Guitar Amp Reviews

The competitively-priced Blackstar HT Club 40 is well-constructed and contains enough tonal versatility to be used in a wide variety of situations.

Blackstar has a well-earned reputation for quality amps at an affordable price, and the HT Stage 60 Mark II is no exception.

The Bogner Alchemist is quite a bargain in the ever increasing sea of guitar amplifiers. Given its low price and versatility, it’s hard to beat if you like the basic Bogner sounds available.

About the only thing not to like about the Duende is the price tag. After playing the Duende, you’ll realize that sometimes the best things in life aren’t free or cheap. With its rich array of tones, it’s worth the price of admission.

The Bogner Shiva just exudes world-class construction. If you want a well-built amp that can cover a lot of American and British territory, the Shiva might just be what you needed.

It’s hard not to see the Boss Katana 50 as a major player in the sub-$500 practice/small gig amp market.

The Budda Superdrive II fills a needed void in the guitar amp market and would make a fine addition to any guitar player’s gear locker.

If you want a guitar amp that can cover a lot of territory with a price that won’t back you into a corner, it’s hard to beat the X-100B series from Carvin.

The Dr. Z MAZ-18 NR is well made and fairly priced, a solid contribution to any guitar player’s amplifier arsenal, especially those who get their primary sounds from effects pedals.

If you need an affordable amp that can cover most blues and classic rock tones without bankrupting you, the Route 66 is definitely worth a listen.

If you want a low cost amplifier that can cover a lot of ground, take a look at the Egnater Renegade. For the price (or even a lot more), it’s tough to beat.

The Egnater Tourmaster is affordable and incredibly versatile, one of the best values in guitar amplifiers available today, particularly given its four channel design.

The amount of tonal flexibility the Egnater Tweaker possesses is simply amazing, especially given its portability and price. It can easily cop the best sounds from the Vox, Marshall, and Fender families.

With a street price of less than $150, I can’t think of a single reason why a gigging, working musician shouldn’t own one of these. Throw one in your gig bag and use it in a pinch or make it the basis of a powerful, warm amp rig.

If you’re a Death Metal or Hardcore player who’s seeking an amp capable of extreme gain that’s well constructed and fairly priced, the ENGL Fireball 100 is worth a try.

The ease of use and low cost of the Epiphone Valve Junior is a testimony to the value of simplicity and the power of good, basic tone.

The re-designed Fender Blues Junior III is a great choice for someone who wants clean, fat Fender sounds in a small package.

The Fender Champion 600 is a quality practice and small gig tube amp that allows you to explore the beautiful tones of a cranked tube amp without hearing damage or a broken back.

The Fender Cyber-Twin SE is a powerful, versatile solution that could be the perfect solution for a gigging guitarist.

If you want a classic Fender sound without trying your luck at a pawn shop, the Fender Reissue ’65 Deluxe Reverb is well worth the cost of admission.

If you’re looking for an all tube amp that also offers usable onboard effects, the Fender Deluxe VM is a superb choice.

For a player who wants a superior clean amplifier that is loud, powerful, and clear for effects pedals, the Fender Deville ML is a superior choice.

Coupled with a good multi-effects pedal, the Frontman is a good, loud amplifier for a price that can’t be beat.

The Fender G-DEC 3 is a solid practice amplifier for a beginner or professional with a wide array of tools such as the variety of sounds and onboard loops that make practice less of a chore.

The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III may very well still be the gold standard for working guitarists who want an inexpensive and reliable amplifier with tube tone that is “pedal friendly.”

With the Hot Rod Deluxe IV, Fender has shown that it can listen to its fans and even critics and take an already great amp and make it even better.

With the Fender Mustang II, you have a killer practice amp, a solid backup amplifier, and a decent gigging amp that offers great connectivity and room for tonal expansion.

If you need an amp that can be used for a wide range of gigs and cover an equally wide range of sounds, the Fender Super-Sonic 22 could be just what you need.

If you need a loud, clean amplifier that can cover venues from church services to packed clubs, you might need to look no further than the Fender ’65 Twin Reverb reissue.

If you’re a singer-songwriter or acoustic player who needs a portable acoustic amplifier with multiple inputs and a good sound to translate your acoustic tones, definitely give the Fishman Loudbox Mini a try.

If you want a rock and blues amp that can also cover a great deal of clean territory, then the BE-50 Deluxe might be the only amp you need given its incredible sonic versatility.

While the cost seems expensive for a guitar amplifier, when you consider all you get with the Kemper, it’s quite a bargain.

All-in-all, the Line 6 DT50 is a first rate tube amplifier with a wide variety of sounds at a fair price. Its numerous interface options only increase its appeal.

The Line 6 Spider Valve MKII, which is the marriage of old and new technology – a digital modeling section coupled with a tube amp section – might just be a glimpse into the future of guitar amplification.

If you are a fan of Marshall amps and are looking for that classic Marshall look and tone in a small, affordable, and versatile package, the Marshall CODE50 amplifier is an excellent choice in every way.

The new Marshall DSL40CR is a real winner for the company and working musicians who want a versatile rock/blues amplifier at a fair price.

When you combine the rich variety of blues and rock tones with the Marshall Class5’s portability, you’ve got a contemporary classic from the folks at Marshall.

Marshall’s vintage reissue has nailed the crunch and power of the original and only improved upon it with the addition of the effects loop.

With a wide array of sounds that represent the best of Marshall amplifiers’ rich history, the JMD501 is an excellent amplifier that can be used in a wide variety of situations, particularly for the rock and blues player.

If you’re looking for an amp that can cover a lot of sonic territory in addition to looking like the toughest kid on the playground, the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier is sure to please.

The Mesa/Boogie Mark V is an amp that can be used in studio and stage with the ultimate in flexibility.

The Mesa/Boogie Mark V 35 has all the tone with less weight and option paralysis of its bigger brother and is priced fairly given the build quality and range of sounds.

For players looking for a portable, low-cost amplifier that provides a wide array of sounds in a small package, the Orange Dual Terror Head is definitely worth a look.

With two usable and distinct dirty and clean channels, the TH30 is a solid contender for anyone looking for a good blues or rock amp that can be used in a variety of venues.

Although the Peavey 6505+ is an amp that favors metalheads and shredders, the portability and flexible EQ will appeal to a wide variety of players across several high-gain genres.

If you want an affordable, portable, robust, and versatile tube amplifier that can cover a lot of different genres, it’s hard to beat the Peavey Classic 30.

The Peavey Classic 50/212 truly is a classic amplifier, with a pedal-friendly clean sound that’s hard to beat – versatile and powerful.

Despite the amp’s expensive price tag (particularly for a single channel amplifier), the PRS Sweet 16 is worth the price of admission.

The PRS Sonzera is an affordable and versatile amp that could be used in many situations due to its versatility. 

The Randall RT50C is a fine workhorse amplifier for metal and shred guitarists who need an occasional clean or mild overdrive sound.

If you want a quality American-made combo amplifier that can cover classic Fender and Marshall tones with ease, check out the Rivera Chubster series.

The variety of sounds and quality of effects in the Roland 80XL is truly amazing, given its price and footprint.

The JC-120’s clean sound is not only a great sound in its own right; it is perhaps the perfect amp for multi-effects units, guitar synths, and other complex processors.

If you want a Fender Deluxe Reverb, Marshall JCM800, and Mesa Rectifier in a lunchbox-sized amp, you can’t beat the Roland Micro Cube.

For a gigging guitarist looking for a tube-sounding amplifier that’s versatile and won’t break your back (or wallet), it’s hard to beat the Tech 21 Trademark 60.

With its wide range of clean and overdrive and user-friendliness to both tone aficionados and the amp-modding community, the VHT Special 6 Ultra will find a spot in many recording studios as well as within the DIY crowd.

As a quality tube practice or recording amp, it’s hard to beat the Vox AC4TV, and it could even be a solid gigging amp if you pair it with a larger cabinet.

The characteristic Vox chime and classic overdrive are both here in abundance, though the Top-Boost channel offers a wide range of overdriven sounds that can suit a variety of situations.

If you need a portable guitar amplifier that offers a wide range of complex clean and overdrive sounds, you should give the Night Train a try.

With its low price, portability, and deafening tones, the ZT Amplifiers Lunchbox is a must have amplifier for the discerning guitar player’s gear arsenal.