Best Load Box For Guitar Amp (2024 Update)

This is a high quality, well built product. It really does sound very smooth and responsive like a real amp. I own the original reactive load and wanted to upgrade to a plug and play option for practice that I could also take to shows and guarantee quality through the sound guy. I loaded it up with Ownhammer IRs (even though the Suhr IRs are great) and hook up a drum sample pedal to practice and write music. I love the dual outs (one with after the preloaded IR and one unfiltered so I can use a different IR in my DAW). I apply a little eq thru a plugins and no one – not a single sole – could actually tell the difference on recordings. It sounds professional and my family and ears never felt better. PSA – Find a few good IRs you really love and dont change them. You will get better, CONSISTENT results that way. Option paralysis is real.drewmac3

This is the most affordable loadbox I could find that had good reviews. I've been using it every day since I received it and it does a great job. I have all my tones from my tube amps while recording and playing silently. Complementary Wall Of Sound IRs sound great and this completely solves my problems with recording at home. I highly recommend it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Dead easy to use, speaker in goes to the thru (0 attenuation)or -20 DB out. Juice the output of your amp and keep the DB down. Works great with speaker or without. Comes w/Wall of Sound download thats a great gateway to IR and silent recording. Must have to not annoy family or neighbors. Or both. Highly recommendGearJunkie35

This is the most affordable loadbox I could find that had good reviews. I've been using it every day since I received it and it does a great job. I have all my tones from my tube amps while recording and playing silently. Complementary Wall Of Sound IRs sound great and this completely solves my problems with recording at home. I highly recommend it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Dead easy to use, speaker in goes to the thru (0 attenuation)or -20 DB out. Juice the output of your amp and keep the DB down. Works great with speaker or without. Comes w/Wall of Sound download thats a great gateway to IR and silent recording. Must have to not annoy family or neighbors. Or both. Highly recommendGearJunkie35

Love this Suhr Reactive Load box. Lets me play my amp via headphones (using audio device and DAW). I recommend watching Pete Thorn's YouTube tutorial video. Using the correct cable is key to getting good levels and great tone.David C.

The Radial Dragster makes passive electric guitar pickups played through digital wireless devices sound more like playing through a cable, reduces the thin, digital harshness of wireless systems. The adjustment wheel allows you to dial in the load to taste. Does not work on active pickups and piezo.limbosine

Overall: I am a guitar player that moves a lot but hates wireless units due to tone loss. I play a Marshall JVM and Les Pauls. Really work on my tone through playing style and equipment. I purchased the tonebone as a last ditch effort before going to a long cable. I am really pleased with how it works. I cannot really tell a difference. I have the perfect AFD tone, now I can take it with me wherever I go! Buy this product, you will be surprised at how well it keeps your tone!Todd

Bought this for my son for xmas, he loves it does everything required of it, also was the cheapest we could find for the same itemReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Really easy to set up and use. Have used it both at home and at band practice. Really impressive selection of mic and cabs. Haven't loaded any 3rd party IRs yet but will do soon.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Does a great job reducing volume but at the cost of tone. Even on the lowest attenuation setting it compresses the sound of the amp a lot. My amp sounds much better at low volumes without the attenuator. I ended up returning it. If your amp has a master volume skip this product.Josh

I use this on a 20 watt tube amp combo.The 1% output let's me practice with great tone without annoying my wife. The speaker simulated output sounds exactly like my amp! Can't wait to try it live. If there's any gigs after covid.Tc key

I use this primarily as an attenuator. I’ve tried most of the products on this market which all have various shortcomings. The TAE allows you to actually use your tube amp without blowing out your ear drums. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to going straight into an amp. Very transparent. I had another reamper that was tube based and about half the cost that was very dark and colored the sound. Also significantly impacted the reverb/vibrato in my HW deluxe reverb. No issues like that with the TAE and also does well with pedals. Highly recommend. Very pricey, but gives you lots of flexibility. The onboard effects are very “digital” sounding to my ear, so I just turn them off.Joel Gilmore

I've had this device for two weeks now and am selling my PS2 in favor of it (although the PS2's attenutation is just as good). I've used many attenuators over the years and this one is probably among the best. The variable loads help with the feel and reactance of your amp – there's nothing else with this option on the market. The attenuator works great, as well and has a smooth taper for volume. Unlike the OX or other attenuators, doesn't effect your sound as you reduce volume other than removing some speaker drive characteristics. The onboard effects have Boss standard serviceability in their sound and having a boost EQ is very useful. For live use they would do the trick but in the studio I'd opt for some plugins. I expected the IRs to be lackluster, but actually compare very favorably to other 3rd party IRs on the market and are pleasantly satisfying through headphones. If you're looking for a good tube amplifier silent recording solution with effects, routing options, and attenuation for live use… this is the best one on the market IMO. In fact, if you've got an older lower wattage amp, this can bring it up to band volume through a higher power speaker cab. Pricey, but with all those options – worth it!Temple12

Unit itself: After watching all the YouTube videos and reading forum sites I was convinced for a bit that I was just doing something wrong. It seem to add some gain to every amp I had. The only way it sounded close to was to turn the volume of the amp itself down. The reactive load section didn't help at all and it wasn't real clear on exactly I was changing when switching them. The "suggested" settings in the manual did nothing for me. The only way I was able to get a sound even close to what I had without it was to crank the unit which defeated the purpose… For low volume playing at home I could have just turned the amp itself down and used an OD to get the drive… Other guitar player in my band mentioned the Bugera PS1 sounded better! This unit basically made my amps digital. If you're a fan of digital products you will be fine. If not, I'd look elsewhere. Effects/Rigs/Software: I like the effects that was in the unit and giving some tweaking I could see using them. If I could have gotten the tone worked out I could have easily set up rigs with just those effects and done away with half of my board…. Rigs work just fine, you save presets that are switchable with the unit for the controller. Some people complain but that lack of "on the fly" edits and that they can only be made within the software, it never bothered me. The software itself worked fine for me but I could see where someone with more experience using software to control music equipment might have an issue with it. At the time of this writing it can't be used with a updated iMac. Loading IR's takes forever so I used software instead. If there was no other option on the market it would be great, there's tons though, and Youtube isn't the best way to judge a product. Glad I tried it so at least I know but I'm very grateful for Guitar Center's 45 day return policy!Chris K

Man. I got a Marshall SV20H that was just too loud for any normal house use. I've gone through like four attenuators and every single one muffled the sound to no end. This one PERFECTLY attenuates the amp without compromising any noticeable tone whatsoever, and the 18 different attenuation levels is insane. Get this NOW!Matthew

I am using it with a Mark V 25 Head + 1×12 slant cab. I was very much on the fence about buying an attenuator but after doing some research, i decided to go for the TK Ironman ii mini because: – The Mark V 25 does NOT have a single master, but a per channel one, which needs to be set between 10-11 for the amp to shine (otherwise it sounds bleak and thin). By using this thing, I have a single master, the amp is in "set and forget mode" – Sits on top of the head. It is light and relatively portable. – It is PASSIVE (no power adapter needed) – It is very granular. I personally do not use the "solo" function because it sits on the amp, but that gives another layer of versatility. Only downside is the small rubber feet which I replace for bigger ones to sit properly on the head. That's not a problem, just an observation in case you are wondering. Great bang for the buck.Nando

After reading tons of reviews decided on this guy. What a great piece. Simple to use, built well, and has a boost. There is zero done loss running this between my Plexi and my 4/12 cab. Even at bedroom volume it's just perfect. All metal construction. USA assembly and attention to detail. Would recommend this to anyone. Would definitely use this company again.Jared

I've been looking for this for years and I didn't even know it. Putting this in your effects loop let's you heat up the preamp tubes without shaking the walls. Being in a band with three guitarists, it's really helped my tone cut through the mix, hitting that natural break up by running my hot rod at about 2 o'clock, the sweet spot in my opinion. There's lots of options out there, or you can make a single pot volume box, but I love JHS' stuff and it's inexpensive. Buy it.Chris

This box is perfect for managing your stage volume on any amp with an effects loop. I use several different guitars during a gig. These guitars do not have the same output, but I manage my volume with the box … it also allows me to make overall volume changes without having to make adjustments to my amp. The manual says not to use with other pedals in the loop; however, I put it at the end of my effects chain and have had no problems at all.Curtis

The Ox is amazing. I can play my amp completely silent with headphones, and it actually sounds like my amp. I'm using my 65 Deluxe Reverb RI and analog pedalboard with it. The Ox also pairs well with my Universal Audio Apollo x8p. I'm using the S/PDIF digital in, without taking up my mic pre channels. The only con I have, is the Ox does not go down to 2ohm. So, I can't use it with my original 72 Super Reverb. It's okay though, I knew that up-front. Recording with the Ox in a studio session, is the main reason I bought it. It does that perfectly. Very happy with it so far.Trevor

This completely changes how I look at and play amps. Ever wanted to own a plexi but it was completely unfeasible to run one in the sweet spot? You can with this. Without waking the kids / wife. Massive attenuation levels will sap some highs, but I've been able to EQ around it. Generally Attenuation "3" or "4" cut the volume substantially without greatly altering the tone. Taking the attenuator down and then matching the volume by turning the amp itself up, I wasn't able to notice TOO much difference in sound or feel. Where this shines is the super simple and super great recording options and IMO, being able to use this with nice headphones or monitors. With headphones adding some of the room sound really makes you feel like you're there with a cabinet. I thought this product was too expensive until I plugged it into a vintage plexi and a 5150 III and cranked the amps wearing headphones. Complete game changer and the amps sounded epic. I had a modeling device because I could never own a real plexi and play it how I wanted. Now I can. The modeler is gone and the real amp is at home, and it's so much better than the digital version.Chad

Sound: I’m very happy with the sound quality. It may not sound identical to the original speakers modeled but honestly I don’t have that good of an ear to know the difference. I do know my high gain and crunch patches with the Vintage or Green sound just like I want, and for clean-ish tones the Essex with a Vox amp does the job quite nicely. Whether it has the mythical “amp in the room” sound or not is going to be up to each user’s own ears. I will say it sounds more organic and amp-like than any FRFR I’ve used and leave it at that. Features: This has so many features it’s hard to list what I find most useful. Physical features like being fairly lightweight and having tiltback legs are certainly helpful to an old guy like me. The tiltback seems extreme but it works well and I don’t feel the need for an amp stand. MIDI or L6 link to remotely change cabinets with each patch is great, and with the L6 link it can easily be done within each patch. I also like that the L6 link runs audio and data. Why use 2 cables when you can to it all with one? The ability to use it as a standard FRFR to run IR is another cool feature and I like that if I need to I can go direct to FOH via through the PC+ and use a separate IR to FOH and speaker modeling in the cab. Lastly, this can be used with any modeler. You can send MIDI messages via standard 5 pin MIDI cable to change speakers and IR within patches from just about any modeling product. If something ever trumps the Helix, I’ll still have a great cab to pair it with. Ease of Use: It’s incredibly easy to get good sounds. Turn the knob on the top until you get a speaker you like. The speaker modeling sounds great. I’ve dabbled with some of the IR’s and they sound great too. Some folks have complained that it doesn’t have enough volume but that’s not been the case with me. You will need to make sure the output levels on your modeler are properly set to get the most volume and avoid clipping. If you aren’t familiar with how to do this, I would suggest checking out YouTube videos by Jason Sadites or Steve Sterlacci on how to properly set patch levels. It’s super easy and mostly common sense, but something a lot of folks overlook. And don’t forget to include your solo boosts when setting levels!! Quality: By all appearances it seems very well built and sturdy and has a quality feel. I know there are people using these on the road and that also says a lot about the build quality. It’s been tossed in and out of my trunk a few times now with minimal wear and tear showing. It would be nice if it was made of birch and covered with Tolex, but that would only add to the cost and weight. As it is the box is solid. Value: At first glance $799 seems expensive for a 1×12 cab. However, when you consider what it can do that others can’t and then compare it to other 1×12 FRFR that are $1,000 and up it starts becoming a better and better value. If you don’t need MIDI or remote speaker switching, then there’s also the standard Powercab that’s a couple hundred less. Sounds the same just not as many features. Manufacturer Support: Over the years I’ve purchased quite a bit of Line6 gear and they have always provided me with great support. They have a very good user forum with plenty of knowledgeable and helpful people and Line6 also has reps in some of the larger gear forums. Line6 has a good history of product updates as well. The PC+ has already received an update with some additional features and I expect they will continue to update as needed. They seem to do a pretty good job of listening to their customers when it comes to requesting features etc. The Wow Factor: Speaker modeling, FRFR, and IR all in one cab that sounds really good. That’s pretty wow to me! I think this will appeal to players like myself who use modeling and are looking for the best sound without a lot of fussing, or just plain don’t like the sound of an FRFR as much as a normal amp and cab. Overall: I just went back to Helix after using Mesa MKV and Friedman JJ amps. The band doesn’t play a lot of gigs that require miking up the guitars or using direct FOH, so the speaker I chose had to sound great on its own and not just something to monitor myself with. The last time I went down the FRFR road it didn’t work out very well. I know it’s not the boxes it’s me, but regardless I got tired of constantly trying to find the right IR or thinking I found one that sounded good at home only to have it sound like crap at band volume yada yada. When I was researching speakers for the Helix I heard a lot of great things about the Powercab so I thought I’d give it a shot. The speaker modeling is somewhat unique, and I thought it might be the shorter path to better tone for me. It arrived 2 days after I ordered and the set up was very easy. I had already decided to use L6 link instead of XLR because I wanted to remotely control the cab via the Helix and not have to set up MIDI. Out of the box it was still on an old software version and needAllan

Everything I expected from Line 6. This Power Cab Plus 112 is blowing my mind right now. I usually never go with solid state amps. I've been playing through Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Hot Rod Deluxe' and my latest Fender Princeton Reverb. These are for sure amazing go to amps. However, to my ears, with the HELIX LT that I play through, I'm getting similar tones and even more using the built-in speaker models that come with stock with the Power Cab Plus 112. I've never had this much versatility in a rig before. I love it. I also use the genuine Line 6 L6 Link cable (witch is just a good quality AES/EBU cable) connected between my HELIX LT and the Power Cab Plus 112 so that I can change speaker models on the fly with my presets. I really can't ask for more. Simple, light weight, professional sounding tones, all at my toe tips. This is good times for sure.FELIX

I had high hopes, when I saw that Line 6 was offering powered speaker cabs, I thought wow ! Like the Tech 21 Power Engine but better !!!! Wrong… I sold my pair of Tech 21 Power Engines when I purchased a pair of these cabs… wrong move. I unpacked the Power Cabs and thought .. BEAUTIFUL !!! Sturdy, stylish… when I plugged in my HELIX…. I literally could not get a usable sound out of it, I fiddled for hours. After a few days of fiddling with new presets I was able to get a decent basic sound so I thought I was golden. I took it out for on gig doing a outdoor surf meet event… OUCH ! Fizzy, treble ridden, buzz saw city. I could not even get a decent volume from it, the tone because it was so "HIFI" was so buried in the mix I could barely hear myself. Besides the lack of volume, I could not believe the absolute atrocious tone I was getting(think BUZZSAW). This is not a good match for a helix or any floor processors or modelers. I regret getting rid of my Tech 21's they were a tad noisy but they sounded 100% better than these. I keep hearing and seeing the reviews for the Plus version, but seems odd that for something that is supposed to simply amplify the sound you get from your Helix would do such a poor job. WIth the covers and the shipping I paid mucho dinero so saying I am unhappy is an understatement. I've been told with tweaking you can get the cab to sound good, I've spent hours doing this. I don't think its possible. Avoid this… I have been using my cabs as vocal monitors, just because I would get smashed if I tried to sell them. I've used this for one gig, maybe 6 times at rehearsal, sadly they are horrible, giving it 2 stars is quite generous….Guitar Kahuna

I decided to opt for the Warm Audio DI Pro to use to boost my Rhodes. Has made a huge difference in the overall audio quality. Reccomended.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Yes, there are cheaper options, just get this one. I am new to ReAmping and went down the rabbit hole. I actually upgraded to the EXTC version after once I knew what I wanted. Here's what you need to know if you're new to ReAmping and why you should get this: 1. You need two ReAmp boxes for a stereo source, one for a mono source. 2. If you are running your DAW audio to outboard, get two. There's no way around it. 3. This has ground lift to eliminate hum and get a clean signal and recording 4. This device only drops the signal DOWN to instrument level, so you will need to amplify the signal at the end of your pedal chain. This can be done via a Hi-Z input on your audio interface or a PreAmp (standalone or Mixer preamp with Hi-Z switch) – NOT a direct box 5. You can adjust the volume without overloading the guitar pedals 6. You can use this with a patchbay – you will need an XLR to TRS cable 7. Do not use a Direct Box in reverse, get the tools for the task It worked perfectly and opened up an entire new world of effects for me via guitar pedals. Honestly it inspired me to find the perfect tone for my sound and in the box sounds. I have a lot of vsts and sample libraries and this helped me get the most out of them.The Kami

I wnated to experiment with the benefits mentioned for re-amping technique in my home studio but without soending a fortune in equipment that may not be often or ever again used so; I found this unit from Radial and I am totally satisfied with its performance and with the possibilities that I have now for Guitars recording.Israel

How does the radial R8001125 (ProRmp) (it converts a line level signal to a instrument level signal?) differ from the HOSA MIT435? Is it correct that a device using and sending a line level signal (like a mixer) is also referred to as a low impedance device (low Z)? Is it also correct that a device using and sending an instrument level signal (like a guitar effects pedal) is also referred to as a high impedance device (high Z)? In other words, a guitar pedal expects a high impedance signal as well as sends a high impedance signal. I'm getting confusing answers.Christian

Works perfect, built like a Tank. No hum like the variac I had. Use this with a '68 AB763 silver face drip edge blackline Super Reverb. My line voltage was consistently 125. I drop the voltage to 117 or below. Now I can crank the amp without blowing the 2amp fuse. Would recommend this for all vintage amps. Smooths out my Mark V as well.Ken

Not much to report on, it is just a two channel DI Box. But it is built like you would expect from Mackie, works fine. Not too expensive.LMSavannah

Like all Mackie products I've used, this is another piece of workhorse gear. Purchase for a stereo feed of my keyboards to FOH for our worship team. Was originally going to get a Radial, but at half the price, I took the chance. I was not disappointed. Nice, clean and quiet. Very happy with this purchase.Kevin

if your trying to outfit a small club band or practice studio these are great. works well with both acoustic guitar to the mixer and from the guitar amp to mixerdgabel1962

The technician I spoke with recommended this to balance the signals between speakers and it worked wonders. Thanks for the good advice….Forrest M.

Solid build and functions as advertised and at this price point that is excellent. I liked it enough to buy a second one.soul_rising