Best Modeling Amps For Guitar (Jan 2023 Update)

I am very happy with this amp. The Digital effects are better than I thought they would be. I wish the reverb settings could be turn up higher. The line in setting works perfect for an acoustic guitar with a build in pickup. Very light weight and very powerful but sounds good at low volume. :-).DonV

My AC-15 went on the fritz right before a festival gig. Bought this small, light amp in a pinch and it's outstanding! Great sound like the AC-15, but so easy to cart around and soooo much more powerful. I really like this little pup. The only downside is the wacky powerchord, but hopefully this will not prove a problem.Mark

Getting back into playing the guitar again (during lockdown) I needed a new amp (previously had only used entry level Marshalls) and did quite a bit of research on amps under £300.00. Came to the conclusion that a modelling amp might be the way to go and it came down to the Boss Katana, Line 6 Spider, Marshall Code and the Vox Cambridge 50. Didn't want anything too complicated and wanted knobs to twiddle not digitised controls – so that ruled out the Line 6 and the Marshall. Decided that the Katana was a great amp but with so many options and effects that I would probably get bogged down with too much choice and so I opted for the Vox. It sounds great, is not too heavy and the amp modelling presets are fun to experiment with – albeit that they are setup in very specific styles but are easily customised. Be aware that they are 'Presets' and as such, default back to the basic factory settings everytime. If you wish to recall a change to their sound/tone then you need to 'save' your changes to one of the 2 built-in user modes. You can expand these to 8 user profiles if you purchase (I have not done so as yet) and connect, an optional footswitch. This amp has more than enough for what I need and sounds great – love the AC30 modelling. 4 star rating given because there is no line out for gigs (most scenarios would see the amp 'mic'd up anyway) and some of the preset amp models are preset to a volume that is way higher than others which can catch you out. The instructions are pretty good but do require careful reading especially when trying to save custom configurations, but all in all and considering the price, this is a very good amp indeed and I am a convert to Vox.Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

I have bought and sold several amps over the past few years, and I think this one's the keeper. It reminds me a bit of the katana 50 in that it has lots of features – but it is far easier to figure out how to use. I wish it had a slightly smaller footprint, for portability's sake, but the sound and usability make up for it. I also wish manufacturers would provide more useful documentation, but there are lots of helpful videos on the web. From clean, to crunch, to filthy – and some Fender Vibratone if you like – this amp can do just about anything.CR

Sound: Its odd they make you choose a rating for manufacturer support seeing as I imaging you would only contact them if you had an issue with your new item and zZounds didn't resolve it Overall: Its way louder than I expected. We don't turn it up past 3. The distortion sounds great. The amp modules sound great. For metal and grunge which my daughter plays its fantastic. I used the acoustic channel for jazz ukulele and it sounds great as well.James

I work at a guitar store so we recently got these amps in, I have to say that it genuinely shocked me? For the price and for what you get, it's pretty darn good
I'm really picky with my amps, so much so that I've only had one amp my whole 5+ years of playing and seeiing this new amp really, made me wanna get one, don't think of it as a legit replacer to a real 6405 or a XXX Head and Cab, think of it as a beginner amp, something to get started one, yes it has a lot of knobs and buttons that may seem intimidating, but take some time to get to know the little beast? You're gonna be kicking fun with this thing for hours.
It has some pretty alright effects besides the amp itself, the only thing I will say is that when passing 4-5 on a distorted amp like the 6505 it rumbles, and not in a good way as well as the whole amp kit app, IOS only? That's a bummer
Besides that, great amp.David Romero

I have bought and sold several amps over the past few years, and I think this one's the keeper. It reminds me a bit of the katana 50 in that it has lots of features – but it is far easier to figure out how to use. I wish it had a slightly smaller footprint, for portability's sake, but the sound and usability make up for it. I also wish manufacturers would provide more useful documentation, but there are lots of helpful videos on the web. From clean, to crunch, to filthy – and some Fender Vibratone if you like – this amp can do just about anything.CR

Sound: Its odd they make you choose a rating for manufacturer support seeing as I imaging you would only contact them if you had an issue with your new item and zZounds didn't resolve it Overall: Its way louder than I expected. We don't turn it up past 3. The distortion sounds great. The amp modules sound great. For metal and grunge which my daughter plays its fantastic. I used the acoustic channel for jazz ukulele and it sounds great as well.James

I work at a guitar store so we recently got these amps in, I have to say that it genuinely shocked me? For the price and for what you get, it's pretty darn good
I'm really picky with my amps, so much so that I've only had one amp my whole 5+ years of playing and seeiing this new amp really, made me wanna get one, don't think of it as a legit replacer to a real 6405 or a XXX Head and Cab, think of it as a beginner amp, something to get started one, yes it has a lot of knobs and buttons that may seem intimidating, but take some time to get to know the little beast? You're gonna be kicking fun with this thing for hours.
It has some pretty alright effects besides the amp itself, the only thing I will say is that when passing 4-5 on a distorted amp like the 6505 it rumbles, and not in a good way as well as the whole amp kit app, IOS only? That's a bummer
Besides that, great amp.David Romero

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

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

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

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

Going back and forth between the LT25 and LT40s to compare identifical presets, both sounded good and similar even with the differences in cabinet and speaker size. A subjective impression is that the LT25 sounded a bit more distant or maybe dispersed. The LT40s sounded a bit more focused. It was a tough call as the LT25 is less expensive but I walked out of there with the LT40S. For desktop placement and low volume practice, the LT40s sounds great and with plenty of low end. I don't need loud volume but this amp can fill a 16'x24' loft with sound. The USB connection to my laptop was initially a no go. After deleting and then reinstalling the application, it has sinced worked great!Wally

I wanted an amp for practicing that gave me a massive range of options for a reasonable amount of money. I have to say that I am very impressed with the 30 included presets and I've not even branched out into the additional ones you can add. The quality of the LT25 is fantastic, not super heavy and all the switches feel robust. I've found the sound can vary depending on the preset you choose though that is to be expected with those that have high gain. I mostly play clean and blues and this amp is fantastic for both of those. If you want a more classic rock sound there is a preset for this which I think needs a bit of tweaking. All in all very impressed and as this is my first Fender amp, I will definitely be getting another in the future.Alex G.

This amp is FUN. The sound quality is great, and it is packed full of amp models, effects, and pre programed drum loops. That combined with a 40 sec looper, and it's become the most effective practice tool I own. And it's so simple, I don't need a bunch of equipment, it's all in the amp. For me, it brings the fun back to practicing.Russ

This amp has a great range of sounds, including some earthy grungey stuff, and weird vocoder setting. The most all-round versatility of this unit is a combination of the Rhythm section, the separate input and control of the Mic, and the Looper section. With up to 10W of output this unit can entertain more than just yourself. I like the tri-select of output power, (especially when the missus wants to watch tv!). The footswitch to select between effects, rhythm and looper is more essential rather than desirable, yet it cost me another $100+ to buy, which seems like a lot for just switch (although it's heavy duty). The only other downside is the rhythm tempo switch, which needs a guess in the time between button presses to alter timing. This would be better done and made more repeatable with a rotary switch. Great little portable unit, and my new GoTo.David M. C.

Good guitar amplifier which is small, easy-to-carry, but powerful enough. Especially love the power switch feature so I can run it as 1W in my room without driving my roommate crazy.QI

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

It is a great amp. Very good sound and options for the price. It is not heavy which is a big deal to someone who has had back surgery. I gave it a 5 in spite of one big complaint. When you turn it off you hear a loud "POP!" Wow, is that loud is what I thought the first time I heard it. I read about it online and there is a simple fix. Find an old set of ear phones or ear buds that you would use on a cassette player or a Sony Walkman. (Yes, these are ancient electronic relics from the past for you younger people. You might ask your parents if they have a cassette player and borrow the ear plugs.) Just plug that earphone jack into the "PHONES" input BEFORE you turn it off. THEN you only hear a little blip when you turn it off. THEN just pull the jack out of the "PHONES" input before you start it next time.chasmigu

This amp is better than I thought. I've had it for over a year. I use it for practice sessions (classic rock mostly), and I haven't gone over '4 1/2' on the volume (it does give good feedback if you want it). I did upgrade the speaker to a 12" 'Celestion' Vintage 30 and am absolutely happy! This could easily be mic'd for larger venues. Lightweight, powerful enough, and the effects are a good assortment. One small glitch…when using the footswitch, there is a short, instantaneous volume boost when the pedal is pressed for distortion. Could possibly be a problem for recording. Besides that, 5 stars for me.Myk

After playing acoustic guitar for 15+ years and rarely plugging in, I finally decided to make the plunge and try out an electric. I was advised by a buddy to not buy too big, that 15W-20W would be plenty to practice with. So, I found this little Champion at Sam Ash, and so far it's been great! I bought the display model and have had no issues at all with it. Great sound, enough presets and effects to play around with, and sounds great clean too. Having a blast and loving it.Nate-O

I already had owned the 60W version which has 2 channels. I wanted to leave the 60W at our band's practice space. This 15W version was perfect for home as the amp circuits were identical (except only 1 channel), effects identical, the only difference was power. I was able to dial in the perfect tone at home, at low volumes, and then take to our practice space for the higher volume amp and setup each channel that handles the majority of our songs. These Vox amps with their analog amp circuits (8 of them!) and tube pre and power amplification are awesome. Super affordable too.jax_music_supply

Rather disappointment with the short life span of my Valvetronix VT15, only 3 years in my living room. Are these gonna last any longer? My VT15 contacts; switches and input jacks seem corroded, not conducting electricity so well. I think they're made of Aluminum, that's what happens. Was fun for the 1st year. Not to be compared to a good guitar amp.Buffalo_BiL

This is my first Vox amp. I had a VT20 but returned it for this amp. I found the tone of the AV15 very pleasing and quite powerful. It has a nice valve tone to it. I understand that it's only one valve, and that valve is used for both the pre amp and power amp. Nonetheless it sounds great. I was highly impressed with the tone I had after playing with the amp for several minutes. The 8" speaker does the job and is plenty loud for a bedroom setting. The dials are easy to understand and I got a nice tone quickly. The clean channels are quite nice and dirty up with gain and guitar volume. The crunch channels are my go-to right now and sound great. Nice breakup but yet controllable with guitar volume. The lead/HG channels actually sound really nice. I was able to get some nice palm muting rhythm with the High Gain channel with the gain at 12:00. I got some controllable feedback as well. I played with all the channels while using the channel volume at 100%. This 'overdrives' the power amp section and give a nice gritty tone to all the channels. The "power" level basically attenuates the 15w down to 0 if desired. I kept it at 12:00 in my bedroom and max when I used the line-out to my DAW. Even though this is not a full blown 8-tube power amp, it has a nice powerful tone that works in the bedroom/small gig setting and records nicely using the line-out. If you're going to gig then you need more watts from this unit and the bigger speaker. For my usage though it's perfect. Build quality is nice, no issues, all dials solid, all corners solid. The amp itself is about 16#, easy to carry. I understand it's not a 'real AC-30' but I didn't want to spend almost a grand on an amp. This one recreates the "Vox" tone 90% at 25% the price. I am very happy with my first Vox. Cons: Not counting the 15w and 8" speaker (I knew that when I bought it). Line out is .. weak. I had to max the volume to get a typical line-level signal. Would be nice to buy Made In UK.DS

Overall: overall – maybe the best sounding low wattage amp ever. only small difference in sound between this & a tube amp. weak point is lack of features. they really skimped. twice the price of other compared to other practice amps that have way more features. you're really extra paying for tone here.pro's – * truly terrific tones* even if you have a tube amp that sounds good at whisper volumes (i have a 15w egnater tweaker) it's so convenient to be able to play this on top of your desk.* clean and modern settings are fantastic. i don't use the other amp settings much, but they sound great as well. the only setting i don't like is brit hi.* effects sound good* tap tempo* good tuner* the features are weak* pricey – other practice amps have many more features. they sound pretty good themselves (just not quite as nice as this). so if features are important to you, get something else. digital amps these days all sound not bad to downright good.* are the tones here so much better that it's really worth double other companies' amps? honestly hard to say, but this one does sound the best* can't save settings* one knob control of all mod effects is really limiting* can use the software to tweak settings and effects, but as soon as you unplug, you lose them* max volume on delay is occasionally not enough. usually it's ok. but sometimes, you want a little more & doesn't have it* as mentioned, brit hi setting not that great* the name "modern" might be misleading. i mentioned that modern sounds good, but, it doesn't have enough gain to get you into mesa rectifier range. you're going to need a pedal for that.A

Overall: I bought a VT40X used this summer and I've been floored. I have Mesa Boogie and Frenzel tube amps so I can compare sounds anytime and don't have to play solid state if I don't want to. When it's evening or late night and I want to be nice to the neighbors this thing comes out and I don't have to feel deprived at all. The Dumble (Boutique OD) in particular gives beautiful rounded bell tones at all volume levels and reacts naturally to increased gain. British 800 sounds like what its intended to mimic. I expected to hate the speaker but it seems fine. The software is needed so that you can tweak the amp to get exactly what you want. It's a bit of a pain but worth it. The user interface on the amp is pretty terrible but once you're set up you won't need to change it very often. Overall this is a gem of a small amp that could stand up to small gigs with no problem as long as you can get it up off the floor on a chair or stand. I'd buy another one of these anytime, and highly recommend it for beginners who need to find their sound and decide what hardware will be best for them. Buy one of these, figure it out and then go spend on pro gear later. You'll keep the VT40X, it's a great bedroom or livingroom amp.Rick

I have played the acoustic guitar for years and played in pubs and all sorts. I’ve never had an amp at home so have been looking at the right one for ages. You don’t need effects peddles to get started with this one – save your money it has many settings built in with the Tone Room app where you can save the effects not only within the Amp but within the app too. I have a Telecaster and I tried it on a few amps. Yes the Marshall CODE is excellent too so you won’t go either with either in what you finally choose, but this is just so much fun. The Valves – oh my, so when I was at school there was a dusty valve amp that I played on and I LOVED it turns out it was a VOX so obvs going back to what I played on at school. A lovely lovely piece of kit and amazing value for money. You can play it really loud and I bet great for a small gig or practicing, playing with others. Don’t know what else to say I am very happy with itCharlotte K.

Did lots of research. Went for this after a Fender Mustang I bought crashed twice the day I got it. First off this thing is loud if needed. Sound good at low volume too. A little tricky to program online but after a little practice it gets easy. 8 presets is plenty too. Only drawbacks are: no line out (just mic it), not Bluetooth capable for streaming in your tunes and programming the channels, and to connect to a laptop it needs a mini usb which is not too common these days. But overall very satisfied with this purchase. Oh and not made in China too is a plus.Steve

The good: small, portable, can run off batteries. The wireless connectivity is really nice. Sounds decent for what it is. The bad: The interface on the unit itself and the app are confusing to say the least, and you are pretty limited in the use of effects. The ugly: all those free Katana patches being posted on the Boss site? Incompatible. All the patches for regular Boss Katana amps WILL NOT WORK on this unit. Thanks for that Boss.Alexander

Overall: I may be mis-reading the manual but I've yet to figure out how to keep the wireless transmitter charged. I'm not new at this having gotten Line 6's wireless transmitters when they first arrived on the scene. They were easy to use and worked as advertised. While I am a huge Roland/Boss fan, I'm thinking they may have missed the mark in the "ease of use" category on the Katana Air. From a sound perspective, the amp, when plugged into a wall socket sounds great; just what you'd expect from a Katana amp. And when the transmitter is fully charged, the same can be expected. The problem arises when trying to figure out how to keep it charged. When running the amp on batteries only, this seems this seems to be problematic in that the amp stops charging the transmitter when the batteries are low. The problem is you don't know the transmitter is dead until you try and use it.My most predictable approach is to plug in the amp with the provided DC cable and do my charging while the amp is "hard-wired" to the juice coming from a wall socket.Once the transmitter is fully charged, in this manner, I can disconnect the amp and run it on a fresh set of batteries. This will afford you a "temporary" wireless operation. The transmitter that I received didn't have any where's near the claimed lifespan. I'd be curious to see how other's experience with the Katana Air played out. I will keep fiddling with the KA and if I discover what it takes to make it truly wireless, I'll get back to you in a follow up review. Strangely I did keep this item, hoping for a downloadable software cure.There is a nice free ap that accompanies the KA…..It allows you to change all of the amp's audio settings and to download free patch sets. This works well with my iPhone 7+.Martin

I've been seeking a modern, portable, reliable practice amp that can satisfy BOTH Acoustic and Electric guitars since Line 6 introduced their Amplifi series. I loved the Amplifi's techie saturated concept but no matter how bad I wanted it to work… it was always a low-fidelity 'noise' amp first without the ability to produce clear, hi-fidelity sound for either my acoustic or classical guitars. Designing an amp that can accurately reproduce hi-fidelity, low distortion sound begins with a good designed, quality build and above average components. As the old proverb states, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear", you can build a noisy amp but don't ever expect it to reproduce quality sound. Amplifi is the sow's ear. I thought about testing their newer Amplifi 30 but after many bad experiences testing a 75 and reading that I was not alone … I lost all confidence that they could do HiFi right. The Katana Air checks many of my must-have boxes and it worked without a hitch. It was designed as a small practice amp and not a single solution for all your gigging needs. Adding in the convenience features like smart-on and multiple wireless features that include power/updating/tuning/modeling/backing tracks/guitar, makes this the practice amp I have been waiting a long timefor. Finally, I can take an amp sailing without worry of 'butt cleats' or adding more hazardous lines to my boat.pete1tod

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

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

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

It's not the greatest amp ever but the sound is absolutely amazing and, most importantly, versatile. You can get so many sounds out of this thing that you realistically wouldn't need any other amp for gigs or recording unless you're an audiophile/perfectionist. Almost any band sound that you'd like is just a community created patch away, it's truly incredible, as long as you have a PC/Mac/Android device plugged into it. The sounds that are built in are still amazing, just a little limited and require some learning to use the effects. Still, you won't find anything near this price that gets you the same quality sound, volume, or variety of uses. The learning curve is nothing compared to the thought and cost of trying/buying dozens of guitar effect pedals – which you can still do, or even use this as an amplified cab for your preamp of choice. If you have a few hundred dollars to try something new then it's worth it. Also worth it if you're looking to upgrade from a practice amp, or need an amp to gig, or don't have the money for pedals, or need to record on your computer, or many other situations. It's worth trying. At worst you'll lose $100 buying it new and reselling it on the off chance you don't like any of the MANY tones you can get from this beast.l_burnett87

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

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

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

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

Recently bought this thing after saving up for months. I pretty much ripped it out of the box, plugged it in, powered it on, went through the very quick and simple setup process, and in minutes it was ready for use. I’ve now had it for a few days and already it has made my life a ton easier. Being a musician that goes on the road a lot, carrying around an amp can be a huge hassle. The Kemper eliminates that hassle, while also maintaining an amazing tone. A few things to keep in mind, though:

1. It doesn’t create an EXACT carbon copy of your amp, but it comes EXTREMELY close, so close in fact that I, having played guitar for around 7 years, can barely tell the difference, and the very microscopic differences there are, are nothing that can’t be ironed out with small tweaking to the EQ, specifically the high end

2. The volume may vary depending on how the venue has their sound system set up, so that’s something to be mindful of. You may switch on and blow eardrums at some places, or you may switch on and barely hear anything in other places, so be mindful of that.

3. You will have an amazing tone, so just be mindful of that as well. Even the stock profiles sound great, but the Kemper is taken to a whole new level once you start using your own profiles, as well as commercially sold profiles, such as the ones from Tone Junkie.

The built in Performance mode also allows for a seamless switch between up to five different rigs at the click of a button, which would be impossible to do using only analog gear.

The Kemper can be a pretty big learning curve, though, especially for people like me, who have used analog gear for years, and were even leery of making the switch to digital at first. But after the initial learning curve and getting familiar with it, I promise you will be glad you made the switch.Brandon Johnson

I bought the 600w version after a ton of research and inner debate. I had solid state rack stuff in the early 90's and hated it. It always had something missing from the tone, it seemed shallow and fake. I turned into a die hard tube guy after that. I pledged never to buy any computer amp ever again. I dismissed the Kemper at first. But once I saw some videos and heard some profiles, I was a little interested. I couldn't get past buying a computer and having 1000's of tones at the turn of a knob. Once I heard it live, thru a cabinet in a rehearsal space, I was floored and very surprised. My friend went from a 68 Marshall to a 6505 to a Fender Twin Reverb with a turn of a knob in seconds. I've owned very expensive tube amps with very distinct tone signatures I thought could not be replicated. I was 100% wrong. I profiled my Engl head and did a blind test to see if I could tell the difference in tone once I shaped it up. I honestly couIdn't tell the difference. When I guessed, I picked the Kemper 4 out of 5 times. I went to the rig exchange and found a profile that was reasonably close to a 59 plexi. I tweaked it for 10 minutes. Within that 10 minutes, I saved thousands on a new tube amp. The Kemper is a perfect fit for the skeptic. There's a million forums and tutorials out there so you'll never feel lost. Once you learn the menus and how to dial in a tone or profile an amp, you're hooked. This is the most versitle amp I've ever owned. I am completely satisified.Rob

Like the title says, you can find 1000's of these for sale used and there's good reason for that. It doesn't sound like tube at all. I think it's good for the studio where I've used one. But live? If you're fine with a solid state head, then fine. The modeling really isn't any better than higher end Line 6 modeling. This past labor day, Great White was playing a festival near by. They had a total of 8 Marshall 4×12's on stage with 4 DSL 100 heads. Not one of them was powered on. So I looked around for what they were going to use, I saw 2 Kemper Profiler heads. 1 for each guitarist. The sound was absolutely terrible. Neither amp sounded anything close to a Marshall or like tube for that matter. You could hear the cab emulation a mile away. At this price point go another direction. Unless your application is purely studio.guylemieux

A genius amp that does everything I can wish for. I am using it for home recording, and it's the best sound I have ever had. Getting a good electric guitar tone has always been my achilles heel, but not anymore with this beauty. Combined with the free Vox Tone Room software, this amp has catapulted me into guitar heaven. Highly recommended!Michael W.

There is one con. I would've preferred a more "typical" power supply. That being said if you can find this amp on sale like I did at $189 at my local GC you'll get a great amp, nice package of sounds, and power enough for a small gig (The volume easily filled the GC store during a staff demonstration). I was originally going to get the Vox 10 practice amp, but this was more than twice that amp at less than twice the price, so the decision was easy. Easy to transport and store. Plus, of course, it has the "Vox" look which is a nice little extra.John

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