The Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers

Choosing the Best Affordable Guitar Amplifier for You

A good electric guitar is a work of art, the perfect intersection of form and function, music and technology. So much attention is paid to the guitar, however, that an equally important part of the equation is often virtually ignored: the amplifier. Every electric guitar needs an amplifier, and it seems that too often a fine guitar winds up being played through a substandard amplifier.

One reason this happens is money. Once you get done paying for all the guitar you can afford, the cash for a decent amp is almost an afterthought. That's what first gave me the idea for this guide -- I wanted to provide a manageable starting-point for your quest to buy a good electric guitar amplifier for a small amount of cash. The best deals on guitar amps are almost always online, and you can buy with confidence, since quality amplifier names like Fender, Marshall, and Vox are all available online in a wide variety of models and prices.

It can be confusing, shopping for electric guitar amps online, so I hope this brief guide to the best options helps you make a decision. No matter which you choose, you can be pretty sure you're going to get a quality guitar amp. Most features are similar between amp makes and models, and there are very few truly bad choices. I hope this lens helps you make a good decision about which electric guitar amp is best for you.

I hope my advice here helps you decide which kind of quality guitar amplifier is right for your budget!

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- The Fender Mustang

Fender Mustang I V2 20-Watt 1x8-Inch Combo Electric Guitar Amplifier

Recently, amps that use digital technology to recreate the sound of vintage, and more expensive, units have become very common I have to admit I am not a big fan of digital "modeling" amplifiers. These are amps that use digital technology to mimic the sound of virtually any guitar, amp, or effect you have ever heard. The sounds of classic amps and effects are generally created with an analog signal path -- that is, nothing digital. The digital versions mimic the sound, and these amps can come really close. Zillions of people use them. I myself have just never really gotten into them, partly because I'm an old-fashioned crank, and partly because to me digital always sounds, well, digital. I may be one of a dwindling breed here, so take my objections with a grain of salt. These Fender modeling amps, the Mustang I and the Mustang II, are perfectly good, maybe great, little amps that are both affordable and amazingly versatile. Young players especially will never think twice about the digital/analog controversy, and maybe that's for the best. I'll gather dust with my analog amps and effects, while the young guns learn how to shred, wail, and everything in-between with their affordable modeling amps.

For sheer dollar-to-wattage ratio, the Mustang, at 20 watts, is a solid value. Like many other digital modeling amps, it features an impressive number of modeling presets, which get you started on coming up with your own custom sounds, from chiming bright tones to heavy, brutal distortion. Another nice feature of this amp is the easy connectivity to your computer, for complete control of recording and tonal potential.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- The Line 6 Series

Line 6 Spider Classic 15 Modeling Amplifier

If you're ready for a modeling amp at a great price, Line 6 is where you should start. Among the first to push modeling technology when the digital revolution made the technology affordable, Line 6 offers a pretty amazing range of amp and effect models. What this means for you, the player, is that you have faithfully recreated digital versions of virtually every amp on the planet, from a punchy Fender Twin to a roaring Marshall Stack. You can create and save 4 distinct amps, compete with separate EQ's and effect settings. There's even a built-in tuner, which saves you the hassle of hooking one up and the expense of buying a separate unit.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- Vox VT20 Plus 20-Watt Combo



VOX Valvetronix VT20X Modeling Amplifier

Vox, along with Fender and Marshall, is one of those iconic names that conjure up images of the greatest rock acts in history. Vox powered any number of high-volume bands, and now you can grab a little of that raw energy with a genuine tube amp at an astoundingly affordable price.

Most, if not all, of the affordable guitar amps on the market today use exclusively solid-state circuitry coupled with digital modeling technology that replicates tube amp tones. This is a gigantic step forward for players without a ton of cash, because they can get powerful, almost-tube sound without going broke. Back when I was coming up, in the 1970s, there was no way to get tube sound without putting out the cash -- the little amps we got from Sears and JC Penny's were crappy little solid state amps that had a thin, farty sound. And we were stuck with them.

The Vox VT20, on the other hand, combines the best of both worlds: it's a modeling amp that also happens to have a genuine 12 AX7 vacuum tube, which give this unit true tube tone, as well as the digital technology to deliver virtually every tone imaginable. Eight user programs, master volume, EQ, and built-in tuner rounds out the features of this unique amp.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- The Fender Champion 40

Fender Champion 40 - 40-Watt Electric Guitar Amplifier

I like Fender amps, and this one has wide tonal versatility in a classic package. Fender Champion amps have been powering classic rock for decades, providing sweet-to-vicious tones for recording and small club settings. This series of modern-feature Fender Champions boast top-notch digital modeling, including "British" amp models and a slew of effects (delay, reverb, etc).

Fender's legendary ease-of-use is evident in the no-nonsense Voice and FX Select controls. You also have the option of playing along with any song in your hard drive via the MP3 connection.

I like the 12" speaker, which is larger and heavier-sounding than nearly every other speaker in affordable guitar amps that compete with this model. The bigger the speaker, the bigger the punch, and it's among the few features that make a big difference in your sound.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- The Pyle PVAMP Series

Pyle-Pro PVAMP60 60-Watt Vamp-Series Amplifier With 3-Band EQ, Overdrive, And Digital Delay

This is one loud amp -- at 60 watts it outdoes amps that cost much more. If you need to compete with a drummer, bass, and another guitarist, then an amp like this is the thing you need. The Pyle also has high and low inputs, clean/overdrive channels, and EQ control to shape your sound. Built-in digital delay and headphone jack rounds out this working-band's amplifier.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- the Marshall MG4 Carbon Series

Marshall MG10CF MG Series 10-Watt Guitar Combo Amp

Marshall was there at the beginning -- there's hardly any known guitarist in any band that hasn't played Marshall at some time or another. There's something about gigantic stacks of Marshall amps that just makes a band more rock. KISS even used to put up walls of empty Marshall speaker cabinets just to look more impressive.

You probably don't need a towering wall of Marshall amps, but you can get that legendary Marshall power and design -- not to mention that legendary grill -- at a price way below what you might expect. For example, the MG4 Carbon Series.

These amps are solid state, which means they rely on digital modeling to get faithful tube-amp tone (Marshall tube amps are preferred by purists, and one will set you back about four times as much as solid state). The MG30CFX pumps out a powerful 30 watts through 4 programmable channels. It also features a range of effects, and an MP3 input.

Best Affordable Guitar Amplifiers -- The Peavey VYPYR V.I.P.

Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 - 20 Watt Modeling Instrument Amplifier

Leaving aside the silly name (which reminds me of Keanu Reeves' band in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, "The Wyld Stallyns"), this is a good, forward-leaning choice for the guitarist interested in the extent of affordable amp modeling technology. Peavey's V.I.P. feature, which stands for "Variable Instrument Input," means it has amp models for not just an ordinary electric but also acoustic and bass guitars. Not only that, but it means your regular six-string electric can be induced to sound like a bass, an acoustic, or even a 12-string. Pretty cool, and only scratching the surface of what digital modeling will be offering to players of the not-distant future.

With its 32-bit, floating-point SHARC® processor, and an advanced tube-modeling signal chain called "TransTube® analog circuitry," this amp is certainly big on bells and whittles. Peavey has been around forever, and has come on recently to to rise from a merely acceptable name to one of the front-line modeling amp manufacturers. The VYPYR boasts more than 70 amp, stomp box, and rack effects, pretty impressive considering this amp is still quite affordable, and within the reach of most guitarists.

Bugera -- An Affordable Tube Amp

Bugera is an off-shoot of Behringer, which has a kind of spotty reputation for out-of-the-box quality. I had to return a sweet-sounding G20 Infinium amp because it had a bad tube from the minute I plugged it in; on the other hand, I have a lower-watt model like the one pictured here, and it works fine. If you're not depending on it for live situations, this is a great, affordable, dirty-sounding for way less than the competition.

 

 

 

 

What Do I Know About Buying Music Gear?

I have been in touring rock bands for almost 25 years, and now at (ahem) 49 years of age, I can safely say that I know what to look for and what to avoid when buying an instrument. In addition to my road gig experience, I have taught drums and guitar for many years. As part of my teaching work, I have helped dozens of students and their families decide which guitars, amplifiers, and drum sets to buy. I take into consideration some things others don't, like playability, durability, and the cost of accessories.