Best home playing and recording amps
Looking for a new amp can be a minefield, but here at MusicRadar, we like to think of ourselves as veterans who can guide you through without a scratch.
We've scoured all our amplifier reviews, weighed up all the pros and cons and settled on the finest amps on the market right now in various handy categories. First up is home playing and recording amps, an increasingly popular purchase for folks looking for something with tone that doesn't take up the entire front room. Read on for our pick of the bunch...
Yamaha THR10
Yamaha has reinvented the practice amp to dovetail neatly with the demands of most guitarists’ modern day lives. It’s the perfect solution for playing and jamming at home, and records well, too.
TYPE: Solid-state modelling amp with built-in effects
OUTPUT: 10 watts
SPEAKERS: 2x3.1”
WEIGHT: 2.8kg/6.1lbs
Vox AC4C1-BL
Vox has got it just right with this little amp. The fairly priced AC4C1-BL would grace anyone’s practice area or living room. The addition of a pedal or two will have you playing away in whatever style you like.
TYPE: Valve combo
OUTPUT: 4 watts
SPEAKERS: 1x10” Celestion VX10
WEIGHT: 9kg/19.84lbs
Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 5
Many will wonder whether this is a better choice than a digital modelling amp. But a valve amp of this nature sounds more visceral, has a different response to the overdrive and all-important midrange.
TYPE: Valve combo
OUTPUT: 5 watts
SPEAKERS: 1x8” Celestion Eight 15
WEIGHT: 7.4kg/16.3lbs
Marshall JTM1
This little belter belies its tiny rating with a throaty, vintage voice that’ll keep you smiling. Not as big sounding as the Class 5, but it’s still a piece of history that all self-respecting guitar players should consider owning.
TYPE: Valve combo
OUTPUT: 1 watt
SPEAKERS: 1x10” Celestion G10F-15
WEIGHT: 7kg/15lbs
Blackstar HT-5
It looks cool and is priced affordably – and it offers handy features such as an MP3 socket. Very versatile, and it also passes the most basic test: it roars like a goodun’ – in other words it’s a true ’Star.
TYPE: Valve combo
OUTPUT: 5 watts
SPEAKERS: 1x10” Custom-design Celestion G10
WEIGHT: 11.5kg/25lbs
“The same sound engine and colour touch display as the GX-100 in a portable, travel-ready design”: Boss promises a “universe” of tones from the small but mighty GX-10 amp modeller and multi-effects
“It’s compact, fun and easy to use... and features tones derived from the Helix family”: Line 6 serves up a $179 high-gain bargain for metal thrashing maniacs with the POD Express Black
