Best Gigging Guitar Amp (2024 Update)

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

Overall: This amplifier absolutely rocks! With so many options you can dial in any sound that you want, from crystal clear clean to roaring rhythms and screaming leads. As everyone has already said, the reverb is almost nonexistent. However, the amp, tubes and build are rock solid. BUT… if you really want to blow your mind, swap out the speaker with one that fits your style. My style is classic hard rock so after much research I swapped out the 70 watt Celestion V-Type speaker that it comes with for a 150 watt Eminence Swamp Thang and I swear that it sounds as loud and ballsy as my full-on DSL100 full stack with 1960 cabs. The difference is mind boggling. No fizz, no speaker distortion at all. Just a loud, clear representation of my sound. Obviously the Swamp Thang might not be your speaker of choice but do your research and this will be the only amp you will ever need again!Scott

Sound: With good tubes properly biased, yes. Features: One feature that I absolutely detest is the effects loop button. When it is activated the front of the amp ceases to operate and when deactivated, the front works but the effects loop deactivated. There's no reason for this feature to exist. Substantially limits what the user is able to do. Bad decision in the design. Ease of Use: Just need to fix the owners manual to include specifically how to bias the tubes. Value: At the time I bought it, it was around $800. So at that time, yes. Overall: It took me a while for this amp to grow on me as it sounded like crap out of the box. I replaced the stock speaker with a Celestion V30 and replaced the stock tubes with Ruby EL34STR and a 5751 in the PI as is my typical configuration. Still couldn't get an acceptable tone was fuzzy and grindy. Years later, I learned that you can self bias the amp. After reading forums, there is little info on how to bias the amp and nothing in the manual. I discovered the bias was at 31mv so I turned both to 40mv and HOLY SMOKES this was the tone I've been seeking all these years. Eureka, I found it and it's incredible now. Completely unacceptable that Marshall included zero information in the manual regarding this, which is a pretty important feature. Moreover, it's important that I explain how to bias this. When you place the multimeter leads in the ground and point, one point will give a reading and the other red test point will read zero, always. YOU WILL NOT BE USING THIS TEST POUNT AT ALL. Go back to the one that gives the reading and keep it in that test point and adjust the pot to 40mv. Then, keeping the multimeter lead in the same pot, turn the other bias adjust til they both read 40mv. Next onto the effects loop, there is a button to turn the effects loop on and off as you can not use both simultaneously like in other amps. What good is this feature? Worthless and is an absolute thorn in my side as I would like to use the midi to switch between both which is why I bought it, but can't. Now, the amp does sound good now that it's properly biased as well as replacing the stock speaker, but I lost years of good tone due to the lack of instruction in the instruction manual.Jonathan

Overall: This thing is awesome if you like that Marshall tone this amp is for you, it's really a 4 channel amp if you get the six way Marshall foot switch, if I had to nit pick this amp would be the reverb, don't get me wrong it sounds great and is useable for 90% of what you would need it for, but if your wanting that Gilmour type reverb you'll need to add a reverb pedal in the chain. Where this amp really shines and I discovered this on accident I was messing around with the effects loops and added an EP booster which I would normally run on the front in, and just WOW…adding the EP booster to the loop really opened it up, tamed some of the compression and evened out the gain while improving the tone, sounds more like a JCM800 at this point, I'm super impressed with this little amp and I have some really nice amps in my collection. Let me say I would totally gig with this amp without question. This fact that Marshall made it easy to change and bias tubes is a huge thumbs up as well. Other manufactures please take noteRick

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've been playing guitar since a kid. My Dad used to own a guitar store where he was an amp technician. I'll always remember sneaking into his room when he wasn't home and playing his salmon pink Strat and Twin reverb amp. There was always a magic in them and they really inspired me. Fast forward 30 years and I've grown up just like him. Been playing professionally for a long time through some pretty nice gear but something in me always wanted to revisit that amp, it just had the perfect sounds I played lots of amps before choosing a Marshall 50w plexi as my amp of choice for gigging and it was good, no doubt a about that, played it for almost 15 years straight until one day buying that Twin I'd always so wished I also had. Found I played it far more than the plexi so actually ended up selling the Marshall and just sticking with the 65' reissue! It does everything the Marshall did and more I think. Playing them side by side before making the final decision to sell set my mind at ease because I couldnl get the same sounds from the Twin. Even did a little A/B recording with overdrive and no one could pick which one was which I play mainly classic rock and this amp is everything I'll ever need. Small wattage Amos always sound and feel small to me so was never interested in them, of it's too loud turn it down, the volume is far better than the plexi because that one sat on a hair trigger, really difficult to get a bedroom volume out of. The Twin is quote easy and pot smooth to use. Plexi goes from 0-almost full volume at half way to 1 on the dial. Love itJez

I received the amp yesterday and have only played it (both the vibrato and normal channel) for about half an hour in my living room, but I was so impressed that I wanted to go ahead and write a review, which I almost never do. I've been playing electric guitar almost 50 years and have owned many different amps, almost all Marshall or Fender, including a late 60s or early 70s 100 watt Marshall (no master volume), a mid 70s silver face Twin Reverb and Dual Showman, a 1987X 50 watt Marshall reissue, a '59 Bassman reissue (before the LTD version), a '65 Super Reverb reissue, a Twinolux, and a standard '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue. The only other amp I have currently is a wine red '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue (DRRI) with a P12Q Jensen speaker. The '65 DRRI has been one of my favorites. I like the 6V6 sound and I think it's hard to get a bad sound out of that amp. I really like the clarity of the 64 Custom Deluxe Reverb compared to my '65 DRRI. It is noticeably brighter than my '65 DRRI, but part of that may be because the '64 has a C12Q speaker while my current '65 DRRI has a P12Q speaker. Since reverb and vibrato work on both channels of this '64 Custom Deluxe Reverb, the vibrato channel is like having the bright switch on (it reminds me of the way my super reverb sounded with the bright switch on) and the normal channel is like having the bright switch off. I like the way both the reverb and vibrato work and sound on this '64 more than the '65 DRRI. The same guitar (a Strat with '69 custom shop pickups) has noticeably longer sustain when I play it through this '64 compared to my '65 DRRI. Some people have mentioned a possible problem with noise (hiss or hum) from this amp, due to the way the channels are connected together, but I hear virtually no noise at all from this amp, not when it is sitting still (with both normal and vibrato channels turned up to 3), and not when I turn any of the knobs. I wish I had bought this amp in the first place instead of the '65 DRRI.Kenneth

Went for this as my first valve amp for room playing. Definitely an upgrade on sound over my 20w fender solid state amp. Would be nice to have a dedicated gain knob for the clean channel and/or presence adjustment, though within its price range it has the best value for money as it has dual channel and an fx loop. Also it was delivered next day on a Monday, contacting customer service was really helpful.Joaquin S.

Clean sound was fantastic, the amp felt well built and looks the part. Included footswitch was metal and felt really good. Reverb was good, for a built-in effect. However, even at 0.5W I just couldn’t dial in a crunchy/blues tone I liked. At louder volumes I could get it to break up nicely. I returned the amp, as I’m a bedroom player and needed something I was happy with at lower volumes. If you can open it up a bit more, this amp was excellent.Joe A.

Extremely versatile amp. I play a lot of electric blues but I grew up on hard rock/metal. Today I also play a little bluegrass, country, classical, pop and whatever suits my mood at the time. But at the end of the day, I usually revert to a heavier sound. Now the Marshall has a nice clean sound, although not as clean as my old Fender Pro Reverb. You can't have everything. Where this amp really shines is in its ability to generate anything from mild overdrive to extreme high gain. With this amp I can get high gain harmonics that I could not get from other amps, even with heavy gain effects. The only negative really is that the amp is quite physically heavy.Fuzzy

Firstly, I am in a bar/party cover band of older (>30 years to nearly 60) musicians with day jobs. We are not all Recent Hits, but do mostly songs people have heard of in all years from mid 60s to this year. The flexibility of this head is its big feature for someone like me. This is not a prescriptive review — this is just how I use it. Some of the skeptics have wondered why you would need 4 channels with 3 tones each. They have a good point, but not one that applies to a cover band. If I had to have one amplifier, it would have to produce the tones that this amp can do on channel 2 (crunch) green and orange, and channel 3 (OD1) green and orange. Crunch orange and OD1 green are quite similar and are the tones of the classic plexis and old Marshalls. Crunch green is what you would want for "clean" tone with a Marshall level of compression and just a little breakup for an electric guitar. OD1 at orange is what you would do for distorted classic rock — adding an overdrive in front of a plexi or a very saturated pickup, for example. For every song I really like, and everything I would do if I wasn't doing covers, those two channels at those two colors would cover it. For gigs, I can set channel 1 (clean) and Channel 4 (OD2) to be more extreme. The clean channel is actually what i use to be my acoustic guitar and occasionally as my hollow body electric emulating an acoustic. It is not perfect, nor is as good as having a specialized acoustic amp or clean tone jazz amp. However, it is good enough, and it simplifies the signal path to not have separate amps, and there is enough separate EQ to make it work. Channel 4 can be used for dirtier, more distorted stuff, and the weird thing is that now I use it entirely for country. My band doesn't do any metal, and the heaviest guitar sounds we do are the likes of Carrie Underwood. Getting the hiss to go away is not that big of a deal — put an MXR Smart Gate or any other gate I've tried into the _serial_loop_ and twist the knobs — it will take care of the problem. The JS head might be better and I haven't tried it. I do appreciate that you can't use the OD channels on this without a noise gate, but it isn't a big dial to fix. The reverb is good but nothing special. Reading this review before submitting, I realize that the oddest thing is that I personally have no use for any of the red versions of the four channels. That is probably a classic rock attitude — this thing has a lot more metal tone than I will ever use, so you should use other reviews if you want that.Iceandsnow

This is just and amazing head… I can't complement it enough. I wanted so many of the iconic Marshall tones but couldn't afford to go out and buy a JCM 800, 900, Plexi…etc. This head truly does a great job of getting all the tones your looking for. It does take a little dialing in with all the different modes in each channel to find what they all do… but once you have it kind of figured out its a tone machine. the included foot switch is a pleasant surprise also. It's programmable and works like a charm with just a normal guitar cable. I have also used the midi switching capabilities and they are also wonderful, though not as easy to use as the foot switch. If you are a gigging musician or just want a lot of options…..get one of these!Tony

I have a Marshall 412 cabinet with a 100 watt Marshall head. I needed a smaller amp to practice at home and for small jam sessions. I picked the Marshall MG15FX because I know and like the Marshall sound and quality. The Effects features sound good too. I bought the footswitch for it too. This amp sounds good and powerful enough for any small jam or studio work. Marshall makes a MG30 if you need more power.Max

I really like this amp. I don't have to turn up the master volume very much for it to get loud enough. I plan to hook up a Line 6 Pocket Pod for heavier distortion and more effects options. I'm a big fan of delay and am happy with the delay that comes with this amp but I did get a Boss DD-8 digital delay pedal and it works well with this amp. I previously had a cheap 100 watt amp but it only sounded well at low volume. I feel this Marshall amp is better quality and I am glad I got this one.Ferdad

i use this fun little amp at home to practice and jam. sometimes with friends. i've have owned fender and peavy practice amps and this Marshall is just as good or better. i like the clean and various overdrives..the effects do a good enough job and really like the two different reverb effects. i like the headphone option for keeping the neighbors and girlfriend happy when playing late night. i play a Epiphone Les paul traditional pro iv and the combonation sounds super for hard rock and blues but i needed to get a heavy metal pedal for metallica songs. wish it had a longer plug in cable. but over all it sounds really good for what i payed.. ;owned it for two years and keeps on rocking.rob

Went for this as my first valve amp for room playing. Definitely an upgrade on sound over my 20w fender solid state amp. Would be nice to have a dedicated gain knob for the clean channel and/or presence adjustment, though within its price range it has the best value for money as it has dual channel and an fx loop. Also it was delivered next day on a Monday, contacting customer service was really helpful.Joaquin S.

Clean sound was fantastic, the amp felt well built and looks the part. Included footswitch was metal and felt really good. Reverb was good, for a built-in effect. However, even at 0.5W I just couldn’t dial in a crunchy/blues tone I liked. At louder volumes I could get it to break up nicely. I returned the amp, as I’m a bedroom player and needed something I was happy with at lower volumes. If you can open it up a bit more, this amp was excellent.Joe A.

Great wee amp for the money as advised by Kenny's Music. Packed with features/fx. Perfect for home practice and the odd jam session.Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

I use this in my basement studio for playing and recording. It has a wide range of very cool sounds and what seems like countless options to combine them (from wild reverb/delay effects to overdrive/fuzz). It's kind of daunting to get a setting you like and remember how to get it again, because of all the combinations of setting options. This would be a great value in a small amp except for two things: 1. Lots of extra noise and hiss (I checked and it wasn't the guitar or cables – I tried several) 2. The "on-off" button doesn't always work when trying to turn it off. I usually have to unplug the 9V adapter that comes with the amp in order to turn it off.Russell

Very cool amp and a bargain at twice the price! Amp models are all very good just as is, and the added surprise is that – other than the most high gain settings – you can roll back your guitar volume and the sound cleans up nicely. This is a keeper!Mike

You have fun finding all the different tones this little box puts out. And POWERFUL! For 20 watts through an 8 inch speaker and around 20 lbs. you couldn't get a better (small venu) bass amp for the price. It makes my 4 & 5 string bases speak with new voices!phei2735

I have searched for something like what this amp delivers for many years. I am not a bass player. I work on them but don't play them. I work with older players, I'm 73 , so heavy metal is not my thing. This amp delivers all that I need or want and it's effects are amazing. I've had many amps in the course of my 60 year musical journey but this is the one. Don't let the tag "bass amp" throw you. This is a very versatile guitar amp for those seeking clean powerful sound..Check it outfinleytron1

One of the best $400 I have ever spent This amp is fantastic for guitar as well as bass. The effects are fantastic. If you use the octave feature you can sound like Wes Montgomery without trying. It is so small.It has a big sound, and is my favorite amp. My Mesa Boogie Mk II b is brilliant but this is more of a dependable companion.Christopher S.

Fantastic little amp. This is the tone I’ve been looking for, at volume levels I can manage in my living room. I’ve got it running through a Marshall 1×12 cab and the sound is amazing, even on the 0.1 setting. Lovely cleans with a rich natural break up on channel one, and wonderful crunch through to screaming distortion on channel two. Pair this baby with a Les Paul and you’re in heaven. I can’t express how much I love this amp. I’m thinking of buying the combo for another room in the house.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Seriously an amp that can handle everything I throw at it…. Metal, Funk, Improvisational, Rock, Punk, Blues, Jazz…. this thing is a perfect tool for a studio stage bassist. I know a lot of people are gonna flame me for saying this, but this guitar amp replaces over five times the price of bass rack gear. Try it and you'll see…… This amplifier is amazing. I have seen the Line6 products around for awhile and finally heard one up close thru a guitarist I used to jam with and was really impressed. I checked out one of their bass rigs since I am a bassist and honestly, the thing was nice but when I decided on a whim to check out the Spider iv (mainly due to the multi effects) I was totally floored. This thing is incredibly versatile. I can adjust the eq to a perfect range for my 4 and 5 string to achieve an epic tone that I swear by. Mix that with the fact that it is loud as hell and can handle any venue that I have to play (and then some), portable, and has waaaaaay more features than I can use. Solid construction, it is my first run with an open back enclosure and it is a different tone BUT it still sounds awesome… This amp does more than my last rack set up and that thing set me back 3x as much.WC Salberg

I am an "old school" lover of classic tube amps. I play mostly acoustic shows now, but still like to jam and play electric from time to time. I was torn between getting a low-watt inexpensive tube amp or getting something a bit more powerful and versatile. I decided to purchase the Spider IV 120 stereo amp after experimenting extensively with a friend's similar amp on loan for over a month. In terms of sound, the amp has excellent warmth and touch sensitivity. The "break up" is smooth and authentic. In all, it convincingly captures the subtle nuances of classic tube sound, and I'm hard-pressed to tell the difference in some cases. Would I go so far to say that it's better than a good tube amp? Probably not, but there are many advantages. For one, the Spider IV amp is versatile and provides quite a sonic pallete for creative work. It also isn't as physically delicate and sensitive. Can't beat the price, either. I have a love-hate relationship with the myriads of presets. On one hand, one can find something useful to tweak every now and then. On the other hand, there's just too many presets to wade through. Simplicity is better. In the past, I've owned a pre-CBS Fender Bandmaster, Twin Reverb, Music Man HD130, Vox AC30 and, yes, a Marshall half stack. Over the years, amps have all come and gone. I'd love to have them all again, but can't. I've recently had stints with a Vox AC15VR and Vox Valvetronix. Liked them both. But, in the end, the fullness of sound (stereo) and surprising warmth of the Line 6 Spider IV 120 has captured my heart for the moment. Nothing like having the history of sound in rock and roll at your fingertips for a reasonable price. If you're a purist and have the money, go out and buy an expensive tube amp and claim superiority. Otherwise, leave me alone as I crawl reluctantly out of the past and try to stand on digital legs.Profdave

I've owned this amp for a few months now. It's a great versatile amp. But I've found that its definitely geared more towards players who want a high gain sound. The overdrive/ blues-y sounding channels are alright, but the high gain tones are actually not bad at all. RECOMMENDATION: If you're going to be using the high gain sounds, buy an overdrive pedal like a Maxon OD808, Ibanez Tubescreamer, Boss SD1, etc to boost the amp. The low end is a little flubby and using an overdrive pedal will help the amp out tremendously. It also doesn't sound half bad for some home recording. And you can definitely gig this. Its got plenty of volume.JTallica1995

Sorry, prior review title contained a date error. Original review written 11/7/11. I guess the 7 stuck in my head stronger than the 11 did, hence the title "Update to the July 2011 Review." I should practice what I preach and proof what I write. Sorry for any confusion. Still mean every word I say though. Would of written more, but it was very early in the morning when the notion to update the review hit me. Oh well. Still, though, would someone out there that makes these decisions, decide to give the guitar-playing market (that's quite a large market) a fractional-wattage amp head, or combo, with all the bells and whistles given to their top-of-the-line 100-wt. stadium-rocking machines. I sound like a broken record, but ANYONE giving us the dream rig we've been dying for, and can play at home, will draw an awful lot of attention to their whole line of products. I bet you would see an increase in sales across the board by showing that you understand, and care, what the guitar-playing population needs. After all, after the tour, doesn't everyone go home? Make a "home" amp that doesn't leave anyone wanting for anything, and the world will beat a path to your door. It's the age-old adage of, "build a better mousetrap…" So, give us a feature-laden, fractional-wattage amp, with power settings for each of at least three channels (0.1-wt. to 5-wts. would be about perfect, and doable,) with at least a 12" speaker of top quality, or preferably, a head so we can use whatever cabinet combination we want, and you will satisfy a very hungry crowd of guitar players dying for that sound only a fully overdriven preamp and power amp can lend to any quality guitar, and player, or up-and-coming determined player, and we will pay a fair market price for it, regardless of what that has to be to satisfy the needs of countless thousands of players out there, from home recorders to headliners. Can't you see the light, and find your way home to us, the consumers of the full-range of your products. As of now, no one cares enough to give us enough in a low-wattage amp. Seems that low-wattage means low everything across the board on the amp. Give us the Caddy Elvis, and we'll be playing Elvis amps regardless of what we need. We just need a manufacturer to care about the little needs of the little guys to the rock stars. We all live in houses and play in those houses. Don't we all deserve a flagship amp for where we lay our heads each night. Just try, more than half heartedly, and you'll realize a return of benefits equal to what you give. That's the way of the world. Just DO IT! Blackstar, you gave it a good shot, but fell just outside the infield. We need a grand slam homerun. You already do it, just tone it down to manageable volume levels, even for the same price, and I'll buy at least two right out of the gate. Then I'm going to take a good, long look at the rest of your lineup for my needs in other areas. Charity starts at home, right?aj0206

I just received this amp today and I've got to say I'm amazed. It's surprisingly loud for just 10 watts, but that's not why it got it. I wanted something to record with and wanted rich British tone and gain. It delivers that, but so much more. This amp is rich and full sounding at all levels! It gives warm cleans, crisp crunch, and the best sounds are with the gain about 1 o'clock and the Master maxed out…it's loud, but oh so good! Thick, rich tone. The real bonus is that it sounds so good with pedals, as well. You have to play with the relationship of the gain and the master if you turn down low and put an overdrive pedal to make it sound natural, but it's well worth the effort. I also put a delay in the loop to try that. I don't think I've ever been happier with an amp right out of the box. I've got some vintage and boutique amps (and I love them), but they are TOO loud to record with to crank to get saturated tube tone. THIS amp solves that problem. I may get the 6L6 version as well…these amps are that good!Lloyd W

Back again for a few more words on the Blackstar HT-1, 1-wt. amp head. Well, it's three years later, and I'm getting ready to turn 56 early next year. I don't know how much longer I'll be playing. I'm not having any problems other than a trigger-finger release procedure done on my fretting hand, middle finger, which has caused me to incorporate my pinky into playing more than I ever cared to in the past. Too bad really because some longer-reach pull offs sound cleaner, and the triplet timing, cleanness, and sound are better than I remember them being doing the three-finger, traditional, lazy, blues player's way we've all seen and done before–that includes all the rockers out there too. Still have the HT-1, and use it and its sister head quite a bit. I play every day, and use these a lot of the time. I enjoy the sound I get out of them using whatever I front them with, which is always something different or new. I NEVER just plug into these amps and find a sound I want to lay a track down to on just about anything except something really clean; and again, the main culprit stopping that is the weak reverb, which hasn't been changed or updated in three years that I can tell. Blackstar actually came out with a new 1-wt amp head for Metal players, and I've yet to get my hands on one of them. It just doesn't seem all that attractive to me feature wise. The reviews, as well, seem to not be the best. It basically seems to be the same head with a different voicing to coax more gain, hence noise, out of an already too-noisy preamp architecture. No one has really answered my call to action to provide a top-of-the-line fractional wattage amp, save a couple of exceptions, for the home-recording, buddy jamming, solo-screaming crowd out there that surely has more residents than just me. The "Appetite for Destruction" 100-wt. down to 0.1-wt. head with Slash's signature on it from across the pond seems to be the leading contender out there so far, and it's been discontinued for a few years. Right before or after this came out, if I remember correctly. The ne AFD amp is a combo from 5- or 1-wt. that is still weigh too light on features, but not pounds, as in weight or the currency of its maker's country. The demise of the original, full-sized head might of had something to do with its two grand entry fee. I don't mind the size really, but it just seems someone could put out an amp that doesn't have to be "lunchbox-sized," but could pack in all the features without the huge transformers and big power soaks to actually tame a monster down to a teacup. I've tried the Special Ultra 6 that seemed promising, but I've had problems and problems with them until I'm about to give up. Alone, they sound more like the amps I watched guys play through when I got all jazzed about playing while in the sixth grade. Still, if you can get a good clean sound out of an amp, you can doctor the front-end with whatever you want. This practice seems to be what we're stuck with to get nice "simulated" overdriven power sections. All the major brands still think a low-wattage amp is in the ballpark of 5-wts, to maybe 1-wt. Too loud most of the time! Ever read the specs on speaker efficiency ratings? The dB sensitivity rating is measured at 1-wt 1 meter away, and you get sound level ratings hovering around 100dB. Definitely not a neighbor-friendly, let alone apartment-friendly sound level. C'mon guys, SOMEONE out there has got to get it into their heads that there is a whole untapped market out there waiting for a masterpiece to be released that is rated from .01 to 1-wt., or even up to 5. Ten is fine, but give me the option of turning it down to a normal level to jam with your friends and still carry on a conversation without a noise hangover from screaming at each other, or stopping playing every time you want to make a point. Across the pond they have a revived 1-wt. mini head or combo, for nearly a grand, that has a low-power switch down to 0.1-wt.. It lacks all the features you want and need to do what you really want an amp to do, plus it's paired with an 8" speaker. I don't care if it is a Celestion, you have to have a 10- or 12-in. speaker to move the air you need to emulate the sounds you want to emulate at a lower volume. Why is it that low wattage means low features and the ashcan end of everything else? Why can't someone bring out a feature-rich amp at a fractional wattage rating that will make half the guitar-playing population grin from ear to ear. After all, how many of you can really say you need, or can commonly utilize, a 100- to 120-wt. stadium sized stack, or even combo. Even the rock stars are at home sometime, and I'd bet they'd love to have an amp capable of reproducing the sound, harmonics, and all else that comes from their stage setup at a reasonable volume at home. I don't drink, but I betaj0206

I really like this amp. I bought it used at a really good price, so I was very pleasantly surprised at how nice it sounds. It has loads of power and nice tone. I bought it as a practice amp, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it on stage in a small club.voltyr

THE 8 INCH SPEAKER IS ALITTLE WEAK SOUNDING ,CAB IS BUILT WELL, EFFECT ARE GOD THE ACTIVE EFFECT IS REALLY KOOL SOUNDING,WELL WORTH THE 100 DOLLARS I PAID JUST NEED TOO UPGRADE SPEAKER SIZE TO A 10 INCH!!PAUL

Fantastic amp for the price! The clean channel is great, and has time delay effects that is unexpected for an amp in this range. The overdrive is excellent too, and you can control different frequencies as well. It also has two inputs for guitars, and a microphone input! So you can jam with friends and sing along. At 40w output, it is pretty loud. If you are in the fence, get it! You won't regret it!integrationbyparths1

Took them a while, but Boss have blown the competition out of the water with an amp that sounds as great as it is versatile, and provides an amazing platform that’s as at home in the studio as it is in the rehearsal room.Zach G.

Not fully compatible with the JTV guitars even thought it has a DVI input. Has a tendency to suddenly drop out when changing patches which only corrects itself by rebooting the ACdietmd

I can play: electric, bass and acoustic guitar with this amp and it sounds great!! I am using the Line 6 helix pedal and it works really well with it. It has a really nice, clear sound and it can get really loud.chadswar

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

This has a nice look, but thats about it. There is a loud electric buzz regardless of settings, instruments, or cables that is hard to overlook. The controls have little variability. power cord is short. I\d say either buy a big real amp, or a different brand. I miss my behringer and my orange box ampsCujo_rock

I am not a performer or anything like that, but this is probably a great practice amp which is what I use it for. I personally like the sound, be it on the clean side or the overdrive. I have not mastered it yet but I can get the sound I want out of it. I use it in a smaller room, probably 15×15 and it's pretty loud. Is it a beast that'll blow your sox off??? probably not, but look at the spec's and decide for yourself. I wanted a practice amp that had some overdrive and a little power. I think this works greatxxIce Coldxx

I bought this for a child to use with a 3/4 size strat. It is the perfect size for that use. The amp functions just fine, nothing wrong with it. The sound is not impressive on the clean channel but it's useable, the OD channel is not bad. If he wanted to play mostly with distortion I would keep this amp, but he is going to be playing clean most of the time, so I'm returning this one in exchange for a Fender Frontman. If you want Marshall distortion in a small package this is not a bad buy, but If you plan to use the clean channel quite a bit, I would suggest something else. I also don't like the fact that this amp has no bass or treble controls, and you will miss them terribly on the clean channel because it needs them pretty bad. The OD is decent as-is, but the cleans need tweaking and you can't do it.Johnny