Best Guitar Combo Amps (2024 Update)

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

Loved jamming the blues on this amp. It's really pleasing to the eye. The amp was pretty loud for a 35 watter. Didn't really have a colored sound to it. I was pleasantly surprised as to the evenness of its tone. Couldn't stop jamming to it. A really good buy. This is a real hands on product review from Rimsky @ Sam Ash Miami Lakes.Gearhead

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

A ZT LBR1 showed up yesterday nicely double boxed from Musicians Friend. I bought and returned an original Lunch Box when they first came out. It did not sound that good to me. But here is the temptation repeated, this time with reverb! My QSC CP8, HX Stomp, cable, and power supply weigh nearly 24 lbs. By the way all purchased at Musicians Friend. The CP8 is rated at 124 dB peak SPL and the ZT LBR1 at 123 dB peak SPL. As is often the case the marketing gets ahead of reality… The ZT box says 9 lbs., the ZT manual says 10 lbs., and my scale says 10 lbs., 4 oz. My wife is working from home and I did not have a chance yet to try it at stage volumes. At reasonable volumes it compares nicely with the Black Face Deluxe Vibrato Channel plus 63 Spring Reverb running on an HX Stomp into my QSC CP8. Maybe a little less very high-end brightness and I did put the LBR1 treble control to 2 o'clock where the Stomp patch is configured with Bass and Treble set to "5". With my guitar's volume controls set to "8", I have both the HX Stomp and the LBR1 (gain at 12 o'clock) set to give a little distortion for richness when strumming or fingerpicking. Both setups give me a nice sounding light overdrive when I push the guitar volume controls to "10" The bottom line is it does exactly what I want at half the weight and bulk. My only criticism is the hiss is louder than the CP8 and while I would never imagine using the CP8 on a desktop, you could. Whereas the LBR could easily sit on a desktop but you wouldn't due to the hiss. No issues sitting on the floor even in a quiet room. The bass response might have been tuned for floor placement anyway. One observation… I like to "burn-in" new electronic toys and the LBR1 runs warm. I am guessing it is a class A-B power amp. Still not any hotter than the HX Stomp with its SHARC DSP.Jon Fields

Used for taking to friends' houses to play with a group…certainly loud enough. The cleans are amazing. Had to add an external distortion pedal (got a discontinued ZT Extortion…also amazing!) and now am all smiles.ibrewalot

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

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.

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.

This Amplifier is all I will ever need for my electric guitar. I love the sound! I have to be careful with my neighbors as they can hear it and I don't have it turned up that loud. I am 58 and don't like things that loud but when playing I might get a little louder than normal. It has a lot of different settings and I pretty much stick with a basic sound. I thought it was a great price for a quality amp. It fits nicely in my small room.wallyjc

I had been reading a lot of good things about line6 amps so I decided to give one a try. Let me tell ya I'm glad I did. This thing sounds great and has some cool efects. I would recommend to every one that is looking to buy a new amp to give line6 a try. You will not be disapointed!turkeyhunter-2012

This one has gone end of life – but new at a great price, this amp is killer. Great sounds and tone. Super loud volume. I bought footpedal separately to control it remotely – a big win. Glad I go this to play with!zappajesus

This is an amazing amp. Mesa Mark Vs are among the legendary and now I know why. Can run all the way from sparkling cleans to Metallica and everything in between (blues, 60s 70s 80s rock, etc) It has changed the way I play and in many cases made my distortion, boost and overdrive pedals irrelevant. For some people Vox, Fender, or Marshall amps make them really happy, but for me, this is it. Some tips: It has a lot of adjustability which makes it so versatile, so read the manual when you get it or you could get lost. Plenty of YouTube videos out there on how to adjust it. Also, with its small speaker and 25/10 watt adjustment it may appear to be a bedroom amp, but it's not. It is a very powerful amp and bedroom volume is just breathing on the master volume (less than 1 on the dial, if there were numbers) But all is not necessarily lost! My solution was to buy a JHS Little Black Amp Box volume knob and put it in the effects loop ($65) and the volume became very controllable while being able to crank up the tubes and get that amazing Mesa sound. I'd guess an eq pedal could do the same. The only question is which one is better for you: the 10' speaker 5:25 or the 12' speaker 5:35? Weight, size, cost, and use will decide that.Phil

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.

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

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

I've been looking at modeling amps for awhile. Have a little Fender Mustang that I really liked, but wanted something a little more versatile and that had enough power for gigging. Tried the new model Mustangs, but I just didn't hear that great a difference in sound quality and the choice of presets just didn't impress me. Things that did impress me about the Peavey – 27 amp models (54 if you count clean/dirty as two amps), plus all the stomp boxes and effects – a balanced direct out that can go direct to the DAW or a mixer – the "power sponge" knob on the back to dial up the warmth Now that I've had it a few days, here are my observations – I wouldn't call the interface a "snap" to learn, but you can figure everything out in a day or two, that's not bad given all that it does – once you figure it out, using the computer interface is the best way to modify the presets in the amp – instructions are non-existent so be prepared for a learning curve – I've been able to dial in great sounds for each of my guitars. I've got a very nice Gibson 339, but I've never been happy with the tone – I found the compressor stop ahead of the Matchless amp to be very tasty – I play mostly folk and folk rock. I really like the Peavy fat acoustic ahead of either the Orange Clean or the Plexi clean to be a great sound (who knew?) – I haven't yet gotten the cabinet simulator to sound like I want – too much bass. I've had to change up the EQ on the presets to get close. So that's s work in progress. – the amp is heavier than I'd like. I'm not a kid anymore and I'm trying to keep road gear to a minimum – Peavey really touts the Sanpera pedal, but it's pretty pricey. I'd like to find a pedal that just controls the presets – don't know if there is one. Overall, very versatile amp packed with great tones. I'm a happy camper.RIM

The distortion on this thing is AMAZING! There are amp models that just scream! The Diezel, Dual Rect, Plexi & JTM45 are really nice! The Sanpera controller is a must if you want to use the Looper function. You can assign effect parameters to the foot controllers – say you want to control delay feedback or depth – assign it. You want to control the drive on the Wylde OD – assign it. Up to 3 different effect parameters per pedal so you can assign 6 different parameters if you want. This amp is a very overlooked product! No reviews on YouTube except a couple & Peavey has a series of How To's that you can watch which are really good. I bought it 3yrs ago & it's just a beast man! 100 Watts LOUD – no problems getting loud like some amp modelers out there! Built in power sponge so you can go 100W down to 1W & everywhere in between. Definitely a sleeper out there & the distortion is just INCREDIBLE!Gear-a-holic

Still figuring this amp out. I currently use a Kemper for live shows, but wanted something a little less expensive to gig with. It took a few hours to find the noise gate and the boost level. It also took a while to store presets as well. The Sanpera Pro is a must with the V Pro, and has everything laid out. The boost is top left which is a little inconvenient The dirty sounds are good, but sound similar. The 12 string model is awesome. I plan to gig with it, and should be able to find it since there are many amp combinations and can use up to 4 at a time. I plan to do a real tutorial on YouTube in the near future because some of the stuff is hard to find. Unfortunately there are no head versions.Frank werner

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