Reddit mentions: The best guitar & bass amplifiers
We found 19 Reddit comments discussing the best guitar & bass amplifiers. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 13 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. CALIFORNIA TONE RESEARCH SET5 Single End Tube Guitar Amplifier
- All Tube Guitar Amplifier
- Single End Tripod design
- 5 Watts of Pure Class A power
- Perfect for Jazz, Blues, or Surf's Rock
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 12 Inches |
Length | 19 Inches |
Number of items | 20 |
Width | 15 Inches |
2. Blackstar IDCORE10 Stereo Combo Amplifier, 10W
- Refer the user manual below for troubleshooting
- Super Wide Stereo - 12 Stereo Effects
- Voice - select from 6 classic channels
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 15.27 Inches |
Length | 17.71 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 10 Watts |
Weight | 7.71 Pounds |
Width | 9.44 Inches |
3. Blackstar IDCOREFS11 Footswitch for Core 20 & 40 Guitar Combo Amp, 2W
Designed to expand the functionality of Black star's ID: Core amplifiersRugged two-way footswitch with a metal housingOffers two modes of operation for switching between channels and effects or selecting patchesCountry of Origin: China
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.32 Inches |
Length | 7.44 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 1.41 Pounds |
Width | 5.59 Inches |
4. VOX MV50 Series Amplifier Head, Rock (MV50AC)
- An Evolution in iconic tone, mV50 AC serves up the classic chime and distinctive crunch of a VOX AC30.
- 50 Watts
- Analog pre-amp featuring nutube
- Speaker & line/headphone outputs
Features:
Specs:
Height | 3.4 Inches |
Length | 9.7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Rock Head |
Weight | 1.1905 Pounds |
Width | 8 Inches |
5. BUGERA G5 5-Watt Class Amplifier Head with Infinium Tube Life Multiplier Morph Eq Reverb Black, (G5INFINIUM)
Hand-built 5-Watt Class-A amplifier driven by ECC83 and 12BH7 tubesRevolutionary INFINIUM Tube Life Multiplier technology:Revolutionary MORPH EQ to seamlessly sweep between USA and British EQ-style toneAmazing classic push-pull power amp design for vintage tonal characterHigh-definition reverb with ...
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 7.77 Inches |
Length | 17.55 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 17.53 Pounds |
Width | 9.15 Inches |
6. Behringer V-Tone Bass Driver DI BDI21 Bass Amp Modeler/Direct Recording Preamp/DI Box,Silver
- Analog modeling bass preamp/stompbox with DI recording output
- This BEHRINGER product has been designed to compete head to head with leading products on the market
- Authentic V-TONE modeling technology capable of dialing up big vintage tube tones, funky slap sounds, crunchy distortions and all in between
- Provides a truckload of great amps in a single stomp box—from traditional bass amps to modern overdriven amp tones that would typically require a multitude of effects units
- Authentic tube emulation circuitry can be mixed with the direct bass signal via blend control
Features:
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 5 Inches |
Length | 1.97 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | March 2008 |
Weight | 1.543235834 Pounds |
Width | 3.94 Inches |
7. Gallien-Krueger MB115-II 200W 1x15 Combo Bass Amp
- 200 watt
- 1x15" Paragon Driver
- Chain Output To Drive MBP Series Powered Cabinets
Features:
Specs:
Height | 23 Inches |
Length | 15 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 44 Pounds |
Width | 19 Inches |
8. BIYANG/WANG AMPS VT-1H ALL TUBE 1 WATT MICRO AMP HEAD COMPACT/POWERFUL (VT-1H)
- Includes: 1 FMM 250Q Quick change tool with variable speed in a plastic carrying case
- 1 Universal E-Cut blade, 1 HSS Segmented blade
- 1 Rigid Scraper Blade, 1 Carbide Blade, 1 Carbide Rasp
- 1 Dust Extraction Kit
- 1 Sanding pad and 15 sheets of sand paper, 1 Profile Sanding Kit
Features:
Specs:
Size | VT-1H |
9. Laney Amps Guitar Amplifier Cabinet (IRT112)
- 80 Watts
- Custom 12" HH-Designed Drivers
- Side Grab Handles
Features:
Specs:
Height | 20 Inches |
Length | 26 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 35 Pounds |
Width | 18 Inches |
10. MOOER Baby Bomb 30 Micro Power AMP
30 Watt Maximum Power OutputMaster volume control can provide smooth post stage overdriveWarm/Bright switch to adjust the power stage presenceBuilt in overcurrent protectionCan be connected to speaker cabinets with a load of 8Ohm or 16Ohm
Specs:
Height | 2.04724 Inches |
Length | 3.681095 Inches |
Width | 1.65354 Inches |
11. NUX Frontline 15 Electric Guitar Amplifier 15-Watt Clean and Distortion
- Hi-def neon multi-color colored electric Guitar strings: Medium 10-46
- Designed to give your stage presence a little extra pop, especially under UV black lighting
- All strings include the neon colored K3 coating, delivering longevity, more projection, fewer unwanted overtones, plus enhanced clarity and articulation
- Perfect tool for learning and teaching guitar- 6 strings, 6 colors
- 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46
Features:
12. Fender/Hello Kitty Standard Headphone Amp
- Just plug into the Fender Hello Kitty Headphone Amplifier to rock and go! The portable headphone guitar amp offers 3 modes of operation: Clean, for bluesy, smooth and acoustic feel; O-Drive, which emulates the sound of overdriven tube amplifiers for soaring leads; and Dist, for all-out distortion and heavy metal-hard rock grind
- Fender includes a personalized set of Hello Kitty headphones, a belt clip, and a 9V battery with the portable Hello Kitty Headphone Amp
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2 Inches |
Length | 7.75 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Width | 6.5 Inches |
13. Kustom The Defender 5H Class A Guitar Amp Head
- 5 Watts
- When turning the Volume control down to get cleaner tones, Duo-Mod(TM) progressively reduces gain in multiple locations throughout the preamp circuit. The result is stunning clarity, even on medium-gain sounds that often sound lackluster in other amp designs. Then, when adding gain, Duo-Mod brings it on in multiple locations. The result is smoking hot rock tones with punch and clarity that simply blow away the competition.
- 12AX7 Tube Preamp
- Solid Pine Cabinet with Plywood Baffle
- Designed in the USA
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black Tolex |
Height | 12.4 inches |
Length | 5 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | December 2009 |
Weight | 7 pounds |
Width | 7.2 inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on guitar & bass amplifiers
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where guitar & bass amplifiers are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Oh wow, working out and being more powerful plus healthier is tough :O Requires extreme discipline :O I hope you keep being motivated to continue even if it's probably one of the toughest things to do in life :D Weight lifting also helps a lot :D If you're feeling better then you're doing very well :D
As for myself, I am improving myself by adding another musical instrument to master to my skills, the guitar :D I'm currently on the third week of learning the guitar (self-learning only though via videos and books, human teachers are expensive lol!) and so far so good :) Still a super beginner, I still haven't even learned all the scales yet, but I can now play melodies on any string :D
The mentality from being a pianist to a guitarist can lead to weirdness :O Sure, the music theory is the same, but the approach and application is what the true challenge is :O For example, I have no problem playing any scale and forming chords on the piano. I even play the piano in the dark or with my eyes closed :D BUT on the guitar, since I'm a super beginner, I don't know how to form those chords, how to play those scales. The theory is there, but the practical application is what I am trying to experience in order to learn :D
My main goal when it comes to the guitar is to master it just like how the piano already feels like an extension of myself. I want to be able to express my soul into the guitar just like how I can make my emotions and intentions be heard on the piano :D I want to be able to play the guitar instinctively as if it's actually a part of me :D I want to be as good as Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, and Wes Montogomery :D They are the guitarists I look up to (for now because my research has led me to them, maybe I'll discover more) :D
As for an item that will definitely help me on my way to guitar mastery someday, it's the Blackstar Footswitch on my list :D I discovered recently that a normal footswitch only has limited capabilities with my Blackstar amplifier, so I need to get the real Blackstar Footswitch to get full functionality X_X But with this, it would allow me to be able to switch to different effects on the guitar with just the press (or stomp) of a button :D I love jazz as much as I love heavy metal and hard rock, all of them need emotion and soul to play :D With the ability to switch to different effects, such as reverb and even tone, I'll be able to release my musical thoughts and ideas more effectively :D True mastery of an instrument means to be able to speak your feelings and emotions through it, this is my goal :D
Oh and /u/Morthy is a sexy awesome mod, with or without the census <:D
Thanks again hehe :D
(Oh yeah, I've been watching Paul Gilbert's lessons, he's a great teacher on video!)
This will sound crazy, but I would actually recommend that you get a guitar practice amp with a tube. Maybe something like one of these:
https://smile.amazon.com/CALIFORNIA-TONE-RESEARCH-SET5-Amplifier/dp/B00M96RW0Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1479347224&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=tube+practice+amp
Or better yet, something used. Kustom used to make a great 12-watt combo with a celestion driver and a tube preamp. An old Fender Champ is ideal.
My reasoning is, a good low-watt guitar combo is actually a really useful piece of kit. It's great for recording (guitar or bass, sometimes), your guitar-player can use it for practice or even small gigs, you can use it to amp harmonica, electric piano, organ, or other instruments, and it has resale value.
OTOH, bedroom-volume bass amps tend to do everything poorly. Unless it's a B-15, a low-wattage bass combo is usually not going to sound very good (the guitar amp might actually sound better for bass, at these wattages). It won't have much resale value, there is low demand for them, and they just aren't usually very good.
So even as a bass player, I prefer to keep a little all-tube guitar combo in my living room, and leave the 1,000-watt bass rig in the rehearsal studio.
BTW if you can afford it, I'd get a relatively cheap modeling amp. Solid state amps sound good at conversation level and up. They don't need to be cranked like a tube amp to get a good tone.
The best one at under $100 is probably The Blackstar Core ID10 https://www.amazon.com/Blackstar-IDCORE10-Stereo-Combo-Amplifier/dp/B00IMXBIBM
But something older like a Mustang can be found really cheap used. I see the Fender Mustang 1 v2 all the time on craigslist for about $50 or the Mustang II for $70 - $90.
you might like a VOX MV50 AC with a portable 12" cabinet better (especially if playing with a drummer), based on my limited understanding of these two option.
i have a Marshal Code 50 modeling amp (there is both a head and a combo version) that was much cheaper and does a great job of emulating famous Marshall tube amps (as well as more generically Fender and VOX tube amps) and is LOUD AF. depending on what you are looking for it might be worth checking out.
Bugera G5. Great budget head. Based on the Blackstar HT5. I have one. Clean channel is great with pedals.
Which amp would be the best for me? A Fender Rumble 500 v3, a Gallien-Krueger MB115-ii, or an Orange Crush Pix CR100BXT? I play in a funky, psychadelic-ish, folk-ish, indie trio (I just need a versatile amp). I plan on getting a MIM Fender Standard Jazz Bass. I know these amps are not tube amps, but I can't afford a substantial tube amp, so one of these solid-states will have to do. Which one would be best for me?
My thoughts also... I would feel selling a car to get a bicycle in return.
I checked the micro-terror... sounds loud for an appartment...?
Would studio monitor sound nice? Just play through POD XT through the monitor (will I have delay issue?)
If not, this nano amp looks tempting: http://www.amazon.com/BIYANG-VT-1H-MICRO-COMPACT-POWERFUL/dp/B00RLH5ZGO
Myself I find the BEHRINGER V-TONE BASS DRIVER DI BDI21 more useful and a lot less...
https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-V-TONE-BASS-DRIVER-BDI21/dp/B000KIPUQG/ref=sr_1_2
This pedal by Behringer is a knock off SansAmp Bass Driver DI. Probably just about all you'll get that sounds good under $100 in the preamp/DI department.
You can probably find a used Peavey 6505mh under your budget, then just pair it with a cheap 1x12 and you're good to go. Probably be close to $600.
https://reverb.com/item/2206468-peavey-6505-mini-head-2015-black
http://www.amazon.com/Laney-Amps-IRT112-Amplifier-Cabinet/dp/B00DAMV6X0
VHT Special 6 or CTR Set 5 (both combos, if that is what you are looking for)
This sounds way better and has more features for 10 pounds less
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackstar-ID-Core-Stereo-Combo/dp/B00IMXBIBM/
I brought one home last night. Solves all my practice amp problems.
you could get a class d amp like the mooer baby bomb
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or this one with a bunch of settings and stuff
class d amps are neutral, so you kinda need to have your pedals sculpt the sound, but you could plug them right into the pa, afaik
This Behringer ain't bad, for a decent price too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIPUQG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
It’s an NUX Frontline 15
https://www.amazon.com/NUX-Frontline-Electric-Amplifier-Distortion/dp/B00JH9T2GS
I think it’s been discontinued at this point.
I have one of these.
Fender/Hello Kitty Standard Headphone Amp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S6RBIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QJhQBbF489XAT
Get a modeling pedal ala https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KIPUQG
Rather than worry about damaging the output transformer, if the OP is looking for a small tube amp for not much money, pick up the Kustom Defender. It's $99, and has awesome reviews online. I haven't used one, but am seriously considering it as a practice amp.