Marshall MA50C
Most guitarists will eventually feel the call of the stage and while your practice amp will see you through your early living-room gigs, it might not cut it in larger venues. With that in mind, we've put together our pick of 15 of the best guitar amps for small gigs that won't make your wallet weep.
Marshall MA50C
MSRP: £548
BUY Marshall MA50C currently available from:
USA: Full Compass| American Musical
Built with the pub-gigger in mind, the MA50C offers two channels and 50 watts of British tone at an attainable price point. An all-valve Marshall is a schoolboy fantasy, and the MA50C makes it flesh.
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Fender Deluxe VM
Fender Deluxe VM
MSRP: £659
BUY Fender Deluxe VM currently available from:
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
If you've ever questioned the fuss that surrounds valves, five minutes immersed in this rich, shimmering, responsive tone will make you a card-carrying convert. In addition, the Deluxe VM’s 40 watts should be more than capable of handling most small to medium-sized gigs.
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Randall KH75
Randall KH75
MSRP: £373
BUY Randall KH75 currently available from:
UK/Europe: Thomann
The KH75 might not be your dream choice for the studio but it’s perfect for the road, pumping out enough power to hit the back wall, delivering two watertight metal tones and soaking up more abuse than its pampered valve-powered rivals into the bargain.
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Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60
Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60
MSRP: £699
BUY Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60 currently available from:
UK/Europe: Andertons Music Co. | Thomann| Sounds Great Music
USA: Full Compass | American Musical
The 60 watts of valve power combined with the speaker configuration is perfect for a mixture of medium to large venues and with this many tonal adjustments at your disposal, it’s difficult to think of a musical situation where the Stage 60 wouldn’t cut it.
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Jet City JCA2112RC
Jet City JCA2112RC
MSRP: £399
BUY Jet City JCA2112RC currently available from:
UK/Europe: Thomann
USA: Full Compass | American Musical
Designed by amp guru Mike Soldano, Jet City is all about solid, no-nonsense valve amplification. This one-channel, 20-watt combo offers straight-forward British-sounding tone at a truly affordable price point.
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Randall RT50C112
Randall RT50C112
MSRP: £670
This is a combo built to be rumbled to its core by chunky metal riffs and squealing pinch harmonics and should therefore definitely be sampled by heavier players looking for their own sound.
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Egnater Rebel 30 112
Egnater Rebel 30 112
MSRP: £749
BUY Egnater Rebel 30 112 currently available from:
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass
The Rebel 30 is one of the more expensive combos in this roundup, but this Chinese-made 30 watt valve unit sounds like an amp worth twice the price. It’s not one for fans of extreme gain, but those at the rock and blues end of the spectrum should find plenty to enjoy.
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Fender Mustang III
Fender Mustang III
BUY Fender Mustang III currently available from:
UK/Europe: Andertons Music Co. | Thomann | Sounds Great Music | Gear4Music
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
The wealth of high quality presets, effects and tones available on the Mustang III mean that Fender’s 100 watt solid-state combo is a serious bargain and perfect for the versatile player on a budget.
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Ampeg GVT52-112
Ampeg GVT52-112
MSRP: £677
BUY Ampeg GVT52-112 currently available from:
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
It may be best known for its bass rigs, but Ampeg is a dab hand with six-string amplification too. This Korean made 50-watt valve combo offers a tonally flexible alternative to the big guitar amp brands and will find favour with players looking for something a bit different.
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Vox AC30 VR
Vox AC30 VR
MSRP: £469
BUY Vox AC30 VR currently available from:
UK/Europe: Andertons Music Co. | Thomann | Gear4Music
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
Valve Reactor technology hasn't slain the all-valve amp, but we are impressed. If only a 2x12 Vox will do and you can't swing an AC30 Custom, you could own one of these without feeling second best.
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Marshall Class 5 Combo
Marshall Class 5 Combo
MSRP: £330
BUY Marshall Class 5 Combo currently available from:
UK/Europe: Sounds Great Music
USA: Full Compass | American Musical
A five-watt combo may not be your immediate starting point when looking for a gigging amp, but this little Marshall has got a big mouth. Steer clear if you’ve got a loud drummer, or need clean tones at high volumes, but for any fans of crunch playing smaller gigs, the Class 5 could prove a worthy companion.
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Orange Thunder 30 Combo
Orange Thunder 30 Combo
MSRP: £749
BUY Orange Thunder 30 Combo currently available from:
UK/Europe: Thomann | Gear4Music
There's some blinding competition, granted, but the TH30, in its portable format, fills a different space. It would be a disservice to view it purely as a hard rock orientated amp; those EL84s provide sweet clean, crunch and distorted sounds. Some may be put off by the seemingly basic controls at first, but just wait 'til you plug in…
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Line 6 Spider Valve MkII
Line 6 Spider Valve MkII
MSRP: £549
BUY Line 6 Spider Valve MkII currently available from:
UK/Europe: Thomann | Gear4Music
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
We love just how many extra goodies Line6 has squeezed into its latest hybrid monster, and it's managed to do it without compromising that refined Bogner valve tone. The sounds on offer here are everything you'd expect from a pro-quality amp and you'll appreciated just how easy it is to dial in the tones you want on the go.
Line6 Spider Valve MkII audio demo
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Peavey 6505+ 112 Combo
Peavey 6505+ 112 Combo
MSRP: £499
BUY Peavey 6505+ 112 Combo currently available from:
UK/Europe: Thomann| Gear4Music
USA: Sweetwater | Full Compass | American Musical
At this price, there is competition that’s better suited to a wider range of tones, but few others offer anything directed so squarely at high-gain punk, metal or hardcore sounds.
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Peavey Vypyr Tube 120
Peavey Vypyr Tube 120
MSRP: £650
BUY Peavey Vypyr Tube 120 currently available from:
USA: Sweetwater
First impression of the Vypyr: it's a riot. The presets make it easy to get rocking, but there's also scope to tweak parameters. A 120-watt solid-state combo should be more than capable of handling small gigs, but the Vypyr Tube 120 is a good option for new players that want an amp that can do it all.
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“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
