Choose a guitar amp by where you'll play it. For home practice, 10 to 20 watts of solid-state or modeling power is plenty. To play with a drummer, look at 30 to 50 watts solid-state or 15 to 30 watts tube. For gigs, any amp from about 30 watts works, because the PA does the rest. More watts than you need only means you'll play below the amp's sweet spot.
Then decide the type (tube, solid state or modeling, compared in tube vs solid state amp), the speaker size and the features.
How many watts do you need?
| Where you play | Solid state / modeling | Tube |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom, headphones | 5 to 20 W | 1 to 5 W |
| Rehearsal with a drummer | 30 to 50 W+ | 15 to 30 W |
| Small gigs | 50 W+ | 20 to 50 W |
| Large stages | Any, through the PA | Any, through the PA |
Tube watts are louder than solid-state watts, which is why the tube column is lower.
Speaker size
Bigger speakers move more air and sound fuller: a 6 to 8-inch speaker is fine for home, a 10 to 12-inch speaker gives the classic full amp sound. Most gigging combos use a 12-inch speaker.
Features worth having
- Headphone output for silent practice.
- Aux input or Bluetooth to play along with songs.
- USB for recording straight into a computer.
- Built-in effects if you don't own pedals yet.
Good amps for each situation
Home, on a budget: Fender Frontman 10G, $83
10 watts, a 6-inch speaker, an overdrive switch, aux in and headphone out. #2 of 69 solid-state guitar combos.
Home, with more sounds: Boss Katana Mini X Blue LTD, $167
A 10-watt modeling amp with a 5-inch speaker and three amp voices, small enough to move around the house. #1 of 18 battery operated amplifiers.
Home and rehearsal: Boss Katana 50 Gen 3, $335
A 50-watt modeling combo with a 12-inch speaker, built-in effects and a power control that keeps the cranked-amp sound at low volume: loud enough for a drummer, quiet enough at night. #5 of 97 modelling guitar combos.
Rehearsal and gigs: Fender Mustang GTX50, $503
50 watts through a Celestion 12-inch speaker with many amp and effect models. #2 of 97 modelling guitar combos.
The tube route: Vox AC10C1 Custom, $529
A 10-watt all-tube combo, loud enough for a small rehearsal and sweet at home volume. #8 of 101 tube guitar combos.
Questions
How many watts do I need for a guitar amp at home?
10 to 20 watts solid state or modeling, or a 1 to 5-watt tube amp.
Is a 50-watt amp too loud for home?
Not if it has a power control or master volume, like the Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 ($335).
Combo or head and cabinet?
A combo (amp and speaker in one box) is simpler and lighter. Heads and cabinets are for players who want to mix and match or need more volume.
How we picked. Every amp comes from an AudioFu ranking, scored on demand, price, specs and brand; specs from Thomann's product data. Prices are converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate and updated every night, as are the ranks.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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