Are there different ways to make your electric guitar sound better other than a different amplifier?

Answer 1

"Better" is a bad word to use because different players prefer different things. For example, Franz Ferdinand uses Hagstrom Guitars for that thin, low-tech sound suitable for ragged, cutting garage-rock, New Wave guitar sounds. But try using that tone if you're playing in a Metallica cover band and you'll fall short. There is some tried and true equipment that help achieve different (and to some ears, better) sounds: Treble booster: Tony Iommi and Brian May use these. This piece of equipment does something similar to when '60s players removed their pickup covers because they believe it increases output. More treble in the sound means more cut to the sound, which gives the feeling of more clarity in the tone, and also clearer pick attack. Compressor: Roger McGuinn's 12-string electric sound is primarily thanks to heavy use of compression, to focus the sound. Clean boost: A good clean boost can help raise the volume without changing the fundamental tone. Pickups: Different pickups have different characters. Fender single-coil pickups wouldn't work well for death metal, nor would DiMarzio humbuckers work well for vintage-style rock. Swapping out pickups can do wonders -- for example, I didn't like the tone on my Flying V '67 Reissue, so I swapped out the ceramic 496R/500T pickups for Alnico Burstbucker V pickups, and I'm much happier with the tone and response.