What is an electric guitar amplifier
The guitar amplifier is a technological device that, through the use of electricity, transforms and magnifies the sound phenomenon of an electric guitar.
However, this is a simple view of what really goes on inside an amplifier. Let's take a closer look at what's going on inside as we get to know its parts.
Parts of an electric guitar amplifier
All electric instrument amplifiers have essentially the same configuration. Whether it's an acoustic guitar amp, electric guitar amp, electric bass amp or any other, they all start from the same principle. However, it's not a good idea to use a guitar on a bass amp, as the sound will not be that of the bass instrument and the result could be catastrophic.
The parts that make an electric guitar amplifier work are:
- Diode: Unidirectional conductor of electricity.
- Coil: Small devices that perform a passive function between two terminals to produce a magnetic flux by circulating an electric current through them.
- Resistors: Their purpose is to create opposition between components to the passage of electric current. Generally these are not only installed to regulate, but to protect the equipment and to burn out with electrical overloads, instead of putting the entire equipment at risk.
- Potentiometer: It has the function of regulating the power or incidence of an electronic signal, for example, the volume of the loudspeakers.
- Transistors: They are what receive the signal to transform it and deliver another in response. They are used to amplify the sound and generate electronic cuts that produce the distortion effect.
- Valves: Like transistors, these components receive the signal to transform and amplify it, as well as generate electrical cuts that are more efficient than those produced by transistors.
- Electrolytic capacitor: It's widely used to filter the signal in power supplies, but also acts as an oscillator, coupler, frequency generator, among other functions.
- Pin for power supply: The cable that supplies power to the device is connected here.
- Audio input and output pin: Allows to connect the cable that transfers or receives the audio coming from the musical instruments.
All these components are installed on an electronic board made of Bakelite and other synthetic materials. This board is bathed or coated with a layer of copper on which highways are etched to solder the components, link them together and thus create the magic of sound.
It's possible to create a custom or personalized guitar amplifier since this type of work is not at all complicated, although it does require an adequate knowledge of the components. Some mathematical calculations are also necessary to determine which components are indicated, as well as to establish the design of their distribution and their subsequent function within the electronic system.
On the web, it's possible to find excellent tutorials and courses on electronics that can be useful to learn how your electric guitar amplifier works or how to perform basic maintenance and replacement of electronic tubes or transistors yourself. Some even aim to teach you how to make an electro-acoustic or electric guitar amp, although we're not sure this will actually work.
Tone equalization in an electric guitar amplifier
Electric guitar amplifiers have a great variety of potentiometers that regulate the intensity in which the effect influences the sound phenomenon, in order to create certain nuances according to the musician's or performer's taste.
These potentiometers are called bass/low, mid/middle and brightness/high, and are used to set the tones or nuances. Others add power to the sound(gain/gain), or create amplitude of the sound(reverb/reverb), and add sound effects such as chorus/chorus or repeat/delay. The most specialized amplifiers have a potentiometer to regulate the frequency, which is measured in Herz (Hz) and decibels (dB).
Techniques for equalizing a guitar amplifier
There are two ways to equalize an amplifier:
- Addition: Used to increase all the options available on the potentiometer board and is the most popular among beginners and intermediates.
- Subtraction: Consists of reducing the potentiometers, although they are also increased, but to a lesser extent than the addition equalization. This is the most popular among professionals.
In culturasonora we recommend that you place all potentiometers in the center, both on the guitar and on the amp, and apply subtractive EQ.
After you have adjusted all the potentiometers in the middle, listen and eliminate what you consider excessive, starting with those of your guitar:
- If you perceive a lack of brightness, reduce the bass on your guitar, but do not add brightness. You should also place the microphone selector in the first or third position and you will notice that everything changes radically.
- If you perceive that bass is missing, reduce the brightness on your guitar, but do not add bass. You should also set the microphone selector to the fourth or fifth position.
Electric guitar amplifier equalization
You'll still notice something missing in the sound even after EQing your guitar. It's now time to move on to the amplifier following the same procedure. That is: if bass is missing, you reduce the brightness and if brightness is missing, you reduce the bass.
If your guitar amp has gain, you should keep in mind that it plays along with the volume to give power to the sound. You should be aware of several phenomena that are technically considered sound “aberrations”.
The most important of these aberrations is feedback.
feedback
It's a high-pitched squeal that occurs when there is excess volume, gain and brightness.
To solve it, what you have to do is to remove gain or volume. If you use the distortion sound or similar, you must progressively reduce the gain of your amplifier and give it volume from the volume potentiometer located on your guitar, because only in this way will you maintain the hoarse or gray quality of the effect.
Tips for getting the most out of your electric guitar amplifier
- Never assume that something is missing at first, because the first option should be to reduce.
- There are times when you will have to increase the potentiometers, but only when you have finished setting up the addition EQ can you add, little by little, what you think is missing.
- Excessive equalization hinders sound displacement and, when this happens, our ear doesn't accurately interpret the phenomenon. So poor audibility of sound is an indicator that you need to reduce, rather than add.
- The ear has a spectrum for picking up frequencies that varies from individual to individual. This is something to consider when someone tells you that something is missing from the sound. Perhaps the amplifier is not lacking, but rather the person's hearing spectrum has certain deficiencies with those frequencies.
- Excessive volume or equalization has the potential to cause hearing damage. It's the same as when you use in-ear headphones: the eardrum can be perforated by an excess of frequencies and from then on you might develop hearing problems.
Types of electric guitar amplifiers
There is a wide variety of electric guitar amplifiers with specific characteristics. However, they are all classified into three major groups:
- Transistor amplifiers: They work with an electronic component called transistor and are also known as solid state amplifiers.
- Tube amplifiers: The guitar tube amplifier is the most coveted guitar tube amplifier on the market. They were the first to emerge in the 1930s.
- Hybrid amplifiers: This is a tube guitar amplifier that also uses transistors in its stages. It's well recieved on the market.
Differences between tube amplifier and transistor amplifier
- Price: Cheap electric guitar amplifiers are usually transistor amplifiers. A tube guitar amp is three times more expensive.
- Durability: The lifetime of transistor guitar amps is much longer than that of valve amps.
- Maintenance: Valve guitar amps are more delicate while transistor amps are battle tanks and are much cheaper to maintain.
- Musical harmonics: A tube amplifier works with tonics and fifths up to three octaves, while a transistor amplifier handles a maximum of two octaves.
- Noise: The noise of tube amplifiers is minimal and usually much lower than that produced by a transistor amplifier. However, high quality transistor amplifiers can compete in this section.
- Sound: A tube electric guitar amplifier produces a rich, nuanced sound. The transistor ones usually have a lower sound quality, although the best models can also compete in this area and are much cheaper.
Differences between a beginner, intermediate and advanced amplifier
Their differences are mainly in performance and price, for example:
- A beginner amplifier usually doesn't have a wide variety of effects and only features gain to activate the distortion effect. Their power is usually from 1 W to 25 and 35 W, and their price ranges from 50€ to 200€, so they are affordable electric guitar amplifiers.
- Mid-level amps tend to experiment with a greater number of effects and are often equipped with a foot controller. Its power is usually greater than 35 W and can reach up to 100 W, and its price varies between 200 € and 500 €.
- Among the electric guitar amplifiers for professionals we can find a wide variety of configurations, effects, connectivity and power. They come with specialized foot controllers and power ranges from 100 W and up. They are real beasts, with impressive performance.
As we move through our list, you'll see that we feature a whole range of electric guitar amps with some amazing features. We have even classified some models that have everything to be intermediate as beginner amps, because they fit perfectly into the budget of a novice guitarist.
The best brands of electric guitar amplifiers
Some guitar amplifier brands are iconic in the music industry. This is due to their great technological contributions that have helped improve the sound capabilities of many beginner guitarists.
Some of these brands are:
- Fender: Fender guitar amps have been a legend since the design of their Fender Champ, a market icon.
- Marshall: One of the most emblematic companies as far as amplification in the rock world is concerned. Marshall guitar amplifiers are widely appreciated, though a bit misunderstood due to some characteristic noise in them.
- Line6: Since the release of its versatile Line6 Spider amplifier, this company has been in the forefront alongside other flagship electric guitar amps.
- Bugera: Founded some three decades ago, this company has designed impressive tube amplifiers that are coveted for their clean sound.
- Boss: The leading brand in electric guitar sound effects. With their Boss Jazz Chorus amplifier, they have created a before and after in the amplifier market.
- Vox: A company that has been dedicated to the support of technology in terms of music equipment. Several Vox guitar amplifiers are among the best in history.
- Kemper: Almost four decades ago Kemper was born, to create what is known as the best transistor amplifier, the Kemper Profiling, which is the present and future of amplification.
- Orange: 1968 saw the birth of this British company with its iconic “Rockerverb” series guitar amps and the ever-desired “Tiny Terror”.
- Booge Table: Since 1969, this company has created a huge variety of amplifiers that stand out for their impressive quality and cutting-edge design, such as the always desirable “Road King” series amplifier.
We recommend this app from our friends at Soundmarket. If you're a musician, you can download it as it has a lot of instruments.
The best guitar amps for beginners:
The best guitar amps for intermediates:
The best guitar amps for advanced players:
The best electric guitar amplifiers for beginners
An electric guitar amplifier for beginners is a device that has evolved thanks to the competitiveness within the manufacturers' market. And today, it's possible to find entry-level options of great quality and at an affordable price. The following are the most powerful, versatile and resistant for this level, and have such great performance to the point that some of them are closer to intermediate level.
Fender Mustang LT50
Great construction, versatile, high quality sound.
Footswitch is not included.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: MDF wood structure and Japanese electronic components.
- Power: 50 Watts.
- Sound: Clear.
- Effects: Multiple.
- Weight: 9 kg.
Fender electric guitar amplifiers have become flagships of the market and are true workhorses due to their great resistance and enormous sound quality. For several years, this company has had in its catalog what is perhaps the best guitar amplifier for beginners. We are referring to the Mustang, a solid model packed with the most advanced technology.
Materials:
The Mustang guitar amplifier has a structure made of high quality MDF with 12 mm thickness. MDF is one of the most resistant wood composites on the market, due to its high density and resistance of approximately 700 kg per square centimeter. To assemble each of its parts, the company has chosen to bond them with high-density wood glue with a humidity of 3% and a viscosity of 70 bar.
This means that adhesion is at a maximum, industrial level. Fender manufacturers have also used Drywall screws that penetrate the wood and make the construction stronger. So, believe us when we say that the structure/chassis of this amplifier is powerful.
Design:
In this price range, an electric guitar amp is typically 15W. But the Mustang incorporates 50 W of RMS power inside. It also features an 8″ Special Fender Design series speaker that has an impedance of 8 Ohm, is non-switchable and performs excellently by having a titanium-rimmed voice coil. This Fender guitar amp features a channel with 24 presets or preset sounds that are relatively customizable.
This includes 12 modulation effects, among them the ever-present chorus, flange and big fuzz. Other important effects are the delay with many mixing options, together with reverb, both in mono and stereo format. Through its controls, you have the possibility to configure with knobs and buttons for gain, volume, treble, bass, master, preset select, modulation speed, delay/reverb select, save button, exit button, tap tempo button and the always essential built-in digital tuner.
As for connectivity, Fender included a USB port to connect the guitar amp to your pc and give you access to Fender's platform with many preset options. It also has an auxiliary input, a headphone output and a Speaker Emulated USB output. It also comes with a license to download Ableton Live Lite 8 Fender Edition Studio-Quality Recording Software that is compatible with the Mustang USB.
This is a portable amplifier for electric guitar, measuring 36.83 x 40 x 29.3 cm and weighing 9 kg. What more to ask for more from a beginner's amp? but one thing you should keep in mind is that you can manipulate its effects with a Footswitch pedal, which is not included.
Sound:
Its sound is excellent, it doesn't present plastic sounds, but they are really good. The gain is good, the distortion is balanced, powerful, with projection and doesn't drown when you use the full volume. We also do not recommend using it at full power, because you must consider planned obsolescence.
That is, every technological device is designed to last a certain amount of time and the only way to delay that lifespan is not to use them to the maximum of their capabilities. As far as effect sounds are concerned, we must say that we love them. A beginner guitarist will feel glorious while trying the clean sounds with delay and delay/reverb, and the chorus is an aural delight. The sound is solid in any volume state, no distortion or conflict with FM radio, for example.
If you have no idea what we are referring to, you should know that most amplifiers can engage with radio frequencies accidentally and at any time. But this Fender won't mix with anything that doesn't first pass through its connectivity inputs. The Fender Mustang LT 50 is powerful for its size and can be used for practice sessions, garage rehearsals with the band as well as live gigs in small venues. It's fully functional for studio recording sessions.
Conclusion:
This is one of the best affordable electric guitar amplifiers. We love the Mustang, it sounds great and the beginner will have everything they need at their fingertips. And if you have the Footswitch pedal, you'll have everything at your fingertips. We fully recommend it for beginner or intermediate level guitarists who want an inexpensive, portable amp to take anywhere. Find the best price at Thomann.
Bugera V22 Infinium
The sound is beautifully clean.
It doesn't have multiple effects.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: MDF wood structure, electronic components, European and Chinese.
- Power: 22 Watts.
- Sound: Extremely clear.
- Effects: Multi-effects.
- Weight: 19.4 kg.
Bugera, part of the Behringer company, manufactures some of the best-selling guitar amplifiers among guitarists in jazz, blues, bossanova, funk, soul and fusion styles such as the Chick Corea Band. Its main characteristic is the clean sound, clean, solid, stable and round.
Materials:
This is another electric guitar amplifier made of high quality MDF wood with 9 mm thickness. It's less resistant than 12 mm MDF but it's still a very good material because it has a high density and its resistance is approximately 600 kg per square centimeter. Its parts have been bonded with high-density wood glue with a moisture content of 4% and a viscosity of 70 bar.
In addition to glue, Bugera's manufacturers have opted to use Drywall screws. The design of these screws allows them to penetrate the wood and adhere to create a bond that is the strongest in the field of wood furniture. Therefore, the structure/chassis of this guitar amplifier is strong and highly resistant. Design: This is a tube guitar amplifier and its performance is maximum.
Its power is 22 W so, being a tube, you will get one of the clearest sounds on the market. In addition, it has two input channels (normal and bright) that allow you to play with other sound nuances. One thing we love is the 12″ Turbosound series speaker that incorporates three 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, along with two EL-84 tubes in the power amp. It offers a switchable impedance variation between 4, 8 and 16 Ohms so that you get more relative power when you deem it necessary.
On the control panel you have a clean control for using the clean mode, plus a gain control, a volume control and a three-band equalizer with slider fader potentiometers instead of the traditional stick potentiometers. The company has incorporated a “Master” control for adjusting the overall amplifier levels. This way, when you turn down the volume, the overall configuration is not affected. One thing we really like is that it has a “presence” control and a built-in digital reverb EQ that you can adjust. It also has a mode for ‘triode' and ‘pentode' for maximum sonic stability.
Finally, it has a footswitch input , the option to access the effects loop, and includes a two-button footswitch pedal – you don't have to buy it! Just keep in mind that this electric guitar amplifier weighs approximately 19.4 kg.
Sound:
The Bugera V22 Infinium has a round sound. The clean system for funk is special and if you plan to learn songs by Ole Borud, Chick Corea or the older songs of Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Michael Jackson and the like, this is the guitar amp for you. Its versatility is such that the distortion effects are really good, although they leave something to be desired if you want weight for metal styles. However, for blues, acid blues, jazz, jazz fusion and the like, this amp has what you need as far as distortion is concerned.
The EQ bands work great and, if you take into account the master knob, you will have the possibility to lower the volume without affecting the EQ already set. Generally, when we lower or raise the volume, the sound loses the quality we are looking for and we have to adjust all the parameters again.
But this doesn't happen with the master control. Another important factor is the presence control that allows you to highlight each of the frequencies of your guitar's sound. But we recommend learning a little about herz and decibels so that you can take full advantage of these options. All sound varies according to the physical space you are in and therefore presence control is easy to take advantage of.
Conclusion:
In short, this is an amplifier that is aimed at those who want versatility and an excellent value for money. We recommend the Bugera V22 Infinium for anyone looking for a tube guitar amp with high quality clean sounds. It's especially suited for styles such as funk, jazz, country and blues, but is also functional in heavier styles with the slight help of a distortion effects pedal, although the latter is not entirely necessary. Interested? Find the best price at Thomann.
Our recommendation:
These two electric guitar amps are both great for beginners. But, as always, we have to decide which one is the best and we've opted for the Fender Mustang LT 50. It's the one with the best value for money, with more configuration possibilities, excellent sound, effects, better connectivity and the support of the Fender platform. On the other hand, if you want to get a good tube electric guitar amp that is affordable, the Bugera V22 Infinium is what you need.
The best electric guitar amps for intermediates
An intermediate guitarist demands more from his equipment in terms of power, sound quality and effects, and the electric guitar amplifier must be up to the task. In culturasonora we have selected some excellent options and we have also analyzed all their features so you can get your hands on the best electric guitar amplifier for mid-level musicians.
Boss is a company that has developed digital pianos and effects processors that are of the highest quality. But they also have an excellent electric guitar amplifier, the Boss Katana, which enjoys the highest reputation for its many virtues. Read this review to learn more.
Materials:
This electric guitar amplifier has been designed to withstand wear and tear, but also to be relatively portable and easy to transport. The Boss Katana 100 MKII is constructed with a 12 mm chipboard that has an optimum quality and a breaking strength of 500 kg per square centimeter.
This material is also lightweight and reduces the final weight so that the musician can have a very powerful 100W guitar amplifier that can be carried with little effort. Its internal structure is composed of wooden reinforcements that improve strength without adding much weight. Its internal components are of Japanese quality and, thanks to its strict adherence to international ISO standards, it has high standards that have earned the recognition and respect of a large number of users worldwide.
Design:
This amplifier has a power rating of 100 W so that both intermediate and advanced guitarists will find it a faithful ally for almost any occasion. Another valuable aspect is its tilt-type stand that works really well. The speaker is a 12″ Boss Custom speaker especially designed to cover all the features this guitar amp offers, such as the five amp types clean, crunch, lead, brown and acoustic.
We found these emulators to work great. It also offers the possibility of using three effects simultaneously with the help of the Footswitch pedal, which, we emphasize, is not included in the purchase. The Boss Katana 100 MKII also has eight great amp presets that you can take full advantage of, as well as various effects settings that are available via the panel. You can also select 58 effects using the Boss Tone Studio Editor, which is available for free at bosstonecentral.com.
You virtually have it all with this amplifier. One thing we found different about this guitar amp is the power control with 0.5/50/100 W settings, so you can have a consistent sound from your amp regardless of volume levels. On the front panel, you will find controls for amp type, gain, volume, bass, mid and treble, as well as booster/mod, delay/FX, reverb, main master control and the aforementioned general power control. Finally, the dimensions of this guitar amplifier are 53 x 24.8 x 48.4 cm and its weight is only 14.8 kg. It's really compact for a guitar amp with 100W RMS (real) power.
Sound:
We have a certain preference for mid-range Boss amps that have built-in effects, because their quality is in a different category. We refer mainly to the amp emulators that we like the most, such as the clean, as it has a very clear sound and is ideal for pop ballads, funk, disco, soul and jazz. Also the crunch amp, which reminds us of the traditional blues sound of the 80's in the style of B.B. King, but which also adapts to the purest Gary Moore style. It's just great.
The controls for bass, midrange and brightness work great, do what they should and give you clear and audible nuances, and this is not easy to find in an electric guitar amp. If you take advantage of the gain, you can have a high-level distorted sound that adds versatility to this fabulous amplifier. The 58 selectable effects fascinate us because you can customize them and they have a quality reminiscent of analog effects. They are pure, with clear tones and you can take advantage of them in real time and simultaneously with the support of the Footswitch pedal (which, we remind you, is not included).
Conclusion:
The Boss Katana 100 MKII electric guitar amp is the sword the samurai in you needs. It has everything an intermediate guitarist needs to express themselves, develop their potential and experiment with new musical frontiers. With its clear tone, the possibilities of its amp emulator and the enormous quality of its effects with the support of the Boss platform, this amp is an essential ally if you are a guitarist looking for a quality that borders on professional levels. If you want to find the best Thomann prices, follow the link.
Line6 Spider V 60
Versatility at its best.
None.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: Wooden structure in chipboard, electronic components manufactured in Japan.
- Power: 60 Watts.
- Sound: Excellent.
- Effects: Multi-effects.
- Weight: 11 kg.
This is one of the best-selling guitar amps on the market thanks to its impressive performance. The company has spared no effort to satisfy the needs of intermediate and some advanced guitarists. But what makes this amplifier so desirable? Follow us and discover the world of Line 6.
Materials:
The Line 6 Spider V 60W guitar amplifier has an external structure made of high quality chipboard with a thickness of 12 mm, which has also been reinforced with an internal structure in oak wood. Both have been joined using high density glue and Drywall screws for extreme hold. The internal components are from North America and enjoy the highest quality in the world, second only to European manufacturing.
Its power converters withstand powerful electrical stresses and its 10″ custom loudspeaker customized by Line6 is from Celestion, the number one manufacturer of sound loudspeakers. In addition, the speaker has titanium rings that improve sound clarity and make it more resistant to overloads. The potentiometers are highly sensitive but robust and have never been reported to fail by users, unlike other brands of guitar amps.
Design:
Line6 has thought of a guitar amplifier that is compact and portable, and at the same time meets the needs of intermediate musicians with its 60 Watts of power. In addition, its 10″ full-range speaker has been customized with a high-frequency tweeter for better sound response. This electric guitar amplifier provides a simple but effective control configuration: it has only drive, bass, mid, treble, treble and volume.
There are no frequency knobs, gain knobs or optional fader EQs. In this amplifier, its five controls are sufficient. Regarding connectivity, the Line 6 Spider guitar amp has a ¼-inch instrument input, as well as an auxiliary stereo input. You can connect headphones to this guitar amplifier as it also has an output for that purpose. A USB connection allows you to connect it to your PC and use the Line6 Relay G10 reception platform.
In order for the Line6 user to enjoy a better experience, the company has designed this model with the option of access to more than 200 models or emulators of amplifiers of different brands and 128 presets which includes iconic equipment in the history of music, as well as the sounds of classic artists, so you can perform famous songs. Other great features include a tuner, metronome and drum loops for dynamic and fun practice sessions. It weighs 11 kg and its dimensions are the most compact in this range: 44 x 28 x 40 cm.
Sound:
The Line6 Spider has the largest and widest variety of sounds in the mid-range, because it incorporates 200 choices of legendary amplifiers such as Fender and Marshall, among others. It also offers 128 preset effects so you can swap all your favorite effects with the help of a footswitch. The sound quality is one of the clearest you will find. The bass has an excellent response, not inaudible, while the mids give a good balance, are not dry or monotonous, but have good presence, as do the brightness.
Conclusion:
It's not for nothing that this Line6 Spider amplifier is the best-selling amplifier in the mid-range market. In addition to being simple in operation, its performance is also wonderful. Two words that define this amp are versatility and comfort, just what a mid-range guitarist needs. Follow this link to find the best price for Thomann.
Fender Champion 100
Great construction, versatile, high quality sound.
The footswitch is not included.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: MDF wood structure, electronic components manufactured in the United States.
- Power: 100 Watts.
- Sound: Excellent.
- Effects: Multi-effects.
- Weight: 18 kg.
Fender's electric guitar amps are truly amazing and this mid-range offering is no exception. Not only does it have a high quality construction, but its components provide the beginner and intermediate level guitarist with a wide range of possibilities.
Materials:
This amplifier has a high quality MDF structure with a thickness of 12 mm. MDF, one of the most resistant wood composites on the market, already has a high density and resistance. Each of its parts is bonded with high density glue with a humidity of 3% and a viscosity of 70 bar.
Drywall screws that penetrate the wood and create a stronger bond have also been used to join the pieces. Its internal components are of the quality to which we are accustomed Fender. Their potentiometers are known to be the best on the market: rugged, robustly built, highly sensitive and perhaps the most durable potentiometers available today.
Design:
The Fender Champion 100 is a guitar amplifier with 100W RMS power, a superb capability. You can use it for your practice sessions, garage rehearsals with the band and also for live concerts when they are in large, but not huge, spaces. It's also fully functional for studio recording sessions and is extremely useful as a monitor.
It incorporates a dual 12″ Celestion Custom speaker with an impedance of 8 Ohm, it's not switchable and works excellent as it has a coil that has titanium rings. This electric guitar amp features one channel with 21 amp models and 40 preset and relatively customizable effects and sounds, twelve of them modulation, such as chorus, flange and big fuzz. Other important effects are the delay with many mixing options, and the reverb, both in mono and stereo format. Its controls and buttons allow you to configure the shades, as well as save and perform many other actions.
As for connectivity, it has an auxiliary input, headphone output. Fender designed this amplifier weighs 18 kg and measures 48.5 x 66.1 x 26.0 cm. But one detail you should keep in mind is that it doesn't include the footswitch to manipulate its effects.
Sound:
This electric guitar amp has an excellent sound that doesn't sound fake and is comparable to analog effects pedals, which is great news for every musician. Sound is solid at any volume setting, no distortion or mixing with FM radio, for example.
The gain is fabulous and beats the Fender Mustang LT 50 in the entry level range. The distortion is much more powerful and has an impressive roar, with projection and doesn't get drowned out when you crank it up to full volume. Another difference is that this model can be used at full power, although in this case you must also take into account planned obsolescence.
As far as the effect sounds are concerned, we must say that we love them. A beginner guitarist will feel awesome when trying the clean sounds with delay, delay/reverb and the chorus that is an aural delight. We fully recommend it, it's a great amplifier with the best value for money.
Conclusion:
The Fender Mustang 100 is one of the best amps for intermediate guitarists because it has it all: 100 watts of power, sound effects, amp emulators, bombproof construction and all the connectivity possibilities you might need today. We recommend it for every intermediate musician who wants a transistor amplifier of the highest quality. Intrigued? Find the best prices at Thomann.
Our recommendation:
Without a doubt, our first recommendation is the Fender Champion amp with 100 Watts of power, because it has all the options that a mid-level guitarist needs. However, if you want something a little different and that beats the Fender in sound quality (though not performance), we recommend the Boss Katana. This is also an excellent amplifier.
The best electric guitar amplifiers for advanced players
In this section, we introduce you to guitar amplifiers for professionals and more experienced users. The two options we have reviewed are truly excellent and you can be sure that both represent an excellent choice.
Marshall JVM205C
It's a valve type.
Marshall amplifiers have a certain noise that is not entirely liked, but is sort of a hallmark of the company.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: Wooden structure in chipboard, electronic components manufactured in the United States.
- Power: 50 Watts tube with two 12″ speakers, sounds like a 100 Watts.
- Sound: Excellent.
- Effects: Multi-effects.
- Weight: 10 kg.
Marshall guitar amps are among the few that have become legendary on the market due to their quality. The Marshall JVM205C is an amp of excellent performance and is one of today's best sellers thanks to its superb construction and formidable sound.
Materials:
This electric guitar amplifier from the Marshall family has a high-density chipboard construction. This material is stronger than common chipboard, so much so that it supports 700 kg per square centimeter, just like MDF, but with a much lower weight, which translates into a portable amplifier. It incorporates Marshall custom valves, designed to offer impressive resistance, as well as greater quality in sound processing.
The other internal components, and especially the electrolytic capacitors, have high performance. Marshall's custom-designed potentiometers and switch knobs are made of brass with gold-plated copper rings for better conductivity response. Another factor influencing the quality of the materials are the speakers, which have titanium hoops and compete on the same level as Celestion speakers. This is not easy to achieve, but Marshall has been able to do it.
Design:
The Marshall JVM205C has the head incorporated with the speakers in the same cabinet, which makes it quite compact. It's tube design is a guitarist's dream because, as far as sound is concerned, it's of the highest quality. In addition, the capacitors are of a new series and reduce Marshall's characteristic noise, although they do not totally eliminate it because the manufacturers seem to like it.
The design of the speakers is somewhat peculiar, incorporating two 12″ to support 50 W of pure valves that respond as if they were 100W. It's is a monster of sound. On the top front panel of this Marshall electric guitar amplifier are the controls. The first thing that catches the eye is two semiconductor channels in the signal that can be seen with the naked eye.
Also there are the two effects channels that are really useful when the guitarist is familiar with the footswitch pedal. In addition, two volume and reverb masters are available. And as a bonus, you have four programmable pedals and all switching functions are controlled through MIDI connectivity, for even greater programming versatility.
Sound:
The best thing about this Marshall amplifier for electric guitar is the tubes because the sound is rich in harmonics and they're especially deisgned for genres close to rock. The frequency response is impressively nuanced, the bass is superb and enriches heavy rock and metal performances. The mids are balanced and useful for diversifying sound frequencies and approaching funkier styles with good quality clean sounds.
The response of the 12″ loudspeakers is as if it were 100 W, although it has only 50 W. This is thanks to the performance of its valves and capacitors. It can be perfectly used in rehearsals and concerts in small and relatively large spaces. You can also use it as a studio monitor and for open-air concerts. Its effects are of good quality, although it still feels and looks digital, which many may not like. But, since we are at the pro level, it should not be a problem since presumably all aspects of EQ on an electric guitar amp are mastered.
We find Marshall's characteristic gain , but with increased cleanliness thanks to high performance valves and capacitors. This gives it a different feel from other models from the company because the noise is significantly reduced, good news for users who love Marshall sound but want a low noise system.
Conclusion:
The Marshall JVM205C is one of the few amplifiers that delivers what it promises and that is why we have included it in our list. It has balance in sound, versatility in configuration and the noise reduction is something you can feel. That's why we recommend it as an electric guitar amp for professionals who want the crunch of Marshall but with the power of tubes and noticeable low noise. Find the best prices at Thomann.
Kemper Profiling Amplifier Power Head WH Set
It has everything.
Expensive, but worth every euro.
Technical Characteristics:
- Materials: ABS structure, electronic components manufactured in the United States.
- Power: 600 Watts.
- Sound: Incomparable.
- Effects: Multi-effects.
- Weight: 6 kg.
This portable guitar amplifier is considered the present and future of amplification for musical instruments. This distinction is due to the fact that it possesses all the characteristics that a guitarist and bass player needs to unleash their creativity.
Materials:
The Kemper Profiling guitar amplifier has an external structure made of ABS. This is a synthetic polymer that enjoys the greatest recognition and confidence in terms of shock resistance and durability over time, since its wear is much slower than that of wood and it's not sensitive to water or humidity. However, if subjected to extreme heat it may tend to deform very slightly.
The base that supports the main electronic board is made of aluminum and has rubber insulators to avoid potential power outages. The electronic plate is double-layered, which is not at all common due to the high cost of these materials, but it's an indication of what Kemper has invested in order to provide its users with a guitar amplifier of the highest quality.
Similarly, the components that shape Kemper's technology are almost all proprietary to the company, so their operation or proprietary features are a mystery. But from the accolades Kemper has received, we know that it can perform up to ten times better than any other high-end amplifier.
Design:
This is a head-type amplifier and this means that it doesn't have a speaker, which must be purchased separately. Although it has been equipped with a foot controller for “remote” and intuitive access to almost all the main functions of this impressive acoustic, electric and bass guitar amplifier.
The Kemper Profiling emulates the sounds of the most famous guitar amps. And it's not a bad imitation, but the best, the most accurate in the world. It incorporates more than 200 amp configurations, tube head sounds and cabinets such as Morgan, Avatar, Mesa Booge, Mountain Amp, Vox, Fender, among many others. The impressive Kemper Profiling technology provides the performer with an exact snapshot of the sounds and includes the speaker cabinets and their combinations with microphones. These presets are also customizable.
The amplifier also allows emulations of a huge variety of guitar pedals and effects such as master, EQ, gain, amp definition, power jitter, among others. Don't you love the legendary sounds of tube amps? You have the possibility to create your own sounds with its control panel and using the internal memory.
In terms of power, the Kemper Profiling Amplifier works with 600W at 8 Ohms and 300W at 16 Ohms. It has literally everything you need and you can use it with any cabinet on the market.
It also has everything you need in terms of connectivity: microphone input, line input, alternative, direct output, monitor output, master output (jack and xlr), network connection, USB, among many others. It weighs only 6 kg and measures 39.6 x 21.4 x 16.5 cm, making it an excellent mini guitar amp.
Sound:
The sounds of the Kemper Profiling Amplifier Power Head WH Set are real and full. In some cases they outperform the originals so much that many guitar professionals make blindfolded comparisons between the Kemper emulator and the original amp and think the Kemper is the real thing.
The knobs are great and seem like they are straight out of the future, as they allow you to create the highest quality bass sounds and the mids are great. The glosses also have a great response. But the best thing is the gain: it doesn't saturate, it's explosive and powerful as an atomic bomb, but if you wish it can be silky smooth.
With emulation options that combine head + cabinet + microphones, you have a range of impressive sounds that you can vary, reconfigure, customize and shape in virtually any way possible.
Conclusion:
The Kemper Profiling guitar and bass amp is the best of the best. Their sounds are perfect in many ways and superior in so many others. It's what you need whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced guitarist. Interested? Find the best price at Thomann.
Our Recommendation:
If you want to buy the best electric guitar amplifier for any professional musician, the obvious choice is the Kemper Profiling Amplifier Power Head WH Set. There is no comparison because with it you get over 200 legendary tube, cabinet and microphone amplifiers for the price of one. In addition, you can purchase the Kemper Profiling Amp PowerHead Bundle that comes with a hard case made in Germany, or this other option that includes a USB key with 130 more professional amp sounds. With the Kemper, you have everything at your fingertips.
We recommend you check out the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster electric guitar reviews.
Technical Characteristics of Electric Guitar Amplifier
MODELS | Weight | Power | Sound | Effects | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fender Mustang I V.2 | 7,7 kg | 20 Watts | Sharp | Multiple | Structure in MDF wood and Japanese electronic components |
| Bugera V22 Infinium | 19,4 kg | 22 Watts | Very sharp | Multiple | MDF wooden structure, European and Chinese electronic components |
| Boss Katana 100 | 14,8 kg | 100 Watts | Excellent | Multiple | Agglomerate board structure, electronic components made in Japan |
| Line6 Spider V 60 | 11.kg | 60 Watts | Excellent | Multiple | Wooden structure in agglomerate, electronic components made in Japan |
| Fender Mustang GT 100 | 10 kg | 100 Watts | Excellent | Multiple | Wooden structure in MDF, electronic components made in the United States |
| Marshall JVM205C | 10 kg | 50 Watts | Excellent | Multiple | Wooden structure in agglomerate, electronic components made in the United States |
| Kemper Profiling Amplifier Power Head WH Set | 6 kg | 600 Watts | Incomparable | Multiple | Structure in ABS, electronic components made in the United States |