Speaker Amp

Is an amp a speaker itself or do you have to plug it into one?

I just bought a Viper electric guitar for my daughter. A 10w amp came with it, so I'm curious. Is it a speaker or do you plug it into a speaker? My ex-husband said that you had to have a speaker to plug into the amp, and I'm not sure which of us is correct. Thanks for your answer.

The confusion has arisen because of the terminology used. Your husband is technically correct in that an amplifier (especially in the hi-fi sense) is just the electronic box that amplifies the electronic signal and sends it to a speaker which is a separate element. However, things get complicated with guitar equipment because there are 2 types of amp. One type is the amp head with a seperate speaker cabinet (as envisaged by your husband). These are usually powerful amplifiers for stage use.

The second type is the amp-combo which, as the name suggests, is a combination of amplifier and speaker in the same box. Unfortunately these are also often referred to as "amps" hence the confusion. They are built for convenience, are usually lower powered and are always the type supplied in electric guitar packages. I am absolutely sure that what you have bought is a 10w amp-combo so you already have everything you need (apart from some ear-plugs!!

Hope that re-assures you.

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