Quick Answer
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy.
Playing electric guitar through headphones is a great way to practice without disturbing others. To do so, you’ll need an amp with a headphone jack or a guitar interface, which allows you to connect your guitar to a computer or mobile device. With the right equipment, you can enjoy a high-quality private practice session anytime and anywhere.
Let’s get into it!
Growing up with two brothers and two sisters in the same small house, I was always looking trying to figure out how to play the electric guitar through headphones.
I remember unzipping the carrying bag slowly, taking out my red Stratocaster, and playing power chords imagining the sound coming from massive speakers to a crowd of screaming fans.
Back then, when I started playing, there were few to no options to play your guitar through headphones. I used to shred with no distortion; it was very boring.
New Options for How To Play Electric Guitar Through Headphones
Luckily for you, fellow guitar player, times have changed, and it is now very easy to plug in while everybody else is asleep. Furthermore, there are a plethora of options available.
Just because I owe it to the kid I used to be, I put this post together to help others in that situation. We are indeed going deep into the subject and, hopefully, light the path for you.
Ready or not, grab those headphones because here we go!
Why would anyone want to play guitar through headphones?
Well, as my grandpa used to say, let’s start from the beginning. Why would anyone want to play guitar through headphones?
The answer to that question is very broad. What we can say is that it is a matter of needing rather than wanting. Indeed, most guitar players (including me) love to hear the roar of the speaker while we play.
That being said, it is time to face the truth, cranking up a tube-driven amplifier is becoming increasingly rare.
We could say that the world is more populated every day. As the population grows and there are more people to fit in the same physical space, we have to live closer together.
In other words, the chances of having very close neighbors and living in a reduced space are higher than ever. That equation: “close neighbors + lack of space = quiet guitar playing”, is very common nowadays, even more than one would think.
Indeed, many players dropped analog circuitry a long time ago and switched to digital technology. For example, in case you are not familiar with Kemper or Fractal, they are used to amplify guitars for stadiums and arenas all over the world.
This means that not even pros working at that level are strangers to digital technology applied to guitar playing.
Finally, let’s say that technology echoed this need, and there are many more solutions now than the ones I had growing up.
From Bluetooth headphones to loopers, from arena-ready technology to DSP processing, it is all designed to make your guitar playing more enjoyable while remaining silent.
There has never been a better moment to be a guitar player, believe me.
Some common case scenarios
Let’s have a look at some typical case scenarios that we’ll address during this article; are any of them familiar to you?
Continue reading as we’ll reveal the precise solution farther down the page.
Family harmony
The most typical scenario of a family member disturbing you while practicing on your guitar is one that requires you to use headphones. Whether it’s brothers, sisters, significant others, kids, or parents, being quiet while shredding your favorite solos may become essential.
Close neighbors
This is another very common scenario. If you live, for example, in an apartment building, you can’t make your best rendition of Van Halen’s Eruption at three AM, or you’ll be kicked out.
On the other hand, honoring Eddie’s memory on headphones can be the perfect choice to rock as much as you want and keep your house.
Playing on the road
If you are a working musician, sometimes you need to practice and believe me that the tour bus is not the place to torment your bandmates with that riff you can’t play right.
They will love your headphones even more than they love you.
Traveling
What is better than going on a long vacation or trip with someone you love? Bringing your guitar with you! No room for a guitar amp? Don’t worry, all you need is just a pocket-sized guitar amp and a good pair of headphones, and you’re ready to go.
How to practice electric guitar quietly?
Did you recognize yourself in the above examples? The list could obviously go on forever, and I encourage you to leave us a comment about your very own case scenario.
Let’s take a look at the possible solutions for these troublesome moments with your instrument.
Guitar headphone amplifier
The introduction of headphone guitar amps revolutionized the market. The ability to go from your headphone amp to your guitar effortlessly changed many people’s lives.
Furthermore, the size we are talking about is an amplifier that can easily fit in the pocket of your shirt.
Besides not taking any space (it can live happily inside your gigbag or case forever), they are the cheapest option on this list.
Perhaps, the most famous is the Vox amPlug which comes with simple, amp-like controls and some added effects. This way, you can control tone, gain, and volume, adding some delay, reverb, tremolo, or distortion to the signal.
How does a guitar headphone amp work?
Well, the older versions, like the Vox, allow you to simply plug the amp into the guitar and the headphones into the amp itself. This can be the ultimate guitar headphone practice setup for only a handful of dollars.
Newer incarnations of the same idea include modern technology allowing you to plug your electric guitar into an amp using Bluetooth headphones.
With a Bluetooth guitar headphone amp such as the Boss-Waza Air Wireless, you can play with no cables attached.
In addition to that, the technology developed by Boss and Waza adjusts to your head movements and mimics the sound of a real amp inside a room and how you would hear it making the whole adventure a 3-d experience.
Finally, you can also jam over music from another source using Bluetooth. You can play along with your favorite artists using 50 effects and all of Boss Amp Modeling power.
BOSS Pocket Gt Pocket Effects Processor
Amplifiers with a headphone out
There are many ways to play your guitar through headphones. The one that resembles real life the most is going straight from your guitar amp to headphones.
This way, you can play as you normally do but in stealth mode. A great plus in this sense is that if you use pedals, you can just leave the whole chain plugged in and hear them through your headphones.
What do you need to pull this one-off?
Simply a guitar amp with headphones output where to hook up your cans. Not all amplifiers have this kind of output; it is becoming increasingly popular, though, because of the space issue we spoke about above.
You should read the owner`s manual on your amplifier to locate where the output is to play your electric guitar to headphones. Bear in mind that most amps use a regular 1/4” input for the headphones, and you might need an adapter. If so, they usually are very cheap and easy to purchase.
Finally, always check that the headphones input disconnects the speaker. Otherwise, it will annoy neighbors and close family all the same.
Guitar Amps With Headphone Out
YMC 15-Watt Electric Guitar Combo Amplifier
Fender Mustang LT50 Guitar Amplifier
Marshall Amps Guitar Combo Amplifier
Effects processors
Getting a pair of good headphones for electric guitar is a great choice if you play through effects processors or
These units usually have a headphone input. In the case of the effects processor, an amp simulator may be included.
Search for the headphones input on the back, where all the connections are made. They usually feature 1/8” jacks, so you will very likely not need an adapter for your headphones.
What I do recommend is to get either a coil-wire pair of headphones or a Bluetooth adapter. Otherwise, you’ll be bending over to play because of the cable.
Tablet and smartphone adapters
Who said the only way to play on the road is to get headphone guitar amplifiers? You can hear your amplified guitar through headphones using a simple gadget most of us carry in our pockets: our smartphone.
In case you are not familiar with them, there are adapters such as the iRig and iRig 2 that allow you to plug directly into your phone or tablet.
What do these adapters do?
Very simple, they translate your guitar’s analog info into binary information that can be read by your phone or tablet.
Furthermore, once you set up your tablet or smartphone with the adapter, you can download a DAW and start creating music on the spot. Plug your guitar in, open your favorite emulation software, and play the night away in silence.
Here are some great free iOS apps to use with your iRig:
Garage Band
The ultimate one-stop software to create and record music. If you are not familiar with Garage Band, there are a million tutorials on YouTube where you can learn more.
Bias Amp 2
This free app grants you access to 36 different amp simulations ranging from classic to modern and everything in between. Hours of fun are guaranteed.
JamUp
JamUp is a multi-amp, multi-effects processor that is free of charge and very complete. Explore its virtually endless possibilities, and once you get bored, you can expand it to new models for a few dollars.
Audio interface and a computer
Do you own a computer?
What if you could plug the guitar into headphones without the need for a guitar amp? Well, this solution opens up a whole new universe for your guitar playing. But wait, what do I need an audio interface if I have my computer?
The audio interface works as a translator and turns your guitar’s analog info into binary data (zeros and ones), so your computer can read and modify it. Moreover, an audio interface performs this task twice because after modifying the audio signal, it has to go back to your headphones.
As you might know, speakers read and reproduce only analog data, so it has to be converted again. All this might seem too complicated, but, in most cases, there is no latency.
A great thing about playing your guitar through an audio interface rather than through a guitar amp and headphones is that you can use the computer to make recordings with a simple program called DAW.
You may even find that getting an audio interface for your computer opens the door to a whole new way of playing, recording, producing, and much more.
If you are willing to take your guitar playing to the next level and want to get into the magic world of music production, instead of getting guitar amps with headphones jacks, invest in software and hardware.
Let’s talk about software & hardware; what do you need?
Speaking about software and hardware, what is it exactly that you need to get started?
Hardware-wise, you need an audio interface, a computer, and a cable to connect them. Audio interfaces come in a plethora of prices and specifications; you can start small with a simple, cheap one or go all in at once and purchase a state-of-the-art unit.
Both will serve your purpose.
Software-wise, what you need is some kind of guitar-playing software such as Amplitube, Bias FX 2, or GuitarRig, among many, many others.
Once you’ve been playing with one of these, you can get a DAW such as Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and Ableton, among many others, to record your songs and add more layers.
The strange case of the Yamaha silent
Here’s another cool idea: what about playing an acoustic guitar with headphones?
This has traditionally been a difficult challenge because acoustic guitars are loud instruments when compared with their electric counterparts.
It is difficult to play to your late-night inspiration momentum on an acoustic and not wake up the entire house or building.
For this reason, and for those who love the sound of brass and nylon strings, Yamaha created the Yamaha Silent Guitar, a curious, one-of-a-kind instrument that serves exactly that purpose.
I happen to be the lucky owner of one of these, and it is difficult to express just how amazing it sounds when paired with a good pair of guitar headphones.
Furthermore, it features a detachable body and a specially-made gig bag for easy transportation. Read our dedicated article to learn more about the Yamaha SLG200 Silent Guitar.
If you love playing acoustics and don’t want to be cornered by their size and volume, give this guitar a try. Check out the video below to hear Alex Skolnick playing the Yamaha Silent Guitar.
What are the best guitar amp headphones?
Is there a category for headphones designed specifically for electric guitars? We may infer that some of the most famous guitarists in history began producing their headphones.
Do they have a soundstage that makes them better hear the mids, or are they simply comparable to top-of-the-line studio headphones?
I’ve tried a few of them, including Vox, Marshall, and others. The conclusion I reach is always the same when it comes to the best guitar headphones: they must be comfortable and closed-back.
Because you will be wearing them for a long amount of time, they must be comfortable. You will suffer if the rubber on the sides is not soft and spongy enough. They must also be closed-back headphones so that others will not hear you and you won’t hear others (that’s the whole idea here, right?)
My personal favorites are the Audio Technica M50x, but you can find many similar models within that budget that will work wonders with your guitar tones.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
Audio Technica ATH-M50XWH Professional Studio Monitor Headphones Bundle
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Closed-Back Professional Monitor Headphones Bundle
How to play guitar through headphones FAQs
We spoke about guitar headphone amplifiers as well as any other present method to play your guitar through headphones. However, there are always loose ends.
Here are our FAQs so you don’t have to evacuate your doubts anywhere but here.
Can I plug my headphones into my guitar?
To answer this question, no. The signal produced by guitars is too low to drive speakers or headphones. Even if you used a sparkling set of active pickups, they’d need an amplifier to work properly. It may be analog or digital, but it must be amplified first.
Can I play acoustic guitar with headphones?
Yes, most headphone amplifiers are designed like a plug with controls, so you may use them with any guitar. The problem is that acoustic guitars aren’t as silent as electric guitars, so you may be disturbing others. The Yamaha Silent referred to above is an excellent solution to this issue.
Can I plug my guitar into my Bluetooth headphones?
Yes, as previously said, there are no wires with the Boss Waza Air technology, only pure tone in your ears. However, because the guitar does not have this feature, you may not simply connect your headphones to it.
Can I play guitar and music through my headphones?
Yes, you can add a backing track to your playing in most case scenarios. For example, multi-effects processors, loopers, and some guitar amps have a line-in input.
This means that you can plug in a music source and play on top of it. If the same unit that has an input for music features a headphone jack, you can get that magic cocktail sounding amazing on your cans.
Can you plug headphones into a guitar amp?
Some guitar amps feature a headphone jack that will also disconnect the speaker. This way, you can play like you always do, but the sound will only come out through the headphones.
Bear in mind that not all amplifiers feature this option and that the older the amp, the more unlikely it becomes.
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve outlined how to play guitar through headphones and shared our top recommendations for the best headphones to buy.
Whether you’re a beginner just starting or an experienced musician looking for a new challenge, using headphones can be a great way to improve your skills.
Thanks for reading!
Happy (silent) playing!
