10 Guitarists Who Don't Use Amps
Electric guitars and amplifiers go together like peanut butter and jelly. Combined, the two have made some of the most iconic and beloved songs and albums of all time. However, amps are not required to play and make great music with electric guitars.
Thanks to the advent of amp sims and modelers, more and more guitarists than ever are leaving their amps at home and going on-stage and into the studio with no amp in hand. Even before that though, there were guitarists who were eschewing the status quo and forgoing their amps.
Today, let’s take a look at some of these unamplified guitarists and see what’s possible without a traditional set-up.
Ten Guitarists Who Don’t Use Amps
Before getting started, this won’t be a list of players who have never used amps. Many of these players use amps in the studio but not on-stage or vice versa. And some go without amps only in certain contexts to get a specific sound.
Regardless, all of the guitarists listed below have recorded or played without amps at some point in their careers.
John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin may have used Marshall’s early in his career, but he gigs these days without an amp. According to McLaughlin, his decision is mainly for practical purposes. He says that not having an amp on-stage makes it easier to achieve a great sound for the audience due to having lower stage noise.
In lieu of an amp, he’s used a bunch of different things over the years. He used an Amplitube for a period of time, and these days he seems to favor using a Line 6 HX Stomp and tube pre-amp pedals. And it’s hard to argue with the results—McLaughlin sounds great live.
Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick of Testament is probably the exact type of player you expected to be on this list. Like many other metal musicians, he’s been quick to adopt amp sims and modelers. But don’t worry—this list won’t just be Kemper users.
Though he still uses amps in the studio for the most part, he uses a Kemper for live gigs, especially those overseas that require smaller rigs. The Kemper streamlines the entire load-in and set-up process, making it perfect for touring bands.
And as with McLaughlin, the results speak for themselves. Legions of Testament fans mosh and enjoy Skolnick’s playing, and no one in the crowd notices he isn’t playing through a real amp.
Tom Schulz
Unlike Skollnick, Tom Scholz of Boston might be an unexpected appearance on this list. However, he was actually one of the earlier guitarists to start moving away from real amps. And surprisingly, he was the one doing the inventing.
Sholz was infamous for modifying gear, and that eventually led to the creation of the Rockman headphone amp. It could be used as a headphone amp, pedal, or amp-in-a-box. Scholz used the Rockman at various points throughout his career.
That said, it’s not 100% known when and where exactly he has used the Rockman, and he still does use Marshalls as well. This video from Leon Todd however provides a great example of what the Rockman can do.
David Gilmour
Okay, I know what you’re thinking—David Gilmour definitely uses amps. And you are correct. However, Gilmour is also famous for playing straight into the mixing console for the iconic “Another Brick in the Wall” solo.
Though most of Gilmour’s most well-known tones come from amps and pedals, this solo in particular is just a Goldtop Les Paul and a mixing console. Sometimes simplicity is necessary, and Gilmour understood that while recording the Wall.
We’ve all heard this solo before, but why not listen to it again? And keep in mind that this solo, one of the most famous of all time, was recorded sans amp.
Joe Pass
Joe Pass used a lot of gear over his career, ranging from tube amps to solid state. However, he eventually gave up on amps later in his career. His reasoning was more simplistic than most though—he just got tired of lugging around amps (can we blame him?)
Instead, Pass started going straight through the PA. While guitar straight into the PA may not work for everyone, it certainly worked just fine for Joe Pass and his very clean tone.
Del McCoury
In the world of acoustic guitar, most people record unamplified and mic the guitar itself. Live though, most of them use a pick-up and amplification for practical purposes, even if just to run the guitar through the PA. Even in the bluegrass world, this is largely true.
However, Del McCoury is one of the few that still does things the old way sans amplification. Instead of putting a pickup in his acoustic, McCoury and company gather around stage mics and balance their sound by themselves.
In a world filled with digital menus you can spend hours scrolling through, it’s refreshing to see things done the old fashioned way now and again. And while playing acoustic live with microphones instead of amps and pickups might be a lot more troublesome, it clearly works for Del.
Tim Stewart
Tim Stewart is a name you might not have ever heard before, but he’s a perfect example of why many guitarists are going ampless. Stewart is primarily a live player for pop/R&B musicians such as Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Janet Jackson, Frank Ocean, and more.
For live performances, he uses a Kemper in lieu of an amp. And it makes sense for the shows he’s doing. With Lady Gaga for example, the guitarist isn’t a focus. Between the highly choreographed show and various instruments, tracks, etc, simpler is better when it comes to guitar.
And at the end of the day, it works. Stewart is able to easily and consistently get his gear set-up and get the exact sound he’s looking for—all while keeping things simple and out of the way so the focus can be on Gaga and her show.
Nile Rodgers
If you know much about Nile Rodgers, you shouldn’t be surprised to see him herer. Though he does use amps and has throughout his career, he is most known for his sparkling clean tones that come from plugging directly into the console.
He isn’t afraid to use an amp when he needs that sound, but he also isn’t afraid to plug straight into the board. And it’s worked pretty well for him. Rodgers created a trademark sound that can be heard throughout music in the 70s, 80s, and even today with the likes of Daft Punk.
Robert Fripp
Many think of Robert Fripp as an uber serious guitar nut who has gone as far as creating his own new tuning for guitar. However, Fripp can be a complicated person, especially when it comes to his music. And surprisingly, he isn’t that fussy when it comes to guitar tones.
In recent years, Fripp has been using a Line 6 Helix with King Crimson. His reasoning? That’s what Jakko Jakszyk, current guitarist and vocalist for the band, uses. Fripp claims it makes the process of matching tones easier, plus Jakko can teach him how to use it.
It’s odd to think that someone as particular as Fripp doesn't care much about gear, but that’s just how it goes. And the results are undeniable; King Crimson and Fripp sound stellar using Line 6 modelers.
Malcolm Young
The final entry on our list is none other than Malcolm Young of AC/DC. One would expect that Malcolm Young would be a minimalist when it comes to gear, playing a guitar straight into a cranked tube amp. However, over the course of his career, things changed.
In the early 2000s, Malcolm Young started using Amplitube in combination with ProTools. Though he typically used real amps on-stage, he has used Amplitube in the studio. For their album “Black Ice,” he used it on two songs—Anything Goes and Big Jack.
Though AC/DC typically conjures images of tube amps turned up to 11 and long-term hearing damage, even they have delved into the realm of amp sims and modelers.
Explore the Guitar Unamplified
Most guitarists think electric guitars are meant to be plugged into amps. Though they aren’t wrong, that’s not the only way to play a guitar. In the modern era, there are tons of options. From going directly into the PA to complex amp modelers, amps are no longer a necessity in the world of guitar.
So give it a shot. Maybe it’ll help you streamline your live rig, save your ears and back, and discover your new favorite tone. And don’t forget to put on a set of Stringjoys first for the best results possible!
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