Nowadays, the guitar universe is not complete without amplifiers – we cannot imagine our life without them!
There are so many models and preferences to satisfy that sometimes it is almost impossible to find the perfect combo amp.
Check out the next section for more details about combo amps and find out why guitarists love them so much!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Combo Amps
Table of Contents
What is a Combo Amp and What is it Used For?
A combo amp is an amplifier composed of the head and the cabinet – so you get an ‘all-in-one’ or combo amp. The two parts are built into each other. The head is the part that contains all the knobs, controls, and tweakable features, while the cab makes all the sounds. It is called a ‘combo’ amp because they already come together, so you don’t need to do the wiring. It is all ready to go, without worrying about setup, ohms, and other nerve-wracking technical details.
How Do I Choose a Combo Amp?
Here are some short considerations when you choose a combo amp:
Choose the Right Amplifier for You
Amplifiers come in various types, configurations (although we do focus only on combos for now), they have different power outputs and many others. Make sure you take into consideration all of its specifications before choosing the right one for you – more simply, do you need a solid-state, a tube amp, or a modeling (digital) one? Is it open or closed back? Make sure you do your research – maybe you get a top-notch amp, but if it is not perfect for you, it will be futile.
Fender '65 Princeton Reverb
Match Between Versatility and Functionality
In tandem with the previous aspect, make sure you match versatility and functionality. There’s no need to go for an extra complicated model if you don’t need it. Most of the combo amps are for practicing or small venue gigging, so you should keep them small and highly functional.
Is it The Ideal One for my Needs?
Make sure you also match the power output. Maybe 5 watts does not sound like a great deal, but a 5-watt amp for practicing at home will be a great choice, and you don't need anymore. You might want to look into some more powerful ones for other uses, though!
Comparison Chart of the Best Combo Amps
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Review of the Best Combo Amps
We have taken a look at how to pick the best combo amp, so now let’s take a look at some of the best options.
Best Overall:
Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This amp performs great, and both tube vibrato and reverb are great features, and they quite exceed expectations. Additionally, this combo amp has numerous controls for fine shaping the tunes, such as intensity, treble, bass, reverb, speed, and volume. Definitely a must-have combo amp for performing in small venues or recording!
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Fender Princeton Reverb Amp is a classic reproduction of the authentic ’65 one; it comes with 15 watt output and a 10” speaker. The amp has one channel with two inputs, along with vibrato and reverb effects. The controls are varied, covering speed, treble, and others.
Who Will Use This Most
This combo amp is best for any musician who often performs in small-sized venues or records their tunes. The sounds are clean and clear, perfect for jazz and many other music genres. The tones are fat, clear and warm, with good headroom. It’s worth checking out!
Bottom Line
Overall, the Fender Princeton is a beautiful combo amp for any musician. Whether you are just starting your career or you’re a pro recording your tunes, you will definitely find some nice features in this combo amp. It will definitely help you take your skills and career to the next level!
Runner-up:
Vox AC15C1 Guitar Combo Amp
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This amp sounds good with almost any setting you can imagine. The low ends are great, although you might pay extra care with the treble. The tone cut can be efficiently used to balance out the tones, and both tremolo and reverb effects are exquisite. The design is top-notch!
Why it Stands Out to Us
The VOX AC15 is an outstanding piece of equipment with two channels (normal/top boost), and it is all tube. Authentic, clear, and high-quality tones are delivered at a maximum of 15 watts for the best experience. It masterfully combines the classic VOX tremolo with modern spring reverb.
Who Will Use This Most
This VOX combo amp is a great choice for small to medium gigs. With 15 watt power, the combo amp can deliver strong, yet creamy and warm sounds to your small crowds with impressive quality. All of its features work concomitantly to offer you high degrees of versatility.
Bottom Line
Overall, the VOX AC15 is a fantastic quality combo amp that combines a wide range of features to offer you the best experience. The top-notch quality of the sounds will help you turn from a beginner to a pro in no time! It is the perfect companion for blues and jazz.
Best for the Money:
Line 6 Spider V 60
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This combo amp is the perfect versatile mix for any musician, no matter the skill level. It has numerous amp models, cabs, and effects that can help you shape unlimited tunes. High-quality punch, this combo amp combines realism and quality to such an unprecedented high level.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Spider V 60 is packed with models, both amp and FX, which can be easily and efficiently accessed through the controls. The speakers are full-range, and they work great with music playback, electrics, and acoustics alike. The combo amp offers access to 128 presets, including classic tones and iconic rigs.
Who Will Use This Most
This amp is great for beginners on a budget, as it offers the chance to learn about various models, effects, rigs, and creating their own unique tones. If you are an intermediate or a professional, you might want to check out some more advanced amps which allow you more freedom of choice in creating the tunes.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Spider V 120 combo amp is packed with a wide variety of features. If you are a beginner, you need to check this piece of equipment, as it will serve you as the building block of your future career as an amazing guitarist.
Best Dac Amp Combo:
Audioengine D1 24-Bit DAC
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This device is great if you need a DAC. The headphone amplifier is also good quality and has a durable build – not to mention the flawless finish. What is more, this DAC is quite unbelievably inexpensive compared to other products on the market, but well worth every cent and beyond.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This DAC (digital to analog converter) stands out to us due to its high-quality at an incredibly low price. You can use it to bypass your computer’s sound card/headphone output and sends the signal through USB/optical. It can process audio up to 24 bits; it has low distortion and high signal-to-noise ratio.
Who Will Use This Most
If you’re a headphone enthusiast, this DAC will deliver exceptional quality and outstanding value for money. It is designed for a wide range of headphones, and it will help improve the sound quality of your entire music library. Furthermore, it is extremely easy to use – no installation required!
Bottom Line
The Audioengine D1 Premium DAC is overall an outstanding quality DAC, which allows you to enjoy your music to the highest standards. It is inexpensive, yet extremely useful for any headphone enthusiast – and on top of everything, it is compatible with a plethora of headphone models.
Best Bass Combo Amp:
Fender Rumble 500 v3 Bass Combo Amp
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This amp comes with eminently designed dual speakers of 10” which work together harmoniously to give you clear sounds, but also low ends. It is made of plywood; thus, the amp is highly portable due to its light weight. It is a powerful, but extremely versatile combo bass amp.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Fender Rumble 500 Combo is the next step in the evolution of bass amps. With new engineering, this new series impresses us with astonishing light weight and booming sounds, great for any gig. It also features a versatile voicing palette with three modes and other pro features that need to be explored.
Who Will Use This Most
If you enjoy a challenge, you have to check out the new Fender Rumble. Its high-quality, lightweight features a wide range of abilities – XLR output, horn defeat, an effects loop, and even two speakers to ensure you are at your full potential when rehearsing, practicing, or even gigging.
Bottom Line
Overall, this product is the new challenge Fender brings to the market. Typical to this brand, the product is a massive improvement over any other past amps they brought to us to impress. It has a budget-friendly price, and there is virtually no reason why you shouldn’t check this one out right now!
Best Small Tube Amp Combo:
Vox AC4
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This high-quality all-tube amp is astonishing. There is nothing you can wish for that is not already there, including volume, gain, treble, bass, and the popular top boost and clean chime. It might miss a bit on the low end for actual tone freaks, but it can be easily fixed by replacing the stock speaker.
Why it Stands Out to Us
If Fender does not impress you, we challenge you to say no to the amazing Vox AC4. With a 12” Celestion Speaker, this combo amp will turn you into a true legend. The classic Vox sounds are vintage, giving you the beautiful, warm sounds of tube amps.
Who Will Use This Most
Whether you are live or recording, at home or on stage, practicing or just experimenting, the Vox AC4 ticks all the boxes on your checklist. Anyone will enjoy its performance, and it is one of those products thar needs to be experimented with at least once in a lifetime.
Bottom Line
Overall, this product is an excellent match if you are looking for a reliable, sturdy combo amp to use both in the studio or gigging. The build quality is ideal for long-term use, and it delivers high-quality classic Vox tones. Extremely easy to use, you can also attach an external speaker to overwhelm a large crowd!
Best Combo Amp for Metal:
Peavey 6505+ 112
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The 6505 is a great, versatile amp, although it does not seem so at first sight. Whether you want some warm crunch or a metal piercing sound, this combo amp can do it all. On the other hand, some feel as though this amazing piece of equipment would benefit from a half-power mode, too.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This combo amp stands out to us due to its great tonal foundation. You can largely tweak its numerous controls and make use of different channels to reach original, varied tones as per your wish. The product features lead/rhythm channels, 3 band EQ, presence and resonance adjustments, and gain controls.
Who Will Use This Most
This great combo amp can deliver so much value for metal players. Despite this, you can also use it for other genres – for instance, by tweaking back the pre-gain using rhythm channel, you get some bluesy overdrive with a warm crunch. It is also a great asset to a rock player!
Bottom Line
Overall, the 6505 Plus 112 combo amp is highly underappreciated. The only thing it cannot do is, crystal clear and clean sounds – other than that, it is perfect for any music genre you wish. It is quite popular among metal players, although blues and rock would definitely benefit from the nice, warm crunch it offers.
Best Marshall Combo Amp:
Marshall CODE25 Combo Guitar Amp
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Extremely impressive and versatile, the Marshall Code 25 is the perfect companion of the modern musician. You will benefit from the classic Marshall tones, blended to perfection with the latest modern technology. The versatility of its numerous features and options is simply overwhelming.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This combo amp is so versatile you can hardly believe modern technology has reached so far. State of the art technology is mirrored in this amp through numerous simulations of amps, pre-amp and rigs, FX, and many more, which lead to the creation of every tonal combination you can ever dream of.
Who Will Use This Most
Ideal for studio recording or practicing, the Marshall combo amp has 25 watts with a 10” speaker that is made to impress you – whether you are a beginner or a pro, it takes no notice. If you look for classic Marshall quality in a budget-friendly product, this is your best bet.
Bottom Line
As one of the greatest leaders on the amp market, Marshall has never let us down. Once again, this combo amp allows you to benefit from the latest technologies combined with classic Marshall tones, which enables you to use numerous presets or create your own. Call it what you may, but this combo amp is truly versatile!
Best Tube Combo Amp Under $500:
Peavey VYPYR VIP 2
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
It is virtually impossible to state what this combo amp cannot do. From bass amp to electric amp and then right to an acoustic amp, this can simulate anything that goes through your mind. It is exceptionally intuitive to use, and you can use the USB data and audio ports to record or get access to store presets, lessons, and others.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is one of the best sounding amps available. It makes use of a perfect blend between 32-bit SHARC processors and Transtube analog circuitry to reshape your musical experience from scratch. What’s best, the high quality sounding VYPYR effects, amp models, and all the parameter controls can be tweaked with directly via the amp, no computer necessary.
Who Will Use This Most
If you’re looking for the ultimate amplifier, then we just simplified your work. The Peavey Electronics combo amp has everything you could wish for, and it is specially created to accommodate every need you might have. It works great for acoustic, bass, electric, and many more.
Bottom Line
Overall, this Peavey Electronics amp is our best tube combo amp, which does not break the bank. Extremely versatile and flexible, it combines a wide variety of features and options, which are basically begging to be explored. If you are still looking for the perfect sounds, you might have just found them!
Best Bass Combo Amp Under $500:
Phil Jones Bass Double Four 70W Bass Combo Amp
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This combo amp is the perfect solution if you play old-school country, bluegrass, and jazz. Although it is a small practice amp, it will definitely handle a gig in a small-sized room. Similar to other bass amps, this product is also sensitive to room placement – so you might consider placing it near a wall or in a corner.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The double four 70W Bass Combo Amp is a self-explaining piece of hardware, perfectly created to bring your bass guitar to life. Despite its shoebox-size, this combo amp will breathe essence into your tunes – just because it is a practice combo amp, it does not mean it cannot outperform full-sized ones.
Who Will Use This Most
This is a great combo amp for practicing for favorite tunes and perfecting them. It is extremely portable, and the sounds are well-rounded. You can use it for jazz, bluegrass, and old-school country, and it might even be possible for use in a small venue live performance.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is a fantastic tiny-sized amp. It has plenty of headroom, and you can tweak the tone to fit your liking, whether it is mud, punch, or anything in between. It is the perfect practice amp for bass you can find on the market with such outstanding sound qualities and features!
What Do I Need to Know Before Buying?
Combo amps come in different types and variations, so it is quite a difficult job to know how to choose the right one and what to look for when you are shopping around. Here are some considerations you need to keep in mind when buying:
Tube vs. Solid-State vs. Digital
The three types of amps are all great – but they do vary significantly. Make sure you know these differences before choosing:
- Solid-state comes with clean tones, sturdy and reliable;
- Tube amps have fat, warm tones and an organic distortion, they often have clean and distorted channels; they require maintenance;
- Digital amps simulate numerous amps and are packed with effects/features.
Open or Closed-Back?
If you are a bass player, you should definitely go for a closed-back amp. They have a better bass response from the speaker.
Power and Speaker Size Matters!
If you plan to practice with your new combo amp, smaller power and speaker size will be just right for you. If you are into rehearsals and gigging in small venues, tube and digital amps are the most common choices for musicians with power as high as 50 watts and 12” speakers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, combo amps are an integral part of our music world. Whatever we do, we need them – during home practice, rehearsals, even street gigging or performing for a small crowd in a venue. Because they are so important, we felt the need to present you with our top recommendations for the best combo amps.
