Best Budget Guitar Amps (2024 Update)

I'm a Fender fan to the core. I love their electric guitars and amps but their Amps aren't even affordable anymore. They've completely out priced themselves and either you are going to pay for a severely overpriced bare bones amp or a severely overpriced amp with far more electronics than a lot of us care to deal with. This is a great sized combo amp that's easy to use and has a great sound and plenty of power and all at a great price!!! There is no reason Fender couldn't do more of this…combo's that aren't easy to use with plenty of effects and a fair price for blue collar musicians. I used a Fender Princeton Chorus combo this same size mic'd through a sound system for over two decades and it started having issues. This was the closest amp I could get (and afford). The 100 has everything you need in a combo amp and at a fraction of the price of everything else Fender makes. Buy it! You won't be disappointed!Josh

I bought this amp because my gig amp died a cyber twin 2-12s 100 watts that was about 16 years old. I have had many Fender amps they were great. I do country and 50s and 60s rock and roll. I figured 100 watts would put it out there and it does. At performing volume, the distortion is a pure heavy metal on the clean channel. Mine is not much good for high volume for my type of music. I have an old champion 110 75 watt that I will be using It has worked for me when the others were down. Not sure what to do.stev_majo

Sound: With the second channel .First it had the twin reverb and super sonic voicing with a chain loop for pedals I was set on that alone. When it got to the house and realized I didn't need my pedal chain and it sounds amazing even though ill still use my pedals here and there. The bassman, tweeds , Princeton all clean or dirty are amazing to play . again to get those sounds with out the tubes and speakers is amazing.. You get volumes that punch against you that are clear without any nasty whitenoise or unwanted sounds. the dirty settings added with the compression build in make all that possible. Outta all my guitars I enjoy to plug into this amp .My 63 firebird , g400 s.g. and my jaguar Ease of Use: Its real easy for me to get the sounds I need .I'm well aware of all the amps they used for the voicing.For new players it might take a little to understand but with no time you'll understand how to dial it in and add the right effects to the amp models to get those amazing fender amps . Quality: Only had it for a week but as for holding it up and down 3 flights of stairs at the studio in Philadelphia id say the strap is well build . Speakers have not blown but I have not had to dial all the way up amps loud as it is half way . Value: yes it is im surprised its not another $100 more.Wish more companies would do this. Manufacturer Support: No problems yet . But in the past fender has always been amazing to me. Overall: (DON'T LET THE $399 TRICK YOU)When dialed up there are so many different fender amps you have here. First off the blackface style clean channel is just amazing. id say that its a twin or deluxe especially when you dial in the spring reverb only thing missing to call it that are the speakers/tubes but fender has made it very clear they can accumulate that sound with out the tubes . I know the tubes will make a difference but not much to this amp unless you have the trained ear for tubes you can't tell.The 2nd channel with all the voice modeling Id say every setting is 99.7 spot on with the models . I love this amp .After watching a few videos online of the 100 I decided to go with it .My friend has the champion 50 so I have already played through this style of amp. When I saw the 2×12 combo version with a double channel pedal it was set in stone . I love combos more than any kind of amp . I came on zZounds looking for an amp to hit the road to the higher states of the new England area of the states in November and December and a long ride from New Jersey to Chicago and Milwaukee in January . the amazing price for a well build and sounding amp there was no way i wasn't gonna leave the website with out another toy.So after adding to the card I headed over to guitars and ordered the squier 70s classic vibe jaguar .One of my favorite things about this amp is I don't have to change out the speakers to get that sound I want. its easy for me to use because I know how to dial in the right sounds to get the sound of the amps in amp unit.Mike

Unbelievable. This is NOT my Vox AC30, and nor is it my 100W Katana. However, for a package that is powered by batteries and can, quite literally, fit into the palm of your hand, the Katana Mini is simply fantastic. The amp models are brilliant and the delay (reverb) function is an excellent feature. On "clean" settings the volume of the amp is perfectly adequate and will fill a room with no issues, and on the "crunch" and "brown" settings, the amp was more than loud enough to fill a large room at 2/3 volume. Whilst I personally think that this is not quite enough for an advanced/intermediate players sole amplifier, I would completely agree that for a beginner, they would need no more than this. Having tried options from Yamaha and other brands, this is firmly my favourite battery powered micro amplifier for any level of guitarist and equipment, the tone is simply that good! The best way I can describe it is this – when I first plugged my PRS McCarty 594 into it, I was vaguely aware that I wasn't playing through my Vox. However, after five minutes or so, I had completely forgotten this wasn't a "real" amp, and had to keep looking down at the tiny box on the floor to believe it! Well done, Boss!Mr I. F.

I use it primarily as a practice amp at lower levels, but I'd feel confident doing coffee house gigs with it, and maybe smaller clubs too. It sounds warm and rich at low volumes, and the EQ is effective. All three voices are useful and I'm not left wanting. I have to make special mention of the delay. I adore reverb (including and especially spring reverb and gritty, trashy reverb of all kinds) but a simple delay circuit is way more useful in this amp. Doubling, slapback, echoes. The treble roll-off and fixed feedback are well-tuned. If you're using this for busking or other guerilla performance, you will suddenly realize that a single delay is worth more than a thousand reflections, because those reflections sound godawful* against naturally-occurring surfaces. *maybe awesome in a sound design way thoughChesterfleet

Based on a friend's recommendation, I purchased a new Boss Katana 100 MK 2 in June 2021. The first thing that impressed me was it's power…it seemed to be a real 100 watts in a portable and lightweight package. I was able to dial in some useful tube-like tones right from the start with the clean channel. The Katana warmed up quickly to single coil or hum bucking pickups. The tone "variations" are also very useful for dialing in the right sounds to your liking. The delay adds the right amount of sparkle to your overall sound…very cool! Unfortunately, I was not able to get much help from the Boss Tone Studio when I downloaded it to the amp. (The response was: "Amp not connected"). Another disappointment is no Boss Tone Studio for iOS users…really guys? The required Boss foot switch is another issue…look online to see pedal "hacks" that use standard one-button or two-button formats. (Save a few bucks with a regular pedal). All in all: I'm very pleased with the amp. The line-in is a great feature to use with backing tracks along with the headphone jack for late night practicing. The basic amp tones has a realistic tube texture that reminds me of Marshall, Fender or Vox models.Scotty, M.

I have had the 50 watt for several months which is a great amp, but decided I wanted more foot switching options provided by the GA-FC controller. I figured if I was to buy the 100 watt it might as well be a 2X12. The 100 2X12 sounds awesome. And it is really loud to play at home even on the .5 watt setting. I'm tired of messing with tube amps and effect pedals so the Boss Katana series is just what I need. I have not dived in to the software and deep settings on either amp yet. These are apparently had to get. SAM Ash had it on backorder from Boss. The web and phone support at SAM Ash is great. Chris from phone support helped me complete the order and was super knowledgeable and helpful throughout. He even called me back a couple of times to update status and follow up once it was delivered. Oh… And the 2X12 is way heavier and bigger than the 1X12.Pupster

Just picked one of these and it's been a joy to play. Pretty easy to use with quite a few options. Was able to dial in some tones that sound like my $800-1k tube amps. Honestly this amp is the best bang for your buck amp available imo. I really love the Waza Craft Greenback speaker. I love the .5, 50,100 watt options. Haven't even explored the software yet but I'm confident enough in this amp to give it a 5 star already. This of course is keeping in mind the fact it's essentially a budget amp price. You won't regret spending the money imo. Awesome job, Boss. 🤘 🎸Jason Faust

Sound: Right out of the box? I didn’t even adjust EQs. Set volume and gain, and started playing. Took 0 effort to get 98% of the way to my live tone that is an Orange Rockerverb 100W MK2 and Marshall 212 with V30s. Features: I love the Tone Studio. I did have to pull a star from Ease Of Use because it may be confusing if you’re not good with computers. Ease of Use: If you can’t get a good sound out of this amp, return it, sell your guitars, and find a new hobby. That’s how easy getting a good sound out of this is. Quality: Seems pretty decent. I wouldn’t call it robust, but it doesn’t FEEL as cheap as the price would suggest. Value: 100% worth the price. I’d have paid $100 more for it if I’d have known how good it would sound. Manufacturer Support: I’ve dealt with Roland/Boss in the past, and they’ve always been wonderful. The Wow Factor: Looks good, sounds good, price is good. A perfect practice amp, that could stand in for a small venue in a pinch. Naturally my live rig is a bit much for my apartment, but this is just what the doctor ordered. Overall: Solid state amps have come a long way. A REALLY long way. I’ll be honest, being a tube snob, I had very low expectations. I could have set the bar in the same area as I would a $2,000 and it still would have hopped it effortlessly.Kenny

The Ac-10not only looks the business but it has since real depth and warmth to its tone. Clean – it’s bright and has the chime you’d expect. Turn up the gain and your tone breaks up but still retains clarity. Having the gain wide open and master volume down means you can still have the saturated crunch but not disturb others . Perfect for home use but would not be out of place in a small pub gig. Takes pedals will and with a multi-fix like a GT 100, if you disable the amp sim and use like a conventional pedal board, you don’t lose any quality of the AC10’s natural tone. A masterful amp and it even smells nice with those tubes cooking.Mark R.

Ive been playing 35 years and this is probably the best all around practice amp ive ever heard. Pros- looks great, sounds very good, cleans thump and chime, distortion can wail. Its loud for its size. Seems built well. Have had no bad issues. Cons- clean isnt near as loud as w the gain cranked up. No reverb. In short if this amp was 50-100W and had reverb and an external speaker jack id never play another amp. Good job VOX.jjsrvfan

The Ac-10not only looks the business but it has since real depth and warmth to its tone. Clean – it’s bright and has the chime you’d expect. Turn up the gain and your tone breaks up but still retains clarity. Having the gain wide open and master volume down means you can still have the saturated crunch but not disturb others . Perfect for home use but would not be out of place in a small pub gig. Takes pedals will and with a multi-fix like a GT 100, if you disable the amp sim and use like a conventional pedal board, you don’t lose any quality of the AC10’s natural tone. A masterful amp and it even smells nice with those tubes cooking.Mark R.

Ive been playing 35 years and this is probably the best all around practice amp ive ever heard. Pros- looks great, sounds very good, cleans thump and chime, distortion can wail. Its loud for its size. Seems built well. Have had no bad issues. Cons- clean isnt near as loud as w the gain cranked up. No reverb. In short if this amp was 50-100W and had reverb and an external speaker jack id never play another amp. Good job VOX.jjsrvfan

This is a great little amp. The sound is clear, and it fits in my son's backpack for when he needs to take it to school.ktw1050

It arrived earlier than expected. Just what we needed to have our son practice His Bass playing for school . At home . Thanksjistilwel-5

Every guitar player on God's green earth should have one. The different tones offered with the app inspire you to play differently. It allows you to play along with the songs you love, and download the tone. It also tells you the chord progression to the song. It's an amazing Amp, and if nothing else the GREATEST speaker in the world. I could absolutely ruin my neighborhoods night with the most absurdly clear version of my favorite songs. But I could Also practice at midnight with out waking up my roommates using my headphones.
Amazing tones made by professionals. If you care about being a musician… you need this Amp. This Amp was recommended to me by John Moyer… of disturbed.Teryn Surratt

As a practice amp, you will soon lose interest if the tone is thin, boxy and generally sounds like crap. The Spark is none of this. An incredibly wide range of tones are available via the app with sounds that you just don't expect to come from such a small package. The sound is loud, rich without the boxiness that you seem to get with amps loaded with small speakers. If you've used PG's Bias software, you'll be in very familiar territory – great emulations that have a depth that rivals some of the serious modelers available now. The effects, while not giving you a massive selection, supplies pretty well every type of effect you would ever need. The reverbs and delays are particularly good and while more than good enough for noodling at home, are more than up to the task of recording. The unit is quite sturdy with a timber cabinet and looks great – very traditional with an "English" type of styling. Using the Spark as a Bluetooth player for music is more than up to the task – good bass, clean mids and treble and loads of volume. The app overall is very good with some truly inspiring practice opportunities, though the function where the app analyses your playing and constructs a suitable backing track is hit and miss and is probably the weakest part of the app. Bluetooth connection for both control functions and audio playback is stable and very quick to pair with your device. Overall, I don't think you will find and amp sounding this good with the flexibility and functions available, from anywhere else and that is before taking into consideration, the extra functions the app gives you.Mick G.

I bought this amp on the back of all the rave reviews on YouTube etc. For me, it's just not a finished product yet. It feels very "beta". The hardware seems robust and of good quality. The modelled sounds are very good, albeit very bass heavy. But most of that can be EQ'd out. There are several problems I couldn't live with, and had to sell it on. The hum problem which is due to the supplied, un-earthed PSU was very apparent in my example. I contacted Positive Grid support about the issue in December 20, and as of selling the amp at the start of March 21, I had not yet received the replacement PSU. There are temporary workarounds, but I wanted the problem sorted permanently. As said above, the sound is very bass heavy. The amp models' EQ can be used to deal with the guitar tone, but music playback through the unit via Bluetooth has no EQ control, so the sound quality is very poor. In addition to this, the playback level is far too high. When using as a Bluetooth speaker it is very difficult to get the volume low enough using the tiny trim pot volume control for comfortable listening when sat in close proximity to the unit. The Auto Chords feature is a gimmick and needs serious work. It only works for E standard guitar tuning. For example, when listening to a song in dropped standard tuning such as "Yesterday" (guitar tuned down one whole step) Auto Chords will show fingerings for F, Em, A7 etc instead of the G,. F#m, B7 shapes that are required. At the very least, a "transpose" button is required to allow for dropped standard tunings that are very common. When using the tuner, you have to look at the lights on top of the amp. The app should have a screen that displays the tuner on your connected device when in use. The app metronome tempo can only be set by tap. It should have the ability for the user to enter the exact required BPM by inputting the figure required, or selecting the tempo with up and down or + and – controls. All of these niggles were too much for me to live with. Hopefully Positive Grid implement the changes in future releases, but I won't be buying Spark again until they do.Paul

I bought this amp to have a small, cheap portable amp to play harmonica through. For that, it is decent enough. I use a Shure bullet mic and the amp produces good enough tone and is plenty loud for practice or small gigs. When I plug my tele into it the clean channel is decent and clear, but the overdrive channel is junk and hurts my ears. I would rather run the clean channel and use a fuzz or distortion pedal. So that being said it is decent enough to practice licks on and it is tiny so it tucks away easy. If you look around you can find a bigger amp with more features used for the same price but if you want a new amp, this one is probably worth what they charge for it. I would only buy it if you have a specific purpose for it though.Roy

It's small, and pretty portable. However, the sound quality is trash, given the speaker is tiny, but the overdrive is just horrible. If you buy this, try returning it. If you can't return it, just get a fuzz pedal and leave it on clean. Imo, just buy the mustang lt25-50Hotdog Games

I have the cousin of this amp the sp10 with only volume, bass and treble controls and overdrive button. The reason I'm making this review is because this amp might get overlooked and I believe it's a very decent practice amp. When I was learning to play guitar I only used the clean channel because the overdrive channel sounded horrible ie. fizzy. Couple years later, after getting better at playing guitar and developing proper touch, I realized that you have to use your guitar volume to add the amount of overdrive, distortion and fuzz. Basically, turn the volume on the amp to the desired volume level and then use your guitar volume knob to add in amount of distortion you want. You also have to mute strings otherwise you'll get mush. These amps are really musical if you know how to play guitar. The best feature is its portability and plug and play. It's loud enough for home use playing by yourself to backing tracks. For learning guitar you really don't need anything more than this amp, imo.Jerry

Got this amp for playing in the bedroom. I'm playing an Epiphone Les Paul Vintage Edition guitar via a VOX StompLab SL1G. I've been able to get good sound through the amp with some nice warm tones. Beefed things up a bit with some grunge and it handled it very well. At higher volumes the speaker remains clear and free of cracking as I have had in other smaller amps. It's a steal for the price and does what it was intended to do.ShaunH

I'm working out of the country and have a small apartment so a big amp is out of the question. This this sounds great at all volume levels and fits in my big suitcase. It's light so it doesn't even make my bag too heavy for air travel.Big T 13

I think they're amazing little practice amps if you can pick one up for under 50 bucks you won't be disappointed I highly recommend themwinvillanth

I bought a Fender Champion XL 50 for a small light weight amp to bring to local jam sessions. I have to say I am not disappointed. I know there's no comparing solid state to tubesl when it comes to filling up a room with sound but this little amp cranks. It's closest competition is the Boss Katana and those are really nice. I like the ones I've played, but I'm really into that clean Fender sound and this amp has it in spades. You get the full range of cleans, from black or silver faces to tweeds. There's overdrive and high gain models in there too but as I said it's the cleans that sold me. It is a two channel amp, but I'm not sure why anyone would use the first channel as tall the digital goodies are on the second. That being said, the digital reverb in this amp has a bit of a whistle I don't like. Instead I used the chorus on the amp and a Boss Fender Reverb pedal. If your playing on a stage lugging around a forty pound tube amp may be the thing to do, but for sitting around a garage with friends this amp will save your back and please your ears.ADarkBard

I usually don't leave comments, but feel I must let the frustrated AMP user know, yes Jessica there IS a Santa Claus! Was looking for an AMP that was "SIMPLE" – On channel 1 ONLY the volume is usable, I didn't check but probably the Bass & treble too! On Channel 1 the gain control is set and turning the knob does nothing, and none of the FX are accessible! I was so busy checking out Channel 2 that I didn't check to see if Treble & Bass could be adjusted. You have 12 "Voice Settings" and 13 FX Selections. So I checked out all 12 Voice Settings combined with all 13FX settings – add this to checking these out with a single coil Strat and a Jazz/Full Shred Charvel DK24. I feel this is one of the BEST choices I have made in electric guitar choices! The AMP sound CLEAN!!!! I Imagine Channel 1 would be great with an Accoustic as well! Don't have one though! Channel 2 is GREAT and I don't need any more than it has to offer. It is so uncomplicated & stress free! If you are an expert guitar player and can concentrate more on AMP settings, rather than playing, then go for the Katana 50 MKII, or the VOX Cambridge. I was thinking hard on all three. When I got to GC I had pretty much decided on the Fender Champion 50XL. The VOX Cambridge is $150 to $160 more, with only $10 between the Fender & Katana. Since what is on the AMP is all my mind can handle, I decided to go with the Fender 50XL. It has to be on of the simplest AMPS to operate. I do have an Ibanez Tube Screamer, and if I have a need I can look at other pedals down the road. I do plan on getting a Cry Baby! Latter down the road I might get more pedals, but for right now this AMP has all I need. The Celestion Speaker sound GREAT! I couldn't be happier – it is as loud as I need – It's EASY to learn – NONE of the settings sounded muddy, muffled, or shrill. If I was going to get an AMP that needs a lot of downloading, I would have gone with the VOX Cambride. Glad I traded in my old AMP!Karl, M

Great overall amp. The obvious comparison is the Boss Katana 50. I tried both and I found I could dial in a sound I like from the Champion easier than the Katana. The Katana has way more features and the connect-ability. I prefer just plug in and playing which was far easier with the Champion. One of the largest selling points for me was the headphone jack feature for silent playing. The Champion has it right in front of the control panel and it's a 3.5mm jack. The Katana has one but its on the back and it's a 1/4inch jack which would require an adapter to 3.5mm. The location and the fact that it's 1/4in jack gave the Champion the edge. I also preferred that taller design of the Champion. It made it more comfortable to reach and adjust. Some of the cons are the knobs. especially for the "voice" and the "fx-select". A rotary knob would make it far easier to select the presets. Fender does provide a 3 color LED light that changes when you reach the next model or effect. However, a rotary knob that stops at the preset would be a better. Another con is that the reverb effect is combined with chorus and delay. I would much prefer it to be on it's own rather than combined. This is something that the Katana has. Overall the Champion is great for home use and I would recommend it to someone that wants a good amp that is easy to just plug and play. If you want more effects and enjoy experimenting then the Boss Katana would be a better choice.E. Bran

If you're expecting an amazing Marshall sound, you might want to invest in some of the bigger amps Marshall has to offer. If you think you can get a concert level sound out of this little guy, you will not be the happiest person. However, that level of "high" expectation would not be very reasonable or even realistic for such a little amp. This is a very cute, small amp that will help you plug your guitar so you can practice quietly in any room in your house without annoying your wife. It will distort if you crank the volume all the way out, and if you're used to the full sound of a bigger Marshall (like I do) it might make you feel like you're hearing your guitar over an old telephone (just my opinion). However, if you calibrate your instrument volume & tone you can find a happy medium. With that said, for the price it is a very nice solution to practice and if the sound seems too weak for you, you have the choice of putting headphones. I personally use it just for practice on the fly, it serves it purpose, but then again I was not expecting the best sound output. So I am happy with the purchase.BeeZee

It's basically a toy amp. I can see it being used as a portable amp for non-serious performance. Personally, I like it for a quick jam and for (relatively) quiet practice in my apartment setting. Won't disturb my neighbors but it does get noticeable at the highest volume. That and the overdrive knob are the two main controls. By default it just does a clean sound but overdrive lets you toggle in some gain for that distortion. It has a good look that definitely models after its bigger brothers.Rick

I don't know what some of you guys expect from this thing, but be realistic: it's an inexpensive 5 inch tall, 1 watt amp. It's not designed for anything but sitting in a chair and entertaining yourself or a couple of people. Within that context, I enjoy this thing and sometimes get it off the shelf and play around with it for awhile. Also, when I owed somebody a 1 minute long riff for his podcast and my main amp was getting some regular tech service, I plugged my American Standard Strat into this thing, mic'd the amp, used the OD channel with the volume and tone both on 10, played the part, then added tons of bass, reverb, and chorus to it in post, and it sounded great and nobody ever knew that I recorded the part using a 5 inch tall amp. It is what it is as long as you don't expect the world.Steve

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

I've been playing night clubs, Casinos, Hot Rod Runs, Bike Runs, weddings, parties, and everything since 1979. I used to use 2 Fender Twin Reverbs with Celestian G-12-65's and a rack of effects processors (to run STEREO), with a octopus of wiring to set up at every gig, plus an octopus of switches and stomp boxes and wall warts on power sttrips on the floor. Set up time and tear down time took hours. Sometimes all that wiring maze would pick up the 60 cycle hum, and what a mess locating the buzz! After a gig I had to set all that stuff up again at my home studio to practice. Sometimes there was no time… In 1996 I bought a Line 6 Flextone 2-12 (stereo) and that changed everything. It ended all the major problems and electrical buzzes. I programmed the Flextone right next to my Fender Twins and matched the tones exactly on the Flextone. WOW! No more Octopus Monster and Heavy Gear! I have since had a Spider III HD 120 with 412 bottom, 2 Spider III 210 combo's a Spider Valve 100 head, and recently a Spider IV 120 210. I Use the Spider iii 120 210 and Spider IV 120 210 amps on stage exclusively, with an FBV floorboard. Very Simple for stage and Awesome Sound everywhere I play! But again, many times my gear is loaded in a trailer, or at the venue and I need something that sounds like my Spider IV,,, so I got a Spider IV 15 watt. I quickly dialed in my 6o's Fender Reverb Tone for Country and Surf Tone on Ch 1, my StevieRay Vaughan "Little Wing" tone on Ch 2, The Stevie Ray Vaughan Roto-Vibe Tone on Ch 3, and a Van Halen tone on the Insane CH 4. I'm good to go! The only thing missing, is that the larger Spider Amps have a separate Reverb knob and the Spider 15 shares either the Echo Delay or reverb on the same knob, so you can't have both to smooth out the delay. It's one or the other on the Delay or the Reverb, but that's not a big deal on a great practice amp, that i could use onstage if I had a mishap with my other amps. Sounds best when you aren't pushing the master all the way to the max. Crank it up, dial in your tones, then back it off about 7 on the Channel Volumes, match them, and run the master at about 6 or 7. I can switch the channels with my FBV Floorboard and use it for practicing in real small rooms with a band. If it's not loud enough…Mic it! The tones I use are there and I can pack this amp in 2 minutes and walk out with my guitar without breaking my back with the heavier stuff. Fits right on my front seat. Done Deal! If it's your first amp, it's probably the best starter amp for the money, and for me, I have my tones dialed in for practice anywhere with no hassles.Kenny

Ups dropped it off yesterday, and it is everything I hoped, but better. The metal and insane channels are perfect. The clean is gorgeous, for a sort of metal clean tone. If you want to play a lot of Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, you might be better off with a Vypyr. but if you want Mettallica and Crue, to A7X, back to AC/DC and Aerosmith, youll love it. The metal channel is heavy as hell, and can still get up and throw piercing highs and mids. Everything is tight and punchy as hell. The biggest thing that shocked me was the clarity at seemingly stupid volumes for such a small amp. MF was out of stock when I ordered it, and I still had it in 7 days with free shipping. I highly recommend this amp to all metalheads. Thanks Musicians Friend and Line 6. RNFRJag

Very satisfied with this guitar amp. It has a lot of great effects, like flanger, reverb, tremolo, and tape echoes (to name a few). It's very fun to mess around with settings to create great spacey sounds and heavy, sludgy tones. It's also very easy to use. The amplifier also has very useful features, like a built-in tuner and a "save" feature, where the amp can save and remember four different settings at the push (and hold) of a button. It has great tone, volume, and variety, and it picks up things like pinch harmonics extremely well on the Metal and Insane tones. It's also pretty light to carry. I'd definitely recommend this amp for someone just starting out and for someone who's rather experienced with guitar playing. Great price for an amazing amplifier.Katastrophecy

Hi just a few lines about anyone considering one of these wee beasts, best practice amp I have ever had (over 40 years of playing) No hisses or buzzes, idiot proof to use, you can create & save 5 settings – as easy as pressing 1 button. Its got a tap button for the delay which takes few goes to get right if you're not used to one, you can get a really good Queen, Dokken, AC DC etc sounds out of it, the clean channel also vgd its surprisingly loud and stunning sound quality for its weight & size. – Its a shame they don't do a full size head (amp) of it, I had a THR 100 head and the distortions where pants, nothing like this,this is a different league. Totally recommend one of these wee monsters.allannightstar64

Fantastic product. I use it as a bass practice amp, guitar practice amp, tuner, laptop speakers, audio interface to record. I only play at bedroom volume so it’s replaced my old guitar amp, bass amp, audio interface, speakers/monitors, pedals… all in 1 small package with 1 power and 1 USB lead. The Guitar practice amp gets plenty loud & I love the built in models. I aim for a “low gain valve breakup” & the models deliver – the “5W” amp for compressed lead stuff, the DC30 for everything else. Deluxe is fun too. Marshall is pretty harsh to my ears, but plenty tweakable & each to their own. Really happy with the 10C over the 10 or 10X, it suits me perfectly. Bass practice is just that – it doesn’t get awfully loud before distorting, but the tone and depth is far superior to most practice amps. The 6 Presets are a great convenient feature, so simple to use. Independent “amp” and “laptop” volume knobs is such a simple but effective feature, far more convenient than mouse clicks or fiddly dials. As stereo speakers for a laptop they’re not amazing, but with some iTunes style EQ it can sound good. I had to get the steinberg driver for Mac OSX direct from them, the Yamaha site didn’t seem to help, but dead easy. Some small compromises as expected, one bigger thing is the reverbs are not subtle enough for my liking – I’m sure it’s tweakable through the edit software, I haven’t tried yet. The soft carry case (sold separately) is pretty beefy too – great quality. I cannot recommend the 10C enough, it delivers to an excellent standard on so many levels, some minor compromises, well worth every penny.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I use this amp on small gigs, in a semi-acoustic duo, where I play electric guitar and my partner plays acoustic guitar and sings. This amp is just loud enough to compete with her as amplified by our Yahaha Stagepass 400 PA. The tone is fantastic, and the amp holds the bottom end of my Strat, where my Roland Minicube would not. The amp models are useful, and the effects are nice sounding. The biggest drawback is one that was completely avoidable: printing the labels for the controls gold on black makes them hard to read in dark rooms and on stage. They should have been printed in white, for maximum contrast. A line out would be a great feature in order to go direct to the PA. Last but not least, the on off switch on top can easily be flipped on when in the gear bag, and it is prominent enough, and flimsy enough that I could imagine it getting broken off. So it's perhaps not the most road worthy piece of gear I've ever seen.BruceKap

I dont normally write reviews but…. This amp is amazing! After my son played it for a few minutes his first comment was what I thought about him selling his tube combo. To me that spoke volumes. I bought the foot switch , a must have because it opened up the versatility of the amp, and now plan on purchasing an FV500L volume pedal to complete the package. We cant wait to get this amp connected to the Boss website to see what the capabilities are. It definitely packs a punch and the sound is so clear at any volume.rx7357

Affordable / flexible / portable / (hopefully) reliable – no need to lug a pedal board around, just a tuner – less stress about whether modern flaky valves are going to pack up mid gig (several outdoor gigs with generators have turned me against using my valve amps for those). I have previously borrowed and gigged a friend's Katana 100 head and GA/FC, so knew what to expect. Really needs an external 8 / 16 Ohm speaker jack socket (c.f. Artist model) to be even more flexible for those of us with external cabs. Will be using this one live this afternoon – fingers crossed!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I just played a club that holds about 300 using this amp and was very satisfied. After putting it through the paces in a live situation I would easily recommend this for the gigging guitarist. I ran the 100 watt full volume mode and kept it around 3 with the master volume up full in the clean mode. As I was using pedals, (The usual selection of overdrives and delays) I kept it in the default clean setting that comes right out of the box. The amp was mic'd with an sm57 and the speaker sounded great. Upon further inspection the variable output and full array of effects makes this a good choice for the home studio. Lightweight, loud and pretty inexpensive, I give it 5 stars.DrJ

I've owned this amp for a few years. With the clean channel engaged, it sounds great with pedals (mxr super comp into boss od) and gets surprisingly loud for a small apartment. I dont think it would be loud enough for most band practice settings as far as volume. The biggest gripe I have with it is that it defaults to the distortion channel, which is useless for any application. Muddy, buzzy, no low end, no smoothness… just rigid cold distortion that muddied your notes even with the gain at the lowest settings. It's in fact the worst distortion I've ever used. Whenever I turn it on, I immediately switch the channel to clean.Alan

Bought this for practice when lower volume is required. Looks great, Sounds great. From the research that i've done, this is the best sounding solid state amp of is size and class and i feel like the research really holds up!Tony

This amp is perfect for the practice I have. The clean has amazing clarity and the overdrive has enough grit to fool around. I can experiment with any pedal as well. Sounds great. Great purchase.EDGAR

This amp is versatile and easy to use stand-alone. It has a great selection of amp models built-in, along with enough effect and delays so that you can find something that you like fairly quickly. I like the clean and boutique models with some reverb. Then I played around with the other models, adjusting settings and effects. You can adjust everything on the amp, not necessary to connect a computer. I did find it confusing initially due to all the different methods required, i.e. "press a button", "press and hold", "press for 2 seconds", etc. That's why I read the manual a few times! Line6 puts a nice 2-sided "cheat sheet" on top of the amp around the carrying handle which is a lot easier than flipping through small pieces of paper staring at small font printing. So don't remove the amp-topper sheet and toss it in the box with the rest of the packing material :-). The best feature of the Catalyst amp is the manual channel. This is WYSIWYG. Adjust the knobs and controls just like a "regular"amp. You can then save the settings once you get something you like. In the future I will connect the amp to the computer and see what else you can do. Right now I am quite happy with the Catalyst amp and I highly recommend it. Go get one!Gene

After suffering a disabling back injury I needed an amp that was easier and lighter to move and set up than the tube amp combos I was used to playing through. I never cared much for the solid state amps as they could never duplicate the warmth a tube amp provided and was considering retiring from live performance altogether. Then I heard about the Catalyst series of amps and decided to try them out and was amazed! My bandmates were as well, telling me how much more clean and clear my sound was. Programming channels was a snap ( just follow the "cheat sheet on top of the amp and read the manual) and the manual button provides the familiarity of a regular amp, and at a third of the weight of my Blackstar 40 watt tube combo I can continue to perform without dealing with debilitating back pain from moving a 70 pound amp. I was so impressed I went back to GC and got the 60 watt Catalyst as well for home and playing at open mic and jams. I couldn't be happier with these amps and am grateful for the help and guidance the folks at Guitar Center in Concord Ca. always provide.Stephen

I have a few amps that I'm selling and a couple that need work – I picked up this Catalyst 60 on a whim so I'd have something reliable and portable while I'm moving amps around my local used market – but I'm super impressed with this amp and am probably going to upgrade to the 100w model! (In fact, I'll get two because I play in stereo!) I found it impossible to get a bad sound out of this, I plugged in direct with my Vox Virage DC and tried all the possible pickup combinations and did not want to stop playing. Great cleans, great crunch. The higher gain amp settings had me revisiting the metal riffs of my youth, haha. I haven't dived into the software editor because: I haven't needed to. This thing sounds great out of the box.FitzG

I bought this amp after not playing for a couple years, been playing around with it for about 4 months before writing this review and I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with it. At first I loved it because of the on board delay effect and I still find it to be a fun addition to this amp. Onto the bad, the eq knob doesn't adjust the tone as much as I had hoped and the overdrive isn't adjustable. If you're gonna play clean this is a great practice amp but if you're looking for a cheap amp that does a lot of things this ain't it palBrandon I

Super clean tones and the built in delay is hella cool! Always love purchasing from AMS, the payment plans are the only way I can buy the gear I want/need!very fast shipping and customer service is always superior. Would recommend this amp for anyone practicing in an apartment like myself. I’m was surprised at how powerful the 10 watts sounds when I have it cranked.Evan

It's not a bad little practice amp. There's not a lot lot of range on it, but it doesn't boast to be. It has a fairly nice clean channel. The overdrive is a bit lackluster, but it offers a decent little punch. Speakers sound good. They have a good sound just using this as a speaker for an MP3 player through the AUX in. If you're looking for nice cleans and a decent little rock sound in a small form this will do the trick. The AUX and headphone jacks are a nice touch, and do their job. If you're looking for a more heavier sound I would suggest the 15e for a couple of dollars more. Definitely not disappointed.Charlie

Was looking for a small light weight amp whilst away from home, not wanting to lug around my heavy tube amp, cab and good sized pedal board. This amp fit's the bill perfectly. This amp sounds great, the onboard effects sound good to my ear. And I also like the controls on this amp. Simple layout that makes it easy and fast to dial in a decent sound. If you need more flexibility the architect software, which is a free download from Blackstar, is straight forward to use giving you even more flexibility. Another thing I like about this amp is as I'm away I often need to us headphones, no to disturb the neighbours, through the architect software, you can change the cab simulation from 112, 212, 412, even choose what mic simulation is used, which I think it's an excellent addition to this already impressive small amp. This amp also sounds great through its built-in speakers, giving it a great stereo sound. For this price I honestly cannot fault it, I did look at other amps but settled for this. And I'm so glad I did. This amp is a bargain!!Lesley C.

I hate amp hunting. I wanted something small and specific for a home studio. Shiny cleans with some grit too? Quality build? Under $600? I searched the used listings for weeks trying to find a deal. Nothing really GETS me. Finally, utterly sick of shopping, I walked into Sam Ash, saw this thing on the shelf and just bought it. Didnt try it. Just read the specs online, read a few reviews and snagged it. I figure, worst case scenario I'll return it tomorrow. Let me say, the sound from this amp is just so incredibly nice. Even without pedals, the built in reverb sounds very good. Not splashy, more like a plate reverb. Adding a transparent overdrive makes my G&L ASAT sound like a tone monster. I have no specific affinity for Blackstar. Never owned a single one of their products and I am totally blown away by this thing. I don't know a thing about the tonal waveforms and harmonic frequencies of the most expensive boutique amps but, on a stage or studio I'd put this amp up to pretty much anything. It FEELS good. It sounds good. Between my guitar and an overdrive pedal and the tone knob on the amp itself, I'm able to pull at least 6 very distinct tones before I even engage the dirty channel. It's even got an effects loop. Get one! You'll like it!DANIEL

I bought this amp a few months ago after LOTS of research, having finally decided to replace my previous amp of about 20 years! (A Marshall AVT half stack) Firstly, it looks amazing IMO and build quality looks and feels great too. I play in two bands, one playing southern rock, the other heavy rock/classic metal so needed something that was going to cover a pretty wide range of sounds. The Blackstar handles it amazingly! Wonderful warm crunches all the way to chugalicious highly saturated metal gains. The high gains are so smooth and creamy too and not 'scratchy'. (Something I always struggled with with the AVT) The clarity is also pretty amazing at high gain too. Individual notes can be picked out clearly and not just lost in a fuzzy mush. The 2 OD channels work perfectly for the two separate sounds I'm looking for to suit each band, with Voicing on each channel giving even more versatility. This amp produces beautiful cleans too, which can also break up nicely if you push the clean channel volume up. I'd also really recommend the optional 5-way footswitch, shame this doesn't come as standard, but hey..! All in all, I'm absolutely over the moon with this amp. It can do everything from sparkling cleans to tasty crunch and up to all the gain you could wish for. I've even been able to get THAT Stevie Ray Vaughan tone! 😍 But not only that, it's not some 'Jack of all trades, master of none'…it absolutley nails all of these brilliantly! This amp delivers the sound I've been looking for elusively for years now, funny that Blackstar's slogan is "The Sound In Your Head"… Big thanks to the team at PMT Newcastle when testing the 40 Watt version, and the distribution team for the speedy next day delivery!Davey S.