Finding the best guitar amp under $500 doesn’t have to be hard. Tons of different guitar amplifiers below $500 sound great, have plenty of features, and look pretty sweet too.
Whether you want an all tube amp or a solid state amp for jam sessions or even playing live shows, you can find one that will fit into your $500 guitar amp budget. You can also get a combo amp or simply an amplifier head that you can put on any speaker stack. The possibilities are endless.
Don’t worry about finding the right one. We’ve reviewed and compared all of the top-rated guitar amps under 500 dollars, so you can figure out which one will work for you and stay under your budget. Let’s check out some amps!
Click Below to Compare the Top Guitar Amplifiers Under $500 in 2020
Contents
- 1 Click Below to Compare the Top Guitar Amplifiers Under $500 in 2020
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best electric guitar amplifiers below $500 that will crank your tone up to 11 while keeping your amp budget in tact.
- VOX AC10C1
- Orange CR60C
- Boss Katana 100 Combo Amp
- Peavey Vypyr VIP 3
- Fender Champion 100
- Boss Katana Amp Head
- VOX AC4 Combo Amp
- Orange Crush Pro CR120H
- Line 6 Spider V 240 HC
VOX AC10C1 Guitar Amp Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The Vox AC10C1 is an all-tube combo amp with 10Watts of power and a 10″ Celestion Custom speaker. The amp has two 12AX7 tubes in the preamp section and two EL84 power tubes.
On the controls cluster, you can find the guitar input as well as the on/off switch, and the control knobs for Gain, Bass, Treble, Reverb, and Volume. Although the Reverb is digital, it is a pretty good sounding one. All the controls on the amp are highly responsive, which lets you have all the classic Vox tones, from “chimey” clean to overdrive, and everything in between.
On the back of the amp, there is the External Speaker port (10Watts into 16Ohm).
Pros and Highlights
- Great sound – Vox is known for its awesome-sounding amps. The AC10C1 is not an exception to that. Due to the all-tube design, the amp sounds fantastic!
- Reverb – Although it is a digital one, it is indeed a very good sounding Reverb. It will add up life to your sound. There are players who just plug in the amp, without any pedals, and they still sound awesome.
- Highly portable – The Vox AC10C1 is very compact and reliable. This makes it perfect for playing it on smaller venue gigs. It is pretty loud, it will keep up with the drummer without any problem, it is lightweight, sturdily built, and sounds great!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The clean might be too bright for your taste – Especially with single coil pick-ups, the AC10C1 tends to be a little brighter than one would expect. Try it before you buy it. It is an awesome amp – it sounds great, all we are saying it might not reflect on everybody the same way.
It is a matter of taste.
Bottom line
The Vox AC10C1 is an awesome-sounding tube combo amp, great for recording, practice, and for live situations. The clean on this amp is chimey, very similar to the cleans that the old vintage Vox amps have, and the overdrive is warm, and sweet, as you would expect from an all-tube design. It is very portable, due to its compact design and small size, which makes it perfect for any kind of situation. Great sounding combo, one of the best sounding in this price range!
Orange CR60C Electric Guitar Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Orange CR60C is a 60Watt solid-state combo amp loaded with a 12″ Voice of the World speaker. It is a switchable two-channel amp, with Clean/Dirty channel set by a switch placed right next to the on/off switch on the control cluster.
The Clean channel control section consists of control knobs for Volume, Bass, and Treble. The Dirty channel section has control knobs for Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume. Then we have the Master section with the Master Volume control knob, and Reverb control knob with a three-way switch right next to it, with three available options – Spring, Hall, and Plate.
Pros and Highlights
- Easy to use – The amp is very simple and easy to use. With this amp, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to have a great tone!
- Great sound – The Orange CR60C sounds incredible. Both clean and dirty! It has great tone and dynamics.
- LOUD! – It is a great amp for band rehearsals and small gigs!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Pricey – The Orange CR60C might be too high priced for you, depending on how big your budget is and what kind of an amp you are looking for. Some players would rather go for a tube amp for this price, while others are completely satisfied with this amp.
Bottom line
The Orange CR60C is an awesome sounding solid-state combo amp that delivers good quality tone both clean and overdriven. It is great for practice, band rehearsals, and small gigs. It is a sturdily built amp, durable and reliable, and it is loud and powerful.
Boss Katana 100 Combo Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Boss Katana 100 Combo is a 100-Watt solid state combo amp loaded with 12″ Custom speaker that offers a lot of flexibility.
It is very sturdy-built, and it gives the player a lot of space to play with their sound. On the control panel right next to the input is the Amp Type rotary switch, with five modes available (Acoustic, Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Brown), the Gain and the Volume control knob.
Then we have the EQ section with three controls: Bass, Middle, and Treble. The Effects section consists of three control knobs and three push-buttons for dialing the perfect sound color to your tone. It has three distortions, six modulation effects, three delays, and three types of reverb available.
Then it has the Tone Setting section, which consists of five push-buttons for saving and selecting five channel presets on the fly. Under that, we have the Presence and Master control knobs, the Power Control rotary-switch, and the Power on/off switch. The Power control lets you set the amp’s power at different values, 0.5W, 50W, and 100W, or on Standby mode.
On the back of the amp you can find the Speaker Output, the Phones/Record Out, the Aux-in, the Line Out, the Effects loop Send/Return inputs, the USB-port (which allows you both to record and to edit your presets with the Boss Tone Studio software), and the Foot Controller ports. The Boss Tone Control software has fifty-five Boss effects, and you can have fifteen of them on the amp head at the same time, and you can also edit and save presets, or you can choose from the existing ones in the program, which are made by world-known guitar players. Great solid-state combo amp with a lot of flexibility.
Pros and Highlights
- Ready for the stage – This combo is very powerful and loud, which is perfect for a gigging guitarist.
- Versatile – With the controls on the amp, plus the Boss Tone Studio, you have a ton of tone-shaping options!
- Sturdily built – The Boss Katana Combo will take the beatings without a single teardrop.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Modern amp, not for the retro-loving tone-freaks – You just might not love the modern control panel or the overall sound of the amp. The chances are, if you are metalhead – you will love this amp, but if you are not, you might not.
Bottom line
The Boss Katana 100 combo is a powerful amp. It has a lot of flexibility, it is extra loud, and has a good number of features on it. For the price range, it stands high on the list. However, if you are an older guy with massive experience with guitar amps, you might lack the warmth of the valve-tube amp sound. The Boss Katana is most compatible with metal-heads.
Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 Guitar Amplifier
Specs, features, and benefits
The Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 is a 100Watt modeling combo amp loaded with a 12″ Custom speaker. It offers so many features, that it can become over-bearing.
First, we must say that the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 can be played with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and even with a bass guitar. The Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 is one of the most versatile modeling amps on the market, with more than a hundred built-in amp, cab, and effects emulations.
On the control board, right next to the guitar input, there is the presets bank section, with a selector knob, a little screen, and three control knobs for selecting, setting up, and saving amp, cab, and effect presets. Next, we have these control knob: Pre-Gain, Low, Mid, Treble, and Post-Gain. Under them, you can find the looper and the tap-tempo push buttons.
Finally, we have the Master Volume control knob, The Power Sponge control knob (which is a power attenuator), the USB port, the Aux-in, and the Headphones out.
On the back of the amp, you can find the Remote Switch port (Sanpera or MIDI), and the Power switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatile – The Vypyr 3 by Peavey is one of the most versatile amps ever!
- Powerful – It is a 100W power amp with a 12″ Speaker.
- Compact! – It is a great amp for a working musician-guitarist that travels a lot. It has a lot of tonal flexibility and is powerful and compact!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The features are not easy to use, you might not like how they sound – If you buy this amp, you will need some time learning how to set the amp, cab, and effects emulations. Also, there are chances that you might not like how they sound.
Bottom line
The Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 is a versatile modeling guitar combo with a ton of different features. It is powerful and compact, which makes it great for guitarists that travel a lot, and have to carry around all of their gear. However, if you are a guitar player that likes the vintage sound of the tube amps, and the intuitive controls that analog gear has, you might not like the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 so much.
Fender Champion 100 Solid State Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender Champion 100 is a 100-Watts solid state combo amp with two twelve-Inch Fender Special Design speakers. It is powerful, loud, and with that classic Fender tone – it is one of the best solid-state amps on the market.
It has two, switchable channels. The first channel is providing the classic, clean Fender tone, and has control knobs for Volume, Treble, Bass, FX level, and FX Select with Tap-tempo button. The second channel has controls for Gain, Volume, Voice (Tweed, British, Blackface, Metal, and Jazz amp voices), Treble, Middle, Bass, FX Level, FX Select, and Tap Tempo button. Then we have the Aux-in, the Headphones out, Pre-amp out, and the Power in. The Fender Champion 100 is a no-nonsense solid-state amp that offers a good amount of flexibility for every kind of player.
Pros and Highlights
- Sounds great – With this amp, you will get a lot of the classic Fender-amp sounds.
- Flexible – The FX and the Amp Voicing on the amp allow you to have different sounds for different music situations.
- Easy to use – No-nonsense – just plug, turn around the knobs, and play!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It is not of the top-notch quality like the Fender amps from the past – It doesn’t sound and perform as a Tweed or a Princeton. But it is cheaper than them, so yeah – you get what you pay for…
Boss Katana Guitar Amp Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The Boss Katana Head is a sturdily 100-Watt solid state amp head that offers a lot of flexibility. It is very sturdy-built, and it gives the player a lot of space to play with their sound.
On the control panel right next to the input is the Amp Type rotary switch, with five modes available (Acoustic, Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Brown), the Gain and the Volume control knob. Then we have the EQ section with three controls: Bass, Middle, and Treble. The Effects section consists of three control knobs and three push-buttons for dialing the perfect sound color to your tone. It has three distortions, six modulation effects, three delays, and three types of reverb available.
Then it has the Tone Setting section, which consists of five push buttons for saving and selecting five channel presets on the fly. Under that, we have the Presence and Master control knobs, the Power Control rotary-switch, and the Power on/off switch. The Power control lets you set the amp’s power at different values, 0.5W, 50W, and 100W, or on Standby mode.
On the back of the head you can find the Speaker Output, the Phones/Record Out, the Aux-in, the Line Out, the Effects loop Send/Return inputs, the USB-port (which allows you both to record and to edit your presets with the Boss Tone Studio software), the Foot Controller inputs, and the Midi in. The Boss Tone Control software has fifty-five Boss effects, and you can have fifteen of them on the amp head at the same time, and you can also edit and save presets, or you can choose from the existing ones in the program, which are made by world-known guitar players. Great solid-state head with a lot of flexibility.
Pros and Highlights
- Powerful – This amp head is very powerful. It is so loud, that can be played on big stadiums and arenas.
- Flexible – The amp head itself plus the Boss Tone Control software allow you to have a ton of sound choices.
- Amazing value – The amp is one of the best 100-Watt heads in its price point.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Modern design – You just might not love the modern control panel or the overall sound of the amp. The chances are, if you are metalhead – you will love this amp, but if you are not, you might not.
Bottom line
The Boss Katana head is a powerful amp. It has a lot of flexibility, it is extra loud, and has a good number of features on it. For the price range, it stands high on the list. However, if you are an older guy with massive experience with guitar amps, you might lack the warmth of the valve-tube amp sound. The Boss Katana is most compatible with metal-heads.
VOX AC4 Combo Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
The Vox AC4 is a 4-Watt all-tube amplifier with a one 12-Inch Celestion speaker. The amp has the two classic sounds that made Vox famous – the Clean Chime, and the Top Boost. And it comes in a small, compact package. It is the smallest Vox valve-tube amplifier.
It has control knobs for Gain, Bass, Treble, and Volume, with which you can set your perfect Vox tone. On the back panel of the amp, you can find the External Speaker jack, where you can put a 16-Ohm Speaker, and play this amp at big venue gigs. The Vox AC4 is a great all-tube amp with small size and compatibility and great tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Compact – This amp is great for use in the studio – it is a small size amp that sounds beautiful.
- Classic Vox sound – Class A sound. You have both sounds characteristic for the classic, vintage Vox amps, the Clean Chime, and the Top Boost.
- Affordable – With the price of this amp, you will get what most of the other amps at this price can’t provide – a beautiful, warm tube-sound.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Missing a bit of a low end – This might affect only the real tone-freaks. You can’t expect to have a massive low end with one 12-Inch Speaker. However, this amp has a feature to add an External speaker. So, this might not be a flaw. Some owners also like to replace the existing speaker in the amp with another one, to get even more out of the amp.
Bottom line
The Vox AC4 is a great amp both for gigging and in the studio. It is a compact, warm sounding tube-amp that has the classic Vox tones. It is very easy to use, and it comes for a very reasonable price. The fact that it has an external speaker feature makes it even better – you can have a big tone for bigger venues with attaching an additional speaker.
Orange Crush Pro CR120H Amplifier Head
Specs, features, and benefits
The Orange CR120H is an analog solid-state amp with 120-Watts of power with two switchable channels. Right next to the power switch on the control panel is the Clean/Dirty channel switch.
Then we have the Master Volume control knob, and the Reverb level knob and Spring/Hall/Plate toggle switch. Next on the control panel is the Dirty channel control section featuring control knobs for Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Gain. And last we have the clean channel control knobs, Treble, Bass, and Volume.
The Orange Crush 120 Head sounds great both clean and distorted. It is very articulated-sounding amp – which is why Orange is holding its place every guitarist’s top amp list. On the back of the head, you can find the Effects loop, the Channel and the Reverb footswitch inputs, and the Speaker outputs.
Pros and Highlights
- Powerful! – This the most powerful amp Orange produces. And man, it is powerful!
- Sounds awesome – The Orange CR120H sounds great both clean and dirty!
- Easy to use – No bells & whistles – just the core needs to get a great tone.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons!
Bottom line
Orange is a company well known for the intuitive layout of controls on their amps, great and articulate sound, their sturdiness and their no-nonsense type of products. The Orange CR120H is just what we’ve mentioned – sounds great, it’s easy to use, it’s powerful, and it’s sturdy.
Great amp!
Line 6 Spider V 240 HC
Specs, features, and benefits
The Line 6 Spider V 240 HC is a powerful amp head with a lot of flexibility. Actually, not only it has the power to drive any speaker cabinet, but it is also a combo amp with a built-in speaker system with two four-Inch speakers and dual tweeters for using it for practice. It is packed up with more than two hundred amps, cabinets, and effects allowing you to set pretty much any guitar sound imaginable. You can have up to eight effects at a time!
On the control panel, there are 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. Next, we have the built-in modeling processor with its dedicated controls that are packed up with a bunch of amps, cab, and effect emulations, a built-in tuner, metronome, and even real drummer loops. Then, we have the Master control knob and the Phones out.
On the backside of the head you can find the power switch, the aux-in, the FBV pedal input, the two USB ports (You can connect this amp with IOS devices, Mac, PC, and Android for recording/editing presets), the Ground/Lift switch, the Direct outputs, the Cabinet Modeling on/off switch, and the two Speaker outs.
The Line 6 240 HC also has an internal wireless receiver that is compatible with the Relay G10T transmitter, meaning you can go wireless in seconds.
Pros and Highlights
- Flexible – You can use this amp both as a head paired with a big cabinet for large venue gigs and as a combo for smaller venue gigs/practice situations.
- Versatile – The Spider V 240 HC is offering a wide palette of sounds and features.
- USB connectivity – This feature makes this amp perfect for the younger generation of guitar players. Great for recording and editing presets.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Digital – If you are from the younger generation of guitar players, you won’t have any problem with this amp. However, if you are older, more-experienced guitar fella, you will notice a problem occurring with every modeling amp out there. They sound poor. It just does not have those sweet, sweet spots like the older amps. It all sounds “digital”!
Bottom line
The Line 6 Spider V 240 HC is a flexible, versatile guitar head/combo amp that can serve a lot of different guitar players and situations. The modeling processor is full with a ton of different sounds, and the USB connectivity is something a lot of players will appreciate. However, if you are an older guitar player, and you are used to the older stacks, amps, combos, just continue reading – you might get disappointed with how this amp sounds.
What We Recommend and Why
If you are looking for an amp in this price range, we suppose that you are a professional player looking for a serious amp that you can record with professionally, and take it on the stage and have an amazing sound. This is why we recommend you the Orange Crush Pro CR120 Head.
It is a very powerful amp, that sounds great, performs great, it is easy to use, and it is sturdily built.
