Best first quiet-practice buy: choose a guitar headphone amp for the smallest setup, or a practice amp with headphone output if you also want speaker volume.
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Quick answer: yes, you can use regular wired headphones for electric guitar, but not by plugging them straight into the guitar. You need a headphone amp, a practice amp with headphone output, an audio interface, or another device between the guitar and headphones.
What to buy
- You already have wired headphones: get a compact guitar headphone amp. Shop guitar headphone amps on Amazon.ca.
- Your headphones have a small plug: get a 3.5 mm to 1/4-inch adapter. Shop headphone adapters on Amazon.ca.
- You also want speaker volume: get a practice amp with headphone output. Shop headphone-output practice amps on Amazon.ca.
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The important part
Regular headphones are fine for practice if the device driving them has a proper headphone output. The electric guitar itself does not. That is why a beginner often needs one extra piece of gear even when they already own headphones.
If you want the smallest setup, choose the headphone amp path. If you want something that also works out loud, choose the practice amp path. If you want to record on a computer, choose the audio interface path.
Related: What headphones do I need for a guitar amp? and Can you plug headphones directly into an electric guitar?
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See the apartment practice answer · Read the quiet practice guide