{"id":1050,"date":"2023-03-27T23:18:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T23:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.laney.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1050"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:20:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:20:27","slug":"an-easy-guide-to-ampless-guitar-rigs-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laney.co.uk\/blog\/an-easy-guide-to-ampless-guitar-rigs-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"An Easy Guide To Ampless Guitar Rigs Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the rise of the smaller wattage amps over high wattage amplifiers<\/a><\/strong>, venue noise constraints and the fact that tube amps can be pretty darn heavy to carry around, ampless guitar rigs are becoming increasingly popular with gigging guitarists.<\/p>\n

Ampless guitar rigs are just easier for us!<\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s face it, although we all love the sound of a cranked tube amp, finding out how loud our guitar amp should be<\/a><\/strong> before getting a noise complaint from the engineer and the feel of pure amplifier power behind us onstage is not always practical!<\/p>\n

Plus, if you’re a guitarist who’s tired of lugging a heavy amp to every gig, you need to set up a fly rig and use your UK pedals in the USA<\/a><\/strong> or you find yourself playing in venues where there isn’t enough space for an amp, then it’s time to consider joining the world of ampless guitar rigs.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. Amps have their place! And we\u2019re responsible for creating some of the most iconic and loved guitar amps of all time<\/a><\/strong>, however, we sometimes need a smaller set-up \u2013 which is why we also created the Laney Ironheart Loudpedal<\/a><\/strong> but we\u2019ll get to that in a moment.<\/p>\n

Ampless guitar rigs offer a compact, portable solution for playing live shows without the hassle of lugging around an amplifier \u2013 you can just gig with your pedalboard.<\/p>\n

But what is an ampless guitar rig? How do you create an ampless guitar rig? And does going direct in on guitar actually sound good?<\/p>\n

In this article, which is a follow-up to our ampless bass rig guide<\/a><\/strong> I\u2019ll explore what it means to go ampless, the benefits of using an ampless guitar rig, and how to set one up so you don\u2019t lose your tone and don\u2019t annoy the sound engineer onstage.<\/p>\n

What is an ampless guitar rig?<\/h3>\n

In simple terms, an ampless guitar rig is where you plug your pedalboard into a PA system and use a preamp and power amp pedal to sculpt your tone and generate the line-level sound rather than a traditional amp.<\/p>\n

Let’s explain this further.<\/p>\n

What is going direct in on guitar or ampless on guitar?<\/h3>\n

Going direct-in on guitar, or going ampless, is when you connect your guitar directly to the mixing desk or PA system without using a traditional guitar amplifier and just rely on the monitor speakers or your in-ear monitors to hear the sound of your guitar. There\u2019s no cab. Just you, your guitar, a pedalboard and a connection to the PA. That\u2019s how you can play the guitar onstage without an amplifier!<\/p>\n

In an ampless guitar rig, you either use analogue pre-amp and power amp pedals, digital pedals or software through a DAW that emulates the sound of a guitar amp. The output from the pedal is then connected to the PA system or recording interface, which enables you to play without a physical amplifier or cabinet onstage.<\/p>\n

This technique is becoming more popular with touring musicians who demand the same sound at every gig, and as technology advances and offers more realistic emulations of traditional guitar amps, it\u2019s getting REALLY hard to tell the difference between an ampless guitar rig and a cranked amp especially if you\u2019re using IR and\/or Cab sims.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

We know because we built one of the best pedalboard amps<\/a><\/strong> that makes life easier – but more on that soon.<\/p>\n

If you want to go even further, you can even create entirely digital guitar rigs<\/strong><\/a>, where we cover in our benefits of FRFR cabinets<\/strong><\/a> here.<\/p>\n

5 benefits of ampless guitar rigs<\/h3>\n

Many musicians appreciate the added control reliability, portability, and flexibility of using an ampless guitar system, especially when playing live shows and travelling internationally. When you can\u2019t bring your own amps, you have to rely on (hopefully) good backline. As we all know, unfortunately, a good venue backline is about as reliable as the backstage wi-fi – not good.<\/p>\n

\"ampless<\/p>\n

Pic: The Laney Ironheart Loudpedal (2nd from left) makes it effortless to set up an ampless guitar rig<\/p>\n

So here are the major benefits of an ampless guitar rig in more detail.<\/p>\n

1. Portability<\/h4>\n

Ampless rigs are way smaller and lighter than traditional setups where you have to carry amplifiers or cabinets to a gig. You can just turn up to the venue with a pedalboard and plug straight into the PA system. This setup cuts down the amount of gear you need to take to a gig, and you can basically tour with just a pedalboard, some guitar leads and a guitar.<\/p>\n

Of course, we love the sound of a guitar amp, whether it\u2019s solid state or tube amp<\/a><\/strong>, but sometimes the venue is too small for our 2×12 or 4×12 cabinet and we can\u2019t fit everything in the van when gigging – not all of us have the luxury of touring with a rig the size of Billy Corgan’s amp set up<\/a><\/strong>! Even he is going ampless with the introduction of his Laney SUPERGRACE-LOUDPEDAL<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Laney<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Consistent sound<\/h4>\n

By relying on a digital sound source, your tone remains consistent no matter the venue or PA system \u2013 which is probably the major benefit for tone snobs (like me).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing worse than having to use someone else’s backline, especially if you\u2019re used to a high-gain amp and they\u2019ve got a twin reverb, or they\u2019ve got a 60-watt solid state and you\u2019re used to tube-saturated distortion. Tone is everything to us guitarists!<\/p>\n

With an ampless guitar rig, you connect your pedalboard directly to the PA system, giving the sound engineer the WET signal from your setup. This means they control the volume for the audience but can’t alter your tone. This means you maintain the unique characteristics of your ampless rig settings. You send your desired tone through the XLR-DI, and the sound engineer uses that sound.<\/p>\n

This eliminates the guesswork of what backline the venue might have and the struggle of having to use someone elses amplifier.<\/p>\n

You get the same consistent sound at every gig.<\/p>\n

3. Flexibility of sound<\/h4>\n

With an ampless guitar rig using the likes of the Laney Loudpedal (and all it’s benefits)<\/a><\/strong> for example, you can quickly and easily switch between different amp models, settings, and effects. This allows for greater creative expression and the ability to adapt to different musical situations which is ideal for session guitarists.<\/p>\n

4. Lower stage volume<\/h4>\n

When you go ampless on guitar, there is no physical amp onstage. This means stage volume is almost non-existent aside from the monitor speakers and drummer, making it easier for your sound engineer to achieve an ideal mix for the audience and avoid feedback issues altogether. They\u2019re not micing anything up except the drummer, so the sound engineer isn\u2019t fighting with amplifier volumes.<\/p>\n

You can essentially run a silent stage (aside from the drummer) which is becoming more common for bands these days.<\/p>\n

5. You\u2019re going ampless and direct-in onstage!<\/h4>\n

This is the obvious benefit here \u2013 you have less stuff to set up, less stuff to buy and can set up\/pack down in 30 seconds which is ideal for festival change-overs. Plus, we all know singers DON\u2019T help with loading gear<\/strong>, so you remove those kinds of arguments too.<\/p>\n

Just connect your ampless guitar rig to a DI box or use the DI connection on your board for the sound engineer to take a signal and power your sound through the PA system.<\/p>\n

Easy.<\/p>\n

Getting Started: How to Build an Ampless Guitar Rig in 3 ways<\/h3>\n

Building an ampless guitar rig requires a few essential components. You have multiple options open to you, but for this, we\u2019ll keep it as simple as humanly possible and show you 3 main ways to go ampless on electric guitar ranging from the most expensive option, to the cheapest\/easiest options:<\/p>\n

The three easiest ways to go ampless on guitar are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. MOST EXPENSIVE<\/strong> – Pedalboard with preamp and power amp \u2013 Guitar >> Pre-amp>>Power-Amp\/Cab Simulator>>PA System<\/li>\n
  2. MID-WAY<\/strong> – Pedalboard with multi-FX unit + Cab Simulator \u2013 Guitar >> Multi-FX >> Cabinet simulator >> PA System<\/li>\n
  3. BEST\/EASIEST<\/strong> – Pedalboard Amp \u2013 Guitar >> Pedalboard Amp >> PA System<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. Pedalboard with preamp and power amp = Guitar >> Pre-amp>>Power-Amp\/Cab Simulator>>PA System<\/h4>\n

    Unfortunately, you can\u2019t just go direct into a DI with an electric guitar like you can with an ampless bass rig<\/a>.<\/strong> You need some extra stuff and unfortunately, option#1 is\u00a0your most expensive option, requiring you to collect a bunch of gear.<\/p>\n

    A guitar amp has two main parts, preamp and power amp \u2013 but if you\u2019re going ampless you\u2019re losing out on these essential components. The preamp section allows you to adjust your sound using EQ and gain controls, while the power amp powers your loudspeaker\/cabinet.<\/p>\n

    A preamp pedal is simply a pedal version of the tone-shaping component and you need it to get a good amp tone. If you just want a clean tone that\u2019s totally fine, but ideally, you want something that gives you a little bit of character and adds life to your tone.<\/p>\n

    The power amp is what makes your signal loud. Without it, you won’t have any power, just a lifeless (and very quiet) tone that the sound engineer can\u2019t use.<\/p>\n

    So with this option, you need:<\/p>\n