitars, there’s no need to use an amplifier at all.
Can I Play Bass Without An Amp?
Playing bass without an amp follows the exact same concept as playing an electric guitar without an amp. So, if you want to play bass without an amp, you can follow the same steps/concepts listed above.
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