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How do you make a guitar half stack amp work?
Me and my friend don't know how to make our half stack work. There are a bunch of inputs and outputs along with a cabinet, amp head, and a third preamp thing. We have enough cables and a working guitar etc. to work it, the thing is in okay shape... we're just too dumb to understand how the electronics work... what do we do?
Ah, a half stack in the hands of the uninitiated is how some wars have been started 
OK, you've got an amp, a guitar, and cables. Cool.
First, let's have a lesson about cables. In guitar world, there are two very distinct kinds....instrument and speaker cables. Instrument cables are shielded, and are designed to carry a very low level signal from your instrument to your amp. The shielding protects the signal from outside interference. Once the signal makes it into your amp, then it's juiced up where it can hold it's own.
Speaker cables are not shielded, and are designed to carry high currents from an amp to the speakers. Frequently, they look like lamp cord (and lamp cord makes pretty good speaker cable). Some folks will tell you that you have to spend a lot of money on a speaker cable for it to sound good. I guess I just too deaf to know any better, but I've been making my own for years from 14/2 SJ power cable from Lowe's.
So, what happens if you mix 'em up?
If you use a speaker cable between your instrument and your amp, you will get all kinds of hum and noise.
If you use an instrument cable between your amp and your speakers, it will probably work. However, they are designed to carry high current signals and there's a chance that the cable could arc over and short out your amp (bad news if it's solid state) or open up (bad news if you amp is tube type).
Now that we've had Cables 101, hook up should be easy.
Guitar ---> Instrument Cable ---> Amp Input --->(Gets loud inside the amp) ---> Speaker Cable ---> Speakers.
Finally, you have to be concerned abou the impedance of your cabinet matching the output impedance of the amp. If you cabinet is 8 ohms, make sure the amp is set to 8 ohms as well.
Good luck.
Greetings from Austin, TX
Ken
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