1W Guitar Amp Kit For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

Great sounding clean tones for playing at home, which is why i bought it – my beloved Mustang 1.1 started having issues and I MUST have a great clean tone to relax. Wanted a tube amp and did my research. Decided on the Blackstar. I must say I'm extremely happy with it. The reverb is KILLER to my ear and does a great job at adding shimmer without destroying the tone. No external effects are needed to get a gorgeous clean tone – I use my Zoom G3Xn into the front end to get univibe and compression. The effects loop is very functional. The amp can be very bass heavy, depending on your instrument, but if you run a 10 band EQ (go with MXR) in the loop you amp can achieve any tonal result you want. My best sound comes with everything at 12, with some of the bass rolled off with the MXR EQ – but its just a matter of taste i guess. This amp moves a lot of air when you use the drive channel, and if your not pleased with the amps distortion it does respond really well to distortion pedals. I'm mostly in the clean blues zone but must brag on the amps darker side: it can get very loud and stay rich. I haven't tried any of the direct recording features. The 2 selectable characters of clean that the amp offers thrill me and ,again, the reverb is classy and a bit different from other amps ( I read that is a room reverb). Highly recommended.Tim H.

This amp out of the box sounds fantastic. Crystal clear clean tones and a snarly gain channel that lets you choose between a more American gain tone and a British gain tone. I would say ‘cater for everyone’. But, I received my first amp and within an hour of playing I’d noticed a loud ‘POP’ when changing channels. This pop occurred if a note was being played at the same time as the channel change. (Footswitch and Amp buttons) So, of course I returned the Amp to PMT. they arranged DPD next working day collection for me, completely hassle free. I awaited my next amp, as a direct replacement. A few days later the next Blackstar HT-5R mkii arrived, box fresh like the last. I plugged the amp in, let the tubes warm and away I went. Within minutes of found a great tone again, but the loud ‘POP’ I heard from the first unit was there again on this amp. I tried 4 sockets in the house in case there was any kind of interference/static, but to no avail. Absolutely gutted, I called PMT again. The amp was returned for the second time. Apparently this hasn’t happened to anyone else, I may just be unlucky or the amp may not get along with the electrics in my home. Just check this out as soon as you buy one. I’ve tried two other valve amps on my house since, including a Blackstar Artist 10 AE and an Orange terror with cab, and there’s absolutely zero noise with these. Very important to note here, this is not a slam of PMT, they’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout this whole thing. Customer service is second to none and they are very easy to contact. Used these for a very long time and I will be returning once stores open to try out a new amp.Jack H.

Because the Stage Right 5-watt tube amp (#611705) has control knobs only for Volume and Tone, I found that I get the best-to-my-ears guitar sound when I put an equalizer pedal between the guitar and amp and then adjust the equalizer to the tone that I'm looking for. On the guitar the Volume and Tone knobs are set fully open and on the 5-watt tube amp the Tone knob is fully closed and the Volume knob is set to the volume level acceptable to the environment (for home practice the Volume knob is set to level 3 at full 5-watts). The Stage Right 5-watt tube amp is my first tube amp after having used modeling amps for at least five years. I had heard that tube amps more often than not sound better than modeling amps. After now having experienced using a tube amp I agree that tube amps (at least the Stage Right 5-watt amp) sounds better than the modeling amps I've used (which to me sound great too). If you're looking for your first tube amp (like I was) or you are looking for a low-watt tube amp for home use then I highly recommend the Monoprice Stage Right 5-watt tube amp #611705. Review about Monoprice customer support: The 5-watt tube amp that I initially received had a cosmetic defect (a hole) on the textured surface on the front side of the amp. The Volume knob when set to fully opened level 10 produced normal speaking level sound instead of the noise-complaint loud volume that I expected. Monoprice customer service was great and easy to work with in submitting an amp replacement request. I described the problems, sent pictures of the cosmetic defect and a video demonstrating the Volume problem. After Monoprice customer service reviewed the pics and video they sent me a free shipping return label, a RMA label, and they ordered me a replacement amp which arrived within 7 days after I submitted the replacement request. The replacement amp that I received had no cosmetic defects and the Volume knob set to max level 10 is loud enough to generate noise-complaints from neighbors, though I normally use the amp at Volume level 3 for home use.New User

For the price (I got it when priced $119) it is fantastic. It's simple, straightforward and sounds good. Nice warm tones. If you're a fantastic guitar player, this amp will sound fantastic. If you're an okay guitarist, you might want to invest in some pedals (or just keep practicing). I only say that because it is very clean and bright and it really shows off what you're playing. (I've been known to hide my sloppiness with reverb, distortion, etc.) BUT It does take pedals well – thankfully! Adding a good reverb pedal, delay and an overdrive to go along with this little guy is a good idea. The Pros: Value to Price ratio. Looks well built. Warm tube sound. The handle (yes I am talking about the amp's handle) is nice! Better than I expected. In fact, everything looks pretty good (except the cheap control knobs). 5 watts is plenty loud for home/recording use. The Cons: Good sounding, but there are better sounding. Please don't buy this thinking that this is a $500 amp. It is not. But sub $200 it is a good one. The chickenhead knobs are cheap looking. I took them off and painted them. But that's a dollar or two easy fix (if it bothers you at all). Overall: I totally recommend for $150 or less. Probably for $200. If the prices climb too much beyond that, I think there are other options. If you want to jam at home and record with it, I think you'll be happy.Brad

The Monoprice 5 watt guitar amp arrived just a few days after ordering, and arrived in good shape, due in part to the excellent shipping carton. Upon taking it out and inspecting it, I could find no flaws in the cabinet, and due to the cream color of the covering, it seemed a little bigger than I was expecting. I plugged it in, let it warm up for almost an hour, and then plugged in an ES339, using no pedals. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with the sound I was getting, but it was my fault. I had it adjusted as I do with my Albion Hybrid, but that wasn't the way. I found the best sound came from turning the Monoprice all the way up, and then use the guitar controls for volume instead. That did it, and the little amp came a alive in a big way! Sounding very similar to a Fender champ, it could go from nice clear tones to crunchy heaven with the ES339's humbuckers. I plugged in a Strat with an HSH configuration, and the single coil really made it sound Fenderish. Sweet. The only thing I found one might improve on the amp, is the speaker. As such, I plugged into the built-in external speaker jack on the back, a little Randall 8" cabinet. That really did it for me. The sound was fantastic through the entire spectrum, and was loud enough to be heard down the block. I then bi-amped it with the Albion, and the sound had all the creamy goodness I've been seeking, and that is how I now have it setup for daily use. That said, there's nothing wrong with the stock speaker on the Monoprice, and I suspect it will satisfy most users. Am very happy with this purchase, and glad I bought it for such a great price. Almost every electric guitar player could find a use for this amp. Buy before the price goes up, or they quit making them!T

Overall: I run this into a Bugera ts1x12 with a WGS veteran 30 @16ohm and a Joyo vintage overdive in front. Very surprising how versatile the tone knob is with the different tone stack switches. Despite what people say this amp can do clean. You have to turn the volume up high and use the gain as a volume. It even says this in the manual. I have a Bugera G5 that does cleans very well so I don't worry about that. Before I even turned it on I swapped out the 2 12ax7 preamp tubes for a pair of matching Tung-sol 12ax7s so I can't speak to the sound of the stock ruby tubes. I am using a dean VX with guitarheads hexbuckers and a ephiphone strat with hsh pickups (guitarheads z-buckers and a no name dual rail single coil in the middle). It is a 1w amp so don't expect it to sound as loud as a bigger amp. I play about half way on the volume knob and that is plenty loud for my apartment and it has plenty of low end chunk at that volume. The overdrive just gives it a little sizzle but you don't really need it. For the money there is no better small tube head for metal or rock. The Bugera G5 retubed with Tung-sol pre and JJ power tube comes close but this is just thicker sounding distortion. I will never sell it.David

I bought it on impulse during Black Friday and I'm so glad I did. I had been looking to get a tube amp and at the price this thing went for it was a no brainer. But price aside this amp sounds great. I was looking for a high gain metal amp and this fit the bill. I only have combo amps which means I do not have a speaker cab to hook this too but I used the midi out and hooked it to my PC using an audio interface. The high gain sounds are tight, clear and perfect for modern heavy rock/metal. I do plan to get a speaker cab for it, however for recording rock/metal it is so easy to use and I personally love using a real amp to record with instead of a software plug in to emulate the high gain sound. It's also small enough to sit on my PC desk.Supergoat94

I picked this amp up hoping it would be a nice quieter tube-amp option. Randall is known for high-gain, and even at just 1 watt, this amp has gain for days. In fact, that was one of my knocks against it, i had a hard time dialing in a nice clean sound. The breakup happens very early in the pre-amp stage, so if you're looking for anything resembling a clean tone, this amp doesn't excel there. It would be great for the metal player that can't crank up a 30, 50, or 100 watt tube amp in their apartment, but you need high-gain tones. Overall, i wasn't as impressed with this amp as i am with the Positive Grid Spark 40. Two different beasts, but the Spark 40 has way more value to me in this product range.Tanner's Favorite Things

Nice little kit! Instructions are pretty clear and it's certainly not overly complicated to build. Having some amp repair/building experience helps, but I'd say even a beginner could buy this, build it, and be playing it within a day or so. Once built it sounded pretty good as well. Fun to swap tubes around, substituting the 12AX for a 12AT, AY, or others. The 'effect' changes on the pull switches are pretty subtle, so don't expect anything dramatic there. But, the amp makes a great platform for learning, and even 'expanding' from the original design. I've put an EIA connector in the back of mine so I don't have a cord sticking out. I put some tall 'feet' on it so it would clear a speaker box handle. And, the power transformer is suitable for adding a 6CA4 rectifier, which I plan to do in the future. I'll have to move the filter capacitor section around some to make clearance for the socket, but it's a 6 volt 9-pin rectifier, so will work perfectly in this amp. I might even 'upgrade' the output transformer….or play with some yellow jacket type adapters to try a different output tube. In all, a lot of fun to build, sounds great for what it is, and I'm very glad I made the purchase!! A 'GREAT' value!!!Tom

This is a great kit. I wanted to build a small amp so i started researching schematics online. Then i found this kit. All the leg work has been done as well as step by step instructions. I just started it so i can’t comment on tone, but the ease and design of the kit is excellent. Full parts list, schematic and instructions include. It gives you a proven simple platform to start with and you can add your own modifications if you wish. Thanks MODRonnie

Excellent build quality, brilliant sound. Separate tone controls would be better but "ISF" works OK. Only niggle is the OD and Voice buttons are too close to the rotary controls which makes it easy to nudge them accidentally. Encouragement to buy a footswitch I guess! Overall it does the job it was bought for – producing a range of big sounds quietly enough to keep the rest of the house and neighbours happy – very well.thegreens3

What a cracking little amp! Great clean channel, takes pedals well and the overdrive channel with voicings is superb. I’m glad I went for the combo and not the head. I now have a portable amp that I can take around with me or plug in to a 1×12 cab when I want to crank it. Put an Xotic preamp in front and enjoy some amazing tones!!Glen H.

this is mostly a great little amp. however, there are some unwanted artefacts in the sound when playing clean and so it's not perfect and not good enough for my needs when recording. that said it's still a great little practice ampReviewed by Absolute Music custo

I recently completed the British 18W head kit from Tube Depot, and can't say enough good things about it! From start to finish, the kit exceeded my expectations. Ordering, shipping, and customer service were top-notch. No issues with components. The instructions and documentation were amazing, worth their weight in gold. The end result was an amplifier that sounds incredible! I incorporated a few of the suggested options- PPIMV, Tremolo HI/LO sw., Tube/SS Rectifier sw., and choke. The sound is amazing, I'm finding it very difficult turning the amp off- once I start playing through the amp I don't want to stop. I would absolutely recommend Tube Depot for anyone interested in building a guitar amplifier. The clear, well-written instructions really made this an enjoyable project. This was my first amplifier build, and I had no issues thanks to the great documentation.Dave R

I ordered this kit with a mod to use KT 66 power tubes. The changes were easy to make and it sounds fantastic. The classic JTM 45 tone at a manageable volume level with the master volume control. Just to test it out I've used a power soak and the tone is exactly the same using the master volume. A couple of real nice features of the design are the negative feedback switch and the ability to switch between solid state and tube ratification (the tube sounds better to my ears). Great product!Clint

I recently completed the British 18W head kit from Tube Depot, and can't say enough good things about it! From start to finish, the kit exceeded my expectations. Ordering, shipping, and customer service were top-notch. No issues with components. The instructions and documentation were amazing, worth their weight in gold. The end result was an amplifier that sounds incredible! I incorporated a few of the suggested options- PPIMV, Tremolo HI/LO sw., Tube/SS Rectifier sw., and choke. The sound is amazing, I'm finding it very difficult turning the amp off- once I start playing through the amp I don't want to stop. I would absolutely recommend Tube Depot for anyone interested in building a guitar amplifier. The clear, well-written instructions really made this an enjoyable project. This was my first amplifier build, and I had no issues thanks to the great documentation.Dave R

I ordered this kit with a mod to use KT 66 power tubes. The changes were easy to make and it sounds fantastic. The classic JTM 45 tone at a manageable volume level with the master volume control. Just to test it out I've used a power soak and the tone is exactly the same using the master volume. A couple of real nice features of the design are the negative feedback switch and the ability to switch between solid state and tube ratification (the tube sounds better to my ears). Great product!Clint

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

I bought the single speaker unit after being unhappy with a Fender micro and the GC manager recommended the Blackstar. Home run. I was so pleased with it, I also bought a Blackstar bass micro amp with the extension speaker. Both are superb. My primary use for this guitar amp is for when I go cruising and/or when I know I'm going to perform with acoustic players. This micro amp fits into a day pack along with my laptop and Steinberger Spirit guitar (which I love, also from GC). The flexibility of battery or AC power is wonderful. The sound for such a small unit is superb. Night before last I played my UBass with the Blackstar micro bass amp & extension speaker at a uke (two of which were amplified) jam and my bass was plenty loud enough. Can this amp keep up with big amps? Of course not. But it's perfect for certain situations … and that's why I have a collection of various guitars, basses and amps.Bill C.

Bought this as my music room is rather small and I didn't want a great big beast of a thing taking up too much room. This kit is exactly what I was looking for. It has everything I need and the nice touch with the reverb delay and distortion is a bonus. I was impressed at how loud the system is for such a small item. I run it alongside a RC300, 4 pedals and Tascam 8 track digital recIorder outputted to Techics amp with Denon speakers. I feel I'm neglecting the wife🙄, I just unplug from the mains, pick it up and wonder into the front room and serenade her ….brownie points for me 😁 I do agree with another post about no being equipped with a carry handle or even better a couple of d clips on the side where you can attach a strap and sling it over your shoulder and off you go. As a bundle it's a no brained on price. Great product and at an affordable price..Great service from PMT. Had a few items off these guys had a slight one time problem with packaging but the guys sorted it really quickMike

Bought this for quiet playing both at home and in my camping van. So needed to be battery powered and small. The sound quality was only secondary. But as with all other reviewers, I found that this thing sounds awesome. Just yesterday, I miked it up and recorded it for a part in my current song. I'm using it mostly with a Strat, and it is quite a dark tone. Not like a Fender style amp. The IMF control can brighten that a bit – however the sound of the amp is pretty fixed. But it is a good sound. The delay is awesome for ambience. I live in a small flat, and in the past, unless recording, I would always just play unplugged. But now I always grab this little thing and plug it in. Far more inspiring. I'm yet to need the 2nd speaker. But the power supply is useful. PMT also did the best price online. Thanks.B M.

Great sounding clean tones for playing at home, which is why i bought it – my beloved Mustang 1.1 started having issues and I MUST have a great clean tone to relax. Wanted a tube amp and did my research. Decided on the Blackstar. I must say I'm extremely happy with it. The reverb is KILLER to my ear and does a great job at adding shimmer without destroying the tone. No external effects are needed to get a gorgeous clean tone – I use my Zoom G3Xn into the front end to get univibe and compression. The effects loop is very functional. The amp can be very bass heavy, depending on your instrument, but if you run a 10 band EQ (go with MXR) in the loop you amp can achieve any tonal result you want. My best sound comes with everything at 12, with some of the bass rolled off with the MXR EQ – but its just a matter of taste i guess. This amp moves a lot of air when you use the drive channel, and if your not pleased with the amps distortion it does respond really well to distortion pedals. I'm mostly in the clean blues zone but must brag on the amps darker side: it can get very loud and stay rich. I haven't tried any of the direct recording features. The 2 selectable characters of clean that the amp offers thrill me and ,again, the reverb is classy and a bit different from other amps ( I read that is a room reverb). Highly recommended.Tim H.

This amp out of the box sounds fantastic. Crystal clear clean tones and a snarly gain channel that lets you choose between a more American gain tone and a British gain tone. I would say ‘cater for everyone’. But, I received my first amp and within an hour of playing I’d noticed a loud ‘POP’ when changing channels. This pop occurred if a note was being played at the same time as the channel change. (Footswitch and Amp buttons) So, of course I returned the Amp to PMT. they arranged DPD next working day collection for me, completely hassle free. I awaited my next amp, as a direct replacement. A few days later the next Blackstar HT-5R mkii arrived, box fresh like the last. I plugged the amp in, let the tubes warm and away I went. Within minutes of found a great tone again, but the loud ‘POP’ I heard from the first unit was there again on this amp. I tried 4 sockets in the house in case there was any kind of interference/static, but to no avail. Absolutely gutted, I called PMT again. The amp was returned for the second time. Apparently this hasn’t happened to anyone else, I may just be unlucky or the amp may not get along with the electrics in my home. Just check this out as soon as you buy one. I’ve tried two other valve amps on my house since, including a Blackstar Artist 10 AE and an Orange terror with cab, and there’s absolutely zero noise with these. Very important to note here, this is not a slam of PMT, they’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout this whole thing. Customer service is second to none and they are very easy to contact. Used these for a very long time and I will be returning once stores open to try out a new amp.Jack H.

I bought this amp to use in a limited space and at a low volume for very low cost. It obviously doesn't compare to a normal size amp in quality but for being a practice amp it is perfect. Many reviews across the web say it loses power or sounds bad after a short time, but its literally as simple as changing the battery in my case. The manual even says to change the battery if there is an issue with sound, and the battery that comes with it isn't really the best and doesn't last long. It has great sound at a low and mid range volume for the little power it actually has but when you ramp it up it does sound a little distorted but not bad at all for $23-$29. Hopefully my review helps someone get a decent product!Lucas

While you certainly could use it in the studio for certain alt/auxiliary tones and/or layers and achieve fantastic results (producer/artist discretion advised), It's not meant for that. It's meant purely for being able to enjoy playing electric, untethered, while wandering about randomly and/or practicing. …Whether outdoors or indoors. …At home, in the park, around the neighborhood, at a camp site or a BBQ, wherever. Perhaps even during your breaks at work. It's not meant for playing in a full band situation (especially with drums), nor is it meant for getting a half-stack sound (or even normal combo-amp sound), for a fraction of the price, during a high-end studio session or full-on concert. It's a fantastic tool, meant to serve a single purpose. Choose and use your tools accordingly.Cristyn, E

mini-amp works great as a travel amp, or playing early in the am when ppl are sleeping lol it fits perfectly inside my hardcase, along with my electric guitar, headphones, tuner, cables, etc. performs as expected.. dont look to be amazed at its performance lol but for practice/travel its the perfect amp. has a heavy grind for chunky metal riffs. doesnt pick up the p[inch harmonics that great, but they do come through. the clean setting is great, too, and for a tiny little fkr it really kicks pretty good! had my finacee yelling at me to "turn that fkn thing down!" so, lol, it hits pretty hard for a small little guy.. but like i said, dont expect it to put out the tones of a line 6 spider IV or a Marsall half-stack cuz it aint capable for that. it isnt designed for gigs lol so dont expect that kinda sound. but, i love this mini-amp; its my new best friend!da.davc.mcoumykeiu

Great sounding clean tones for playing at home, which is why i bought it – my beloved Mustang 1.1 started having issues and I MUST have a great clean tone to relax. Wanted a tube amp and did my research. Decided on the Blackstar. I must say I'm extremely happy with it. The reverb is KILLER to my ear and does a great job at adding shimmer without destroying the tone. No external effects are needed to get a gorgeous clean tone – I use my Zoom G3Xn into the front end to get univibe and compression. The effects loop is very functional. The amp can be very bass heavy, depending on your instrument, but if you run a 10 band EQ (go with MXR) in the loop you amp can achieve any tonal result you want. My best sound comes with everything at 12, with some of the bass rolled off with the MXR EQ – but its just a matter of taste i guess. This amp moves a lot of air when you use the drive channel, and if your not pleased with the amps distortion it does respond really well to distortion pedals. I'm mostly in the clean blues zone but must brag on the amps darker side: it can get very loud and stay rich. I haven't tried any of the direct recording features. The 2 selectable characters of clean that the amp offers thrill me and ,again, the reverb is classy and a bit different from other amps ( I read that is a room reverb). Highly recommended.Tim H.

This amp out of the box sounds fantastic. Crystal clear clean tones and a snarly gain channel that lets you choose between a more American gain tone and a British gain tone. I would say ‘cater for everyone’. But, I received my first amp and within an hour of playing I’d noticed a loud ‘POP’ when changing channels. This pop occurred if a note was being played at the same time as the channel change. (Footswitch and Amp buttons) So, of course I returned the Amp to PMT. they arranged DPD next working day collection for me, completely hassle free. I awaited my next amp, as a direct replacement. A few days later the next Blackstar HT-5R mkii arrived, box fresh like the last. I plugged the amp in, let the tubes warm and away I went. Within minutes of found a great tone again, but the loud ‘POP’ I heard from the first unit was there again on this amp. I tried 4 sockets in the house in case there was any kind of interference/static, but to no avail. Absolutely gutted, I called PMT again. The amp was returned for the second time. Apparently this hasn’t happened to anyone else, I may just be unlucky or the amp may not get along with the electrics in my home. Just check this out as soon as you buy one. I’ve tried two other valve amps on my house since, including a Blackstar Artist 10 AE and an Orange terror with cab, and there’s absolutely zero noise with these. Very important to note here, this is not a slam of PMT, they’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout this whole thing. Customer service is second to none and they are very easy to contact. Used these for a very long time and I will be returning once stores open to try out a new amp.Jack H.

I picked this up for my son so he could practice around the house. Killer stocking stuffer! When the son is away the dad will now play. I started playing my Mustang Bass through this and it did the job. It's a small amp, not a practice amp. This is perfect for camping trips, rocking at the office or kicking it in the backyard. Oh yeah and you can plug in 1/4 headphones and keep the concert to yourself. It runs on a 9-volt battery or you can plug in a 9-volt adapter.SERGIO

Took a chance on this and purchased it without every playing it. Watched video reviews on it and gave it a shot. Yes, I know that it's small in size, smaller than a kids lunchbox but I hoped it'd produce quality sound and what I got was muddy sounds at increased volumes. It's not clear sounding and my goal to play through an amp is to sound good and I felt if I actually played this in front of people, the muddyness would make me sound amateurish. So, for what you pay for this, yes, you get amplified but it's not real great quality, unless you're a metal player because you don't get a clean sound from this. I rate this 3 stars because it's convenient to have a portable battery operated tiny amp that you can plug into and get sound from, however, the quality almost makes you not even want to play it.Jesse

This ain't no micro cube or vox. This less than 20$ & runs on 1 9v battery or 9v plug in the wall.(transformer not included)& Holy Friggin' Smokes does this baby perform.Monster overdrive tone & super bright, clean tone.Headphone input.Probably exceeds 60 decibels,which is beyond city ords. could get U a fine it's so damn loud. My Strat Squire sounds soooo Fender good out of this lil sucka & my electric/acoustic, sooo crisp.Ultra light to carry around.I've been using the JOYO mini,I love it,plug in,no chord,fun but this Fender mini is a bit more.More tone options and louder.I've yet to find out how quick it eats batteries. The JOYO burns them up fast.Get the rechargeables.Also the JOYO has an MP3 input.This doesn't. I run guitar strap thru the handle so the chord is like non-existent or U can old school it and have a 10 or 20 ft chord.So light it can be pulled over by the chord.These mini amps also pick up radio signals. When I turn them on I can hear radio stations at certain angles. So get 1 for the road.It's all about the fun.annoyingted1

Can’t speak for anyone else but this is perfect for my needs, I wanted to go digital but the thought of having to learn how to use a helix or a kemper was off putting. as tech-phobe, I needed something that was very simple to use and this fitted the bill, i use it with my pedal board and a 2×12 cab and the sounds it great. This is the best purchase I have made in a long while.John

First of all, this came shipped with 5 levels of protection (Andertons box, insulation, Peavey warehouse box, invective box, insulation). Therefore it could have survived an explosion, thumbs up to Andertons! That said, this head is simply wonderful. Materials and construction are high standard and looks are clean and aggressive. No Christmas-style-ubiquitous LEDs, but a slight blue glow which blends with red valves and white panels. Speaking about the sound, this has a slightly high bass output at standard settings and could be tweaked a little. When correctly matched with pickups output and cabinet it produces a marvelous clean sound, very dynamic and warm. Lead channel is simply astonishing: gain is dense and controlled, tight and boost functions work well together and give high gain leads and well articulated notes as well. The noise gate is a nice touch. I will explore the various functions (recording via usb directly from the invective, and so on) over time, but I’m very satisfied overall. Volume output is huge and for room plays I set it under the first point of the scale…but i get high dynamics as well! This is seriously one of the best heads available for metal and progressive, with djenty touches and experimental features (same sounds as the Invective.120, but with a more “socially acceptable” volume output). I’d have liked a better footswitch from peavey instead of the cheap plastic one included, but I will eventually recase it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This amplifier is amazing for metal players. The inclusion of a very-effective noise gate makes this head completely perfect for live and recording situations. I have always used the Boss NS2 in front of all my amps, but the noise gate in this head works easily as well. If you have quick stop/start songs, this thing will track. The distortion channel on this head is the 5150/6505, so you will get the legendary 5150/6505 sound. The clean channel is a TON better than the 5150/6505, however. The cleans are creamy and not brittle at all. You will really enjoy all channels on this amp, as the cleans blow the 5150/6505 away. There are two effects loops that work independently, or in concert. If you use a lot of effects, this head is destined to be your favorite. I am not a big effects user, so it doesn't mean a lot to me, but the loops are clean, independent, and controllable via the foot switch. I can say, without hesitation, that this head is the best Peavey has ever made. Full stop.TheTerrorBeyond

Overall: The Peavey Invective 120 is the best sounding high gain amp I have EVER played…and after 22 years I've tried many. A big thanks to Misha Mansoor and Peavey as well as zZounds. The lineage is apparent in this amp. What else is apparent is the time and energy Misha and Peavey put into refining this product. The lead channel…oh the lead channel. Downright sinister. Modern aggression that is completely unrivaled. The Invective puts all other high gain amps in their place. It's simply meaner, more modern and has more harmonic content and responsiveness through the entire frequency range than other amps. Lead and Rhythm channels sit excellently in even the most dense mix. Bear in mind im hitting my favorite parts of this amp…it can so much more than metal. And the clean channel is absolutely beautiful. Lots of clarity and fatness. Two things that can often be hard to achieve on a clean channel. The gate…perfection. The boosts (technically there are 3 different kinds)…perfection. And with the dual effects loops and 9v power on the back panel as well as the a foot switch that really does do it all. The Invective is the all in one solution…its so beautifully engineered. Plug your effects in the loop(s). Done deal. And it's midi controlled. So streamlined. And the best part…the Invective sound is MASSIVE. This is the new benchmark in high gain. Period.Keola

Sell all of your dirt pedals, because the DSM has a VERY wide range of dirt available from "hairy" cleans to metal (if that's your thing). I've been playing guitar for 30 years, been through A LOT of amps, & I'll tell you this amp inspires. There is no dirt pedal that can match the clarity and glorious overdrive of the DSM's EL-34 tubes. From mild to wild, there are NO bad tones in this amp, and the three-way mini toggle is just icing on the cake. There is an effects loop that I put a delay & vibrato through, and I only run an Archer Ikon through the front as a boost, which sounds killer through the DSM btw. This is a well thought out design, portable & lightweight, built like a tank. Yes, you want to know if it will keep up with a loud drummer at a gig right? At a bar gig yes. The only instance you will need to absolutely Mike it is if you are playing a large room & want it's cleanest available tone (with the gain at 2 or 3 & the master at full). If you don't want to mike it while gigging larger rooms, get the 40 watt Dirty Shirley. Bottom line..My Telecaster sounds more "alive" than ever as this amp dishes out Brad Paisley tones in spades. My Les Paul sounds thick with an intense clarity at all volume & gain levels. Roll off the guitar's volume & it cleans up beautifully. Even with the mini toggle at it's highest gain setting, roll off your volume pot & the darn thing still cleans up without any noticeable tone loss.Johnny R.

I’ve been using the same solid state mg30cfx since I started playing. I purchased this along with the Marshall 1×12 speaker cabinet. This amp makes playing so much more enjoyable and I’ve finally found the tones I’ve been missing over the years. It’s great for in the house at the .1 watt setting. At full 1 watt it definitely makes my neighbors hate me. The foot switch and effects loop is definitely a plus for me. I’d recommend it to anybodyTim

I bought this amp as a practice amp to keep in a house that I'm remodeling. I'm running through an old early 2000's marshall MG 4 x 12 cab that I had laying around. I love the high gain channel…its got that great marshall dirt from the 80's type sound. The normal channels can get you that ZZ Top type of blues overdrive if that's what your after. I'm not crazy about the clean sounds, but nobody really buys a marshall for cleans anyways. The digital reverb is pretty decent as well. It's really nice to have the effects loop as well. Overall, a great little amp!Kevin

I had to make myself stop playing this Amp long enuf to write my review. This 30 watt 1 X 12 Celestion V30 Tube Stack simply Rocks my World! Bucket List item for me! Always wanted a Tube Stack with a creamy rich mid – range and a narly distortion channel. Foot switch turns reverb and overdrive on and off. 3 band EQ, 1/4" speaker cable. I love me some pedals and they blend well with this Amp. Quality build. Simply the best Amp my Guitars have played. Jazzmaster , Kramer and Mike Rowan all sound amazing. Arrived quickly in sturdy and well packaged shipping cartons. Guitar World review was spot on. peace, MarnyeMARNYE

Very nice tones from this amp, clean or dirty! I have been using it mic’d with a 609 clone, haven’t had the chance to crank it yet. I use a roadhouse Strat and fine on the dirty channel with the gain at 5 I can get a great, clear cleanish tone, and then hit the Strats preamp and have some nice grit! Not fizzy fuzzy grit, but nice organic breakup that is very pleasing to the ear. I run a TC Plethora in the FX loop and get great results, no jump or drop in volume, just sounds natural. For some extra gain I use a Boss OD200 into the front of the amp, glorious!! Quite surprising that an amp of this build and sound quality is available at this price point but it is and I’m glad I pulled the trigger on it. Looks to be plywood for amp cab and speaker cab, nice touch. All this and a V30 speaker! I don’t know when or if the speaker will “break in” but I’ll be using the amp mic’d most of the time so it may take awhile, and honestly couldn’t imagine it sounding any better! Only had it a few days, and haven’t moved it since I set it up so I can’t speak for how long it will last in the long run, but fingers are crossed.Ronald

Just received my stack on 3/16/20. Packaged great!. Overall build quality is very very good no particle board here all real solid wood cabinet for the head , speaker with a nice ply baffle I think it's 3/4 ". Light weight. Asthetics ,cosmetics tolex and Grill cloth with piping perfect. Reverb is digital no tank or Springs here it is not tube driven. Bright switch works great pedal for Reverb and gain Channel works great extra-long cable to connect the head to the cabinet with power cord great. Clean tones on this amp whether a low or hi channel are amazing . kind of somewhere between vox/ marshall cleans. Definitely Fender sounding w bright switch. Gig Worthy!. Loud amp!. Digital Reverb is okay. You must turn it up to around 4 or 5 to hear it. It's clean channels are where this amp shines . On the gain channel, Ican get some good tones but not super high gain here more in the classic rock 1960- 1970's tone. Great but no super High gain. Kinda on the thinner side, Not very Fat. 3 chinese 12ax7, ( maybe a swap out in this area may give better tone), all 4 el84 Are Eurotube JJ'S!!!! So happy to see this. Celestion V30 spkr cab sounds great, full with depth. Classic rock tone!. Highly recommended..strange looking chinese power tnsfrmr, but Ot looks good. Voiced similiar to monoprice. 15 watt duel el84 model, but not as aggressive. Blows away the Bulgara V22.. Etc. Nice product monoprice!New User

I was excited to procure this battery/ac amp at a fair price, so I bought a used one listed as "great condition." These amps are hard to find on the used market and ZT told me in an email production has ceased for this model until Q2 2022. The amp was indeed in semi-great condition except for a small puncture in the foam of the 5" speaker which buzzed. Quality control was obviously lacking as it's noticeable while playing the bass strings on an electric guitar irrespective of where the ZT's tone control is set. Accessing the speaker simply requires removing the grill without tools and applying a bit of speaker glue to the damaged part of the cone. I did it myself instead of returning it to GC, which I would have pondered if ZT wasn't horrendously backlogged. These amps sound stellar for home, busking, or as a personal stage monitor. I have two of them for a stereo pedalboard and Rick-O-Matic guitar. I have a DI on my pedalboard. I wouldn't mic the ZT. Conversely, the active tone control has excessive bass for the small speaker to handle, and I suspect many amps result in ripped cones if played loudly with the tone control at less than 12:00.Ed

The sweet analog tone coming from this little guy really inspires me to play & practice. Great cleans but the real surprise is it has the best grind of any solid state amp I ever played when pushed. This amp reacts very much like a valve amp. I owned a 200w lunchbox and like the tone of the junior more.tony f

I was well aware of the dimensions of the thing before it arrived, but opening the box and actually holding it is still pretty shocking. I found it to be small on a scale that it left it hard to believe that it would be functional for more than a practice amp. I accepted that the small size could be handy but expectation of sound quality was suddenly diminished. I stand corrected. The sound is excellent. It is definitely more than a curiosity that is smaller than a breadbox. It will put out a substantial amount of volume with a substantial low end range that was a tremendously satisfying surprise. For my modest needs, it far exceeds my expectations. I would like to note, for jazz guitarists I think you'll find this to be a surprisingly versatile and capable tool, not just a toy.Bliss

I was skeptical of trying this 5 watt head out, but it really does perform. With the ISF and EQ, you can really dial in the sound you are looking for, it may take some time…but it is there. How loud is this thing? I'm running it through my Mesa 2×12 cab and I rarely put it past halfway on the volume. Perhaps the most shocking thing to me about this head is how well the low notes sound, especially when palm muting. The clean channel isn't to be overlooked, it sounds amazing, and the Reverb does as well. If you are into playing virtually any genre of Metal, I'd highly recommend this 5 watt amp. I'm actually thinking of selling my 50 watt EVH head because this thing surpassed my expectations.Craig

I am a gear hog and I love trying out amps and pedals. I am a big fan of Blackstar, especially my HT-50. I've been pondering getting the Metal head for some time, but the larger version was just too much for home studio use (my intended purpose) – when I saw the price on these, I went for it and I love it. The flexibility and range of the EQ is generous and lets you dial in precise tones. Working the gain and volume together offers such a spectrum of sounds and feels (crystal clean to super metal), and when you add in the OD select, you have a real powerhouse of options. My only concern was, how much could a 1 watt amp really push? Not to be worried! I played this through both a Marshall 1960A and a Blackstar HTV412 and it sounded great. You are not going to be able to rock an arena (maybe a 20 seat arena!) but for practice, home studio, or small gig purposes, it is plenty enough. Besides, it's metal, it's Blackstar and it's cute! Wait, can you say it's cute 'and' metal? If you are considering getting one, get it before they are gone, gone, gone.egwanaboy

Perfect for metal all any kind of music, Brutal,nice crispy tube sound on both channel( clean and overdrive). Five star product and excellent value and price.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.