Guitar Amp Wattage Guide For Sale (2024 Update)

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

It offers a wealth of information and clears up a lot of questions about tube amp design . Plus it is written in such a way that it is easy too follow .bluesm9289

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

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

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

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

Where do I start? Well, how about, this is the best tube amp I have ever played! 62 years with many guitars and many amps, some owned, some borrowed, and some tested in music shops, might give me a little credibility. I have loved a Fender Twin Reverb, made in the 50s that my uncle Keith, and my guitar mentor, loaned me for a while. It just sounded so good. Never could seem to find cash, or justification to buy a tube amp, but have owned a hal a dozen solid states. THEN THIS LITTLE BEAUTY! Having played the Twin for a couple of years, and others such as a Mesa Boogie, VOX's, and too many others to recall, THIS monster sounds like most of them with just little tweaks of the knobs and my guitar switches. I have played country, 60s and 70s rock, blues, finger-style instrumentals, gospel, etc. I believe this is the PERFECT combo, with the correct (JJ) tubes, a sweet (and dirty when desired) Seventy/80 speaker, and an amazing diversity of sounds, which works in every genre I play! I do not know how anyone can find reason to bad mouth this. I had it for 2 weeks, was asked to fill an absent, guitarist's spot at an outdoor venue, I took this little amp. We played to an area the size of a football field. I set the amp on 1 Watt, until I could hear it cleanly (behind me on stage), let the sound man mic and mix me in. Never had to turn it above about 4, with gain between 1 and 4, and many complemented me on my sound, and musicians asked me WHAT IS THAT LITTLE AMP? Those are the good points. I can only think of two piddly things I would like to see changed, and one would be a standby switch, and the second being a way to run the external speaker WITHOUT cutting off the amp speaker. Until then, I will just keep playing this sweetheart amp, and enjoy the statements about "my sound," and the question of WHAT IS THAT LITTLE AMP? Keep playing everybody…and maybe buy one of these. I do not believe you will regrety it.New User

These amps are fantastic, and at these bargain prices you simply can't go wrong. I upgraded the reverb tank in mine to a Mod and changed the speaker for a Warehouse GC12. OMG, this thing is a beast! Another WGS option I've seen people use is the ET65 for a more British tone, also with good results. The stock speaker is not too bad, but this one simple upgrade of swapping the speaker takes the amp to the next level. It just sounds awesome. The upgraded reverb tank is also an improvement, but not as much as I thought it would be. If I had to do it over again I would just take out the stock tank and use a pedal for reverb and make the amp even lighter to haul around. The more important upgrade imo is the speaker. It really makes a world of difference. Grab one reasonably while you still can, the price keeps creeping up and up and up… !Jeff

After a number of FEDEX issues, I received my amp about 5 days later than estimated. It did arrive in excellent condition and was worth the wait. The Stage Right 611815 has a really sweet tone that sounds particularly good with the single coil pickups on my Fender Sratocaster Player. It breaks up nicely! The reverb works perfectly, and is fine for most playing but you might want an external reverb unit if you are playing Dick Dale tunes. A really nice feature for home playing is the 15W/1W switch, where you can limit the amp to 1 W (be aware that with sound, you have to increase the wattage by 10 times to double the perceived volume, so the 1W setting is a lot more than 1/15th as loud as the 15W setting). It is a bit unusual to have a tone control along with the more common bass, middle and treble controls. Personally, I would have labeled the Tone control as Presence, because that is what it seems to be. I have mostly been playing in the 1W mode with all the controls (including reverb) at 12 o clock, and that is working out great. As far as construction, the amp looks fantastic and gives a vintage look that hints at its tone! The dark grill cloth provides a nice contrast with the blonde tolex, giving a true vintage appearance. The retro red, jeweled pilot light and metal toggle switch complement the vintage styling Keeping with the vintage look, the control panel is chrome with retro chicken head knobs. As others have mentioned, the control names are a little bit difficult to read on the chrome panel. After you use the controls once, you know where they are, so does it really matter (I noticed the blonde version of the Fender Blues Jr also uses a chrome control panel…probably where Monoprice got the idea)? The tolex is neatly installed and glued, at least the parts that are exposed. The leather handle is also reminiscent of old school amps. And I really like the metal corner protectors…very nice. As proudly announced by a badge on the front panel, the amp is equipped with a Celestion speaker…a Seventy 80 The only criticism of the construction, and it is minor, is that the 8 external screws are not chamfered properly to mesh with the finishing washers, which result in the screw heads protruding above the washers. The amp has a jack for an external speaker. When you plug in an external speaker, the internal speaker is shut off, as is common with guitar amps. The reason is if you plug in an external 8 ohm speaker and the internal speaker would still be on, a (combined) 4 ohm load would be presented to the amplifier, which it is not designed to handle. The back is open. The line cord is not detachable, but can be conveniently stowed in the back of the amp. The amp has an effects loop, which I have not tried yet. The amp is now equipped with JJ brand tubes and a metal, two spring, reverb tank, which are upgrades from the original issue I wish I could find a nice, economical (i.e. $20) dust cover for the amp. The only ones I can find are priced at $50 or more, a bit much for protecting an inexpensive amp. In conclusion, the Stage Right 611815 amp looks great and sounds great, and I highly recommend it.Chris

The book covers a lot of areas in different ways, which I like because it helps me absorb the information. I like reading about the evolution of different Amps and the practical side that a technician will appreciate. There are always intangibles when it comes to sound and I like the way the author gives a place to that dimension of interpreting values regarding the different aspects of the amps he is writing about. I am a harmonica player and was slightly disappointed that there is no mention of modifications that would specifically pertain to amps designed for that purpose. Other than that I love the detail and scope of the book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in tube amps.sydrea48

Received well, good packaging, good print. Book itself it is really good, lots of useful information, a must read for people interested on the subject.corpusterrae

Gerald Weber is a legend in the world of tube amplifiers, he does a very good job at explaining things in a clear way so the reader can understand without needing a degree in electronics. If you have an interest on the workings of tube guitar amplifiers and want a better understanding of why they work and sound the way they do then you need to read this book. By the time you finish reading this book you will have a much better understanding of how your amps work and how to get great sounding tone out of them.dirtbomb666

Very informative and interesting book covering theory and practical modifications to improve various tube amps written by someone who has extensive knowledge…highly recommendmds2spwcs

I've read quite a few books on negotiation but this one is by far the best and I don't say that lightly. It is not just comprehensive covering any negotiating angle or issue you can possibly think off but I liked the author's quirky style and cynical sense of humor. The one-liners are especially useful for the time challenged readers. They are summarized after every chapter as WINNING TIPS: What I Wish I Knew Twenty Years Ago" and then again at the end of the book as "101 Rules & Ruminations". An example called The Shaft-or-Be-Shafted Rule: Conventional "wisdom": Don't get mad get even. Igor's wisdom: Don't get mad or get even just get what you want. The only negative (if you can consider being over ambitious a negative) is that the book crams so much information into 240 or so pages that one needs days if not weeks to absorb it all but I can assure you it will be worth your time and effort. This is a goldmine of practical and poignant information! "alexduvall

I was really surprised at how good this amp sounds. Years ago I tried Line 6 and was not at all happy with the tone; but this is another story. It does take me awhile to dial in a specific classic rock tone, but when I do, it sounds better than any other amp that I've tried. I have tried the Marshall Code, Blackstar id Core, Vox Valvetronix, Boss Katana; as well as some all tube amps. The only other amp that is a close 2nd is the Fender Mustang GTX; also a great amp. The Spider V is fairly easy to operate. It offers lots of choices for amp models and cabinets. I like that it has variations of a mic'd cabinet. The parametric eq is a plus. I haven't played around too much with the effects yet, so I can't comment on that. The only negative thing I could say is that when you're editing a preset and want to hear how it sounds before you save it, you only have a short time before it goes back to the Home Screen. This really is a small price to pay for the quality of the amp and all the versatility it has. I like the App too. Musicians Friend got me a great on this as well; and their agent is following up making sure that I'm satisfied. The funny thing is that I came across this by accident. I placed an order for a Peavey amp that was on back order. I called Peavey multiple times, but they never returned my call. I also emailed them, but they didn't respond to that either. As far as I'm concerned, Peavey doesn't have any customer support.crrkr

Been playing about a year, so my review is from the perspective of a complete newbie. The things I like- Lots of presets, mobile app functions, computer interface, and loads of user created effects available. Nice and loud, but no real basis of comparison to say if clarity is better or worse than other comparable amps. Don't likes- The micro-usb interface. I had to get an adapter and it's just not as good a connection as nearly anything else would be. IMHO, micro-usb is far too flimsy. Connecting to PC is far more problematic than just using the spider mobile app. It's probably a little more complicated than it should be for a beginner, but it's feature rich for the money.Nic T

I had a Line 6 120w amp for years that I regrettably sold a while ago and was looking for another amp. I looked at all the amp reviews I could find and decided that the new Katana was the way to go. I got the Katana home and absolutely loved it but the second day I had it it started a really loud buzzing that I couldn't stop. It probably was an easy fix but the fact is the amp was way too powerful for my purposes and their software wasn't compatible with the new Catalina OS. I returned and started looking again. I saw the 60w Spider V and the price was excellent so I made an on the spot decision to buy another Line 6 and I'm really glad I did. The tones this amp can get are incredible. There are so many amp models and cabs that you can dial in pretty much any tone you want from a crispy snapback country clean to the most vicious heavy metal and everything in between. You can use the presets as they are or you can use them as a baseline and tweak to your own liking or you can start from scratch and build your own rig from the ground up. The controls are intuitive and easy to use but there are some features where you'd have to be a professional to really know how to use or even care to use. The software and the mobile app are so easy to use and give you all the options at your fingertips. The amp comes with a lot of presets that I find are completely useless but there are a lot that are excellent as I already talked about. There are only four empty slots for your own custom presets and I wish there were more but if you use the mobile app you can have your own tone library on there. I bought the FBV3 foot controller so that gives me a lot of flexibility to have various effects. One of the limitations is the lack of good effects though. There's enough that if you work at it you can get a decent sound but there could be some better ones. Overall I would recommend the amp. Don't listen to the naysayers or the amp snobs, it's a quality amp and extremely versatile.Just Plain Joe

I recently grabbed this beauty to use with my array of acoustic electric guitars (Gibson L-00 Rosewood, Martin 000-17E, Taylor 324ce, Breedlove Oregon Myrtlewood Concertina, and Breedlove Premier Adirondack/Rosewood Concert). I will especially need it when it comes time to play shows again, and I was interested in this amp as it has two channels (one for guitar and one for vocals). The sound is perfect and so true to the tone and nuances of each guitar that I'm mostly just mad at myself that it took me this long to get ahold of this amp. It is deep and full sounding and also has an excellent grouping of effects (the delay and reverb are stellar). There are more expensive acoustic amps out there (I own one of them) but this is the best that I've used. It will give you absolutely everything that you need to annoy your neighbors or to perform in front of a small-to-medium-sized room full of people.Tyler from Oregon

Overall I'm very pleased. Other reviews have covered most everything, so I'll just add a few comments. While I love the sound of this amp, it's pretty under-powered when used with dynamic mics or a passive guitar pickup. I have a Taylor 712 ce with a K&K mini installed, and it benefits greatly from running the signal into a LR Baggs Para Acoustic Guitar DI and Preamp first. Similarly, a dynamic mic like a Shure 58 sounds fine, but will do much better with a preamp of some sort. I prefer to use a condenser like an Audio-Technica AE5400. I also have the big brother of this amp, the 200-watt version. I like to take a line out from that amp and run it into the 100 for use as a stage monitor. The amp sound basically identical, so that eliminates the need for messing around much with the EQ – what you hear is what is going out to the audience. There's no tilt-back mechanism on the 100 but I find that a foam block like what's used for transporting a kayak serves as a nice support to lean it on. One other thing – this is a beautiful amp and deserves some protection. I don't think that Musicians Friend as of this writing stocks a cover for it, but ione is available at a reasonable price online if you look around a bit. Bottom line – this is a very nice little amp. Allowing for the gain issues noted above, I'm very pleased with both the 100 and 200-watt versionsNJKid

Hands down, this is the most stunning amp I have ever used with my acoustic guitar! The sound is absolutely gorgeous, warm, and true to the beauty of my guitar! I own a Martin GPC16 and use it with this amp. Even my husband, who isn't a musician but has an ear for sound, couldn't believe how beautiful my guitar sounded on it. I recommend this for any acoustic player! I use it for guitar and vocals and have been so impressed. The built in effects are perfect for what I need- nothing fancy but tasteful. I usually stick to a nice reverb or delay.Jackie

For those of you who like short reviews: Overall, I thought that this book was worth the cost. Here are some thoughts on specific sections I had as I read the book: This book was published over twenty-five years ago. I mention that only for those people who are concerned about such things. Designs for Tube-type Instrument Amps were more or less codified another twenty years before then, so it is pretty much a moot point for me. That said, there is a Chapter on Speakers that could be updated. While underlying concepts remain the same, today´s Speakers are made of new, improved materials. If you own a tube amp and know little or nothing about tube amps or amp electronics in general, then Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen, ´What NOT To Do´ and ´Technical Tips´ are probably worth the cost of the book right there. If your interest in this book is Amp Mods, be aware that the author is a Marshall kind of guy and although Basic Principles remain the same, modifications for other brands of amps are not described. There are also some Troubleshooting Flowcharts included. I have not had occasion to use them, but they look very well done. This book is not a collection of schematics and is not intended as that sort of reference work. Bearing that in mind, a few schematics or circuit sections could have been very helpful in illustrating the text. A sample schematic would be especially useful in the chapter on biasing. Final assessment: This is a good introduction to the topic of Tube Amps. Techs and other Advanced Readers might want to look elsewhere. This is Technical Material, so you can expect some Math, Science and Big Words, but there is nothing here beyond the High School level. Recommended for Beginners and Early Intermediate.michaelmx

Any guitarist wanting to learn more about how their tube amp works and how to service it should consider picking up this book. Plenty of theory without it becoming overwhelming and lots of essential information how to keep your amplifier working. Highly recommended reading for all guitarists.dirtbomb666

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 was fortunate enough to use this amplifier for all the 2017 Warped Tour dates that my band was scheduled for. Playing through this amp every day was really inspiring. My favorite thing about the SC50 is how it reacts to pick attack. You can play soft and you will get a more pure clean tone but if you dig in it reacts brilliantly and you get a beautiful overdriven tone that is unmatched in my experience. I play really dynamic music and that definitely came in handy day to day. The amp also sounds great with pedals which I use a good amount of. In particular it really shines with overdrive, fuzz and distortion pedals. I highly recommend the SC50 to players seeking an incredible sounding amplifier with a really pure and powerful sound. I also highly recommend this amplifier to recording engineers and studio owners.Johny guitar

This was Jimi Hendrix clean channel on tour in '67 The sound is so perfect you don't need any effects Playing bass, guitar, or electric ukulele it just seems so natural sounding and all I do is try without jumpers, then with the jumpers until I get "my sound" then adjust the tone then volumes and I'm set for the whole show, minor adjustments using controls on the instrument is all I can play it for hours, the sound I can't describe its really pleasing to the ear!TIC

A whole lotta amp for the money. What a great sound. A great Hiwatt sound but without that high piercing sound. Very warm and more than enough gain. As soon as I plugged in and hit an open chord I was waiting for Roger Daltry to start screaming. This tone will have a place with all of my Amps in the studio.The Bishops Pawn

I wanted something small enough to pack around but still be loud enough and tone to sound big. This is one of the best small amps I've owned and I've owned a lot. quality build with a 10" speaker so it's got plenty of bass. Need w small practice amp that can still be used for small to medium clubs, this is the one. And at $77 it's probably the least expensive on the market and still be used professional if need be.Jefferson

Stagg make great musical equipment. Don't believe it if anyone tells you different. This is a beautifully built, robust and great quality 40 watt solid state combo. It has great tone shaping, including a nice spring reverb which is subtle and adds the right amount of effect. The speaker is of a very decent quality and no-one needs to swap it out for a name speaker. The clean channel produces a lovely sparkle and the overdrive channel lets any guitarist produce good rock tones. It is so much more sturdy than the plastic fantastic modelling amplifiers. Built to last forever. What's not to like?cadaverama

Very nice sounding electric guitar amp. Lots of great features. The price from Mighty Ape is the best anywhere, other companies are selling these for extravagant prices.Chris