Picking the best guitar amp under $300 isn’t as hard as it used to be. There are so many different guitar amplifiers below $300 that are made of quality parts, have nice tone, and are packed with features.
The best thing about amps in this budget price range is that they typically small, portable, and have diverse tones. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a metal amp or a blues/jazz amp, there will be a guitar amplifier for less than 300 dollars for you.
We reviewed all of the most popular and top-rated guitar amplifiers under $300, so you can find the one that fits your playing style, guitar tone, and amplifier budget. Time to check out some gear!
Click Below to Compare the Top Guitar Amplifiers Below $300 in 2020
Contents
- 1 Click Below to Compare the Top Guitar Amplifiers Below $300 in 2020
- 1.1 Vox AV15 Analog Valve Modeling Amp
- 1.2 Fender Mustang GT 40 Bluetooth Solid State Modeling Amplifier
- 1.3 Orange Crush35RT Guitar Amp
- 1.4 Sawtooth Tube Series 5 Combo Amp
- 1.5 Marshal Code 50 Digital Combo Amplifier
- 1.6 Marshall M-DSL1HR-U Guitar Amp Head
- 1.7 Bugera G5 Infinium Electric Guitar Amp Head
- 1.8 Line 6 Spider V 60 Wireless Modeling Amp
- 1.9 Fender CHAMPION 50XL Guitar Amplifier
- 1.10 VHT AV-SP-6H Guitar Tube Amp Head
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best electric guitar amps below $300 that will make your tone sound amazing without blowing your amp budget.
- Vox AV15
- Fender Mustang GT 40
- Orange Crush35RT
- Sawtooth Tube Series 5 Combo Amp
- Marshal Code 50
- Marshall M-DSL1HR-U
- Bugera G5 Infinium
- Line 6 Spider V 60
- Fender CHAMPION 50XL
- VHT AV-SP-6H
Vox AV15 Analog Valve Modeling Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Vox AV15 is a modeling combo amp (hybrid) with 15Watts of power and a Custom Vox 8″ speaker. The pre-amp of the combo is a tube-based one, which is guilty of all the great, natural chimes and distortions you can get from this amp.
What is making this amp stand out in the sea of modeling amps on the market nowadays is the fact that all the amp models on the amp are actually analog circuits. How cool is that?
There are eight preamp circuits from which you can choose: Clean1, Clean2, Crunch1, Crunch2, OD1, OD2, High Gain1, and High Gain2. Next, you have the control knobs for Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, Volume, and Power Level.
Then we have the controls cluster for the built-in effects. There is one control knob, and three buttons, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb. These are digital effects, but still, they sound pretty decent.
Next, we have the Aux-in and the Headphones out ports, the On/Off button. And finally, we have the Valve Stage controls, which is a cluster that has two switches for the preamp section, Bright and Fat, and two switches for the power amp, Bias and Reactor.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatile – The Vox AV15 is very versatile. It has a lot of different sounds – you just have to tweak it a little!
- Great sound – Due to the analog, tube-based preamp and power amp, the Vox AV15 sounds is an incredibly nice sounding amp.
- Great design – Vox designed this amp with great attention to detail. Not only it sounds great, but it also looks very nice.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No external speaker output – On the Vox AV15, you can’t find an external cabinet output, which can be very useful for live playing. However, the internal speaker sounds just fine.
It is good for recording, and if you are playing live, just make sure there is proper monitoring on the stage.
Bottom line
If you want to get in the tube-amp world, the Vox AV15 is a good way to start the journey. It is affordable, yet you will get a taste of that sweet sound a tube-amp produces. The fact that all the preamp models are actually real circuits, is putting this amp way ahead from the other modeling amps. So, if you are on a budget, and you still want to get that sweet, sweet, tube-amp sound, you should try out the Vox AV15.
Fender Mustang GT 40 Bluetooth Solid State Modeling Amplifier
Specs, features, and benefits
The Fender Mustang GT40 is a solid-state modeling combo amp with 40-Watts of power and two 6.5-Inch speakers and a lot of modern features. It is the first amp that has Wi-Fi, which means you can download new presets with the Fender Tone app anywhere where you have an internet connection. You can also control the amp’s sound with your phone via Bluetooth, and if that’s not enough – you still have the USB-port for editing presets, recording, etc.
On the amp, you have the standard layout of control knobs: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, and Master. Then you have the modeling processor that is loaded with twenty-one amp-models and forty-seven effects. It also features a built-in tuner, metronome, etc. Tons of flexibility, right?
Pros and Highlights
- Flexible – The amp has a lot of different sounds to offer!
- Modern – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, Amp modeling, Effects… If you are modern-type of a guitar player, you’ll surely love this amp.
- Compact – This amp will save you space, it is compact, and you can probably keep it on your desktop.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Poor sound quality – Yup, it is too small. And it does not sound great. There are the other models from the GT series, but they too sound somehow digital. Some players may not have a problem with that, but many don’t like the amp’s sound.
Bottom line
The Fender Mustang GT40 is one of the most modern amps on the market. It has all the modern features you can think of and offers a lot of sound flexibilities. However, if you are looking for a sturdy, good sounding, serious solid-state amp, you have to look further. The GT40 is just too small to handle serious tone. And it sounds digital.
Orange Crush35RT Guitar Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
Orange is a company that produces one of the best combo amps on the market!
The Orange Crush35RT is a compact, combo amp with 35-Watts of power and ten-inch speaker. It has two switchable channels, clean and dirty, which are set by a toggle switch, and these control knobs: Clean, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Dirty, and Reverb.
It also has a built-in tuner, aux-in, and headphones out that emulates a 4×12 Orange cabinet. On the back panel of the amp, there is the FX Loop and the Footswitch input.
Pros and Highlights
- Sturdily built – This is no surprise for an Orange product; all of their amps are sturdy-built.
- Great sound – The tones you can get out of this amp are sweet! Very nice clean and distortion tone!
- Easy-to-use – No bells and whistles – just plug & play!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons!
Bottom line
The Orange Crush35RT has a great sound; it’s easy to use, and sturdily built. The clean, and the overdriven sound both sound awesome!
The amp is very loud, you can use it on gigs in smaller venues, it is awesome for rehearsals, and for bedroom practice.
Sawtooth Tube Series 5 Combo Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Sawtooth Tube Series 5 Combo amp is a 5-Watt Tube amp with a 10″ speaker. It has a 6V6 output Tube and 12AX7 preamp tube. On the control panel, there are “chicken-head” control knobs for Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Gain.
On the back panel of the amp (it is an open-back design), you can find two extension speaker ports, which is always useful for playing live. The amp is a beautiful, vintage-looking one, and everything that is put on it, it is of high-quality and style.
Pros and Highlights
- Great sound – Due to the Tube-design, the Sawtooth Tube Series 5 Combo sounds amazing!
- Sturdy built – The amp is sturdily built, which is noticeable with just looking at it. It is built like a tank!
- Looks beautiful – The tweed grill, the handle, the joints, and the knobs – everything on the amp is stylish.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It lacks a bit of a low end – Well, for the price, this is an awesome amp, due to the Tube-designed circuit. However, to sell a tube-amp at this price, the manufacturer must cut some corners. With this amp, you will lack a bit of a low end, but with changing up the speaker, or with connecting a speaker cabinet through the ports, this is an easily fixable problem.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a truly great tone, one that can be only nailed with a tube amp, you should try out this fella. Unlike some amps in this price range that have built-in effects and amp models, the Sawtooth has only a few control knobs. However, it sounds way better than solid state amps that have tons of digital amp models and effects. It has the sound that the true tone-freaks are looking for.
Marshal Code 50 Digital Combo Amplifier
Specs, features, and benefits
The Marshall Code50 is a 50-Watt modeling combo amp with one 12-Inch Speaker.
It has onboard control knobs for Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Volume, Preset, and Master, and push buttons, Pre FX, Amp, Mod, Delay, Reverb, Power, Cabinet, and Store. It also has a built-in tuner, Tap Tempo feature, Bluetooth feature, USB port, Footswitch input, aux-in, and headphones out. With the Bluetooth feature or the USB connection, you can control the amp remotely with the Marshal Gateway Software via your iOS/Android device.
The library on this amp contains fourteen preamp models, four power-amp models, eight cabinet speaker simulations, and twenty-four effects.
Pros and Highlights
- Modern – With the USB and Bluetooth features you can fully control the amp’s functions. Now you don’t even have to get up from the couch!
- Versatile – This amp offers a lot of different amplifier and cabinet simulations. You can use up to five effects at the same time from the amp’s library!
- Great for gigging! – The amp is compact and very versatile. If you have no problems dealing with digital modeling amps, this fella can be your partner in crime every night on the stage;
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Digital – Well, if you are a modern type of guitar player, you might find yourself in love with this amp. However, digital amp modeling is not what an experienced tone-freak would fall for.
The amp has a lot of features, but some of us would rather have a natural sound. Also, the USB/Bluetooth connectivity does not work well for recording with PC/Mac devices. If you are older than twenty-five, the chances that you will be disappointed with this amp are big.
Bottom line
The Marshall Code50 is a great amp for the modern-type of guitarists. The fact that the amp has a lot of features for modeling and the USB/Connectivity will probably make a lot of younger guitar players happy. But, if you are looking for a natural sounding combo, the Marshall Code50 is not for you. It sounds digital. Not for everyone-type of an amp. Certainly not for tone-purists.
Marshall M-DSL1HR-U Guitar Amp Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The Marshall DSL1HR is a 1Watt all-tube amp-head with two switchable channels, Classic Gain, and Ultra Gain. It has a small number of features, which makes it very simple and easy to use.
You can choose the channel you want with a push button that says “Channel Select”. The Classic Gain channel has only a Volume control knob, while the Ultra Gain channel has two control knobs, one for Volume, and one for Gain. It has controls for Equalization, Treble, Middle, and Bass, and a “Tone Shift” push-button, which is something like mid-scoop.
Last on the control cluster is the Reverb control knob. The Reverb is a digital one but still sounds great. On the back on the head, there is the Speaker Output, the Low Power push-button, Emulated Out, The Aux-in, the Footswitch port, and the FX Loop ports.
Pros and Highlights
- It is a Tube Amp! – The Marshal M-DSL1HR-U has Two ECC83 Tubes in the preamp section and an ECC82 Tube in the power amplifier!
- Great sound – Due to the Tube-design, and the decades of experience Marshal has in making the world’s best amps, the M-DSL1HR-U sounds amazing.
- Affordable – The DSL1HR-U is definitely a bang for the buck!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Try it before you buy it! – Although this is a great amp, and most of the owners love it, some just don’t like it. It might be too bright-sounding for your taste.
Some owners also say that they feel like it lacks the “punch” that the higher-powered amps have.
Bottom line
The Marshal DSL1HR-U is a great amp. It is great for on-stage live rocking and for your home studio. It is very easy-to-use, and it is pretty affordable when it comes to all-tube amps.
However, we strongly suggest trying it before buying it, because of many owners of this fella, are disappointed with the amp’s sound.
Bugera G5 Infinium Electric Guitar Amp Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The Bugera G5 Infinium is an affordable, yet high-quality Tube Amp with 5Watts of Power.
It has a single 12AX7 in the preamp section, and one 12BH7 in the power amplifier. On the control panel, from left to right, first, you can see the Power Switch and Standby Switch.
Then, we have the Reverb control knob, the EQ Cluster with Morph, Treble, Middle, and Bass control knobs, the Overdrive Channel controls – Volume, and Gain, the channel switch push-button, and the Clean Channel control – Tone, and Volume.
On the back of the amp, you can find the Line Input, the FX Loop (with switchable level), the Footswitch port, the Emulated Out/Headphones Out, and the Amp Out (8-Ohm) with its switch for power attenuation (0.1W/1W/5W).
Pros and Highlights
- Affordable – You can’t find many Tube amps on the at this price, that’s for sure!
- LOUD!!! – The Bugera G5 Infinium is slowly becoming famous in the guitarists’ community. It can deliver high-gained distortion tones with a great punch!
- Compact – The amp head is pretty light-weight, and small. It won’t take a huge space wherever you are keeping it.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It may have some issues – There are some owners that claim that their amp is cutting-off,
others claim that the amp produces a loud hum/buzz. Our best advice is to always try the amp before buying it. You just might get a dud.
Bottom line
If you are in a search for an affordable, yet good-sounding tube amp, you might stumble upon the Bugera G5 Infinium. It is a great sounding tube amp. It has cool features, it is loud, and it is affordable. The sound of the amp is amazingly good. However, there are a few owners that claim they received a defective amp. The best advice we can give you is always to try it before you buy it. Good luck!
Line 6 Spider V 60 Wireless Modeling Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Line 6 Spider V 60 is a 60-Watt Modeling combo amp with a ten-Inch speaker and high-frequency driver, offering a huge amount of versatility. It has five control knobs with two functions. You can choose the function of the knobs with the Amp/FX push buttons. Drive (Compressor), Bass (FX1), Middle (Fx2), Treble (FX3), and Volume (Reverb) are available.
Then you have the built-in modeling processor, that is packed with seventy-eight amp-models, one hundred and one effects, one hundred and twenty-eight presets, a built-in tuner, built-in metronome, and drum loops. After that, you have the Master control knob, and the headphones out. Also, this amp has an internal wireless receiver – you can go wireless with the Relay G10T transmitter, and rock around your house without any cords dragging behind you. It also features a looper with 60 seconds of record time.
On the back panel of the amp, you can find the power switch, the aux-in, the FBV pedal input, and the two USB ports. You can connect this amp with IOS devices, Mac, PC, and Android.
Pros and Highlights
- Works great with both electric and acoustic guitar, and music – The speaker system on this amp allows you to have a great sound with both your acoustic and electric guitars. It also sounds great with playback music.
- Versatile as it can get – The Line 6 Spider V60 is very versatile, it offers a ton of features, metronome, looper, a ton of amp simulations and effects… You can even go wireless with this thing!
- USB connectivity – This feature makes this amp great for recording.
Cons and Potential Flaws
You may not like how it actually sounds – Although this amp offers a lot of bells and whistles, some of the tone-freaks (including myself) don’t like how this amp sounds. If you ask me – it is just too digital, un-natural sounding amp.
Bottom line
Many owners love their Line 6 Spider V 60, as it really offers a lot. To say it is versatile would be an understatement, as this thing offers more than any other amp in its price range. However, many players don’t like the amp’s sound. It sounds unnatural to the tone-freaks that have tasted the pure gold sound of the tube amps. Not for everybody.
Fender CHAMPION 50XL Guitar Amplifier
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender Champion 50XL is a 50W combo amp with one 12″ Celestion Midnight 60 speaker. Just like the other amps from the “Champion” series, the 50XL is a very sturdy and versatile amp.
It is a two channel (switchable) amp. The first channel has a Volume control knob, while the second has control knobs for Gain, Volume, and a Voice select-switch knob with eight different amp voicings. For tone shaping, the Champion 50XL has Bass, and Treble control knobs.
The FX select knob offers you to have flexibility in sound without having to buy a number of pedals. The Champion 50Xl has built-in Reverb, Chorus, Flanger, Delay, Wah, Vibratone, and Tremolo effect, and you can set their sweet-spot on the fly with using the tap-tempo button.
On the front panel, other than the control knobs, you can also find your Guitar input, the Footswitch port, the Aux-in, and Headphones output. On the back of the amp, you can find the On/Off power switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Easy-to-use – Perfect for beginners! It is a “plug & play” type of an amp.
- Versatile – The Champion 50XL by Fender has a lot of tone-shaping onboard.
- Loud – With this amp, you can make rehearsals with a loud drummer and bassist duo. Some owners even take this fella to small gigs!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Entry-level amp – Although it can be very loud, the Fender Champion 50XL sounds like a beginner amp. Also, many owners have reported having all kinds of issues with this model, so we suggest that you should be careful when buying one of these.
Bottom line
The Fender Champion 50XL is versatile and compact amp that can be great for practice, rehearsals, and even some smaller gigs. However, the sound of the amp is not something that we know Fender amps for. Fender has an incredible history of great amp sounds, but we’re sorry to tell you that this is not the case with the 50XL. It is great for beginners, but professional players should probably stay away from it.
VHT AV-SP-6H Guitar Tube Amp Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The VHT AV Special Six Head is tube amp with 6Watts of power. It has a 12AX7 Tube in the Preamp section and a 6V6 Tube at the output. It is a very loud and powerful amp. Probably much more powerful than the other amps in this category.
The control cluster, from left to right, consists of On/Off switch, a three-way Low Power (3W) /Standby/High Power (6W) switch, Tone control knob, Volume control knob, and two inputs – Low and High.
On the back, you can find the Footswitch port, and the three Speaker Outputs (4-Ohm, 8-Ohm, 16-Ohm). The amp comes with a footswitch included in the price, with which you change the gain of your sound on the fly. You know, when you need to put things on fire.
Pros and Highlights
- Easy-to-use – The amp is very simple and easy to use. Just plug in, cranked it up, and you are good to go!
- Outstanding build-quality – The board of the amp is hand wired, and everything is made so you can take this amp on the road with you! It is sturdy and compact!
- Great sound – The sound you will get from this fella, is priceless. It has a lot of gain flexibility, and it is pretty loud.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons, no flaws!
Bottom line
The VHT AV-SP-6H is probably one of the best sounding amp-heads in this price range. It is simple and easy to use, yet it delivers a powerful and sweet sound. It is really hard to find an owner that is not satisfied with the performance or the sound of the amp. It is lightweight and compact, which means it is very road-friendly.
Great amp! Definitely, it is the bang for the buck.
What We Recommend and Why
Depending on what your “needs” and wants are, there are some good choices in this price range when it comes to guitar amps. If you are looking for an amp head with great sound quality, we advise you to check out the Vox AV15. It is a very good sounding tube-amp, perfect for the studio, and it is powerful and compact so it can do a good job on the stage. It is also very sturdily built, lightweight and easy to use. Perfect for every kind of situation – recording, practice, rehearsals, gigs, etc.
The Fender Mustang comes in a close second. You can’t really go wrong with either of these under $300 guitar amps.
