Taste? Restraint? “Playing for the song”? Pah! Guitars are meant to be played loud – and how else but through the best guitar amps? Glibness aside, the importance of a good guitar amp cannot be overestimated, whether you’re a tasteful jazz-er or the next Dinosaur Jr. The best guitar rigs are only really as good as the amplifiers they go through, making your choice of amp a crucial one.
For starters, your amp is the final word on the voice of your guitar set-up, and so potentially more impactful than any other element with regard to closing in on your tone. It is, of course, one part of a much larger equation, including but not limited to your pedal signal chain, your choice of pickups, and that highly individual tone you preternaturally hold within your very own fingers.
There are many different variables within amps, from type and size to the minutiae of their circuits. This can make choosing the right one for your set-up a bit more complex than it might seem; luckily, this is also why we’re here with a who’s-who list of what’s what when it comes to guitar amps.
While not exhaustive, this best-of list is certainly an extensive one. Whatever your needs – be they a good amp for a beginner, a demure combo for quiet rehearsals, or a PA-upstaging backline behemoth – you’ll find something to suit your taste in the following entries.
If you’ve still got some burning questions about amps, tone, and how it all works, never fear; just head to our FAQ section at the bottom to learn more about what truly matters in the world of guitar amplification.
Quick list
This unassuming 50W amp may look like all the other practice solutions on the market, but don't be fooled - it's concealing some very advanced technology.
The Boss Katana may not be the most expensive amp on this list – I mean, there isn’t even a tube in sight – but there's a reason it's one of the most popular practice amps to be released in recent years – it sounds fantastic.
When Blackstar came out with the claim of having ‘the lightest 50-watt tube amp in the world’, there were more than a few raised eyebrows. We were doubtful too, but it wasn’t just a marketing spiel. This really is a tube combo you can carry with one hand.
This relatively small English company has really made a name for itself since launching in 2013. Offering competitively priced, hand-made amplifiers that are durable, roadworthy, and most importantly, sound fantastic!
The Vox AC-30 is a cultural icon and favored by the likes of Tom Petty, Brian May, The Edge, and even Dave Grohl - oh, and the Beatles, you might have heard of them? This 30-watt diamond-clad-combo is responsible for some of the most remarkable guitar tones in history and has a sound that is purely its own - and not many amps can say that.
The name Tone King is synonymous with extremely high-quality, hand-built boutique amplifiers that look like they have just jumped out of the '50s. The Imperial is one of the first amps produced by the Maryland amp gurus way back in 1993 and has been a firm favorite ever since.
Best for home practice
The original Spark hit the scene in late 2019 and changed the face of home practice amps forever. In 2024, Positive Grid launched its long-awaited sequel – and we're happy to say it does not disappoint. This unassuming 50W amp may look like all the other practice solutions on the market, but don't be fooled – it's concealing some very advanced technology.
Powered by the highly revered BIAS tone engine, this amp is capable of recreating some of the most popular tube amps and effects of all time, and when used in conjunction with the Spark app, this plucky little amp becomes the ultimate practice tool.
The revolutionary Auto Chord feature is hands down one of the most remarkable elements of this amp - giving you the ability to figure out the chords in any song from Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. The Smart Jam feature carefully analyses the notes you're playing and creates a backing track in a style of your choice - no, seriously, your amp will jam along with you! Now, if all of this wasn't enough, the app also gives you access to over 10,000 tone presets.
Best budget for gigging
The Boss Katana series has completely revamped a corner of the guitar amp market that had been leaving guitarists wanting for some time. Solid-state combo amps are not often the most inspiring of purchases, outside of industry leaders like Roland’s Jazz Chorus – but with the Katana, Boss has bucked the trend of boring, bringing practical versatility and phenomenal sound to the tighter-budgeted.
This is the Gen 3 Katana 100, a 1x12” solid state combo with 100W to its name; it’s just as at home on stage as it is, well, at home. The Katana 100 has six different amp voicings for you to choose from – including a new-to-Katana ‘Pushed’ mode that simulates an amp being played to its limits.
The Gen 3 edition of this gentle giant also adds USB-C connectivity for recording your amp’s output, a Solo boost button and some smart EQ options – as well as Bluetooth connectivity that enables you to engage a plethora of Boss effects algorithms via the proprietary Tone Studio app. This solid solid-state is loud, expressive and excels in every practical environment.
Best lightweight tube
When Blackstar came out with the claim of having ‘the lightest 50-watt tube amp in the world’, there were more than a few raised eyebrows. We were doubtful too, but it wasn’t just a marketing spiel. This really is a tube combo you can carry with one hand.
EL34 tubes make this combo an amazing pedal platform, giving you a pristine clean or lightly crunchy tone to build your sound upon. On its own, it sounds phenomenal, but where this amp really shines is when you put a bunch of pedals in front of it and drive it hard.
It’s also got some amazing connectivity options. The cab-rig output allows you to send your amp tone straight to front-of-house, or into your recording interface. This ingenious bit of tech, in conjunction with Blackstar’s Architect software, lets you painstakingly choose which cab sound you want, tweaking mics, cab sizes, and room settings.
Best all-tube head
This relatively small English company has really made a name for itself since launching in 2013. Offering competitively priced, hand-made amplifiers that are durable, roadworthy, and most importantly, sound fantastic!
The V40 is a single-channel, all-valve head that offers both American clean tones and British overdrive sounds. Through a series of clever switches, you can shape the tone to exactly how you like it, without any fuss. For example, the "voice" control shapes the upper mids. Voice I mode allows less of these frequencies through to the subsequent gain stage, whereas Voice II allows more through. This may seem like a simple feature, but it really does allow you to dial in your perfect tone - it works particularly well when playing with a band.
It's not just glorious high power on offer though, as the front panel switch allows you to lower the overall power to around 7 watts. In case that wasn't quite enough, you also have the option to use single-ended mode, which selects to just one or other of the power valves in Class A operation, resulting in a minuscule 1 watt RMS.
Best for classic rock
The Vox AC-30 is a cultural icon and favored by the likes of Tom Petty, Brian May, The Edge, and even Dave Grohl - oh, and the Beatles, you might have heard of them? This 30-watt diamond-clad-combo is responsible for some of the most remarkable guitar tones in history and has a sound that is purely its own - and not many amps can say that.
The AC-30 uses three 12AX7 preamp valves, as well as a quartet of EL84s to deliver its fabulously mid-focused sound. There's a power to an AC30 that hits you right in the gut - especially when it's cranked! Dial it back, and you can achieve those sparkly clean sounds that can cut glass if you're not careful.
The reverb and tube-driven tremolo are welcome additions, bringing the ability to soften the sometimes harsh nature of all that mid-range. At the same time, the master "tone-cut" provides even more tone-shaping capabilities. So if you are looking for an amp that will bring those classic British tones, take pedals incredibly well, and look impeccably stylish while doing it, then look no further than the Vox AC-30 C2.
Best boutique amp
The name Tone King is synonymous with extremely high-quality, hand-built boutique amplifiers that look like they have just jumped out of the '50s. The Imperial is one of the first amps produced by the Maryland amp gurus way back in 1993 and has been a firm favorite ever since.
The Imperial MKII clearly has its roots in the sound of the Fender Tweed and Deluxe amps of yesteryear, but with a few modern twists that make it desirable to the contemporary player. This 6V6 loaded dual-channel amp offers two distinct tones - rhythm and lead. The rhythm channel is voiced to deliver those classic '60s clean tones, but - thanks to a few clever tweaks in the new MKII - it also boasts a smooth overdrive sound as well as shimmering cleans. The lead circuit still has its hand firmly in the tweed tone world, but the addition of the "mid-bite" control means it can deliver scorching classic rock tones.
The 20W all valve power could be considered overkill for most home practice sessions, so Tone King has included the Ironman II Attenuator, which gives you the ability to drop the volume to a manageable level without sacrificing tone.
More options...
At this point, Friedman has become somewhat of a modern classic with the likes of Jerry Cantrel, Bill Kelliher and Billy Duffy using the golden-faced amps to devastating effect on stages around the globe. Now, while most of us would love nothing more than playing our Les Paul through a full-fat BE 100 Deluxe or even a Runt, there is one problem - price.
Luckily, Friedman has an incredibly affordable option for those seeking the BE bark without breaking the bank. Enter the Friedman BE Mini, a solid-state take on the famous preamp circuit wrapped up in a handy 30W mini head format.
This stripped-down amp provides only the bare essentials for quality tone, with a single channel set-up that delivers top-class high gain sounds, while the tiny footprint, lightweight nature, and 30W of power mean the BE Mini can be used in a myriad of situations, from playing live, recording in the studio or practicing at home.
Orange expanded their ‘Baby’ range at the start of 2025, via a trio of highly exciting amp heads designed with the packed-tight tour bus firmly in mind. The Tour Baby 100 is one of the trifecta, and it single-handedly solves a bus-load of problems with its tiny, vicious smarts.
For starters, it’s a 100W amp crammed into a Bento box. Not only that, but it’s a two-channel monster with some cool features; the clean channel has a built-in, one-knob VCA compressor, while the dirty channel makes use of a second footswitch-able volume control for boosts and whatnot. On the rear, there’s a balanced FX loop and a built-in DI, as well as dual speaker outs to make your full-stack dreams come true.
The Orange Tour Baby 100 is a solid-state amp head purpose-built for providing rock-solid performance on the road. It’s rugged, it’s loud and it’ll be more than happy doing whatever you tell it to do, thanks to thoughtful design and sheer usefulness. Good thing it sounds good, too.
You can't have a list of the best guitar amps and not include Marshall - arguably the most recognizable amplifiers in the world. Of course, we could have chosen a myriad of models to be featured in this guide, but the one that stands out is the Marshall Origin 20C.
Marshall fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when the iconic amp manufacturer dropped the Origin series back in 2018. Finally, Marshall was going back to their roots and releasing a no-nonsense single-channel tube amp that was a perfect throwback to their past yet included modern features that players demanded. This is easily one of the best Marshall amps in recent years.
The Origin 20C is capable of producing rich, warm cleans, on the edge of break-up blues-tones and righteous rock tones, all by playing with the gain control in conjunction with the power attenuator. This mighty amp also features an in-built gain boost if you find yourself needing more juice and also a footswitch controllable FX loop. So if you have an itch only Marshall could scratch, then the Origin 20C might be the best option out there for you.
Orange may seem like the sometimes forgotten British amp brand behind the juggernaut that is Marshall and the provenance of Vox. Still, they offer a tone that sits right in between the two offering the best of both worlds. The punchy and not too fizzy tone is perfect for rock 'n' roll.
The Orange Rocker 15 is designed to easily switch between the bedroom and the stage - something Orange has perfected with the Terror series - going from 15 watts down to the super neighbor-friendly 0.5 watts. In addition, the "natural" channel features a solitary volume control - not unlike the AC30 - and is designed to let the natural tone of your guitar shine through.
The "dirty" channel, on the other hand, is a little more of a standard affair, with a three-band EQ, gain control, and master volume. Crank this channel to unlock those face-melting rock tones.
While the enormous, deep tone of the Twin Reverb brings a smile to the face of most guitar players, the back-crushing weight certainly does not. The clever folks over at Fender have been tirelessly working away on solving this age-old grievance – enter the Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb.
Most of the other modeling amplifiers on the market are more concerned with simulating as many different amps as possible, giving the player a digital smorgasbord of different tones. This can result in a few great sounds, but usually a few unusable ones with it. Where the Tone Master differs is in its intent. This hi-tech Twin's sole purpose is to perfectly recreate one amp, down to every last detail.
So if this amp looks and sounds like a Fender Twin, what's the main difference? Well, apart from the lack of tubes, it weighs only 33 lbs! This means you can comfortably carry it to and from gigs without hassle. Check out more of the best Fender amps in our guide.
This may be the smallest amp on this list, but don't let its small stature fool you. The Supro 64 Reverb sounds enormous! Like many entries in this guide, this amp takes inspiration from what has gone before but adds a few modern twists to make it work for today's player.
This fierce 5-watt combo is oozing with vintage style and has the tone to match. The 6V6 tubes and 1x8 Jensen speaker deliver a powerful retro bark that is dynamic and a delight to play. This is the sort of amp that just begs to be played - especially when you set it right on the edge of break up.
The Supro also has a few clever features hidden behind its old-fashioned facade. Located at the rear of the amp is a set of line outputs that offer the ultimate flexibility, whether you want to use them to drive another amp or even for home recording. The "Dry" signal output - as you'd expect - provides the dry signal only, with no reverb. This also stops the dry signal from being sent to the power amp. The "Reverb" output does the same but with only the reverb signal, while the "Mix" output combines the two and doesn't affect what is sent to the power tubes.
No matter the decade, you'll be sure to find a Fender amp sitting pride of place on any stage - from smokey jazz and blues clubs to lively country bars and sticky rock stomping-grounds - they are an enduring presence in every music scene. The big reason Fender amps have been so loved for so long is that they offer a clean, harmonically rich, and mid-scooped tone that always seems to bring out the best in your playing.
The Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb is the ultimate throwback to the silver face era of amps, delivering vintage twang and the touch-sensitive dynamics the original was famous for - all while looking the part as well. For the traditionalist, the aptly named "vintage channel" belts out all the silver panel tone you could ask for, while the "custom channel" is loaded with the iconic Bassman tone circuit for more sonic possibilities.
The 22-watts of power is right in the sweet spot for gigging, allowing you to really push the amp and get the best out of it - although it may be a little much for the house! So if you are looking for the ultimate Fender tone, this might be one of the best guitar amps for you.
It's fair to say that a significant portion of guitar-based bands, at some juncture in their careers, have turned to the Roland JC-120. From Billy Corgan to Dimebag Darrell and Robert Fripp to name a few, the Roland JC-120 has solidified its status as the quintessential choice for achieving impeccable clean guitar tones. Whether that be in the studio or on the road, the JC-120 is a legacy amplifier.
With 120 watts of power, the JC-120 has volume and headroom for days. Due to its solid-state construction, this amp doesn’t have tubes to break up and distort, offering incredibly crystalline sounds, even at the truly eye-watering volumes it is capable of.
However, it's the built-in chorus that has put this amplifier in the history books. True chorus is a stereo effect and the JC-120 manages this by having two separate 12-inch speakers that are powered by their own 60-watt power amplifiers. This set-up allows one speaker to be pitch-modulated whilst the other stays dry. On top of this, there’s also vibrato, distortion, and a spring reverb to boot. It’s truly a versatile beast.
While it might not cater to the aficionados of tube amplifier breakup, the JC-120 isn't aiming for that vibe. Its stereo sound, crystal-clear tones and built-in chorus create a distinctive atmosphere all its own. Although beware, the JC-120 has left its mark on countless iconic records, but it's also notorious for causing a fair share of back problems; it’s a real heavyweight.
FAQs
Realistically, our round-up of the best guitar amps could easily be ten times longer. The field is packed with incredible designs from all manner of manufacturers for all kinds of use-cases. Even when looking at our shortlist above, you might be finding it tough to pick between them.
To help make a difficult decision easier, we’ve put together some rock-solid advice that you can employ when choosing your next guitar amp. Whether you’re after a bare-bones rehearsal amp that’ll cut through those ringy cymbals, a warm-sounding at-home practice amp, or a stage-bound gigging amp, the answers to the following questions will help guide your decision-making.
Should my next amp be a combo or head?
For the uninitiated: amp heads are amplifier circuits housed in their own chassis and connected to speaker cabinets by way of a speaker cable, while combo amps are the whole shebang – amp circuitry and speaker(s) – housed in the same chassis.
Theoretically speaking, the only difference between these types of amps is how you carry them from A to B! If you want a smaller amp and minimal fuss in moving your gear around, a small combo amp is a great low-effort choice. If you’re after a larger, heftier stage amp and don’t want to break your back every load-in, having your amp head and speaker cabinets separate could be the move. Also, if you already have a speaker cabinet loaded with your own hand-picked guitar speakers, you’ll likely just want an amp head to go with it.
Of course, the truth is a little more complex. While there are some amps that you can find in both combo and amp-head varieties, it is also true that different amp designs lend themselves better to combo or amp-head design. Besides, as venue PA technology has advanced significantly in the past 50 years, it’s no longer necessary for guitarists to bring their loudest to the show – meaning many can get away with a smaller combo amp that’s easier to dial in and far easier to carry.
Still, for certain styles of music like sludge and doom where volume is a requirement, however, the trusty head and cab combo is a necessity. There’s also a certain three-dimensionality of sound that comes from using a larger cab, that can become particularly useful if you’re recording in the studio.
Tube or solid-state, which is better?
The tube-amp sound is a wide-ranging but still definitive one, and probably part of the reason you decided to pick up a guitar in the first place. This hallowed tone, typified by rich harmonic saturation, dynamic breakup and the smell of warm electronics, is the Holy Grail for many musicians both amateur and professional; as a result, emerging solid-state technology, which uses transistors instead of tubes, had tended to get overlooked from the outset.
Early solid-state amps would get their flowers in time, though, particularly as crisp, clean and stable platforms for ever-expanding guitarists’ pedalboards. Roland’s Jazz Chorus series is one major darling from those earlier days of tube-less amps, lauded by guitar-playing luminaries from Albert King to James Hetfield.
Today’s solid-state amps are a different game again, though, with solid state technology advancing into the digital realm. Digital amp emulations in modeling amps like the Kemper are now uncannily similar to their real-deal tube-amp counterparts, thanks to modern processing technology that utterly trounces the ‘Blackface Crunch’ setting on your old Digitech multi-effect.
Which one is ‘better’ depends on your usage, then. All-analog tube amps are intimately responsive, great-sounding and ultimately quite fun to play through; solid-state amps are highly versatile and often provide a lot more flexibility for playing live, with direct outs and a base tone that doesn’t require lots of volume – which your local sound engineer will love you for.
One criticism of tube amps that’s been around for a while is the weight. Coming in at considerably more than a solid-state equivalent, a tube amp will require some serious heft that can get tiresome when you’re regularly gigging. If you’re not happy lugging something heavy around with you at shows, then it's probably best to go for a solid-state amp. If you want more than a few amps at your feet on stage, a digital modeling amp can provide the goods – with some stage-friendly practical benefits, too.
Does the wattage of the guitar amp matter?
Wattage is definitely one of the more critical aspects of choosing the best guitar amp, and it’s not so much based on opinion as it is your intent. An amp’s wattage is its power output, and correlates roughly to its volume potential. Generally speaking, the higher the wattage, the louder the amp – but this doesn’t work across the board, nor is it an objective measurement!
Tube amps are often perceived to be louder than their solid-state equivalents, due in large part to differences in headroom and saturation; solid-state amps will often hard-clip a lot sooner than tube amps, which can appear louder by virtue of increased power through harmonic distortion. In short, this means a 15W tube amp can often compete with a 50W solid-state in terms of loudness.
Wattage matters, whether you want to compete with a drummer on stage or you want to hear that quintessential tube breakup in your bedroom while the neighbors are asleep. If you’re just cutting your teeth practicing at home, that 30W tube amp will be way too much. Likewise, if you want to gig or stay ahead of your drummer in the rehearsal room, that 20W solid-state practice amp probably isn’t going to cut it.
Wattage matters less in many cases now, though, thanks to the magic of the amp attenuator box. These can be placed in your amp’s effects loop, or between amp and speaker, to soak up some of the volume you’re pumping out and enable breakup at much lower volumes.
What you need to know about speaker size
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Speaker size is a big deal when it comes to guitar amps. Choosing between a punchy 8-inch or a beefier set-up like a 2 x 12” mainly boils down to your needs and the tone you're chasing. Bigger speaker set-ups with multiple speakers will have better sound dispersion, so if you’re going to play in big venues at loud volumes, something like a 2 x 12” will be better suited for a large, full-bodied sound.
On the flip side, smaller options, like an 8-inch or 10-inch speaker, will have a much more focused, tighter sound. These can be useful for cutting through if you’re playing in a larger group, or as a flavor cab if you’ve got a multi-amp rig. Generally speaking, a 1 x 12” configuration tends to be the most popular; it strikes a sweet balance, packing generous low-end and midrange frequencies and can easily be applied to whatever genre you play.
What tone are you looking for?
It’s all well and good talking about this stuff in principle. Hearing it in reality – and making a decision on what guitar amp to buy – is something else entirely. You might have an ideal tone in mind, but no real idea how the above variables should add up to create it. You might have an ideal amp in mind, but no idea if you should go for a different size of speaker or not.
This is why testing amps in-person is so important where you’re able. Even with the above considerations in hand, it is your hands that make the difference with an amp. You know how they say tone’s in the fingers? It remains true here, as different amps respond differently to your play style. Alexander Dumble famously had guitarists that commissioned him come to the shop and play through a specially-designed test Dumble so he could profile their sound, and match his circuitry accordingly.
Sadly, in-person testing is often inconvenient at best, and impossible at worst. If your local shop is too far away or you want to purchase online, there are plenty of sound demos available online for you to listen to, as well as loads of well-informed reviews to help influence your thinking.
Generally speaking, you can whittle your longlist down to a shortlist by considering the special talents of specific amp brands. For example, a Fender guitar amp is typically geared toward clean tones, great for players who use a lot of pedals and want to build on a good base with effects. With Marshall amps, clean tones aren’t really their forte and they’re much better at providing dirty guitar tones for hard rock playing. If you’re really struggling, it might be wise to see what your favorite guitarists are using as a reference, as what they use might well suit your own needs.
Buying your first guitar amp
If you’re purchasing your first amp, all of these choices can seem especially daunting. When you’re first starting out, it’s hard to know what it is you really want. For this reason, we’d highly recommend a solid-state modeling amp for beginners, as they have lots of different tones for relatively little money. This means you can find out what it is you really like the sound of, then upgrade down the line when you’ve discovered what you really want.
A lot of these amps also feature built-in effects like reverb, delay, distortion, and overdrive too. This gives you an easier way to emulate your favorite guitar player’s guitar tones, as well as helping you find your own distinct sound.
How much should I spend on a guitar amp?
These days there are lots of budget options available for guitar players who are making their first foray into amps, or for those who need a backup or practice amp to augment their gigging rig. You can get some seriously good guitar amps for under $500, and even get down as low as $300 in some cases. This means you’re not making a huge financial commitment to your guitar tone early on and can find your own way later when you’re ready to invest more.
That said, you’ll find the most choice between $500 and $1000. There are loads of great solid-state and tube amps available at this price point, and this is where you’re getting into giggable territory in terms of power. No matter what your needs or style, at this price point you’re sure to find a perfect match.
If you’re serious about your guitar playing, then spending over the $1000 mark gets you into hand-built boutique tube territory, the Holy Grail of guitar tone. These will be professional-grade amps that your favorite guitar players use, with lots of high-end features and some absolutely unbelievable guitar sounds.
How we choose the products for our guides
At Guitar Player, we live and breathe everything guitar related. It's our passion and we certainly hope this passion comes through in our buyer's guides. Everyone at Guitar Player is an expert in their field and we draw on this knowledge and experience when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best guitar amps available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
When making our lists, we pay careful consideration to everything from budget to feature set, playability and durability to come up with an accurate representation of the best guitar amp available right now.
Read more on how we test gear and services at Guitar Player.
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