Arguably your amplifier is the most important part of your signal chain, which makes choosing the best guitar amp all the more important. You can have incredible technique, the most expensive guitar, and all the boutique pedals in the world, but none of that will matter if you’re not playing through a truly great amp.
Even if you use pedals to generate the majority of your sound, your amplifier is still the key to door marked ‘tone’. It’s the defining aspect of what your audience hears, whether that’s on the record or at your next live show. Your first amp is likely based on something your guitar heroes played, but sooner or later you’ll want to find your own signature sound.
With so many amazing amplifiers out there, choosing one that defines your particular playing style can be an uphill struggle, but lucky for you we’ve done all the hard work, pinning down the best heads, combos, and digital modeling amps on the market. If you need some more info before you buy, check out our buying advice section, otherwise keep scrolling to see our top picks.
Best guitar amps: Guitar World's choice
The Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25 is an elite-level touring guitar amp that costs some serious dollar - which puts it out of the reach of most players. But if you've got the budget, it is just about the best guitar amp we’ve heard for the money. It marries up versatility, build quality, and class, with an astonishing range of tones. If you treat the amp like an investment, as something that will see you through the next 20 years of playing, then the Mark Five: 25 actually represents decent value for money.
If, on the other hand, you need something a bit more financially realistic – for players of any level – then the Boss Katana 100 MkII is easy to recommend. Gone are the days of inexpensive solid-state and modeling amps that promise so much but fail to deliver. The Katana delivers five killer amp characters backed up by amazing effects – as you’d expect from Boss – with plenty in the way of extra tools and tricks.
Best guitar amps: Product guide
With a tube preamp and a solid-state power amp, the Orange Micro Terror manages to stay shockingly tiny while delivering 20 watts of output. Through a 4x12 it's deceptively massive, although because it's so low in wattage, we've found there's not really a true 'clean' sound on offer.
Still, it's approximately a million times better than the entry-level amps we had when we were younger, and at a push, you could probably play small shows with one mic’d up. We've switched out one of our amps with the Micro after a technical difficulty in the past (yes, it's small enough to bring as a backup in your pedalboard case), and we don't think the crowd noticed.
The ability to pack this up into your backpack or even mount it on your pedalboard makes it a great option for the regularly gigging guitar player. That said, it is relatively quiet, and the Tiny Terror is noticeably louder when you're playing out. Still, for the price, who can argue?
Read the full Orange Micro Terror guitar amp review
The Positive Grid Spark has taken the amp world by storm. Integrating the already highly respected BIAS tone engine with some pretty incredible smart technology was only ever going to be a good thing, and it definitely didn't disappoint us.
Onboard, there are 30 amp models and 40 effects. There’s Bluetooth connectivity to stream music, as well as ⅛” aux and headphone inputs. You’ve got USB inputs and outputs too, which enable you to use your Spark as an audio interface for when you need to capture that next great idea.
The Spark is also packed full of learning tools that will help you develop as a player, and have fun while doing it. Those features include ‘Auto Chords’ - which will find chord charts for any song you choose - and ‘Smart Jam’ - which will generate an authentic backing track to accompany you, whatever you play.
Read the full Positive Grid Spark review
It’s helpful for learner guitarists to choose an amp that will allow them to experiment with different sounds, and the Boss Katana 100 MKII certainly gives you plenty to play with. It’s not just an amp for beginners though, the built-in effects and connectivity options make it a serious option for more seasoned players too.
The Boss Katana 100 MKII is, in many ways, the perfect ‘first’ or backup amp for most people. It packs in a host of Boss effects, along with a selection of great-sounding amp models, and will easily manage the step up from practice to small gig.
Hooking the Katana modeling amp up to the computer grants you access to deep editing of parameters, while we also loved the way it can record directly into a digital audio workstation via USB. The two channels let you instantly recall your favorite tones, whilst a host of connectivity options ensure it will fit seamlessly into your existing rig.
Read our full Boss Katana 100 MkII review
For an amp to gig small clubs, play at home, or in practice, there are few amps more practical than Fender mini combos. We like the Jr IV because it has a Celestion type-A 12" speaker, which to our ears is always substantially fuller and more balanced than most 10" speakers out there.
Though this tube amp only really does one thing, it does it well; however, due to its size, it does break up rather easily, which makes it a bit of a studio secret weapon as it can be driven to early hard saturation. As you’d expect of a Fender amp the cleans are pristine, although some may find it breaks up a little too early for their tastes.
The onboard spring reverb adds a spacious quality to your tone, with a natural decay that makes it really musical. Despite being a very simple amplifier at first glance, there’s a lot of depth here, meaning it’s not just an amp for pedal users.
Read the full Fender Hot Rod Blues Junior IV review
Launched over 60 years ago, the Vox AC15 is the veteran of the pack in this best guitar amps guide. Yet still, people gravitate towards that famous grille, lured in by the promise of one of the guitar world’s most recognizable tones as utilized by everyone from the Beatles to Brian May.
This amp has a wide tonal range, going from the signature sparkling clean right through mid-heavy compressed overdrive. The highs are complex yet articulate whilst the low-end response is punchy and dynamic, sounding equally great with both single-coil and humbucker-equipped guitars.
The onboard tremolo is particularly delicious, with speed and depth controls allowing you to dial in everything from a slow gentle warble to a more choppy, gated effect. You also get a spring reverb with a single level control, letting you bask your guitar tone in some surf guitar sounds.
Mark Tremonti and PRS have established themselves as one of the longest-running endorser/endorsee partnerships in the guitar world. Between them, the pair have offered up stacks of affiliated signature guitar models, but the PRS MT15 marks the first time they’ve collaborated on an amp.
The MT 15 follows the standard lunchbox amp blueprint, packing in two channels and switchable output power to make for an ideal tool for practice, recording, and small shows. It’s clearly geared towards higher gain fans, with the 6L6 power amp tubes dealing up plenty in the way of treacle-thick saturation- a tone we can't get enough of!
It doesn’t just do high gain either, the clean tones are punchy and three-dimensional with an impressive amount of headroom ensuring it will play nice with pedals. The included FX loop is a nice touch, as are the individual EQ controls for both channels, making the PRS MT15 a decent package for the modern-rock tone fiend in your life.
Read the full PRS MT 15 Mark Tremonti Head review
The EQ profile of Hughes & Kettner's flagship tube heads has always been somewhat controversial. With a tube layout that's akin to a Marshall and a genesis in hot-rodding Marshalls, it's always surprising how much smoother the cleans of an H&K are, even if the gains are fierce.
We found that the TubeMeister Deluxe packs enough power for small gigs, and can even be run all the way down to 0W for true silent practicing. It's got an integrated H&K Red Box DI, which means that either live or in the studio it's easy to get consistent tones.
Finally, it's pretty compact. Not as svelte as the Victory or the Orange, but given that you can pick one up new for two-thirds the price of the Victory, it's good value for money if you like the distinctive H&K sound.
The Blackstar HT Club 40 MKII has been the standard for mid-priced tube amps for a while now, inheriting its title from the previous HT Venue series. We’ve come across many of these amps out gigging and their strength lies in their versatility of tone.
You get separate clean and overdrive tones both with foot-switchable voices. These voices offer an American or British-leaning tonality, meaning you essentially get four amp tones in one! On the gain channel, there’s a dedicated ‘ISF’ knob that lets you find the perfect balance between Brit and USA sounds.
The onboard digital reverb sounds incredible and offers two flavors of tone, with a bright plate and a darker-sounding room setting. With enough power for small shows plus a power reduction option for playing at home, this amp has enough clever touches to ensure it continues to be a best-seller.
Now, we’re aware we’re playing with fire here - but we think the Tone Master series is a stroke of genius from Fender. A cheaper, more durable way of getting our favorite tube-esque tones - without getting a hernia? Sounds good.
The Tone Master Super Reverb is undoubtedly one of the coolest Tone Master amps to date. Its super accurate emulation of the Super Reverb tone coupled with modern features on the rear panel, make this amp a modern guitarist's dream. The Jensen P-10R Alnico speakers deliver anything from warm, tremolo-laden clean tones to swampy, heavy gain - and thanks to the six different power modes, you can access great tones at whatever volume you like.
If pedals are more your thing, then this amp is one of the perfect choices for you. With 45W of tube emulation on board, you can be sure your pedals will interact with the Tone Master just as they would with a tube amp of the same power rating. There’s headroom for days on this amp, especially in full power mode. Fender has also added a balanced XLR line output with impulse responses, cab simulation, level control, and a ground switch to make sure every single eventuality is covered.
Compared to some of the amps on this list, this mini JCM800 looks positively lacking in features. However, it reminds us that maybe you don't need the bells and whistles. Maybe what you really need is fantastic-sounding amplification and no distractions. If that idea resonates with you, then the SC20H is probably the amp for you.
As you’d expect from a Marshall, the most fun to be had here is playing dirty. From the hard rock of the Sunset Strip to Bay Area thrash guitar tones, the signature sound of a Marshall is present and accounted for here. Crunchy overdrive saturation with a high-end sizzle plus a tight bottom end for when you need to chug those rhythmic power chords, this amp doesn’t hold back.
From grunge to doom, to noise rock, the SC20H is a fantastic foundation for a guitar rig, it's built like a tank, and it's a classic for a reason. And, while the big version remains famously frill-free, Marshall has equipped the SC20H with an effects loop and direct recording output making it a beast of a studio amp.
Read the full Marshall SC20H Studio Classic review
Crafted by a small team in the UK, the Victory V40, despite its small size, can produce some serious noise. It’s a 40-watt, single-channel tube head that is capable of both US and UK style tones, and thanks to its significant clean headroom, is an exceptional pedal platform too - something that's a winner in our eyes.
You might be wondering how this single-channel amp can produce such varied tones - and that’s partly down to the introduction of the Voice and Mid Kick switches. With the voice switch in the Voice I position, the Duchess delivers a distinctly American tone, with a fairly flat frequency response. Switching to Voice II offers up more midrange bark, reminiscent of the British amp tones we all know and love. Knock that Mid Kick switch to the on position for some more midrange aggression - if that’s what you fancy.
If 40W sounds like a bit too much for you, then you’ll be pleased to know that Victory has incorporated a 7W low-power mode in order to keep your family and neighbors happy. This bedroom-friendly wattage means you can afford to crank the volume and achieve tones that can only come from warm glass - making the V40 even more versatile as a home, gig and studio amp.
Read the full Victory V40 The Duchess review
We’ve seen it happen all too often. A guitarist turns up at a small show with a 100-watt tube amp only to never be able to turn it up properly. If this sounds like you, or you just fancy a killer rock amp at a slightly lower volume, then the JJ-Junior is definitely worth taking a look at.
Taking the greatest bits from the original Friedman JJ-100 and cramming them into a 20W setting, Jerry Cantrell’s latest signature amp is capable of doing some serious damage. With AC30-esque cleans and the signature Cantrell gain tone on tap, the JJ-Junior is capable of nearly anything - with special thanks to the JBE switch, which unleashes even more gain into the equation. The FX loop is in series, meaning that your time-based effects still sound clean and precise while you melt faces with your playing.
One of the many special features of the JJ-Junior - and one of our favorites - is the internal load and cab-simulated XLR output, enabling you to send a DI out without having to hide your face with shame. The internal load means you can actually play the amp silently without a cabinet attached - making recording or silent practice not only doable but a walk in the park.
The Mesa Mark V comes in a variety of sizes from the full-tilt 90W head down to a compact 25W offering. Though some features are streamlined or removed, the 25 loses none of the key tricks, while becoming small enough to take on public transport. We think 25 watts is just about enough to gig and record with, and there's a reason why the Mark IV and Mark V have become legendary.
Sure, partly it's about the prestige of Mesa amps in general, but the IV earned its stripes through session players seeking a Swiss Army Knife amp. The tubes used also offer a clue; whereas other Mesa heads like the DC5 used 6L6s for a more rectifier-like tone, the EL84s are a different beast, while the clean channel has a distinctly Fender-like chime about it.
However, with Mesas, the stock tones aren't really the whole story. With a three-band EQ and boost functionality, these can be radically altered into new territory, and the distinctive graphic EQ on the front panel allows for even more drastic tone shaping, making this one of the most versatile guitar amps money can buy.
Kemper profilers have a reputation for delivering an unparalleled selection of guitar tones thanks to their ability to accurately model any guitar amp on Earth. By creating a virtual snapshot of an amplifier, the profiler allows you to take any tone on the road.
The powerhead version of the profiler is exactly what you think – by combining the profiler head edition of the Kemper with a 600-watt solid-state power amp, the powerhead can be used to drive a speaker cabinet, making it all you need for amp duties both in the studio and live.
As well as being able to model your own amplifier with spooky accuracy, there are loads of great 3rd quality profiles you can download too. It also comes packed with a load of effects to help further augment your sound, making this one of the most powerful music-making tools on the planet.
Best guitar amps: Buying advice
Guitar amplification is based on three building blocks at its core – preamp, power amp, and speaker. The preamp shapes the sound, the power amp brings it up to the level required to drive the speaker, and the speaker pumps out the glorious tone.
Should I buy a tube, solid state or digital amp?
First, there's the question of whether the amp is tube, solid-state, or a digital amp modeler. With tubes, you’re getting the benefits of a physical reaction in your playing: genuine electrical artistry spilling from a row of glowing glass tubes. Tubes deliver a rich harmonic warmth and dynamism that people still flock to, despite all of the advances in digital and modeling technology. If you’re driving the power amp section of your amp, playing at stage volume, tubes really come into their own in a way that digital and modeling amps can’t really compete with.
Where modeling comes up trumps is through sheer variety and instant gratification. Modern modeling amps can pack in super-accurate recreations of literally hundreds of different models, from all genres, in a way that gives the user a near-infinite tonal palette. As well as the amps themselves, modeling amps also give you plenty of options to tweak your cabinets and speakers, as well as typically having a whole host of built-in effects. This makes them great options for players in cover bands who need lots of different sounds, as well as beginners who are searching for their signature sound.
The line between solid-state and modeling amps has blurred in recent years, but typically a solid-state amp won’t try to emulate different sounds like their digital cousins. Despite having a bit of a bad rep amongst tonal purists there’s no denying that class D power amps and the like are both small and efficient. They tend to lean towards cleaner tones, which makes them fantastic pedalboard-friendly amps, but very few have overdriven and distorted tones that can compete with a high-end modeler or tube amp.
Do I want a combo or a head?
Combo amps combine the pre-amp, power amp, and speakers in a single unit, whereas heads require external speakers to use. The benefit of a head is being able to run more speakers if necessary, but in an age of venues shut down for noise complaints, where even your local bar has a decent PA, the need for extra volume isn't as relevant. Also if you use a head on the road and don’t bring your own cabinet, you’re at the mercy of the dubious quality of the venue’s own cabs.
Combo amps are great if you want to take your carefully crafted sound out and about on the road with you. You’ll know when you rock up to the show that your exact sound will be pumped out to front of house. However, this comes at a cost, as combo amps are typically very heavy, meaning lugging them up those narrow venue stairs might make you lust after that ‘lunchbox’ head.
Is guitar amp wattage important?
Yes, it is. More wattage, for the most part, means more volume. There is however some nuance to this. The perceived volume of a tube amp is much louder than that of its solid state or modeling equivalent because of some electrical wizardry that we won’t go into here. Put in simple terms, it means that a 10-15 watt tube amp will be equal to its 50-watt digital equivalent. So definitely bear that in mind before you pull the trigger on that 100-watt tube head and 4x12 combo you’ve got your eye on.
How much gain does my guitar amp need?
Finally, you'll want to think about your gain requirements. If you're a pedalboard user, you may well already have an array of overdrive and distortion pedals, and you're just looking for a clean platform to amplify and complement those tones. However, for some players – especially those of a heavier persuasion – there's simply no substitute for a high-gain amp, which produces a richer, more 3D character than many stompboxes. Be sure to bear in mind the number of channels an amp possesses, especially if you're looking to switch on the fly from clean to distortion.
How we test a guitar amp
You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
When it comes to testing, there are a few things we like to do to put an amplifier through its paces. That said, we must first mention that as guitar amps come in various shapes and sizes, how we test them can differ, depending on the amplifier's intended use. For example, volume and projection are massive considerations when it comes to amps designed to be played on stage or in a rehearsal room, but not so much for home use practice amps.
What shouldn't change between home and live amps is the build quality, and that's the first thing we look for. For us, all amps should be well made and sturdy, regardless of their application. In our opinion, guitar amps should feel robust and able to withstand anything you throw at them, and the controls should be smooth, with just the right amount of resistance.
To test the amps out tonally, we'll start where most guitarists start, everything straight up the middle. This usually allows us to hear the amp at its most sonically honest. We'll then dive in and start shaping the sound to how we like it, paying careful attention to the sweep of the EQ controls in particular. We'll also be sure to test the amp at both ends of the gain spectrum, from as much saturation as we can get to as clean as possible.
If an amp has any other features, such as effects or attenuators, we'll be sure to go through them as well, making sure we've tested every last extra onboard.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
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