What Should You Upgrade First - Your Guitar Or Amp?

Dagan discusses the 3 major points to think about when deciding whether to upgrade to a new guitar or new amp. We also find out whether you should upgrade your amp or guitar first!
Want to know more? Check out our blog on amp vs guitar upgrades here: www.pmtonline.co.uk/blog/2019...
Shop Electric Guitars: www.pmtonline.co.uk/products/...
Shop Guitar Amps: www.pmtonline.co.uk/products/...
It can be pretty daunting trying to decide whether to upgrade your guitar or upgrade your amp, but thankfully Dagan has created this video to help you figure out what the best course of action is.
In this video Dagan discusses the two main reasons we upgrade (aside from when something looks cooler of course):
1 - Playability
2 - Tonal benefits
As well as the 3 options:
Option 1: Upgrade our guitar with new parts
Option 2: Buy a new guitar
Option 3: Buy a new amp
Let us know in the comments below if you agree!
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[@richiegoh359]

"Look at me. I'm spending a lot of money on this thing. I'm taking this seriously. Sit down and listen to my album." Love this quote!

[@martinturner1796]

2 drinks away from Captain Jack..

[@Carnage2018]

1 and a half

[@ThiccSeagull]

Dagan is a national treasure

[@waltervapour]

Nice... but the only thing I need to upgrade is my guitar playing ability :o(

[@philclarke7712]

Lol, same

[@alexsalinas4241]

The bad part is you can't buy ability :(

[@scaremoth334]

how are you now

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I'd go amp every time. A good amp will make almost any guitar sound good, but not vice versa.

[@derfisch6700]

Chris Davies yea i have a realy good les paul knokoff and a engl rockmaster amp and it sounds goodly

[@ivan-vp6ex]

Depends on what guitars and amps you already have though, if you're still happy with your inexpensive guitar and think that your Amp can do better, then upgrade the amp. If you think that your cheap amp has a nice tone but the guitar can't stay in tune then upgrade your guitar. So, short answer is depends

[@AudreyYun]

i bought upgrades to my squier strat purely for the reason that i thought it was a cool idea to build up a completely new guitar from scratch, replacing the old one one part at a time. and i absolutely love it.

[@danielworkman742]

I went the route of upgrading my amp first, worked out well for my needs. Thanks Dagan for another great vid. 👍

[@KesslerMickschGeorgeII]

Upgrade your amp as soon as you can afford to. Have your guitar professionally set-up and dressed and you may never want to upgrade.

[@shockfctr247]

Absolutely one of the best explanations for what to do next. I think the amp upgrade was my biggest game changer. I just needed to get away from my cheap tin sounding starter amp.

[@findis]

I don't have a PMT store anywhere near me, but I love how Dagen comes across in the videos.

[@sirturd2954]

The fact that someone as amazing at playing as he is isn’t world famous tells me I have no chance...

[@aaronkennedy2322]

I'd say amp and use any left over money to upgrade your guitar or change strings

[@annekaczorowski6025]

Dagan love your segments

[@m1ghtycs]

4:58 oh boy, here we go again. The tonewood debate...

[@Thomasdgolden]

Yep.....

[@philclarke7712]

He's right though. If you have ears.

[@gringogreen4719]

I quote Keith Richards "After 15 minutes on any of these guitars I sound like me." Does tonewood matter? Honestly it depends. If you are talking more acoustic or a clean tones, yeah it can make a difference. If you play with a dirty tone like me, less so. I would say the type of guitar (solid, acoustic, semi hollow or hollow body) have way more impact than say...ash vs alder. I find electronics like pickups (I love P-90s and Filtertrons), quality pots and the overall hardware affect my playing and tone more than the wood. A good nut and setup can make a night and day difference too. I've gone down the rabbit hole and usually outside of pickups most other changes or mods make a miniscule difference. I think scale length has more change on tone than woods. I live in Phoenix, home of Roberto Venn, arguably the best luthier school in North America. I've taken mini courses there and out back they had this huge log of a tree that students can use for acoustic tops. Guess what, off that one log, say 25 to 35 feet long, wood from different parts of the tree will yield different tones. That's just acoustically. Now since you are dealing with natural materials, there is really no way two guitars will have the exact same tone even if they are the same style. That said buy guitars that you enjoy. Also you have tone controls on your guitar and amp that can affect sound way more than the wood.

[@janubotes9073]

thanks best advice i got yet

[@scottperry8162]

I just love theese videos

[@briantate692]

Great video dagan kidda

[@kaydenkircher2076]

I love my Squier Affinity Tele, that's never gonna be put away. Always gonna be in reach. My amp, oh yeah that'll be upgraded very soon.

[@Andredecan]

It’s like you’ve read my mind. At the exact time this video came out I was trading in my Les Paul Classic for a Les Paul Standard HP in my local PMT Store 😂

[@Ayoutubeaccount3]

I've been playing my BC rich beast for 10 years now, think it's time I upgrade as I plugged in my bros fender and it just sounded and felt so much better, easier to play too

[@kongandbasses8732]

4:36 And the can of worms has been opened again.

[@borisiwanow]

An episode where you would have demonstrated all of those advices would have been so much cooler ! :)

[@BAMozzy69]

I think it really depends on the person, the gear they already have, their needs and their budget. If they have a 'decent' even if it isn't expensive (a Boss Katana 50 or 100) amp for example, it may not be worth a massive investment in a Valve amp. If the guitar isn't that comfortable, cheap and requiring maintenance, regular tuning etc then its most important to upgrade the guitar regardless of the rest of your gear - its MOST important to have a Guitar that makes you want to play and a 'cheap' Katana still sounds great. If you are looking to gig, to practice with a band and you only have a poor amp, then an Amp makes sense - but you can buy a cheap-ish Katana and that can do the job - also has lots of effects too. The guitar that makes you want to play, whether that's plugged into an amp or just practising unplugged in your Room will always be the MOST important. A 50w Katana is less than £200 and can see you through to gigging with a 'great' sound and lots of effects to shape your tone - so you don't necessarily need a £1k+ Valve head and Cab. Get the guitar sorted first because it doesn't matter how good/bad you amp is if your guitar is horrible to play, constantly going out of tune etc. You can practice without an Amp and can get a decent amp that will see you through from bedroom beginner (0.5w mode on Katana) right through to gigging and still sound 'great'.

[@Lateral032]

Have a player strat hss and boss artist mk2. Added some pedals; flanger, envelope filter, Santa Ana overdrive, delay. Took a while to find my mojo, but yea I followed paths 1, 2, and 3. Eventually you get there.. cant fake it till you make it when it comes to playing the guitar

[@the_swoletariat1621]

I upgraded everything (guitar, amp, and made a pedal board) at the same time while using some garbage gear for seven years lol. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that I loathed the JB before I bought an EC-1000 with it in there, so I’m replacing them with an Alpha/Omega set. Anyway, rad video!

[@reflectingtrees6173]

Axe, always for me. Rock n Roll!

[@coverslyrics]

Guitars are meant to have fun! cheers Dagan

[@silverdragon0000120]

I have cool guitars but no amp lol I’ve always been playing electric guitar without an amp. I’m thinking of buying a Taylor 414ce-R v class soon 😊

[@mondvlogph]

Already in a safe ground of my Marshall VS40R & Vox V9310 | AD30VT My Guitar is the one i should Upgrade, but not as whole, but a New Heart to Spoke With. From Stock Pickups to BKP - Blackdog For my H|H Equipped | Triptych for my SSS & Flat 50's Blackguard for my Telecaster. Pots will be Ups also with CTS 250k|500k and 0.022uf | 0.047uf Sprague | Orange Drop Capacitor. 0.005uf For Tele as Blackguard Scheme. Rest are Wired in a 50s Style. But Les Paul Kinda Interested to shift to Out of Phase Scheme.

[@firemarshal2629]

Just because you want to upgrade your gear doesn't mean you have to let the tail wag the dog. We live in the Golden age of gear. You can get a complete rig for under 1000 bucks these days and sound killer.

[@nigelgregory7090]

I’m about to my Humbuckers, the guitar probably isn’t worth it but there so cheap and I think it’s a good idea to learn how guitars are wired anyway. Going with iron gear pickups .

[@robertlester641]

Can we all just stop and appreciate that silverburst Modern Tele at 0:29 please?

[@thehound2161]

I have never grown out of a guitar or amp. I just feel like as i age i need to spend more and get gear that is more prestigious to my contemporaries and myself. This is my second main "hobby" and collecting gear is just like any other hobby. Get as much gear as i can afford, play with it all and alter some stuff for fun. The black hole of guitars and gear. It all comes in and never leaves.

[@koga9592]

I have a line 6 head combo amp looking to find an amplifier more capable of handling guitar effects pedals my guitar of choice is an ltd Les Paul ec-10 kind of a hard core metal type person

[@mdtaylor2274]

Do you guys ship to Portugal?

[@zool84]

Nice video... But another way could be a nice pro pedalboard. Nice thou!

[@ryangillette5286]

What is that gorgeous blue and green thing hanging on the wall??

[@alexn96937]

Anyone know the song to this video? It's a dope song!

[@thebigbenjo9597]

Ok that guitar at 0:30 is speaking to me. I’ve got to know what it is!

[@Hadogei123456789]

Fender Telecaster Deluxe!

[@smeijers6879]

I'm looking to upgrade. I have an Ibanez GSA60, which cost me €200, and a Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10 V2 for which I paid €100. I want to spend €300 to €600. I play at home, although I would like to join a band within a year from now. I love David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler and many more guitarists. What should I upgrade first? (and to what)

[@anonanon5791]

I have a 2006 MIM Strat and a Katana 50..New guitar or amp? Help please.

[@theghastlygamer5326]

Ive seen plenty of comparisons prooving tone wood makes next to zero difference

[@miijjk]

Now I already have a looper but if it has a built-in looper would that give me double the time I guess best way to say it

[@alphawolfawa437]

thinking about selling my squer bullet and my bc rich warlock to buy an rg360ahmz, dont feel that the strat suits me and after getting some experience and getting better i notice the quirks and stuff of my bc rich, and after the 14 year old me who loved the design has grown a little older ive noticed how horrible the bc rich is. i hate it. and it stops me from playing. my question is, is it worth selling them for the rg or should i rather save up for 3 extra month?

[@romucorporation]

Great

[@albertorta]

Upgrade both

[@charlleibbrandt8480]

Does anyone know what type of Telecaster he's playing at 3:51?

[@gringogreen4719]

Ok...here is what I would recommend. A mixture of all three. If you have beginner gear, the best bang for your buck would be to get a professional setup on your guitar, replace the cheap pots and switch with new higher grade components and perhaps buy a used amp that is a level or two better than what you have. This way you just opened up your guitar and are getting the most out of it and getting a new amp on the cheap. If you have mid level gear you may want to upgrade the electrical components and do a professional setup and get a new pickup or two. I would also suggest replacing the stock speaker/s in your amp. This way you you get the most with what you have. If you are not overly attached to your current gear you can trade both the amp and guitar towards say a "new to you" used guitar and pick up a better amp with cash. Like Dagan said there's no right or wrong answer, different purchases and upgrades will yield different results. It also depends on if you have to buy new gear, you get way more bang for your buck buying used. I've done all of these things and some have yielded better results than others. I would also look at buying and upgrading gear in terms of happiness. Will a new Epiphone Les Paul make you as happy as a used Gibson Les Paul...maybe. I've found that my happiness is mainly in modding guitars to punch 2-3 times the weight of the amount of money I have spent on them. I usually buy guitars used between $75- $350 and mod them around the $350-$500 range. I would put these up against American made professional guitars. The Ibanez in my pic, that's roughly around $550-$600 area. It has Gretschbuckers in it from my Gretsch Electromatic (that got TV Jones pickups). I played it at a Guitar Center, against a Gretsch White Falcon...same amp, same cable. It was spitting distance in terms of tone and playability and nowhere near the $3k price difference. Do upgrades because they make you happy. You may want to go the amp route first with a setup in your guitar. A good amp will make a cheap guitar sound better. Also keep in mind that your playing and your gear is fluid. You can always upgrade in stages.

[@sirturd2954]

Does anyone here have any opinions on the explorer? Most likely epiphome, I love Metallica and it sick plus I have a squier with single coils so I’m looking for emgs or humbuckers. Idk anything about gear feel free to correct anything I said.

[@TheDjike22]

I traded in my head and some of the pedals i have doubles or triples of (I have a half dozen delays,or more than a dozen distortion pedals etc.etc.) and get a new head and a different kind of pedal I've YET to own or master. Also I've grabbed that money selling old stuff and found the nearest pawn stores and get a new axe where they mess up And don't know what they have and upgrade or sometimes it's just I'm need of love but that's for experirnced people! I know the wood debates all the woods I practise because I think wood matters but I KNOW TONE IS IN YOUR HANDS AND I LIKE TO PRACTISE BUT I DO STRANGE THINGS ! I think about the guitarists that have styles that are different than mine and I watch them play and try to find a lick or simple subtle differences that they use and try to mimic them Snd steal them ! All guitarists are lick thieves cause jimi was born Johnny Allen Hendrix but became Jimi or Janes Marshall Hendrix and it's the journey not the start or even the destination and I love music and the roads I've been on! The biggest breakthroughs for me came from watching others, playing with others and the most during practice. Your tone will come but will people come to watch or hear your tone? A new guitar or amp may fix that but remember it's you playing and for me I feel if it has strings on it I can make it sound cool and have fun doing it! You make the equipment special it won't make you the best player. Yo Master anything it takes time, a plan and practising the thing you trying to master! The swords do the work but the master works the sword! So if your broke save your time and practise more or change up the places and people you play with to from 10s to 8s on strings but if you don't have a clear idea of what sound or tone you really are hearing or wanting don't spend money chasing a thing that you dunt even know about or have clear ideas on. It's all in you already you need to get it out and never break the bank chasing a PRS or a Les Paul cause you heard they are the best. You don't have to have invest a part of you rent on pick ups and upgrades when you could have just signed up at the local bar for players open stage night. Many times I've wasted cash on bullshit pedals and even traded my way into a b.c. Rich platnium warlock cause yeah it looked crazy cool and it was a heart but it wasn't fir me and it took me a few months to get back to who I really was but I needed to find out that way but I learned too listen to my soul not my balls or even my brain but if I had 3grand and I don't but I'd hook up on that relish Mary or Jane with that pick up switching innovation that's in that instrument and my only problem is I'd have to live in the guitar cause that's the rent for Almost 3 months and it might even be worth it but I'll just watch some more propaganda on dropping cash for more shit I don't need on common sense problems that have us wanting and still not getting what we want need or expect! I like the videos he does and he's a good player but I thought there was gonna be a little more on the demos if some guitars and axes because while he's talking I'm looking at the wall behind him wanting him to plug in some if those great looking machines on the wall! But what the fuck do I know? That there are a few guitars I've never owned and I'd like to see and hear as many guitars as I can before I buy a new one! So chop chop the machines wont demo themselves so gran the camera , a pick and an axe plug in and play! Oh and can we all pitch in to get this guy s new shirt or even an old one but hey him a large cause that shirt us a little young on you bro. Give this guns a break . Super heros don't even go that small ! Give your son to r little brother thier shirt back dude! Lol I'm just playing but get a large shirt your Junior high school wants thier p.e. Uniform back from the 6th grade! Seriously I love your channel and what you do,keep up the good shirt I mean work lol! Post script - You can always change out spaekers in your cab like get some green backs cause if you like to sound good? Than change out a speaker , a new loud speaker can take you to the next level!

[@EyupComics]

Lovely Rolex mate 👌🏻

[@kongandbasses8732]

Maybe it was a gift from the Tonewood Industry?

[@EyupComics]

Kong and Basses ha ha defo

[@RotterStudios]

I did both ... again

[@jspinks2388]

well the b52 is fucked up on ch2 cutting in and out lol, needs retubed anyways....but THAT cutting in/out low signal level like half there is ALOT like a capacitor...

[@JohnvanCapel]

Before I even watch the video, here's my take. If you want to sound better, the amplifier is the first thing you look at. If your guitar feels bad to hold, looks uninspiring, or won't stay in tune - *that's* when you upgrade your guitar. Lastly, modding your guitar is what you should do if you want your guitar to be *yours* - if there's just one last little thing you want to achieve for perfection.

[@Blulightning403_Official]

The beginner die hard Metallica fan i literally why I’m here lol trying to see if I can upgrade my amp for ride the lightning lightning tunings

[@Alec_Collins78]

Was that tele 399 or 899?

[@miijjk]

Only gets hard is like working on a car as a mechanic for 25 plus years you're always trying to reinvent the wheel

[@blissfuldj7627]

Getting real capn Jack Sparrow vibes at the beginning there

[@khievritthypoung373]

Dagan , what's your main guitar ?

[@jpmcmullan8666]

Retthy James i believe it’s an SG

[@nirbhaysaini9578]

Where should I buy the Epiphone slash version? I can not find it anywhere. I live in India so The foreign cites do not work for me

[@nickguzman1734]

How would he know where to get it in India bro cmon

[@demonprincess5634]

i got a guitar with a build in amp

[@tomasagustinveravicentin7789]

I'd upgrade both but I'm poor lol

[@cmmnsenserules4339]

(my opinion). Always get a good amp.

[@angelodias7720]

I stopped watching when you said wood makes a huge difference. Look pal, it's easier and cheaper dialing my amp clockwise or counterclockwise to compensate for a possible bass, mid or treble difference than getting yourself a guitar which is totally unaffordable when you're a beginner or a non-professional musician.

[@lordbuttsmcgee3415]

Any good amps for under $600? I'm playing with a 15w bass amp right now.....with a guitar.

[@mariebeauvalet1759]

Honestly I really like the Bugeras, I got a V22 and it's pretty awesome

[@life-x476]

Boss katana

[@lil_weasel219]

"tonewood" and "massive difference" don't belong in the same sentence unless we are talking about acoustics, or extremes like mahogany.

[@TenPester]

Always amp. I've replaced so many guitars, when buying a good 12" speaker amp would have made so much of a difference. People hardly ever buy a 60" TV without a good sound system, so why buy a £1k guitar, and use a 8" speaker amp?

[@torahwarrior2442]

Some basic guitar mods...then a good amp...learn to work on a guitar first with a cheap one...then last get a good one...

[@TheSunMoon]

I don't need to get a good guitar; I need to get good AT guitar.😆

[@Skbrvrisjsbdvetjtrbejudb]

You’re a combination of Russell Brand and Jack Sparrow

[@breezecam1099]

tonewood?

[@Trojanarchist]

Breezecam the wood the body is made of

[@breezecam1099]

@@Trojanarchist I know but it doesn't make a difference and he said it does, the vibrations from the strings go directly into the pickups, the wood type doesn't really make a difference

[@Trojanarchist]

@@breezecam1099 idk about you, but from my experience i can hear the difference

[@breezecam1099]

@@Trojanarchist99% of tone is from pickups, amp, pedals and playing style, the wood does get picked up by the pickups so that's why there tonewood is a lie

[@Trojanarchist]

@@breezecam1099 you do you, i'm not gonna force you to agree with me and i'm not gonna agree with you either :)

[@derekdemaestri4722]

I just bought my first guitar and amp why am i watching this video

[@nethbt]

Amps won't fuel or spark inspiration, the guitar does.... Besides, you can always get excellent tones from amp sims.

[@philclarke7712]

Spoken like someone who plays a Jackson.😋

[@nethbt]

Phil Clarke spoken like a true elitist... It don't matter what brand u have, or how much it costs... as long as inspires you

[@philclarke7712]

@@nethbt hahaha, I play a Harley Benton and a Vox Pathfinder. Elites you say? I like that.

[@theccarbiter]

I was with him until he said tonewood matters

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

IMHO, I would always go for a good amp first. A good amp will make most guitars sound good and will make good guitars sound incredible. A good guitar through a crap amp, will just sound crap. If you're guitarist, go for a 20 watt valve amp, that will be loud enough to gig with and you can always turn it down.. On a budget? Get a Blackstar, they are made by people who used to work for Marshall amplification.

[@robbyrobby7721]

Amp sounds better- guitar feels better

[@yenkodavi3573]

you sound and move like captain jack sparrow 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣....

[@kenmasters007]

Upgrade to show I'm serious? Umm. Sure. Upgrade because your wife says it's okay! A better reason!

[@amirkhalid5449]

I guess you and I can't be friends, then. For me the wooden part of an elecric guitar is just a substrate on which the actual guitar parts go.

[@citrus1255]

im taking this seriously, sit down and listen to my album

[@pablo9364]

Option 4. Go without

[@philclarke7712]

PMT don't sell option 4.

[@DrDespicable]

That guy could sell ice to Eskimos, and a freezer to keep it in...

[@chacha134]

Before all this, make sure you get your guitar set up and buy a tuner. Good video though!

[@FachryZulfikar]

did CTS make a metric sized pots? curse you US for still using Imperial unit. you can't put a CTS pots on Asian made guitar without reaming the hole, and you need to change the knob too.

[@luvstellauk]

A step drill bit is your friend, I've done it to upgrade my kit build Telecaster electronics, very easy. and the new knobs are much better looking than the cheapo knobs supplied on low end far east made Telecaster.

[@paulvontyrant3120]

Upgrade both. Problem solved.

[@clutchmasters3402]

Amp = sound , guitar = feel. Ask yourself if uou enjoy what you have and what you dont enoy about it. Electric guitar is just that. Electric. A bad amp and a good guitar will still sound like crap.

[@ocr3012]

I always trust a guitarist with a British accent

[@philclarke7712]

Oh, there's loads here. You would love it.

[@BigBoi9111]

Dagan is left handed y'all

[@silverstone3228]

neither but hair lotion upgrade

[@BikerBry]

Should ALWAYS start with a "better" piece of gear. Don't buy the "beginner" gear, buy what you want to begin with. Let it inspire you. Music stores make a TON of money off of remorse buying. If you want a Fender Strat, don't buy a Squire, save just a few bucks more and get the Fender. Seriously, get the better gear.

[@iarreolav]

I wish beginners understood this. Growing up and playing a 100$ chinese viola was really hard. First thing i did after I graduated was spend 1500 on a quality instrument.

[@ArielsSmartyPants]

Not going to thumb you down but unless the guitar is unplayable always go with amp, the amp IS the sound, period.

[@Thomasdgolden]

Yes, a Ash guitar will sounds better than Alder....come on man...this video is a Sales click bait video.