Best guitar amp UK
Which is the best guitar amp in 2024?
VIEW OFFERBest of 2024: Find the right guitar amp in the UK
If you love music and play the electric guitar than you will certainly want to have the best guitar amp possible. However, finding the right amplifier can be rather difficult as there are many great products to choose from. Also, not all of the best guitar amplifiers need to cost a fortune, so it is possible to find a great quality product for a reasonable price if you know what to look for. Here’s everything you need to know to get a great guitar amp:
The 10 best guitar amps in the UK (December 2024)
The bestseller list compares guitar amps from multiple brands
- Style: Classic Fender look with silver grille cloth.
- Tone: Tube-emulated overdrive for rich, saturated sound.
- Portability: Conveniently compact, fits any space perfectly.
- Size: Compact and portable, with a height of 10 inches.
- Tone: Adjustable control for varied sound profiles.
- Power: 10-watt output suitable for practice with electric guitars.
- Connectivity: Aux-In for music; headphone out for silent practice.
- Tone: Contour control for precise tone shaping.
- Power: 10 watts is ideal for practice sessions.
- Flexibility: Patented ISF control for unlimited tonal options.
- Effects: 12 built-in effects with immersive stereo.
- Tone: Incredible range from pristine clean to high gain.
- Connectivity: USB for recording and firmware updates; aux input for jamming.
- Options: 60 presets and 20 amp types for a range of sounds.
- Versatility: High-quality amp and effects models for diverse amazing tones.
- Power: Low power EL84 Class A tube offers warm, natural overdrive at lower volumes.
- Tone: Provides rich clean sound suitable for various music styles.
- Quality: Excellent build and durable components ensure longevity and reliability.
- Effects: Overdrive and gain functions for varied sound performance.
- Equaliser: Three-band EQ to balance bass, treble, and middle outputs.
- Wattage: 20-watt RMS, perfect for practice and small performances.
- Power: 9V battery or adapter flexibility ensures convenient power options.
- Versatility: Offers tone control for customized sound shaping.
- Portability: Ideal for practice and easy to carry around.
- Chords: Auto Chords displays real-time song chords for you.
- Versatility: 33 amps, 43 effects, and 50,000+ tones available.
- Tone: Big, detailed sound from boundary-pushing computational audio.
- Versatility: Five amp characters and independent effects for a wide tonal range.
- Flexibility: Updated software with 60+ effects and channel customizations.
- Power: 100-watt combo amp with a custom 12-inch speaker.
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- Read the definitive guitar amp buying guide
- View the guitar amp picks and see how they rank in the top list
guitar amp buying guide
Do you want to buy a good guitar amp? This is all you need to know.
A short explanation: What are guitar amps?
At its most basic, an electric guitar amp is a device that takes an incoming electric guitar signal and makes it louder. It does this by using a wide range of electronic components to amplify the signal, which can then be played through a speaker. Guitar amps can work on different types of power sources and feature many components that affect the loudness and tone of the incoming guitar signal.
What are the benefits of good guitar amps?
Put simply, a great guitar amplifier helps produce even more impressive sounds from an electric guitar. While it’s possible to plug the guitar directly into an electric device and make sound, it will be incredibly basic and lack the impressive sounds the instrument is known for. By using the best amp for the guitar, you can access a huge range of sounds that are synonymous with the electric guitar, with amps being one of the most vital pieces of equipment for an electric instrument. The best guitar amps don’t just offer a louder sound, but a more professional and impressive sound overall.
How to choose the best guitar amp in 2024?
The best guitar amp for you will depend on a few things, so you will want consider some of the following before you buy one:
- Combo or Stack: Combo amplifiers are the most popular type, featuring both the amp head and speaker in a single enclosure. Guitar amplifier heads are designed to be connected to a separate speaker cabinet, known as an amp stack. Stacks require more than one cabinet, which includes a power and preamp, and they are most commonly used for playing live music in a band. Combos are popular with all types of players, featuring everything in a single, portable unit with no extra cables to connect.
- Tube or Modelling: Tube amps consist of several components, one of which is the vacuum tube that creates the gain. This results in various additional components that further shape the sound of the guitar, and many feel that this produces the best overall sound from a guitar amp. Modelling amps use a digital processor to mimic the sounds produced by a tube amp, which allows a wide range of effects to be included, making them popular for playing at home and practicing. Modelling is also a cheaper type of amp, but they don’t provide the same quality of sound as a tube amp, although many people will be more than happy with their output.
- Size: Guitar amps come in many shapes and sizes, with features like amplitude response and effects that can influence the overall size you need. As with any type of amp, the bigger the size the louder it will be, so if you are using it to practice at home then you might not need anything to large. A 10-inch speaker should be fine for most home purposes, while gigging and studio recordings may require larger sizes, such as a 12-inch, 15-inch or even 18-inch speaker.
Which types of guitar amps are available to buy in the UK?
Amplifier type is important, as it affects the overall sound of the guitar. Here are the most popular types of guitar amp available:
- Tube Guitar Amps: This type of amp uses a series of vacuum tubes to get that electric guitar buzzing. It’s generally considered the standard for performing, being used by most guitarists, mainly because the distortion is the warm, loud and very dynamic. One issue is that they are quite heavy, so carrying them around is no easy task.
- Modeling Guitar Amps: This type features modern technology that replicates the entire audio of a guitar, not just an electric signal. As a result, they can emulate other popular and classic guitar amps, making them a good choice for rehearsing and performing, provided it's not a sell-out stadium tour!
- Solid State Guitar Amps: Solid state amps use transistor circuit to amplify a signal, making them very reliable and affordable. They tend to carry a cleaner audio compared to tube guitar amps, although some models carry preamp circuits that emulate the tube's sound. They are lightweight and great for practicing, and perfectly suitable for some performances.