Good Cheap Guitar Amp For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I picked this up for my son so he could practice around the house. Killer stocking stuffer! When the son is away the dad will now play. I started playing my Mustang Bass through this and it did the job. It's a small amp, not a practice amp. This is perfect for camping trips, rocking at the office or kicking it in the backyard. Oh yeah and you can plug in 1/4 headphones and keep the concert to yourself. It runs on a 9-volt battery or you can plug in a 9-volt adapter.SERGIO

Took a chance on this and purchased it without every playing it. Watched video reviews on it and gave it a shot. Yes, I know that it's small in size, smaller than a kids lunchbox but I hoped it'd produce quality sound and what I got was muddy sounds at increased volumes. It's not clear sounding and my goal to play through an amp is to sound good and I felt if I actually played this in front of people, the muddyness would make me sound amateurish. So, for what you pay for this, yes, you get amplified but it's not real great quality, unless you're a metal player because you don't get a clean sound from this. I rate this 3 stars because it's convenient to have a portable battery operated tiny amp that you can plug into and get sound from, however, the quality almost makes you not even want to play it.Jesse

This ain't no micro cube or vox. This less than 20$ & runs on 1 9v battery or 9v plug in the wall.(transformer not included)& Holy Friggin' Smokes does this baby perform.Monster overdrive tone & super bright, clean tone.Headphone input.Probably exceeds 60 decibels,which is beyond city ords. could get U a fine it's so damn loud. My Strat Squire sounds soooo Fender good out of this lil sucka & my electric/acoustic, sooo crisp.Ultra light to carry around.I've been using the JOYO mini,I love it,plug in,no chord,fun but this Fender mini is a bit more.More tone options and louder.I've yet to find out how quick it eats batteries. The JOYO burns them up fast.Get the rechargeables.Also the JOYO has an MP3 input.This doesn't. I run guitar strap thru the handle so the chord is like non-existent or U can old school it and have a 10 or 20 ft chord.So light it can be pulled over by the chord.These mini amps also pick up radio signals. When I turn them on I can hear radio stations at certain angles. So get 1 for the road.It's all about the fun.annoyingted1

Because the Stage Right 5-watt tube amp (#611705) has control knobs only for Volume and Tone, I found that I get the best-to-my-ears guitar sound when I put an equalizer pedal between the guitar and amp and then adjust the equalizer to the tone that I'm looking for. On the guitar the Volume and Tone knobs are set fully open and on the 5-watt tube amp the Tone knob is fully closed and the Volume knob is set to the volume level acceptable to the environment (for home practice the Volume knob is set to level 3 at full 5-watts). The Stage Right 5-watt tube amp is my first tube amp after having used modeling amps for at least five years. I had heard that tube amps more often than not sound better than modeling amps. After now having experienced using a tube amp I agree that tube amps (at least the Stage Right 5-watt amp) sounds better than the modeling amps I've used (which to me sound great too). If you're looking for your first tube amp (like I was) or you are looking for a low-watt tube amp for home use then I highly recommend the Monoprice Stage Right 5-watt tube amp #611705. Review about Monoprice customer support: The 5-watt tube amp that I initially received had a cosmetic defect (a hole) on the textured surface on the front side of the amp. The Volume knob when set to fully opened level 10 produced normal speaking level sound instead of the noise-complaint loud volume that I expected. Monoprice customer service was great and easy to work with in submitting an amp replacement request. I described the problems, sent pictures of the cosmetic defect and a video demonstrating the Volume problem. After Monoprice customer service reviewed the pics and video they sent me a free shipping return label, a RMA label, and they ordered me a replacement amp which arrived within 7 days after I submitted the replacement request. The replacement amp that I received had no cosmetic defects and the Volume knob set to max level 10 is loud enough to generate noise-complaints from neighbors, though I normally use the amp at Volume level 3 for home use.New User

For the price (I got it when priced $119) it is fantastic. It's simple, straightforward and sounds good. Nice warm tones. If you're a fantastic guitar player, this amp will sound fantastic. If you're an okay guitarist, you might want to invest in some pedals (or just keep practicing). I only say that because it is very clean and bright and it really shows off what you're playing. (I've been known to hide my sloppiness with reverb, distortion, etc.) BUT It does take pedals well – thankfully! Adding a good reverb pedal, delay and an overdrive to go along with this little guy is a good idea. The Pros: Value to Price ratio. Looks well built. Warm tube sound. The handle (yes I am talking about the amp's handle) is nice! Better than I expected. In fact, everything looks pretty good (except the cheap control knobs). 5 watts is plenty loud for home/recording use. The Cons: Good sounding, but there are better sounding. Please don't buy this thinking that this is a $500 amp. It is not. But sub $200 it is a good one. The chickenhead knobs are cheap looking. I took them off and painted them. But that's a dollar or two easy fix (if it bothers you at all). Overall: I totally recommend for $150 or less. Probably for $200. If the prices climb too much beyond that, I think there are other options. If you want to jam at home and record with it, I think you'll be happy.Brad

The Monoprice 5 watt guitar amp arrived just a few days after ordering, and arrived in good shape, due in part to the excellent shipping carton. Upon taking it out and inspecting it, I could find no flaws in the cabinet, and due to the cream color of the covering, it seemed a little bigger than I was expecting. I plugged it in, let it warm up for almost an hour, and then plugged in an ES339, using no pedals. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with the sound I was getting, but it was my fault. I had it adjusted as I do with my Albion Hybrid, but that wasn't the way. I found the best sound came from turning the Monoprice all the way up, and then use the guitar controls for volume instead. That did it, and the little amp came a alive in a big way! Sounding very similar to a Fender champ, it could go from nice clear tones to crunchy heaven with the ES339's humbuckers. I plugged in a Strat with an HSH configuration, and the single coil really made it sound Fenderish. Sweet. The only thing I found one might improve on the amp, is the speaker. As such, I plugged into the built-in external speaker jack on the back, a little Randall 8" cabinet. That really did it for me. The sound was fantastic through the entire spectrum, and was loud enough to be heard down the block. I then bi-amped it with the Albion, and the sound had all the creamy goodness I've been seeking, and that is how I now have it setup for daily use. That said, there's nothing wrong with the stock speaker on the Monoprice, and I suspect it will satisfy most users. Am very happy with this purchase, and glad I bought it for such a great price. Almost every electric guitar player could find a use for this amp. Buy before the price goes up, or they quit making them!T

I was excited to procure this battery/ac amp at a fair price, so I bought a used one listed as "great condition." These amps are hard to find on the used market and ZT told me in an email production has ceased for this model until Q2 2022. The amp was indeed in semi-great condition except for a small puncture in the foam of the 5" speaker which buzzed. Quality control was obviously lacking as it's noticeable while playing the bass strings on an electric guitar irrespective of where the ZT's tone control is set. Accessing the speaker simply requires removing the grill without tools and applying a bit of speaker glue to the damaged part of the cone. I did it myself instead of returning it to GC, which I would have pondered if ZT wasn't horrendously backlogged. These amps sound stellar for home, busking, or as a personal stage monitor. I have two of them for a stereo pedalboard and Rick-O-Matic guitar. I have a DI on my pedalboard. I wouldn't mic the ZT. Conversely, the active tone control has excessive bass for the small speaker to handle, and I suspect many amps result in ripped cones if played loudly with the tone control at less than 12:00.Ed

The sweet analog tone coming from this little guy really inspires me to play & practice. Great cleans but the real surprise is it has the best grind of any solid state amp I ever played when pushed. This amp reacts very much like a valve amp. I owned a 200w lunchbox and like the tone of the junior more.tony f

I was well aware of the dimensions of the thing before it arrived, but opening the box and actually holding it is still pretty shocking. I found it to be small on a scale that it left it hard to believe that it would be functional for more than a practice amp. I accepted that the small size could be handy but expectation of sound quality was suddenly diminished. I stand corrected. The sound is excellent. It is definitely more than a curiosity that is smaller than a breadbox. It will put out a substantial amount of volume with a substantial low end range that was a tremendously satisfying surprise. For my modest needs, it far exceeds my expectations. I would like to note, for jazz guitarists I think you'll find this to be a surprisingly versatile and capable tool, not just a toy.Bliss

If you are into clean sounds then this is not the amp for you. If you play hard rock/metal then you will love the sound but… Use a distortion pedal on the clean channel. The overdrive channel is your standard solid state crunch and nothing to write home about. (The amp has an omnipresent white noise sound which becomes an annoying hiss on the overdrive channel.) The 3 EQ knobs allow for some nice tone shaping but the 8" speaker definitely has limitations. I play a Les Paul and double coil pickups pack too much punch for this amp to be of any use for someone wanting a bright clean sound. For me the biggest drawback is the rather short (47 inch) power cord which exits the back of the amp without any protective bushings. The permanently attached cord isn't very thick and is vulnerable to damage – the amp has a closed back so there is no way to protect the cord in transit. The Marshall CF Series is made in Vietnam but don't let that bother you. Power cord issues aside, this appears to be a well made product. For the price it is a really good amp but it isn't very versatile. If you are looking for the "Rhoads Crunch", this amp has it. If you are into old jazz, ala The Les Paul Trio, forget it. The bottom line is that I would recommend it to budget-minded rockers but not to jazz or country players.Les Paul Disciple

Needed this to complement a larger speaker, and it works well. As a guitar amp, it would serve well for a beginner or for practice only.MOLELIMINATOR

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

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

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

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

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

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