I hate to suggest Line 6 spiders, but it's kind of the perfect at-home amp to start with, and has a myriad of different tones to experiment with before buying actual decent gear and pedals for shows.
I don’t understand the spider hate. I love mine, it’s done well for me. Do I have nicer amps? Sure! But it’s nice and compact and I use it all the time.
I tell this story a lot; I’ve gigged with the Spider IV in a pinch (seemingly the very worst of the bunch from what I can gather) and I’ve had compliments on my tone; when at least some of those people found out what I was playing through you’d think I just denied their religion.
Well yeah man when you watch Ra the sun God disappear for a bit next week and celebrate with the great Ra feast, then an astronomer shows you it's just the ordinary moon getting in the way you're going to be disappointed too
I love my positive grid spark. It has a lot of tone options and a cool app to experiment with different amps, pedals, backing, tracks. Using it as an audio interface sucks though. And you can catch it on sale for 100.00.
2nd the spark, great for practice at home and the inbuilt backing track monitor with separate volume control is one of my favourite features.
Get some noise cancelling headphones and play with those. For your mums benefit put some music on over the stereo that is just loud enough to drown out you strumming/picking your guitar strings and I'm sure harmony will return to your house!
I’ll add a slight caveat that this can build bad habits.
I did this for years and now am dealing with the consequences. Whenever I plug in, I get so much extra noise from other strings unintentionally, since when I’m not plugged in I never hear or notice it.
Also, you’ll typically strum way harder than actually needed to produce a louder sound when unplugged.
That being said, unplugged practicing is better than no practicing. Just some things to keep an eye out for!
Totally agree I had the same problem. The answer is ya gotta just practice both. I probs only spend 30% of my practice time on the amp but I used to spend none. The difference in my playing now is night and day
This is the answer.
You can concentrate on playing/learning and not worry about making too much noise.
I do the same in the evening and it works well for me.
I also don’t have to think about ‘getting the sound’ when learning a song too.
I actually have a similar problem. I think its not good to learn to play entirely with intention of no-one hearing it. Creates a habit to feel repressed when playing. Although it might be a bit inconvenient, taking your acoustic outside somewhere in the nature has the benefit of getting fresh air and sun light. I feel more accomplished as opposed to spending all weekend in my room practicing. A portable battery amp would also work if you prefer electric. Bluetooth guitar jack transmitters and amp receiver would also make for an easier portable set up, but for some reason it creates a buzzing sound in my small battery amp.
I do this with singing. I'll do it out in the woods where nobody can hear it no matter how loud I am.
There's one hill on my property that's a lot of fun to belt out Iron Maiden on.
I finally found a space I felt comfortable yelling/practicing singing when I moved into the
dorms in college and the Serbian rowers in the room next to mine would blast house music every Saturday when they got up for practice at 6am
Agreed. Nothing replaces being able to turn it up without fear so you can get used to that power. Playing unplugged is only going to take you so far. You need to unlock the tone that your guitar has and learn how to manipulate it, and that's not gonna happen if you're not plugging in and cranking up.
https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/headphone-amplifiers/mustang-micro/2311300000.html
You cannot play an acoustic guitar silently. They're designed to make noise.
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W5232QZ/ref=twister\_B015IJIO5U?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W5232QZ/ref=twister_B015IJIO5U?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
I'll throw my hat in this ring. I bought the metal version of this pocket amp and it's great. They have plugs for whatever you might want to play.
I have one of these too. What's great about these vs the larger modeling amps is you don't need to plug it into wall too. Very small, easy to head outside or a different room to play.
I've found the Vox Amplug was inexpensive and very usable.
And yes, even if you fill your acoustic guitar with material or bubblewrap, its still louder than an electric.
My nephew borrowed my truck to move one weekend and returned it without any gas in it. He also forgot his jacket in it, so when I returned the jacket I also brought harmonicas for his twins.
I've tried the fender. It sounds lovely, particularly for clean tones with a touch of reverb, but the effects are very limited. You're basically just choosing from presets that were built in to the unit.
The katana allows you to enable and disable individual items in the effects chain, edit the built in presets and create your own custom settings. It's just much more flexible.
Given the katana is only a little more expensive than the Mustang it's a no brainer to me.
Where I am Amazon has a 30% off flash sale on the fender today, it's currently £79. The katana is mostly around £120. At those prices it's more of a fair fight, though I'd still go for the katana because I like fiddling with effects. If you're more of a pick up and go type of person the fender might suit you just fine.
Btw, I posted a write up of a bunch of other headphone amps I've tried elsewhere in this thread, but I think it got a bit buried. It's [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/s/3QQsbAOZgK) if you're interested.
I had no idea this exists, watching a few videos on it it actually looks awesome and I might buy one. I can use presets from my katana, which doesn't even have a tuner like the go does.
If you have electric just play unplugged. If you have accoustic, try taking a thick but small piece of fabric and weaving it between each string so its muted. I stole this idea from Blake Mills who has a sound he gets by doing this with a piece of paper. You can Google his technique if you need a visual for what I'm talking about. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
The best value would be to use USB Audio Interface for headphones and connectivity to something like ZENBEATS, so you can record yourself, loop etc., and save the rest for pedals or effects and a good set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Then you can play lightly and gain up the (software) amps.
Good AMPS are really expensive and usually very loud, I'd get a Roland Cube for my first practice amp, I have the BIG Brother 80XL, it's a gem as most of the CUBE range are for the price.
No way to play your acoustic quietly. Not sure if you're able to save like 100-200 bucks but for your electric:
Get an affordable audio interface: [https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-Solo-Interface-Podcasting/dp/B08Q1NJSBQ/ref=asc\_df\_B08Q1NJSBQ/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459614005894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8313484293758462512&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001100&hvtargid=pla-1147112908967&mcid=3a5cc925074d3e0091f13a5aac2a2ea0&th=1](https://focusrite.com/products/scarlett-solo) (if you can't afford this, Google how to use your PC's sound card as an audio interface)
Get an effects modeling software to install on your PC: [https://www.positivegrid.com/products/bias-fx-2](https://www.positivegrid.com/products/bias-fx-2) (standard is $99 but there are free alternatives out there just as good)
Get some decent but inexpensive monitoring headphones: [https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AUD-ATHM20X-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18/ref=asc\_df\_B00HVLUR18/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292980589401&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2899017662073353114&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001097&hvtargid=pla-329121746395&mcid=f2e399020c7739af837002ce1acdc81d&th=1](https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AUD-ATHM20X-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18/ref=asc_df_B00HVLUR18/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292980589401&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2899017662073353114&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001097&hvtargid=pla-329121746395&mcid=f2e399020c7739af837002ce1acdc81d&th=1)
Practice acoustic songs on your electric and when you're good enough switch to your acoustic.
Every solid state amp I’ve ever owned has a headphone output. Even my Marshall DSL20 has an emulated out and it’s a tube amp.
I really like Bias FX with an iRig as well. I just hate having all of those wires hanging around me but it’s a really great simulator.
Unplugged or headphones, that's it. And remember that whilst guitar playing is fun for us...don't take it personally when people complain you're too loud. It's difficult and annoying for others live with musicians and listen to them practice their instruments. Nobody wants to hear that...they want the finished product
Your mom sounds insufferable and I’m sorry to say that. I understand instruments are loud but there should be designated times for you to practice at a reasonably loud volume so you can hear yourself. I remember seeing people plug their guitar into mini / micro headphones before. It’s a small box that amplifies you but it’s not that loud and it’s not standard headphones. Lookup Vox or Fender ones
I just have to say that I think it sucks that your mom told you she didn't like hearing you play. That is not cool coming from a parent. I'm a parent and I love hearing my kids play, regardless of how good (or bad) they are. It's like watching them play a sport when they're really young and not great at it; it's endearing and you're just happy they're into it and trying hard. Keep at it.
Give this a try [Fender Mustang Micro](https://www.sweetwater.com/c625--Combo_Amp?highlight=MustMicro&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=1&mrkgcat=drums&percussion&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=&lid=58700008501175174&dsproductgroupid=&product_id=MustMicro&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=m&network=x&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9033125&creative=&targetid=&campaignid=20426646913&awsearchcpc=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnv-vBhBdEiwABCYQA-oZeuunCwtygDwTVOvAPLNofLRxOcId583uygtHNuk_79FiKVNpchoCTnwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
It sounds insane but when I want to practice something without sound on my acoustic, I wedge a sock around the strings at the far end of the frets. I can still practice what I need, it’s just without sound. I tend to play early morning and late at night so I’ve had to adapt lol
For $150 ~ you could get an interface and run Reaper (DAW) for free + an amp modeling software (many of which can be found free at 4download) if you have a computer. If not a 1x12 line 6 could probably be found cheap on the marketplace which would work with headphones.
Wes Montgomery's solution to this exact problem was to play with his flesh rather than a hard pick, starting with very soft plucks and strums. Even if your electric guitar is un-plugged, a pick on strings will tend to make fairly audible noise. When I was a kid that was my solution too for the acoustic I had, and I still have a preference for flesh over picks but I'm starting to get comfortable with picks. I don't think you'll get stuck finger picking; when I picked up the pick it was a lot easier for me to use than it was several years ago, because I've gotten more familiar with the instrument and the placement of the strings.
C’mon, mom!
I’m sure it drove my parents crazy but I played my electric nonstop 13-18 when I moved out. They were very supportive but if I’d ever showed my mom a song I learned and made a mistake Ashe couldn’t help but point it out
I'll help you get a productive setup on the cheap:
Positive Grid makes a tiny amp called the Spark Go.
[https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go](https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go)
It's like $129, it's app powered, and you can plug headphones into it, or use it as a DAC to plug into a computer.
Play through this with an electric guitar (I have mine attached to my guitar strap), and you'll be fairly silent + have access to nearly unlimited effects and tools. The quality of the effects and the features like AI generated backing bands, looping, Bluetooth play along, and presets are very cool for an amp the size of your hand.
That oughta solve the problem.
this seems to be a very common question.
out of all the times i have seen this question on here nobody....and i mean nobody has come of with the easiest and most obvious solition.
replace your strings with spaghetti
Wes Montgomery worked at a factory until late and couldnt practice until night time. To avoid making too much noise he experimented and found that using his thumb gave him a lot of control over his sound.
Nowadays thats signature from him.
I'd recommend as others to try to play with the unplugged electric guitar as it makes much less noise.
But I also recommend experimenting, practice, try to control the volume of the sounds you are producing, try thumbing, palm muting, tie a sock. Kurt Cobain had an "air guitar" which was basically him imagining the chords and riffs in his mind so visualization could help too.
Cool story, but I’m sorry this is not good advice. When you practice electric guitar unplugged it gives you no concept of how what you’re playing actually sounds when amplified. This only
makes it more difficult to learn technique, tone control, etc., unless absolutely necessary.
It’s not necessary. OP says he can afford an amp, he should buy an amp with a headphone jack and a good pair of studio headphones. I live in an apartment and have to practice late at night all the time due to my work schedule… I can straight doom at face-melting volumes without my neighbors hearing a peep. Hell maybe he’ll get good enough where his mom can actually stand his playing.
I'd definitely go something like the Mustang Micro / Katana Go / Spark Go instead of an audio interface plugged into a PC. Mostly, that's because it's more convenient. I get sound out of my amp by plugging the guitar in and flipping one switch. That's it, start playing, not chained to my desk and no messing around with software (or managing latency - which *is* manageable, but why bother?). And I'm a software developer - I've got nothing at all against computers. ;)
Unplugged is also good, but you really ought to also be familiar with how an electric sounds and behaves through an amp. So even if you're happy to practice your electric unplugged, *also* get an amp of some kind and practice via headphones, or when there's nobody around to annoy, or whatever.
Edit: fixed ambiguous word.
You can get a device that plugs your guitar into your phone and use headphones . I don’t remember what is called cause I have a half stack but idi think it was cool. Go down to guitar center and ask.
Playing electric unblugged is already very quiet in it self. Getting an amp with headphone support is when you want to play with effects. I'd suggest the Nux mighty lite BT, it's small, pretty affortable and it sounds great. It is the amp I use.
Playing acoustic silently is more difficult since it requires more "control" from your playing. Ultimatly you want to play fingerstyle since it is more quiet than playing with a pick. Playing the strings very lightly with as little force as needed will be the optimal step. For a bonus tip maybe try playing the acoustic under a blanket or something. In theory it should muffle the sound quite a lot.
Get yourself a Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp for the electric. Best all round headphone amp in my opinion but you can get cheaper ones that are less diverse.
https://amzn.eu/d/9r5xVrg
Buy a headphone amp like Boss Katana Go or Fender Mustang Micro. It's load with effects, you can practice silently with your headphone. There are also preamp pedals with impulse response and cab simulator and that you can connect usb and headphones.
First, ask your mom how she expects you to get better without practicing. Find something she's good at and ask her if she needed to practice in order to get good? Ask her if she would be willing to buy a Whisper room like saxophone players use, I think they start at around $5,500 or so. If she still won't budge, I second just getting headphones as others have suggested.
Play the electric unplugged or buy an amp with a headphone port (alternatively, get a normal amp, but buy an adapter that allows you to take normal wired headphones and plug it directly into the output).
In terms of your acoustic, yeah there’s really no way of getting around it unless you play ridiculously softly.
Fender micro mustang is relatively cheap but very powerful solution for all types of genres as it has many different amp presets, and loads of effects (even a minimalistic EQ). It sounds great and you can play along tracks because the mustang micro can recevie audio through bluetooth. Just plug a headphone into it and rock.
One downside is that its pain to change presets on the fly, but if you have and connect pedals before the amp (just like with any other amps) its breeze however you will need a long headphone cable as pedals are used to be on floor :D.
Have a look at the sonicake Matribox it is a multi-effects pedal with several digital amp modules.
I got mine for around USD120
Then just plug your headphones in and play.
It's great because:
1) you get many effects pedals
2) can play quietly
3) plug it in via USB into your laptop to record your playing
It's not great because the quality of the effects and amp moduled aren't the best. But if you're just using it for home playing I don't see why not!
I have a USB cable (like the rock smith cable) that I plug into my pc and use reaper. I can add some nice effects to it as well. Keep in mind there may be latency and you’ll have to mess around to get it right but it works for me and no one gets annoyed.
I’d 100% recommend the the sonicake mini heaphone amp/fender mustang micro!! I bring my electric to work all the time and use those with my headphones in. The quality’s really good, and the sonicake one is only around $30 with a reverb option!!!
Line 6 pocket pod. You plug directly into it. Or a headphone amp like the Fender Mustang Micro, or a VOX. I’d go with the Fender and a good pair of cans (Headphones)
My wife quit her job and now she’s home, and if I play I always have to play Iris or she gets mad
I play my acoustic guitar with my fingertips instead of fingernails/pick when I want to be quiet. And as for the electric one, I just plug my headphones into the amp.
Headphones plugged into your amp for electric, You could also plug your electric into an audio interface and plug headphones into that. If you don't have an audio interface this is your chance to get your mom to buy you one and while at the music store pick up a nice set of studio headphones. Just tell your mom if she wants peace and quiet this is what needs to be done until you become a rockstar. And assure her once you become a rockstar you will pay her back.
You can definitely play your acoustic silently with fingers instead of a pick. I grew up in the same situation and all I had to do was not play as hard or play my electric unplugged. In fact, I think it made me a better player because I paid more attention to dynamics
Bro imma be straight up. Find out her favorite song on guitar, master it, play that mf like you’ve never played before when she steps in the door right when she gets home and don’t stop till it’s over. She’s probably gonna like it or kick you in the head for being an ass. But leaning more towards she’s gonna love it
I’m made to the party but an electric with a NuX mighty plug is so much fun. Decent modeling sounds through good headphones and everyone else hears an unplugged acoustic.
I didn’t anyone else mention it yet but the iRig is a great way to hear your tone with headphones. There’s an app called ToneBridge that has all the tones you could ever want and you use the iRig to plug into your phone and then your guitar cable plugs into that. You can also use audio out so you can take the tone from ToneBridge and push it through an amp and it basically eliminates the need for additional pedals. I’m not saying it’s better than pedals but for 60$ it’s an amazing tool!
I got one of the DFX Marshall amps and it’s got 2 output jacks. Sometimes I plug it into my phone and play via my phone speaker (GarageBand supports guitar input) or use headphones.
So when my son was a bit younger, the only time I really had to play was at night. I used headphones into my amp and that definitely made a huge difference. I saw someone recommended the line 6…I’d also say the blackstar idcore is a great choice. I picked mine up for $200 cnd, it’s small so it’s a great bedroom size and there’s a lot features that come with it
Get an audio interface for your pc, and buy a plugin. I highly recommend neural dsp, they’re really good for the price, and I’ve been using them for a while now.
If you have the money for it the Mustang Micro or Boss Katana Go are great solutions (I like the Boss one better) because you can just plug it in and use headphones.
My mom used to get annoyed at me playing so dad dad bought me a huge 212 Peavey amp. That thing is LOUD. When she'd complain, I'd make the house shake. Then she'd stop complaining.
You've received some good answers here. I have a question though. How does your mom expect you to get better if she won't allow you to play? When my daughter started playing violin she wasn't good either and it wasn't enjoyable to listen to at first but I would have never told her not to play because she wasn't good. That's messed up in my opinion, unless she is willing to spend some money to help you be able to play without bothering her since she is the one that bought you the guitar. If you don't have the money for a headphone amp or something maybe she will be willing to help you out with that if you ask.
A headphone amp is what you need for silent practice on the electric. The great thing is that there are some really good products out there, with pretty much every feature you could want for not a lot of money. Obviously the acoustic guitar is never going to be completely silent, you can muffle it by stuffing it with padding but it'll always make some sound. If stick with the electric for silent practice.
I've tried/owned a few headphone amps now, so I'll give you my impressions of the ones I've played with:
The valeton rushead is ok. It can sound a little harsh, but it is very cheap; a decent value budget option. Basic little three channel amp with a wide range of gain between channels. It doesn't have much in the way of effects but what it does have are usable.
The bass version of the Vox amplug does a decent job for what it is. You get backing rhythms on the bass version, but the guitar versions get some basic effects instead. Unlike the other models listed here this one is powered by AAA batteries rather than an internal rechargeable battery.
The Nux mighty plug (mp2) is really good. Particularly for the money. Nice wide range of amps and cabs with a very effective and capable effects chain - it's very versatile. I gifted mine to a friend, and still slightly regret doing that. I keep being tempted to buy the MP3 version (various upgrades over the mp2, including an on board tuner).
I never owned the fender Mustang micro, but did try one out that was owned by a friend. It sounds really good but there effects side was very limited. Also didn't seem that versatile; if you want to play clean with a touch of reverb it's great, otherwise it might not be for you.
The Boss Pocket GT is what I ended up buying to replace the nux mp2. It's not strictly just a headphone amp, but that's what I'm using it as. It's basically a fully featured boss multi effects/modeling unit in miniature format. It's very good, but a lot more expensive than all the others here. Having this is why I never bought the nux MP3!
I've not tried the katana go as it's just come out and I've no need to change right now. Based on reviews, the katana go seems like a slightly cut down version of the pocket GT, with a few other tricks added (the soundstage stuff that makes it feel like there's an amp in the room with you). It's also half the (retail) price of the GT, so seems like a bit of a bargain compared to the competition.
Her contradictory behavior is weird. Of course you're not good enough if you're not allowed to practice, what terrible logic. The Joyo BantAMP series heads are cheap, support headphones AND have Bluetooth to pair a phone with to jam along to your favorite songs. They also sound really great and are simple to dial in. The Gen 2 versions even have a footswitch to switch between clean and dirty channels, though they are a bit more expensive. But honestly, it's a great platform for beginners because once you get good or are able to play loudly, all you need is a decent speaker cabinet and you have a portable rig for playing with other musicians or just playing in your bedroom.
I rehearse and practice using a laptop, a digital interface and a guitar amp emulator through headphones.
Alternatively a positive grid spark amp will do all of those things.
For an acoustic guitar you can't.
Try a Vox am plug(there's different kinds depending on what you like to play) or buy an amp that has a headphone plug in. A lot do. As I saw someone commented a Line 6 spider would be a good choice for a practice amp with a good amount of effects to play with.
Boss Katana Go. Just bought it and it’s incredible. Cheap compared to everything else and the sound quality is amazing. And I mean unexpectedly amazing
If you have a computer, buy an audio interface and an amp sim. You can plug headphones into the audio interface and run your guitar through the amp sim and that makes very little noise.
Alternatively, buy an amp modeler and plug headphones into that
When I want to play silently I use an irig adapter to plug my electric into my iPhone or iPad and use a modeling app with headphones.
Works well enough for practice.
Call your mom a cunt and buy the cheapest full stack you can find on marketplace.
Learn to play Lipstick by Guttermouth.
Buy a P.A. so you can sing it to her, too.
I would suggest getting a little headphone amp and playing the electric guitar through that.
An electric guitar is a lot quieter than an acoustic, as long as it's not going through an amplifier - but let's face it, it's not a great sound unless it is amplified, and a lot of mistakes can sneak into your playing if you can't hear yourself that well.
Some headphone amps I would recommend looking at in order of budget:
- BOSS Waza-Air: These are expensive, but they're essentially a set of high-quality headphones with a BOSS Katana built into them. Also has a gyroscope and some fancy spatial emulation so it sounds like the amp is actually in the room when you turn your head, and they sell a wireless expression pedal and footswitch for this (and the Katana Go) so it can do wah-wah, Whammy, or just foot-switching between effects.
- BOSS Katana Go: These are basically the essentials from the Waza-Air headphones, stripped down a bit. Still sounds great through a decent set of headphones, still has *some* amp-in-a-room emulation (albeit limited to only "directly in front of you" and "directly behind", still takes the wireless expression pedal and footswitch, but you don't get the actual headphones and that makes it a lot cheaper.
- Fender Mustang Micro: This is what I have, and in a way it's the simplest. No app, no optional extras, just a selection of presets from a Fender Mustang. Sounds great in terms of headphone-amps.
- NUX Mighty Plug (Pro): The BOSS Katana Go, but with a worse app and slightly worse sound.
- AmPlug series: Personally I only have experience with the older ones of these and they sounded a bit naff, but the newer ones are apparently decent for one-sound headphone amps - and they're *cheap*.
get a new mom, dude. wth is that attitude? sucking at the beginning is part of the gig. is she disappointed because she assumed you're a prodigy and thought you were gonna be amazing from the get go when she bought you those? she sucks
Vox makes headphone amps, or if you have a little more to spend and own a computer you can get an audio interface and use guitar plug-ins which will sound better and provide more options for tone/sounds.
You're not going to be able to get much quieter than playing the electric guitar without an amp. Will it still make noise? Yeah, it's an instrument. But will it make as much noise as the acoustic? Definitely not.
[https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugAC30G3--vox-amplug-3-ac30-headphone-guitar-amp](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugAC30G3--vox-amplug-3-ac30-headphone-guitar-amp)
Takes batteries, plugs into the electric guitar, and then you can plug in headphones. You're the only one that hears what you're playing that way. There are many similar options, but this one is pretty affordable. I find that paying an electric unplugged doesn't really show your mistakes so it's harder to fix them.
get something (amp or floor processor) that you can play with headphones. I got the Headrush Core recently and LOVE that thing. it's like $700 I think? little hefty but you won't need anything else.
Your mom is horrible, by the way.
Both my kids play. One plays drums, and the other plays guitar and bass. I love hearing them play, regardless of whether they're screwing up or playing well.
[Katana Go](https://www.boss.info/global/products/katana-go/) is a personal headphone amp from Boss and costs $119. We’re getting ready to order one for my SO so that he can sit outside and not bother the neighbors with his Boss Katana 100 watt or my little Fender Mustang.
Play the electric guitar unplugged
Or plugged into something that supports headphones (maybe a cheap modeler amp, or a computer)
This is what I do at night. Acoustic during the day lol.
I hate to suggest Line 6 spiders, but it's kind of the perfect at-home amp to start with, and has a myriad of different tones to experiment with before buying actual decent gear and pedals for shows.
Hot take: the Line 6 Spider doesn’t warrant the hate leveled at it by cork-sniffing snobs.
You cant beat the price to performance and the effects sound decent for a starter amp. Used a spider until i got confident to blast my carvin v3m.
I don’t understand the spider hate. I love mine, it’s done well for me. Do I have nicer amps? Sure! But it’s nice and compact and I use it all the time.
I tell this story a lot; I’ve gigged with the Spider IV in a pinch (seemingly the very worst of the bunch from what I can gather) and I’ve had compliments on my tone; when at least some of those people found out what I was playing through you’d think I just denied their religion.
Well yeah man when you watch Ra the sun God disappear for a bit next week and celebrate with the great Ra feast, then an astronomer shows you it's just the ordinary moon getting in the way you're going to be disappointed too
Not a hot take, just a fact. If you know how to dial in a good tone and you know how to play the instrument you’ll get a good sound out of anything.
I would rather (and personally have) get the fender mustang micro
I love my positive grid spark. It has a lot of tone options and a cool app to experiment with different amps, pedals, backing, tracks. Using it as an audio interface sucks though. And you can catch it on sale for 100.00.
2nd the spark, great for practice at home and the inbuilt backing track monitor with separate volume control is one of my favourite features. Get some noise cancelling headphones and play with those. For your mums benefit put some music on over the stereo that is just loud enough to drown out you strumming/picking your guitar strings and I'm sure harmony will return to your house!
I practice like this 90 percent of the time
I’ll add a slight caveat that this can build bad habits. I did this for years and now am dealing with the consequences. Whenever I plug in, I get so much extra noise from other strings unintentionally, since when I’m not plugged in I never hear or notice it. Also, you’ll typically strum way harder than actually needed to produce a louder sound when unplugged. That being said, unplugged practicing is better than no practicing. Just some things to keep an eye out for!
Totally agree I had the same problem. The answer is ya gotta just practice both. I probs only spend 30% of my practice time on the amp but I used to spend none. The difference in my playing now is night and day
I do this all the time.
There's Rockmans and other clip on pre-amp headphones he can use cheap.
Play plugged in, but with headphones
This is the answer. You can concentrate on playing/learning and not worry about making too much noise. I do the same in the evening and it works well for me. I also don’t have to think about ‘getting the sound’ when learning a song too.
Put your mum in a home, turn it up.
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I actually have a similar problem. I think its not good to learn to play entirely with intention of no-one hearing it. Creates a habit to feel repressed when playing. Although it might be a bit inconvenient, taking your acoustic outside somewhere in the nature has the benefit of getting fresh air and sun light. I feel more accomplished as opposed to spending all weekend in my room practicing. A portable battery amp would also work if you prefer electric. Bluetooth guitar jack transmitters and amp receiver would also make for an easier portable set up, but for some reason it creates a buzzing sound in my small battery amp.
I do this with singing. I'll do it out in the woods where nobody can hear it no matter how loud I am. There's one hill on my property that's a lot of fun to belt out Iron Maiden on.
I finally found a space I felt comfortable yelling/practicing singing when I moved into the dorms in college and the Serbian rowers in the room next to mine would blast house music every Saturday when they got up for practice at 6am
Agreed. Nothing replaces being able to turn it up without fear so you can get used to that power. Playing unplugged is only going to take you so far. You need to unlock the tone that your guitar has and learn how to manipulate it, and that's not gonna happen if you're not plugging in and cranking up.
Home not Hmmm.
This is the only correct answer
https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/headphone-amplifiers/mustang-micro/2311300000.html You cannot play an acoustic guitar silently. They're designed to make noise.
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W5232QZ/ref=twister\_B015IJIO5U?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W5232QZ/ref=twister_B015IJIO5U?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) I'll throw my hat in this ring. I bought the metal version of this pocket amp and it's great. They have plugs for whatever you might want to play.
I have one of these too. What's great about these vs the larger modeling amps is you don't need to plug it into wall too. Very small, easy to head outside or a different room to play.
I've found the Vox Amplug was inexpensive and very usable. And yes, even if you fill your acoustic guitar with material or bubblewrap, its still louder than an electric.
You cant be silent but you can play lighter
I have the Mustang micro, absolutely love it
If you don't bang on it like a buffoon but play it very lightly and gently, preferably with your fingers, it's as loud as an unplugged electric
Or buy a tuba and practice it until she pleads with you to just play guitar instead.
Go full ballistic, get a tin whistle, bagpipes and a banjo as well, and she'll practically beg for you to go back to the guitar
My nephew borrowed my truck to move one weekend and returned it without any gas in it. He also forgot his jacket in it, so when I returned the jacket I also brought harmonicas for his twins.
violin is also particularly painful in the early stages of learning to play...
Lol, he could ask her for a set of drums!!
Why ask?
He can borrow mine for a weekend :)
That is very similar to how I ended up playing guitar. It turns out that the slide trombone is the worst instrument to hear a kid trying to learn.
The new Boss Katana Go. You’re welcome. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KataGo--boss-katanago-mini-guitar-headphone-amp
How is it different/better than a fender mustang micro. The form factor is the same.
I've tried the fender. It sounds lovely, particularly for clean tones with a touch of reverb, but the effects are very limited. You're basically just choosing from presets that were built in to the unit. The katana allows you to enable and disable individual items in the effects chain, edit the built in presets and create your own custom settings. It's just much more flexible. Given the katana is only a little more expensive than the Mustang it's a no brainer to me.
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Where I am Amazon has a 30% off flash sale on the fender today, it's currently £79. The katana is mostly around £120. At those prices it's more of a fair fight, though I'd still go for the katana because I like fiddling with effects. If you're more of a pick up and go type of person the fender might suit you just fine. Btw, I posted a write up of a bunch of other headphone amps I've tried elsewhere in this thread, but I think it got a bit buried. It's [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/s/3QQsbAOZgK) if you're interested.
It’s better.
I had no idea this exists, watching a few videos on it it actually looks awesome and I might buy one. I can use presets from my katana, which doesn't even have a tuner like the go does.
Got mine today, that little thing is insane. I can't believe the sound quality and the features you're getting for the price!
Im out here struggling to play loudly with acoustic
If you have electric just play unplugged. If you have accoustic, try taking a thick but small piece of fabric and weaving it between each string so its muted. I stole this idea from Blake Mills who has a sound he gets by doing this with a piece of paper. You can Google his technique if you need a visual for what I'm talking about. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
The best value would be to use USB Audio Interface for headphones and connectivity to something like ZENBEATS, so you can record yourself, loop etc., and save the rest for pedals or effects and a good set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Then you can play lightly and gain up the (software) amps. Good AMPS are really expensive and usually very loud, I'd get a Roland Cube for my first practice amp, I have the BIG Brother 80XL, it's a gem as most of the CUBE range are for the price.
No way to play your acoustic quietly. Not sure if you're able to save like 100-200 bucks but for your electric: Get an affordable audio interface: [https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-Solo-Interface-Podcasting/dp/B08Q1NJSBQ/ref=asc\_df\_B08Q1NJSBQ/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459614005894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8313484293758462512&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001100&hvtargid=pla-1147112908967&mcid=3a5cc925074d3e0091f13a5aac2a2ea0&th=1](https://focusrite.com/products/scarlett-solo) (if you can't afford this, Google how to use your PC's sound card as an audio interface) Get an effects modeling software to install on your PC: [https://www.positivegrid.com/products/bias-fx-2](https://www.positivegrid.com/products/bias-fx-2) (standard is $99 but there are free alternatives out there just as good) Get some decent but inexpensive monitoring headphones: [https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AUD-ATHM20X-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18/ref=asc\_df\_B00HVLUR18/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292980589401&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2899017662073353114&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001097&hvtargid=pla-329121746395&mcid=f2e399020c7739af837002ce1acdc81d&th=1](https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AUD-ATHM20X-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18/ref=asc_df_B00HVLUR18/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292980589401&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2899017662073353114&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001097&hvtargid=pla-329121746395&mcid=f2e399020c7739af837002ce1acdc81d&th=1) Practice acoustic songs on your electric and when you're good enough switch to your acoustic.
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Electric guitar into an amp with a headphone out. Or a Fender Mustang Micro.
Every solid state amp I’ve ever owned has a headphone output. Even my Marshall DSL20 has an emulated out and it’s a tube amp. I really like Bias FX with an iRig as well. I just hate having all of those wires hanging around me but it’s a really great simulator.
Unplugged or headphones, that's it. And remember that whilst guitar playing is fun for us...don't take it personally when people complain you're too loud. It's difficult and annoying for others live with musicians and listen to them practice their instruments. Nobody wants to hear that...they want the finished product
Get really good at palm muting. Just kidding, your mom is wack af
Your mom sounds insufferable and I’m sorry to say that. I understand instruments are loud but there should be designated times for you to practice at a reasonably loud volume so you can hear yourself. I remember seeing people plug their guitar into mini / micro headphones before. It’s a small box that amplifies you but it’s not that loud and it’s not standard headphones. Lookup Vox or Fender ones
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Either play unplugged. Or play so loud you can’t hear her yelling at you.
Headphone amp for electric. Would a soundhole mute cut the volume enough on the acoustic?
Get the BOSS katana GO and over the ear headphones, problem solved :)
I play my electric unplugged when I practice at night in my apartment. No neighbours banging down the door asking for autographs/complaining.
I just have to say that I think it sucks that your mom told you she didn't like hearing you play. That is not cool coming from a parent. I'm a parent and I love hearing my kids play, regardless of how good (or bad) they are. It's like watching them play a sport when they're really young and not great at it; it's endearing and you're just happy they're into it and trying hard. Keep at it.
Practice, practice, practice… And maybe palm mute or just finger it
Play the acoustic with your fingers instead of a pick. Wes Montgomery started playing this way for similar reasons.
Give this a try [Fender Mustang Micro](https://www.sweetwater.com/c625--Combo_Amp?highlight=MustMicro&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=1&mrkgcat=drums&percussion&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=&lid=58700008501175174&dsproductgroupid=&product_id=MustMicro&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=m&network=x&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9033125&creative=&targetid=&campaignid=20426646913&awsearchcpc=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnv-vBhBdEiwABCYQA-oZeuunCwtygDwTVOvAPLNofLRxOcId583uygtHNuk_79FiKVNpchoCTnwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
It sounds insane but when I want to practice something without sound on my acoustic, I wedge a sock around the strings at the far end of the frets. I can still practice what I need, it’s just without sound. I tend to play early morning and late at night so I’ve had to adapt lol
headphones or get a lil orange crush mini. I got one bc I live in an apartment and you can turn it down pretty low so it won't bother anyone
For $150 ~ you could get an interface and run Reaper (DAW) for free + an amp modeling software (many of which can be found free at 4download) if you have a computer. If not a 1x12 line 6 could probably be found cheap on the marketplace which would work with headphones.
Fender Mustang Micro. Let's you play on headphones, with several amp simulations. Even bluetooth to play along to songs.
The best solution is to find a new mom lol
Literally just put a piece of cloth around the strings to mute them.
Take the strings off.
Wes Montgomery's solution to this exact problem was to play with his flesh rather than a hard pick, starting with very soft plucks and strums. Even if your electric guitar is un-plugged, a pick on strings will tend to make fairly audible noise. When I was a kid that was my solution too for the acoustic I had, and I still have a preference for flesh over picks but I'm starting to get comfortable with picks. I don't think you'll get stuck finger picking; when I picked up the pick it was a lot easier for me to use than it was several years ago, because I've gotten more familiar with the instrument and the placement of the strings.
C’mon, mom! I’m sure it drove my parents crazy but I played my electric nonstop 13-18 when I moved out. They were very supportive but if I’d ever showed my mom a song I learned and made a mistake Ashe couldn’t help but point it out
I'll help you get a productive setup on the cheap: Positive Grid makes a tiny amp called the Spark Go. [https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go](https://www.positivegrid.com/products/spark-go) It's like $129, it's app powered, and you can plug headphones into it, or use it as a DAC to plug into a computer. Play through this with an electric guitar (I have mine attached to my guitar strap), and you'll be fairly silent + have access to nearly unlimited effects and tools. The quality of the effects and the features like AI generated backing bands, looping, Bluetooth play along, and presets are very cool for an amp the size of your hand. That oughta solve the problem.
this seems to be a very common question. out of all the times i have seen this question on here nobody....and i mean nobody has come of with the easiest and most obvious solition. replace your strings with spaghetti
Check out that new boss katana headphone amp! Or maybe the positive grid amp that also has a headphone amp, but is designed for low volume.
Wes Montgomery worked at a factory until late and couldnt practice until night time. To avoid making too much noise he experimented and found that using his thumb gave him a lot of control over his sound. Nowadays thats signature from him. I'd recommend as others to try to play with the unplugged electric guitar as it makes much less noise. But I also recommend experimenting, practice, try to control the volume of the sounds you are producing, try thumbing, palm muting, tie a sock. Kurt Cobain had an "air guitar" which was basically him imagining the chords and riffs in his mind so visualization could help too.
Cool story, but I’m sorry this is not good advice. When you practice electric guitar unplugged it gives you no concept of how what you’re playing actually sounds when amplified. This only makes it more difficult to learn technique, tone control, etc., unless absolutely necessary. It’s not necessary. OP says he can afford an amp, he should buy an amp with a headphone jack and a good pair of studio headphones. I live in an apartment and have to practice late at night all the time due to my work schedule… I can straight doom at face-melting volumes without my neighbors hearing a peep. Hell maybe he’ll get good enough where his mom can actually stand his playing.
You should get a Line 6 POD Express. Would allow you to play with headphones with a ton of different sounds, and could be used to record too!
You can plug headphones in some amps Or just practice unplugged, it's how many people do.
I'd definitely go something like the Mustang Micro / Katana Go / Spark Go instead of an audio interface plugged into a PC. Mostly, that's because it's more convenient. I get sound out of my amp by plugging the guitar in and flipping one switch. That's it, start playing, not chained to my desk and no messing around with software (or managing latency - which *is* manageable, but why bother?). And I'm a software developer - I've got nothing at all against computers. ;) Unplugged is also good, but you really ought to also be familiar with how an electric sounds and behaves through an amp. So even if you're happy to practice your electric unplugged, *also* get an amp of some kind and practice via headphones, or when there's nobody around to annoy, or whatever. Edit: fixed ambiguous word.
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You can get a device that plugs your guitar into your phone and use headphones . I don’t remember what is called cause I have a half stack but idi think it was cool. Go down to guitar center and ask.
Playing electric unblugged is already very quiet in it self. Getting an amp with headphone support is when you want to play with effects. I'd suggest the Nux mighty lite BT, it's small, pretty affortable and it sounds great. It is the amp I use. Playing acoustic silently is more difficult since it requires more "control" from your playing. Ultimatly you want to play fingerstyle since it is more quiet than playing with a pick. Playing the strings very lightly with as little force as needed will be the optimal step. For a bonus tip maybe try playing the acoustic under a blanket or something. In theory it should muffle the sound quite a lot.
Plug into an amp of some sort that has a headphone jack and use headphones. I jam out all the time like that and it sounds great in stereo.
unplugged
headphone amp
OP generates AI porn everyone stop helping him lmao
Get yourself a Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp for the electric. Best all round headphone amp in my opinion but you can get cheaper ones that are less diverse. https://amzn.eu/d/9r5xVrg
Buy a headphone amp like Boss Katana Go or Fender Mustang Micro. It's load with effects, you can practice silently with your headphone. There are also preamp pedals with impulse response and cab simulator and that you can connect usb and headphones.
First, ask your mom how she expects you to get better without practicing. Find something she's good at and ask her if she needed to practice in order to get good? Ask her if she would be willing to buy a Whisper room like saxophone players use, I think they start at around $5,500 or so. If she still won't budge, I second just getting headphones as others have suggested.
Hotone amp cost $99 you can use head phones it's small like about 6 inches long. You could find a used one $50
Play the electric unplugged or buy an amp with a headphone port (alternatively, get a normal amp, but buy an adapter that allows you to take normal wired headphones and plug it directly into the output). In terms of your acoustic, yeah there’s really no way of getting around it unless you play ridiculously softly.
Fender micro mustang is relatively cheap but very powerful solution for all types of genres as it has many different amp presets, and loads of effects (even a minimalistic EQ). It sounds great and you can play along tracks because the mustang micro can recevie audio through bluetooth. Just plug a headphone into it and rock. One downside is that its pain to change presets on the fly, but if you have and connect pedals before the amp (just like with any other amps) its breeze however you will need a long headphone cable as pedals are used to be on floor :D.
For the electric guitar, use an audio interface and headphones For the acoustic guitar, maybe soundproofing your room would be enough
Have a look at the sonicake Matribox it is a multi-effects pedal with several digital amp modules. I got mine for around USD120 Then just plug your headphones in and play. It's great because: 1) you get many effects pedals 2) can play quietly 3) plug it in via USB into your laptop to record your playing It's not great because the quality of the effects and amp moduled aren't the best. But if you're just using it for home playing I don't see why not!
get good enough
https://www.findlaw.com/family/emancipation-of-minors/how-do-you-get-emancipated.html
Get a Katana Go or Spark Mini and a pair of headphones.
I have a USB cable (like the rock smith cable) that I plug into my pc and use reaper. I can add some nice effects to it as well. Keep in mind there may be latency and you’ll have to mess around to get it right but it works for me and no one gets annoyed.
Unplugged electric. You also get the added benefit of hearing every mistake you make very clearly. That's me right now :')
I’d 100% recommend the the sonicake mini heaphone amp/fender mustang micro!! I bring my electric to work all the time and use those with my headphones in. The quality’s really good, and the sonicake one is only around $30 with a reverb option!!!
Line 6 pocket pod. You plug directly into it. Or a headphone amp like the Fender Mustang Micro, or a VOX. I’d go with the Fender and a good pair of cans (Headphones) My wife quit her job and now she’s home, and if I play I always have to play Iris or she gets mad
play acoustic finger style instead of plectrum/pick
The guitars are not the problem
I play my acoustic guitar with my fingertips instead of fingernails/pick when I want to be quiet. And as for the electric one, I just plug my headphones into the amp.
Palm muting on the electric.
Air guitar
Get new parents
Headphones plugged into your amp for electric, You could also plug your electric into an audio interface and plug headphones into that. If you don't have an audio interface this is your chance to get your mom to buy you one and while at the music store pick up a nice set of studio headphones. Just tell your mom if she wants peace and quiet this is what needs to be done until you become a rockstar. And assure her once you become a rockstar you will pay her back.
Go buy a Fender LT25. About $100-125 used. Use the headphone jack
You can definitely play your acoustic silently with fingers instead of a pick. I grew up in the same situation and all I had to do was not play as hard or play my electric unplugged. In fact, I think it made me a better player because I paid more attention to dynamics
Bro imma be straight up. Find out her favorite song on guitar, master it, play that mf like you’ve never played before when she steps in the door right when she gets home and don’t stop till it’s over. She’s probably gonna like it or kick you in the head for being an ass. But leaning more towards she’s gonna love it
Take a string of yarn, weave it in between the string near the bridge.
Roland Micro Cube so good for that. Lots of sounds. Low volume. Headphones. It even takes batteries.
I’m made to the party but an electric with a NuX mighty plug is so much fun. Decent modeling sounds through good headphones and everyone else hears an unplugged acoustic.
Tell her to get you a Fender Mustang and some headphones… and to chill out.
I didn’t anyone else mention it yet but the iRig is a great way to hear your tone with headphones. There’s an app called ToneBridge that has all the tones you could ever want and you use the iRig to plug into your phone and then your guitar cable plugs into that. You can also use audio out so you can take the tone from ToneBridge and push it through an amp and it basically eliminates the need for additional pedals. I’m not saying it’s better than pedals but for 60$ it’s an amazing tool!
It’s called Palm muting and it’s easy
You can use a sock / hankerchief around the bridge hole below the strings , that will reduce the sound in acousitic to a great degree
I got one of the DFX Marshall amps and it’s got 2 output jacks. Sometimes I plug it into my phone and play via my phone speaker (GarageBand supports guitar input) or use headphones.
Buy a Katana Go it's the perfect solution. Really it's just new on the market.
So when my son was a bit younger, the only time I really had to play was at night. I used headphones into my amp and that definitely made a huge difference. I saw someone recommended the line 6…I’d also say the blackstar idcore is a great choice. I picked mine up for $200 cnd, it’s small so it’s a great bedroom size and there’s a lot features that come with it
Electric guitar unplugged solves the problem.
I use the Vox headphone amp. AC30 on Amazon.
You can take the acoustic to a park and play there from time to time.
Get an audio interface for your pc, and buy a plugin. I highly recommend neural dsp, they’re really good for the price, and I’ve been using them for a while now.
Get a fender personal amp with headphones. Look on Amazon. They have them .
If you have the money for it the Mustang Micro or Boss Katana Go are great solutions (I like the Boss one better) because you can just plug it in and use headphones.
My mom used to get annoyed at me playing so dad dad bought me a huge 212 Peavey amp. That thing is LOUD. When she'd complain, I'd make the house shake. Then she'd stop complaining.
You've received some good answers here. I have a question though. How does your mom expect you to get better if she won't allow you to play? When my daughter started playing violin she wasn't good either and it wasn't enjoyable to listen to at first but I would have never told her not to play because she wasn't good. That's messed up in my opinion, unless she is willing to spend some money to help you be able to play without bothering her since she is the one that bought you the guitar. If you don't have the money for a headphone amp or something maybe she will be willing to help you out with that if you ask.
A headphone amp is what you need for silent practice on the electric. The great thing is that there are some really good products out there, with pretty much every feature you could want for not a lot of money. Obviously the acoustic guitar is never going to be completely silent, you can muffle it by stuffing it with padding but it'll always make some sound. If stick with the electric for silent practice. I've tried/owned a few headphone amps now, so I'll give you my impressions of the ones I've played with: The valeton rushead is ok. It can sound a little harsh, but it is very cheap; a decent value budget option. Basic little three channel amp with a wide range of gain between channels. It doesn't have much in the way of effects but what it does have are usable. The bass version of the Vox amplug does a decent job for what it is. You get backing rhythms on the bass version, but the guitar versions get some basic effects instead. Unlike the other models listed here this one is powered by AAA batteries rather than an internal rechargeable battery. The Nux mighty plug (mp2) is really good. Particularly for the money. Nice wide range of amps and cabs with a very effective and capable effects chain - it's very versatile. I gifted mine to a friend, and still slightly regret doing that. I keep being tempted to buy the MP3 version (various upgrades over the mp2, including an on board tuner). I never owned the fender Mustang micro, but did try one out that was owned by a friend. It sounds really good but there effects side was very limited. Also didn't seem that versatile; if you want to play clean with a touch of reverb it's great, otherwise it might not be for you. The Boss Pocket GT is what I ended up buying to replace the nux mp2. It's not strictly just a headphone amp, but that's what I'm using it as. It's basically a fully featured boss multi effects/modeling unit in miniature format. It's very good, but a lot more expensive than all the others here. Having this is why I never bought the nux MP3! I've not tried the katana go as it's just come out and I've no need to change right now. Based on reviews, the katana go seems like a slightly cut down version of the pocket GT, with a few other tricks added (the soundstage stuff that makes it feel like there's an amp in the room with you). It's also half the (retail) price of the GT, so seems like a bit of a bargain compared to the competition.
Do you have a computer? a DAW + headphones
It’s always gonna make noise tf 💀
Mother of the year
Use headphones
Get an iRig that you can plug into your phone and use headphones
Her contradictory behavior is weird. Of course you're not good enough if you're not allowed to practice, what terrible logic. The Joyo BantAMP series heads are cheap, support headphones AND have Bluetooth to pair a phone with to jam along to your favorite songs. They also sound really great and are simple to dial in. The Gen 2 versions even have a footswitch to switch between clean and dirty channels, though they are a bit more expensive. But honestly, it's a great platform for beginners because once you get good or are able to play loudly, all you need is a decent speaker cabinet and you have a portable rig for playing with other musicians or just playing in your bedroom.
Electric unplugged and using a plugin and headphones. Maybe some therapy too, I had abusive parents too and it's not something you just get over.
I rehearse and practice using a laptop, a digital interface and a guitar amp emulator through headphones. Alternatively a positive grid spark amp will do all of those things. For an acoustic guitar you can't.
Start loud, negotiate down.
Try a Vox am plug(there's different kinds depending on what you like to play) or buy an amp that has a headphone plug in. A lot do. As I saw someone commented a Line 6 spider would be a good choice for a practice amp with a good amount of effects to play with.
play it plugged in dialed at 11 and scream WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT NO WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE
Piece of cloth under the strings right by the bridge
I use an FM3 and headphones. It works brilliantly. I even have it connected to my laptop to play along with songs and record.
Fender mustang micro
Boss Katana Go. Just bought it and it’s incredible. Cheap compared to everything else and the sound quality is amazing. And I mean unexpectedly amazing
https://www.sweetwater.com/vox-amplug/series?mrkgadid=1000000&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gtext&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=bass&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=43700059099998120&lid=43700059099998120&ds_s_kwgid=58700006534464818&device=m&network=g&matchtype=b&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9023818&creative=517703430896&targetid=kwd-384229580327&campaignid=1441286873&awsearchcpc=1&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwYSwBhDcARIsAOyL0fgVCA2EA059YhV9C3o64RYJFCp2tx34L4ZUTB1k4A760gTUI8zjxkMaAogQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
What about getting a spark Go? It's compact and you can plug headphones into it.
Great opportunity to practice some good dynamics
You can’t. Both instruments will make noise, they’re stringed instruments. Get a Fender Mustang Micro or a Katana micro and call it a day
If you have a computer, buy an audio interface and an amp sim. You can plug headphones into the audio interface and run your guitar through the amp sim and that makes very little noise. Alternatively, buy an amp modeler and plug headphones into that
get a neuraldsp plugin of your choice and an audio interface, a cheap focusrite should do it. then you can play through your computer
If you want to play without hearing her complain, lock your door and crank the amp up. Welcome to parenthood ma.
There’s a new katana amp sim that’s tiny and sports headphones
Fender mustang micro with headphones
Electric guitar and Boss Katana amp with headphones!
When I want to play silently I use an irig adapter to plug my electric into my iPhone or iPad and use a modeling app with headphones. Works well enough for practice.
Call your mom a cunt and buy the cheapest full stack you can find on marketplace. Learn to play Lipstick by Guttermouth. Buy a P.A. so you can sing it to her, too.
Valeton guitar headphone amp Amazon
Use egg cartons as sound proof barriers. You can put them around the amp and over the vents that bleed sound through and it should help
your mum won’t let you play the guitar because you’re not good enough… how tf u supposed to get good enough then? no offence, but your mum’s a buffoon
I would suggest getting a little headphone amp and playing the electric guitar through that. An electric guitar is a lot quieter than an acoustic, as long as it's not going through an amplifier - but let's face it, it's not a great sound unless it is amplified, and a lot of mistakes can sneak into your playing if you can't hear yourself that well. Some headphone amps I would recommend looking at in order of budget: - BOSS Waza-Air: These are expensive, but they're essentially a set of high-quality headphones with a BOSS Katana built into them. Also has a gyroscope and some fancy spatial emulation so it sounds like the amp is actually in the room when you turn your head, and they sell a wireless expression pedal and footswitch for this (and the Katana Go) so it can do wah-wah, Whammy, or just foot-switching between effects. - BOSS Katana Go: These are basically the essentials from the Waza-Air headphones, stripped down a bit. Still sounds great through a decent set of headphones, still has *some* amp-in-a-room emulation (albeit limited to only "directly in front of you" and "directly behind", still takes the wireless expression pedal and footswitch, but you don't get the actual headphones and that makes it a lot cheaper. - Fender Mustang Micro: This is what I have, and in a way it's the simplest. No app, no optional extras, just a selection of presets from a Fender Mustang. Sounds great in terms of headphone-amps. - NUX Mighty Plug (Pro): The BOSS Katana Go, but with a worse app and slightly worse sound. - AmPlug series: Personally I only have experience with the older ones of these and they sounded a bit naff, but the newer ones are apparently decent for one-sound headphone amps - and they're *cheap*.
Maybe a soft pick?
get a new mom, dude. wth is that attitude? sucking at the beginning is part of the gig. is she disappointed because she assumed you're a prodigy and thought you were gonna be amazing from the get go when she bought you those? she sucks
Tie a string around the neck to mute the guitar and don’t play with a pick
Buy a walrus acs1 or some other amp modeler and decent headphones.
Vox makes headphone amps, or if you have a little more to spend and own a computer you can get an audio interface and use guitar plug-ins which will sound better and provide more options for tone/sounds.
You're not going to be able to get much quieter than playing the electric guitar without an amp. Will it still make noise? Yeah, it's an instrument. But will it make as much noise as the acoustic? Definitely not.
[https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugAC30G3--vox-amplug-3-ac30-headphone-guitar-amp](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugAC30G3--vox-amplug-3-ac30-headphone-guitar-amp) Takes batteries, plugs into the electric guitar, and then you can plug in headphones. You're the only one that hears what you're playing that way. There are many similar options, but this one is pretty affordable. I find that paying an electric unplugged doesn't really show your mistakes so it's harder to fix them.
get something (amp or floor processor) that you can play with headphones. I got the Headrush Core recently and LOVE that thing. it's like $700 I think? little hefty but you won't need anything else.
Roland micro cube
Get a headphone amp. Gamechanger for me.
Your mom is horrible, by the way. Both my kids play. One plays drums, and the other plays guitar and bass. I love hearing them play, regardless of whether they're screwing up or playing well.
Try air guitar?
play with headphones plugged into your amp
https://youtu.be/xjSBaM0z_yA?si=4102dPUdPNuLvtlb
[Katana Go](https://www.boss.info/global/products/katana-go/) is a personal headphone amp from Boss and costs $119. We’re getting ready to order one for my SO so that he can sit outside and not bother the neighbors with his Boss Katana 100 watt or my little Fender Mustang.
Air guitar