Electric guitarists know that the quality of the amp is often more important than the quality of the guitar itself. That’s how important it is to get an amp that sounds good – especially live! With that being said, a good amp doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive amp. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of some of the best amps to deliver the perfect tone for your next live show.
When it comes to choosing an amp to gig with there are a few key considerations to account for.
Portability, tone, and versatility are among the most important, barring the price, of course. Stack amps – the 2-piece units that are composed of a cabinet and speaker might make sense for huge arenas, but for most gigging musicians they provide no advantage. This article will primarily focus on combo amps, or single-piece units as they are far more portable (and affordable). Let’s dive in.
1) Fender Mustang III
Specs & Features
- DSP platform, High-quality modeling
- Chromatic Tuner
- USB connectivity
- Speaker: Celestion G12T-100 12”
- Output Power: 100 Watts
- Inputs: 1 ¼”
- Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Master, Data Wheel
- Weight 36 lbs.
This amp makes the list for its incredible versatility. It is a modeling amp which means it digitally emanates the sounds of over 100 presets resulting in a vast array of potential sounds.
2) Marshall Class 5 Combo
Specs & Features
- 5 Watt, 1x 10” Combo Amp
- All Valve Design
- 2 ECC83 Preamps and 1 EL84 Power Tubes
- Compact Design
- Speaker: Celestion G10F-15 Speaker
This is an excellent gigging amp from the brand that is synonymous with tone: Marshall. This compact tube amp delivers a warm and rich tone from a small package making it ideal. As it is an all-valve design, the harmonic distortion is nothing short of beautiful. A must have for blues, rock, and country guitarists the tone of this amp is undeniable.
3) Blackstar Studio 10 Combo Amp
Specs & Features
- Simple Controls
- EL34, 6L6, and KT-88 Valves
- 12” Celestion Speaker
This is a remarkable gigging amp that features a 12” speaker, giving it more air-moving capacity to easily fill spaces with the sound of your music. This is another valve-designed amp giving it the warmth and low power drive to yield lush low and mid harmonics for a rich distortion.
If you play the electric guitar – no matter what genre you favor, a Blackstar Studio 10 is an amp you will never regret acquiring. Built for tone with the beauty of simplicity in mind, this is a wonderful amp for your next gig.
4) Orange TH30 Combo Amp
Specs & Features
- Twin Channel High Gain Preamps
- Buffered Effects Loop
- Incredible Range of Clean and Distorted tones
This is another valve amp from a legendary amplifier manufacturer. The technical director for Orange Amps is quoted on their site saying “I wanted to design an amp that had a huge variety of tones with as few knobs as possible. The TH30 is the result.” Let us just say that they knocked their goal out of the park.
This is one of the most versatile, simple to use and portable amps going. The buffered effects loop allows the players to really get the most out of their pedals, and allows any number of effects and cables to be patched in and out of the amp without giving up anything in the tone department. It also features the classic Orange styling that goes great on any stage.
5) Ampeg GVT52-112
Specs & Features
- 50 Watt, 2 channel all-tube amp
- Classic 70s VT styling
- 1x 12” Celestion Speaker
- Spring Reverb controlled by Footswitch
This is a classic – perfect for all you blues, classic rock, and country players out there. The versatility of tone in this tube amp is phenomenal. Further, the Baxandall EQ circuitry allows for total tonal control. The Baxandall curve provides a much smoother sound with less phase distortion than other guitar amp EQs, making it a tone machine like no other. The 12” Celestion speaker is of the highest quality and comfortably fills spaces that 10” speakers have to audibly work for.
Check us out here if you would like to learn more about guitar theory and how to play or get the most out of your instrument and equipment.