What's the Right Amp for You? Guitar Amp Buying Guide

If you're just a beginner, a mini amp might be enough for you. For playing at home, either beginners or even experienced players don't need anything bigger, better or more expensive than a sub-£100 guitar practice amp.

We've actually compiled a list of our best mini amps that don't suck here, as well as our best beginner amps that you won't have to upgrade.

The Laney Mini-ST-Lion Battery Powered Stereo Amplifier is a great mini amp for around the home (pictured).

If you're a busker, you're better off with an amp that does not require a power supply. The Roland Micro Cube is a great little amp, very popular with buskers who require amplification due to its portability, cheap price and the fact it can be powered by batteries! It's pretty loud, too! Here's a great blog on some of the best amps for busking. 

The Roland Cube Street Battery Powered Amplifier Black (pictured) is a great busking amplifier.

The best amps for recording WON'T be big, 100-watts Marshalls, for instance! On the contrary, smaller amps are the best choice. We're talking about small valve amps, here.

That's because, unlike with bigger, louder amps, you can crank up small valve amps, pushing them to tone heaven. If you did the same with bigger amps, it wouldn't work - you'd sound so loud you wouldn't be able to make a good recording!

This technique has been used by many, many top artists. Despite using big and loud Marshall amps onstage, Jimmy Page used a small Supro valve amp on the early Led Zeppelin albums. Likewise, the Arctic Monkeys used an old Fender Champion on most of their debut album.

Some of the best small valve amps for recording that we have are:

• Marshall ORI5C Origin 5W 1x8 Valve Combo (Pictured)
• Orange Rocker 15 1x10 Valve Amp
• Vox AC30S1 Valve Guitar Amp

If you play small gigs, such as at pubs, clubs etc, small places with capacity of 200 persons or less, you won't need a massively loud amp. A 15-Watt Valve amp will be more than loud enough, such as the Fender Blues Junior or Vox AC-15.

You can use louder valve amps, such as a Vox AC30 or Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV Combo Valve Amplifier, but in most cases you won't need to set the volume more than halfway up (or less!) Valve amps sound louder than solid state amps, so even though a 15-watt valve amp is loud enough for gigs, a 15-watt solid state amp will be only recommended for home practice. Good solid state amps include the Orange Crush 20 RT and Blackstar ID:30TVP 30W. Both are loud enough for mid-sized venues and sound superb.

We recommend the Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb Combo Amplifier (pictured) which is a faithful solid state recreation of the valve Tone Master amps. 

 If you're in a small, unsigned band, it's very important to choose an amp that's loud enough - as not every venue will mic your amp. Ironically, bigger artists don't need to worry about this, since they are safe in the knowledge they'll always have a good sound and their amps will always be mic'ed.

That's why Seasick Steve plays a small Roland Cube amp, but it's not necessarily a great choice if you're in a band who plays live.

The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV Combo Valve Amplifier (pictured) is an industry-standard valve amp that's not too big, but has enough power for gigs.

The Orange Rocker 15 Terror 15W Valve Amp Head presents a world class option for those in need of great tone. You have 15 watts of pure valve power to channel here as well as a studio and home-friendly attenuation switch which halves the wattage. This makes it ideal for cranking the amp and getting that warm tube saturation at lower volumes.

Simply flick the half switch and your output drops to 7 watts, yet you still have all the control over your tone. This is also a two channel head, which means you can use a footswitch or the built in toggle to change from a Natural tone to a more driven and distorted Dirty channel. A fantastic amplifier head that makes a great all-rounder for all genres.

The Boss Katana-Head MkII Guitar Amplifier Head has become one of the most talked about amplifiers as it features the coveted Waza technology found in the beautiful BOSS Waza Craft Pedals. The same care and attention that goes into these pedals has gone into the BOSS Katana head to produce a versatile and highly articulate amplifier.

Packed with Five unique amp characters with Variations: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (derived from the Waza amp), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitars), the Katana head ensures you have enough sonic diversity for all genres.

You can choose from 65 BOSS effects and load 15 on to the amp via BOSS Tone Studio editor software and you can actually use it without a cab thanks to the monitor speaker - making it a great practice amp that you can use to get your sound and hook up to a cab later on at your gigs. 

Perfectly paired with the Boss Katana Cabinet212 2x12 Guitar Speaker Cabinet

The Marshall DSL20HR 20W Valve Head, is from the awesome Marshall Dual Super Lead (DSL) amplifier range. This particular amplifier head features a 2 channel design which offers everything from the classic Marshall overdriven sound, to the super saturated distortion of your favourite heavy metal bands. You can also utilise the Low/Standby/High power switch to attenuate the amps power from 20 to 10 watts.

The Blackstar Silverline Deluxe head 100 watt amp is an extremely versatile and very powerful 100 Watt guitar amplifier head that is packed with loads of useful features.

You have six different voices, with six different TVP (True Valve Power)-based response types so it's essentially like carrying 6 amplifiers in one!

You also have 12 On-board effects, with adjustable parameters a speaker emulated Line Out socket for hooking up to your DAW or PA system and a completely adjustable EQ, with patented ISF control.

They say good things come in small packages. Well, "they" weren't wrong!

The Orange Micro Terror Guitar Amplifier Head is no bigger than a lunchbox, but packs enough power to stand up to some of the bigger amplifiers out there, especially when you connect it to a 2x12 or even a 4x12 cab. It features a combination of solid state and valve technology and throws out 20w of pure power thanks to the 1 x 12AX7/ECC83 pre amp valve.

Easy to use, affordable and even easier to carry around, you can easily gig with this or use it as a practice amp at home when coupled with the custom built Orange PPC108 1x8 Closed Back Speaker Cabinet. Want more? View Guitar Amp Heads at PMT Online

Vintage styling, high quality speakers and that classic Fender cabinet warmth - there's a lot to love about the Fender Bassbreaker 212 Guitar Cab.  There's 2 x 12 inch, 8 Ohm Celestion V-Type speakers inside and the semi-closed back ensure those rich, low end frequencies are captured. A great addition that can act as an extension cabinet to the Fender Bassbreaker 45 combo/head and the Bassbreaker 18/30 combo.

If you want to add that signature fender warmth to your sound, this head is a perfect match to your own amplifier head with a total impedance of 16 Ohms.

Also available: Fender Bassbreaker 112 Guitar Cab

Orange make great amplifier cabinets that work with a wide variety of heads. In fact, there are many artists out there who like to mix and match their amp+head combinations to get the specific sound out of their head combined with the classic sound of an Orange speaker cab.

The Orange PPC212 Guitar Speaker Cabinet - 2x12 has been designed to bring the best out in your Orange amp head by utilising 13 ply, high density 18mm Baltic Birch plywood in a closed back construction partnered with 2 x celestion vintage 30 speakers.

This Power Projection Cabinet (PPC) has been designed to last the test of time thanks to the rugged construction.

The Vox V212C Speaker Cabinet is a perfect addition to any rig thanks to the use of 2 x 12-inch Celestion G12 Greenback speakers which will basically make any amp head sound amazing! This is perfectly paired with a Vox AC30 or AC15 of course, but it’ll definitely work beautifully with any set up thanks to the awesome sonic quality on offer.

The Marshall CODE412 - 4x12 Speaker Cabinet is a powerful monster designed as a companion to your CODE 100 head. A classic angled cabinet that is packed with four 12” speakers, each with a 30-watt output.

This extremely affordable 4x12 amplifier cab is perfect for those in need of a high-quality option for their set up, whether you have a CODE or not. A single input makes it easy to plug and play and the 24kg weight ensures you won’t break your back carrying it to practice. It’s also Marshall’s most affordable friendly speaker cabinet, making it a great choice for those on a budget.

The Blackstar Silverline 2x12 Speaker Cabinet is a powerful, great sounding cabinet with 2 x 70 watt celestion V type speakers built in. This results in a vintage style celestion tone that adds character to your amplifier tone without muddying the qualities of the amplifier.

The FFender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Amp Combo  is a great amp for the stage as well as studio recording. It's also an industry-standard valve amp used by the likes of Noel Gallagher and countless other pro musicians.

You have a single 12” Celestion G12V-70 speaker pumping out all that glorious Fender tone. The built in reverb also gives you that classic surf rock tone should you need it, or dial it up for those glorious solos. 

Although it's only 22 watts - it's more than capable of playing festivals and larger gigs - in fact it's almost always found on a stage somewhere! 

The Vox AC-30 is quite possibly the most legendary guitar amp ever made, used by everyone from The Beatles and Rolling Stones to U2 and The Libertines. The AC30C2 Custom Series updates the legendary amp with new and improved features - a guitarist's dream amp, no less! The new VOX AC30 Custom Classic…

The Orange Tremlord 30 Combo Amp is a great amp for those who want a serious amount of power on stage.

This all valve amplifier allows you to channel into that signature Orange crunch and utilise the valve effects loop to really make use of any pedals you may have (Strymon Timeline etc.)

Enjoy massive rever sounds thanks to the onboard two-spring reverb tank and of course a lush valve driven tremolo that you can activate via footswitch. 

Also available in Black.

The Marshall SC20C Studio Classic JCM800 Combo is ideal for home use and for smaller gigs/rehearsal sessions. This is inspired by one of the most iconic Marshall amps ever, the Marshall JCM800 2203.

We love it as it includes a 20W or 5W power output switch that allows you to drop the wattage down to bedroom level volume yet still retain all the qualities of the 2 x ECC83, 1 x ECC83 (phase splitter) and 2x EL34 Valves.

The single channel amplifier has two inputs for high and low sensitivity, which provides tonal versatility whilst you play.

One of the best Marshall combo amps available today.

The Fender Blues Junior IV Combo Valve Amp has quickly become an industry standard amplifier for those chasing that coveted creamy Fender Blues tone.

You have 15 watts of pure tube warmth in an easily transportable package and gorgeous sounds emanating from the 3 x 12AX7 preamp tubes and 2 x EL84 Power tubes. A perfect amplifier for small gigs and practice rooms as well as those in need of a quality amp to record with.

Packed with over 200 amps, cabs and effects, the Line 6 Spider V120 MKII Guitar Combo Amp is a perfect amp for those who want a wide variety of sounds to choose from.

Especially handy for those in cover bands as you can actually dial in famous amp and pedal combinations. It’s also wireless ready via the Line 6 Relay G10 wireless guitar system.

No more guitar leads tripping you over while you're rocking out on (or off) stage!

If you want a full studio's worth of amps, effects and sounds, this is your amp!

The BOSS Katana 50 MKII Guitar Amplifier is probably one of the best solid state/modeling amplifiers ever crafted and has quickly become the go-to amp for players of all levels.

You have 5 different amplifier characters (sounds) built in; Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, and Acoustic. But you also have access to 65 BOSS effects, which are customizable using the free BOSS Tone Studio editor software.

You can even load 15 different effects into the amp and use 3 at the same time – a great amp that’s full of sounds and perfect for beginners to pro-level players.

The Fender Mustang GT 200 Combo Amplifier is an extremely versatile modelling amplifier that comes complete with 21 different amp models as well as 47 effects built in.

So, you’ve got a huge amount of different sounds to play with!

It’s like having 21 amplifiers in one amp all pumping outthrough a pair of 12” Custom Celestion speakers – great for home and studio use! you also have a 100 watt version too! 

The people at Marshall know a thing or two about creating great sounding amps, after all the likes of the Marshall JCM800 is probably one of the most famous amps of all time.

The Marshall CODE50 Combo Amplifier is a modelling guitar amp that actually recreates the sound of these great amplifiers and so many more. In fact, you have 14 MST Preamps, four MST power amps and eight MST speaker models built in ranging from the likes of the Silver Jubilee to the Bluesbreaker and more.

In addition you have 24 studio quality effects built in. Best of all you can make changes to your sound on the fly thanks to the Marshall Gateway App. This allows you to control all sorts of settings on your CODE amp right from your iOS or Android device via Bluetooth - awesome!

The Blackstar Silverline Stereo Deluxe 2x12 100w Combo Amp is one of the coolest digital modeling amps available today thanks to the sheer amount of valve-like sounds. This thing sounds just liek a cranked valve amp complete with that valve-like response we all love.

First up you have 2 x 12" Celestion V-Type speakers pumping out 100 watts of power - so it's good enough for the stages of the world.

In terms of sounds, you have six different voices, with six different TVP (True Valve Power)-based Response types meaning you have a variety of sonic options at your fingertips.

There are 12 On-board effects, with adjustable parameters so you can make changes to suit your needs and the speaker emulated Line Out socket allows you to record direct to your DAW and enjoy the full sound that the amp has to offer without disturbing your neighbours1

Of course you have the Blackstar adjustable EQ, with Patented ISF control for more tonal options. This is ideal for those who want classic valve tones, without the actual valve amp!