Skip to main content
Become a MusicRadar VIP - it's free
- Join our community
SampleRadar
Access over 90,000 royalty-free samples
The MusicRadar app
Full access and custom feeds
MusicRadar Newsletters
The latest music and gear news inboxed
Earn Member Badges
Climb the MusicRadar charts
Coming soon: VIP-only Giveaways
Win pro-grade music gear and more
Join the conversation
Connect with other musicians and fans
BECOME A MUSICRADAR VIP
For the quickest way to join, enter your email below. We’ll send a confirmation email and sign you up to MusicRadar newsletters with the latest music news, gear reviews, tutorials and exclusive offers.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
Get VIP Access Quick

Become a MusicRadar VIP for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Welcome to Become a MusicRadar VIP !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Earn your first badge
Start reading to unlock your first badge
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Hot music news

Hot music news

The latest news from the hottest artists.

Explore
Make better music

Make better music

Explore tutorials, tips and guides for creating music.

Explore

Your membership perks

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Explore now

Get the MusicRadar Newsletter

Get the latest music news, gear reviews, deals and tutorials delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up here

Sign Out
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Rodrigo's Cure
  • California Dreamin'
  • "Apotheosis of mediocrity" - Rundgren vs Swift
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps

GarageBand for iPad: guitar amps hands-on

News
By Chris Vinnicombe
Published 21 March 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

GarageBand for iPad hands-on

GarageBand for iPad hands-on

With the UK release of the iPad 2 just hours away, it's time to take another look at the app that's already causing a huge buzz amongst music-making iPad 1 owners. We've already presented a hands-on review of GarageBand for iPad, now it's time to zoom in and take a guitarist's eye view of the onboard guitar amps.

For demo purposes, we threw together a simple little ditty using nothing more than a Gibson Les Paul Studio '60s Tribute guitar and sounds from within GarageBand itself. As you can see from the session file, it's not exactly Bohemian Rhapsody, but in addition to some lead and rhythm guitar, we used a drum loop, a shaker, some Smart Bass and the Soul Organ keyboard preset.

For each of the following examples, all that changes is the virtual guitar amp selected for the lead and rhythm sounds, with a little additional tweaking of gain and EQ levels to taste. The only exception is the Modern Stack amp model, which we felt deserved its own, more aggressive composition in order to do it justice.

Click through and let us know what you think of the sounds...

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Small Tweed Combo

Small Tweed Combo

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Blackface Combo

Blackface Combo

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
English Combo

English Combo

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Vintage Stack

Vintage Stack

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Stadium Stack

Stadium Stack

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
British Blues Combo

British Blues Combo

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Sunshine Stack

Sunshine Stack

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Small Brownface

Small Brownface

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Modern Stack

Modern Stack

For this final example, we felt that the Modern Stack sound deserved a demo tune with a harder edge. Check it out:

Liked this? Now read:

GarageBand for iPad: 7 things musicians need to know

GarageBand for iPad: first hands-on review

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Chris Vinnicombe

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.

Read more
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Thom Yorke, winner of the Academy Fellowship, and Harry Styles pose backstage at The 71st Ivor Novello Awards 2026 at The JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on May 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivors)
Artists Thom Yorke offers an odd response to Harry Styles when he tells him that he uses GarageBand
 
 
Blackstar Beam Mini
Guitar Amps “What sets it apart is access to a humongous range of amp captures”: Blackstar Beam Mini review
 
 
Best audio interfaces: IK Multimedia AXE IO
Audio Interfaces Best guitar audio interfaces 2026: Get studio-quality tones at home
 
 
A guitar VST running in Kontakt player on a computer
Plugins Best guitar VSTs 2026: Get the best simulated guitar tones for your next production
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up July 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s July 2026 guitar gear roundup: featuring Orange Amps, Harley Benton, Epiphone and more
 
 
MusicRadar App
Tech The MusicRadar app is live, and free on iOS and Android - grab it today
 
 
Latest in Software & Apps
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Thom Yorke, winner of the Academy Fellowship, and Harry Styles pose backstage at The 71st Ivor Novello Awards 2026 at The JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on May 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivors)
Artists Thom Yorke offers an odd response to Harry Styles when he tells him that he uses GarageBand
 
 
Baby Audio HyperWarp
Plugins Baby Audio HyperWarp wants to be your new quick-fix for glitches, stutters and out-there inspiration
 
 
cherry
Plugins "It's one of the rarest synthesizers ever made": Cherry Audio brings a forgotten ‘80s synth back to life
 
 
phoenix
Tech "This is a dream inspiration engine": BT and Spitfire Audio team up for Phoenix hybrid synth
 
 
Bit Layer
Tech This free multiband bitcrusher is a surgical tool for lo-fi sound design
 
 
stencils
Tech Stuck in the 4-bar loop? Try these free arrangement templates for Ableton Live
 
 
Latest in News
Olivia Rodrigo performs during "The Unraveled Tour" at People's Bank Arena on September 25, 2026, in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Artists Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro on the “polarising” Mellotron choir that features in Honeybee
 
 
Oasis Dont' Look Back in Anger poster crop
Bands “One of our defining cultural moments of recent times”: Streaming details for Oasis reunion doc revealed
 
 
behringer
Tech Behringer unveils Jam and Jam Play MIDI controllers
 
 
avalanches
Artists “Sampling is our art form. We’ve accepted that we’re not going to make loads of money from record sales!”: The Avalanches on why clearing samples is harder than ever, working with Jamie xx and swapping hardware samplers for Pro Tools
 
 
Rob Halford and Ian Hill
Artists “I’ve been struggling with the onset of the evil arthritis”: Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill retires
 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Thom Yorke, winner of the Academy Fellowship, and Harry Styles pose backstage at The 71st Ivor Novello Awards 2026 at The JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on May 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivors)
Artists Thom Yorke offers an odd response to Harry Styles when he tells him that he uses GarageBand
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...