low gain pre-amp does not cause distortion. But hi-gain pre-amp does. Is this a guitar wiring issue?

1. Does gain cause distortion?
2. What does pre gain do on an amp?
3. Why is my amp squealing?
4. How do you increase amp distortion?

Does gain cause distortion?

Gain does not equal distortion. Gain can cause distortion. As Dave said, gain is the amplification factor. The knob labelled gain just controls the amplification earlier in the circuit than the volume knob.

What does pre gain do on an amp?

pre gain comes before post gain, meaning that it drives the amp into distortion before being amplified, while the post gain limits the volume allowing you to get distortion basically.

Why is my amp squealing?

Bad switch contacts on jacks / broken / cracked solder connections can cause squealing. Squeal is normal at highest settings, but can be reduced w/ a selected low microphonic preamp tube, and other methods.. There are certain models of amps which can be modified to squeal less.

How do you increase amp distortion?

You can create distortion by merely increasing the volume of your guitar and setting the input gain high enough on your amplifier. This combination of volume and preamp gain will create distortion as explained above, the gain exceeding the voltage capacity, causing the sound waves to clip.