What are the best guitar amp brands? On this page we list the world’s best-known guitar amplifier manufacturers, and highlight classic and affordable models from each company.
Many of the guitar amp brands listed on this page have been making high-quality guitar amplifiers for decades, their products helping to shape the sound of guitar music just as much as the guitars themselves.
Guitar Amps
Page Index
- Marshall
- Classic Marshall Amp
- Affordable Marshall Amp
- Fender
- Classic Fender Amp
- Affordable Fender Amp
- Vox
- Classic Vox Amp
- Affordable Vox Amp
- Orange
- Classic Orange Amp
- Affordable Orange Amp
- Boss
- Classic Boss Amp
- Affordable Boss Amp
- Blackstar
- Classic Blackstar Amp
- Affordable Blackstar Amp
- Mesa Boogie
- Classic Mesa Boogie Amp
- Affordable Mesa Boogie Amp
Different brands of guitar amps, generally speaking, cater to different markets. Towering Marshall stacks are unlikely to be the choice of amplification for a smoky jazz trio, but they’re almost the go-to amplifiers for established metal bands.
A guitar amp brand’s image can (almost) be as important as sound. Would the Beatles’ legendary stage setup have had the same effect (either sonically or visually) were they playing anything but their iconic Vox combos?
Your choice of amplifier is a major consideration, and it will have a huge impact on your tone and playing.
An amp’s power, number of channels, method of tone production, size, and effects are just a few of the factors you need to consider when choosing an amplifier, whether you’re a beginner looking for a practice amp, or a superstar looking for an amp to take on a world tour.
Here, we’ve listed a selection of the best guitar amp brands, outlining what they’re known for and what you can expect from their products. We’ve also included a “classic” and an “affordable” amplifier by each company for you to check out.
Marshall
Hendrix. AC/DC. The Who. Iron Maiden. Just a few of the names associated with Marshall, perhaps the world’s most famous amplifier brand.
The Marshall stack is a hard rock and heavy metal icon. (A “stack” is a combination of an amplifier head “stacked” on top of one or more separate speaker cabinets.)
Guitarists first picked up on the “special something” in Jim Marshall’s easily-overdriven amplifiers back in the 1960s, and headbangers have kept Marshall in business ever since.
Classic Marshall Amp: Marshall Plexi Range
- Output: 50-Watt
- Preamp Valves: 3 x ECC83
- Power Amp Valves: 2 x EL34
- 3-band EQ
Amps from Marshall’s classic “Plexi” range (named for the Plexiglas used on the front panels) have graced countless classic rock and metal albums. If you want devastating volume, paired with Marshall’s classic overdriven sound, then there isn’t really any other choice.
The brand’s modern take on the classic Plexi amps is the Marshall 1987X.
50 watts. Three ECC83 valves in the preamp, two EL34 amps in the power amp, and a no-fuss three-band EQ. No master volume and a retail price of $2999.99.
True, the Marshall Plexi 1987X isn’t a cheap amplifier, but if you want to capture the white-hot lead tones of your heavy metal heroes, there is no substitute.
This heavy-duty amp is aimed squarely at regularly gigging players who need a lot of volume and know the exact, bone-crunching tone they want to produce. Think “Back in Black”, or the white-hot lead tone on “The Trooper”.
This is just the amplifier head, mind, so you’ll also need to purchase a separate cabinet or cabinets – typically the Marshall 1960AX and 1960BX for the classic 4 x 12” look and tone.
Best Affordable Marshall Amp
- 1x10" 1-channel Tube Guitar Combo Amplifier with Celestion Speaker
- High/Low Sensitivity Loudness Controls
- Power Reduction Circuit
- Effects Loop
- 20/5-watt
The thing with these all-tube amplifiers is that there’s no real entry-level model that truly captures the power and sound of the real deal.
If, however, you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, then Marshall’s Studio Vintage 20C is worthy of consideration. It’s a combo amp with switchable 20 or 5 watts of power, making it suitable for gigs as well as bedroom practice. (A combo amp houses both the amp and the speakers in the same unit.) The Studio Vintage 20C produces the classic Marshall tones with impressive accuracy.
Fender
America’s leading amplifier brand has, for decades now, been Fender.
Leo Fender, responsible for the solid-bodied electric guitar revolution with his groundbreaking Telecaster, was a visionary. A great guitar needed a great amp, so his company set about building the cleanest, most powerful amplifiers they could.
Fender’s amp range is best known for its chiming, ultra-high-fidelity clean tones. That’s not to say that they don’t overdrive well; Neil Young’s dirty, distorted tone comes thanks to a Fender amp driven well past the point of saturation.
A Fender tube amp will typically provide a clear, powerful clean tone, and take guitar pedals very well. If you use pedals to form the basis of your tone, or you’re fond of amp-in-a-box style pedals like those made by Catalinbread, then you may well find a Fender amp to be right choice for you.
Classic Fender Amps: Twin Reverb, Bassman, Princeton
- 12-watt 1-channel All-tube 1x10" Guitar Combo Amplifier with Reverb Tremolo
Classic Fender amps include the Fender Twin Reverb, the Bassman, and the Princeton.
The Fender twin is a twin-speaker combo amp capable of delivering devastatingly powerful clean tones.
The brand’s Bassman amp, originally aimed at bassists, is known for its simplicity, mighty power, and the characteristic tone of its four 10” speakers.
The Fender Princeton is an iconic amp used by countless country, rock, and pop players over the decades. Don’t let its twelve watts of power fool you; this is a loud amplifier, capable of producing gigging, as well as practice, volumes. The amp also includes built-in reverb and tremolo effects, and – of course – that classic pure, clean Fender tone.
With its lower wattage, the Princeton’s sound will break up nicely if you’re interested in a John Mayer-esque lead tone.
Best Affordable Fender Amp
- Shape your sound with the EQ section (Bass plus Treble) as well as dial in lush effects such as digital reverbs, chorus, vibratone and delay.
- Jam along with your favorite tracks by simply plugging your MP3 player into the Auxiliary input and you instantly become part of the band and /or practice privately with the 1/8th headphone output jack that also mutes the speaker output.
- With a turn of a knob, choose from clean to mean tones from the 17 various amp models that will to accommodate almost any genre of music.
- Store extra cables or other small accessories with the open back cabinet. Voltage: 230 Volts EUR
- Enjoy the peace of mind that this amp is backed by Fender’s 5 Year Transferable Warranty.
The Fender Champion is a perfectly usable lower-end option. It comes in a variety of wattages, the lowest being 20, and uses a small 8” speaker so it won’t bug your neighbors when you’re jamming at home. It includes a variety of classic Fender effects, including reverb, delay/echo, chorus, and tremolo.
Vox
Vox is another iconic British amp manufacturer known for their combo amplifiers. The Vox AC series was a core sound of the British Invasion, wielded by no less a band than the Beatles.
Once the 1970s came around, Queen’s legendary lead guitarist Brian May brandished his homemade Red Special guitar, achieving his signature dense, saturated, otherworldly guitar sound with an AC30.
Vox amps tend to have a jangly, treble-heavy sound, well-suited to the raucous rock n’ roll of the 1960s.
Classic Vox Amp: Vox AC30
- Delivers 30 watts of classic VOX power, perfect for a wide range of venues
- Equipped with EL84 power tubes and 12AX7 preamp tubes for authentic, warm tube tone
- Features two 12" Celestion Alnico Blue speakers, known for their exceptional clarity and dynamic response
- Dual-channel design with Normal and Top Boost channels, each with independent volume controls for diverse tonal options
- Interactive Treble and Bass tone controls on the Top Boost channel for precise sound shaping
The AC30 is a combo amplifier boasting EL84 tubes and a Celestion speaker. It is a phenomenally loud amplifier, and it’s also extremely heavy, although the convenient handles on the top are a welcome concession to those of us who don’t have roadies to carry our gear. The amp has the Vox signature “Top Boost” circuit for extra jangle and sparkle.
Best Affordable Vox Amp
- Compact 10-watt combo amp, perfect for home practice and small gigs
- Features a 6.5-inch speaker delivering powerful, dynamic tones
- Classic VOX design with diamond grille cloth and chicken head knobs
- Sleek and stylish finish that adds a touch of elegance to any setup
- Clean/Overdrive switch for instant tone changes from clean to warm distortion
Vox also offers the Pathfinder, a smaller combo amp with the classic Vox look and tone. It only offers ten watts of power, but has plenty of clean power for Beatles enthusiasts looking to play along at home.
Orange
Orange has long been something of a Marmite brand for guitarists. You either love the distinctive orange tolex and signature wall-of-sound distortion… or you can’t stand it!
Orange amps are widely used in heavier music genres, with the likes of Slipknot’s Jim Root and Mastodon’s Brent Hinds often seen plugging in to the company’s distinctive amps. It’s not only metalheads that use these surprisingly versatile amps; guitarists such as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top use Orange amps, too.
Classic Orange Amp: AD 30
- Channel 1 and 2 controls: gain/volume/bass/middle/treble.
The Orange AD30 offers all the chime and crunch you’d expect from a classic British amplifier. Four EL84 tubes, a GZ34 (5AR4) valve rectifier and a pair of 2-stage channels give this amp plenty of diversity, from chiming cleans to fire-breathing saturation. It’s enough amp for Led Zeppelin’s legendary axeman Jimmy Page!
Best Affordable Orange Amp
- Power: 20 watt (hybrid)
- Tube: 1 12AX7 tube preamp with solid state power amp
- Controls: Volume, tone and gain
- Headphone output & Aux input for MP3
For players looking for something smaller and more affordable, the Orange Micro Terror amp is a lunchbox-sized amplifier with three simple controls and astonishingly versatile tone. It has twenty watts of power and a solitary 12AX7 tube preamp with a solid state power amp.
Like all Orange products, this tiny amplifier is absolutely dripping with old-school cool.
Boss
Boss are best known for their effects pedals, but we’d be remiss not to mention the brand’s fantastic Katana amplifier range here.
You’re probably familiar with many of the classic Boss effects, like the Space Echo, overdrive, distortion, or chorus, all of which have helped shaped guitar sounds for several decades of popular music.
Boss are relative newcomers to the amplifier game, but if you’re looking for a well-made amp capable of producing a huge variety of tones, then you really can’t beat the Katana range.
Classic Boss Amp: Boss Katana
- 100W Amplifier - Owner's Manual - Power Cord - GA-FC Sticker
- Light and portable 100-watt amplifier head with powerful, gig-ready sound
- Five unique amp characters: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (derived from the Waza amp), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitars)
- Choose from 55 customizable effects with BOSS Tone Studio editor software
- Store 15 different effects on board, with three effects available at once
The fully-fledged Boss Katana head provides 100 watts of power and the ability to produce just about every tone under the sun in one handy package. You’ll need to buy a speaker cabinet too (unless you purchase the equally impressive Katana combo) as the model is an amplifier head, rather than a combo.
The Katana is basically five amps in one, with discrete Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (think ultra-saturated metal tone), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitars) channels. It also has 55 Boss effects built in.
Best Affordable Boss Amp
- Great Katana tone in a highly portable amp
- Rich, full sound that far exceeds other amps in its class
- Authentic multi-stage analog gain circuit and three-band analog tone stack
- Three versatile amp types: Brown, Crunch, and Clean
- Built-in tape-style delay for warm ambience
The Katana Compact is a significantly cheaper option, with only three channels, an onboard tape-style delay, and battery power. It’s aimed at travelling guitarists or those who only need a practice amp at home.
Blackstar
Blackstar Amplification was founded by a group of ex-Marshall employees in the 2000s. You could be forgiven for thinking that Blackstar were yet another Marshall imitator, but in reality, the brand has carved out its own niche, with many modern players being drawn to the brand’s classic British tone.
Journey’s Neal Schon, Iron Maiden, and blues-rock guitarist Jared James Nichols all use Blackstar amps for their distinctive British crunch and even volume response.
If you like the Marshall-type sound, but you found the relatively narrow tonal spectrum of a classic Marshall limiting, or dislike the overly gain-heavy modern Marshall iterations, you might want to consider a Blackstar amp.
Classic Blackstar Amp: JJN-20R
- Blackstar Model#JJN20RMKII
Blackstar hasn’t been around long enough to have a “classic” amp, per se, but Jared James Nichols’ signature model offers a great insight into everything Blackstar does well.
This combo amp, with a sole Celestion speaker and EL84 tubes, offers both “British” and “American” style tube amp tones. It’s a sweet spot between the classic Marshall grit and the luxurious, refined American sound of Fender-style amps.
The amp also has two overdrive options, again following the bright, chiming British route or the more punishing, saturated American-style tone of a Mesa Boogie amplifier. Handily, it features a power switching option, allowing you to drop from 20 watts of power to 2 for practice.
Best Affordable Blackstar Amp
- Refer the user manual below for troubleshooting
- Digital 'tape' delay effect; Patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature)
- Sonic Performance The use of a full range driver eliminates the need of a subwoofer; This has the benefit of removing the requirement for a crossover and the negative sonic impact that can have; The key part of a guitar’s tone occurs in the frequencies that are normally affected by a crossover and for music playback the performance is similar to nearfield monitors
- Attention to Detail Countless hours were spent on the design of the cabinet to achieve a sonic performance not normally found in a mini amp; The housing is sealed and tuned to ensure optimum tonal response and the material used has been mathematically modelled to have the Young’s Modulus of wood; This retains the bass response usually associated with a wooden cabinet
The Blackstar Fly 3 is the little – and we do mean little – brother to their top of the line combo amps. With both clean and overdrive options, a sole tube, and 3 watts of British power, this amp also includes a convenient “trans-Atlantic” tone control that allows you to switch between “British” and “American” voicings. There’s also headphone output, aux input, and the option to play it with batteries.
Mesa/Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is an American amp brand famed for its ultra-high quality, boutique guitar amplifiers. Founded in 1969, the company first specialized in “hot-rodding” amps made by other manufacturers. The company began to develop its own amps, which became highly-regarded throughout the world, in particular the “Mark” series of amps produced in the 70s and 80s.
Classic Mesa/Boogie Amp: Mark IIC+
The Mark IIC+ is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the company’s “Mark” series. This tweaked version of the Mark IIC is highly-sought after; you can check if the amp is a “+” version by looking for a hand-drawn + mark above where the power lead enters the amp.
Best Guitar Amp Brands
We hope that you have enjoyed our list of the best guitar amp brands. Of course, a list such as this is subjective, and by no means definitive; there are plenty of other amp manufacturers out there.
Have we missed out your favorite amp brand? Do you agree or disagree on our choice of classic models from each company? Let us know in the comments section!
