Guitar Amplifiers How They're Used Guitar Amp Basics Guitar Amp History Valves vs Solid State Valve Emulations Power & Volume Overdrive & Distortion Guitar Topics Home Page Email GM Arts Guitar Sonic History Here is a short history of popular overdrive designs, and related musical styles. The 60’s Torn speakers, and experiments with cut speakers Overdriven amplifiers for electric blues and other pop styles Fuzz transistor preamps used in early rock and pop music

The 70’s Several preamplifiers (built into a foot pedal) produced to emulate overdriven valve amplifiers Hot-rodded valve amplifiers, with extra valve preamp stages to give more control with overdrive levels, volume levels, and equalisation options. The 80's Distortion (hard-clipping) pedals designed for metal players. Multi-effect racks and floor units, with options for switching between a wide range of overdrive sounds, in addition to other popular effects.   Also several "connoisseur" custom made amplifiers, generally producing one type of sound extremely well.   Punk music called for the most obnoxious distortion sounds possible. The 90’s Digital overdrive, where the guitar signal passes through an analog-to-digital converter, then software emulation of overdrive designs, or valve amplifier clipping characteristics, then digital to analog conversion.   Some of these sounds are quite convincing when used with emulation of various speaker box designs. A revival of fuzz preamplifiers used by grunge players, with a resurgence in the brown sound and good tone to suit blues and rock players. Here's another Web page with some history of guitar amplifiers.   This article looks at the evolution of preamplifiers in particular, with details of gain stages and how they have affected overdrive sounds.

The Company Awards

Some of the key companies actively supporting musical styles over this period have been: Fender for their production of valve amplifiers (particularly the Twin Reverb classic) which got tone equalisation spot on right from the start.   Noted in early years for excellent clean and brown sounds. Marshall, an English design which copied some aspects of the American Fender design, but ultimately used EL34 output valves (instead of Fender’s 6L6GCs).   The results were excellent brown and overdriven sounds. Roland for their consistent production of BOSS foot pedals (preamplifier circuits producing a wide variety of sound effects) to suit musical styles over the decades.   Popular products are their soft clipping overdrives, (hard clipping) distortions, and skillfully tone-equalised heavy metal pedals.   Also for their constant research into guitar synthesiser, effects and overdrive emulation. Boogie for their hot-rodded Fender designs with flexible pre-amplifier overdrive and tone-shaping options. Roland, Yamaha, Digitech, Korg and many others for their flexible rack and floor multi-effects units. Groove Tubes for their valve obsession and selection of graded and matched valve sets designed to give predictable and consistent overdrive performance. And to All The Others who have adapted and customised popular designs to cater for an ever increasing and diversifying, but always fickle market.

Guitar Amplifiers
How They're Used
Guitar Amp Basics
Guitar Amp History
Valves vs Solid State
Valve Emulations
Power & Volume
Overdrive & Distortion
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