Finding the best beginner guitar amp isn’t that easy when you are first starting out. There are a lot of different beginner guitar amplifiers to choose from with all different types of features. How are you supposed to know which one is right for you?
That’s why we made this comparison. We review all of the most popular amps and show you which one we think is the best guitar amp for beginners.
Let’s jump in and check out some different amps, so you can pick out which one is right for you as you are beginning to learn guitar.
Click Below to Compare the Top Guitar Amps for Beginners in 2020
Contents
Here is a list of the best electric guitar amps for beginners that you can use to learn to play guitar better and become a rockstar.
Fender Mustang I V2 Beginner Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender has been making amps since 1946! As a guitarist, you will probably stumble upon many different Fender amps in your lifetime, and you’ll probably love some of them.
The Fender Mustang I V2 is a great beginner amp, providing a wide range of sounds, from the fifties to this day of age; you have it all in a small 20-Watt amp. This combo is packed with eighteen amp-models, thirty-seven effects, and twenty-four presets. This is making the amplifier very versatile, and there is even more!
The Fender Mustang I V2 has an onboard control knobs for Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, and Master. It also has an onboard tuner, Aux In, Headphones Out, and Footswitch In. What is really making this amp stand out is the USB port, that lets you to send your audio directly into your DAW, or manipulate the amp completely with the Fender FUSE Software, and tune in your perfect sound.
This amp has one 8-Inch speaker.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatile – This amp offers a wide range of sounds. You can tune your sound just the way you want it with the onboard amp models and effects. And the USB connectivity is just amazing, offering even more!
- Great sound – This is not a surprise when it comes to Fender amps. It sounds beautiful!
- It has all the features you will ever need on an amp – USB port, Aux-in, Headphones out, Footswitch in, versatility… It is also very easy-to-use amp – just plug & play!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The amp is not high-gain friendly – If you are into metal, and you just can’t go without your high-gain screaming distortion sound, this amp is not recommended. Doesn’t sound so well with high-gain settings.
Bottom line
The Fender Mustang I V2 is a great beginner amp. Great for bedroom practice, and for starters at home recording. The amp is pretty versatile and sounds great. The USB port allows the player to have the freedom that today’s technology gives us. However, if you are into high-gain distortion guitar sound, this amp won’t be the best fit for you. Yes, it has the presets to provide you with metal distortion, but it won’t sound great.
Marshall Beginner Combo Amp
Specs, features, and benefits
In the history of guitar amps, Marshal has a special place – Marshall stacks served the most influential musicians in the world ever, like Hendrix, Townsend, etc.
The M-MG30GFX-U is a 30-Watt guitar combo amp with 10-Inch speaker that works great for rehearsals and in the studio too! It has four different channels available: Clean, Crunch, OD1, and OD2. It has control knobs for Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Reverb, Volume, FX, and Master.
Above the modulation effects knob, you can find the Tap Tempo push-button and the store button. Yes, you can store your favorite presets. It has 1/8 aux in, headphones out, and Foot controller out. The foot controller is bought separately for this product.
Pros and Highlights
- Sturdily built – This does not mean that you should play football with the amp, but it will survive many bumps without breaking.
- Sounds awesome! – Marshal is a company that has been on top of the game for decades due to sound their amps provide.
- Affordable – It won’t break the bank!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons! – Great amp for beginners!
Bottom line
The Marshall M-MG30GFX-U is a very easy-to-use beginner amp. The 30-Watts of power and the 10-Inch Speaker are loud enough for band rehearsals, it sounds great, it is versatile, and it’s plug & play kind of amp. It is also affordable, which is a great thing for newbies in the guitar world.
Line 6 Spider V 30 Beginner Amplifier
Specs, features, and benefits
The Spider V by Line 6 is a versatile guitar amp with 30-Watts of power, and an eight-inch woofer speaker and a tweeter. 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.
Next to them, on the left side of the amp, you can find the built-in “processor” with a little screen and its dedicated controls. It has seventy-eight amp-models, twenty-three cab models, and over one hundred effects. It also has drum loops, built-in tuner, and built-in metronome. On the far left there is the Master control knob, and the headphones input.
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
- Affordable – This Line 6 Spider V is a low-price amplifier for the number of features it has.
- Versatile – This amp offers a ton of features, a ton of amp models, a ton of effects, and endless tweaking possibilities.
- USB connectivity – You can record directly on your PC/Mac, Android, and IOS device, and you can use the Spider App.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Poor sound quality – It sounds digital, unnatural, despite all the features, it is hard to set a good tone with this amp.
Bottom line
If you are a beginner, you might find this amp useful. However, if you are leaning more towards the professional musicians, stay away from this amp. Yes, it offers a ton of features, but the sound you’ll get is far from good. Not recommended.
Orange Crush 35RT
Specs, features, and benefits
The Orange Crush35RT is a sturdy, solid-state guitar amp with 35-Watts of power and ten-inch speaker. It has a clean and dirty channel, 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 4×12 Orange cabinet. On the back of the amp, there is the FX Loop and the Footswitch input. The amp sounds great!
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 Crush 35RT is truly one of the best amplifiers for beginners, that’s for sure.
It has a great sound; it’s easy to use, and sturdily built. The amp is very loud, you can use it on gigs in smaller venues, it is awesome for rehearsals, and for bedroom practice.
Orange Crush12 Electric Guitar Amp for Beginners
Specs, features, and benefits
If you are looking for a sturdy, affordable, great sounding, analog amp, you can’t go wrong with the Orange Crush12. It has the control knobs for Gain, Overdrive, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume. It also has Headphones out for quiet practicing.
The Orange Crush12 is an analog amp, and that’s why it is one of the best sounding beginner amps on the market. It doesn’t offer effects or some fancy features like some other amps on this list, but in terms of quality in sound and performance, it is hard to beat this orange fella.
Orange Crush12 is a 12-Watt amp with a six-inch speaker.
Pros and Highlights
- Great sound – Don’t get fooled by the size of this amp, it provides a great and punchy sound, due to the analog circuit and high-quality speaker.
- Affordable – The amp comes for a very reasonable price;
- Sturdy, compact – The amp is very small, meaning you can carry it on the road without any problems, and it is very sturdily built – this is pretty standard for all Orange products.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No other effects than Distortion – Well, this might not be a flaw because the Orange Crush12 handles pedals very nice, but still, some of the players would like some reverb, delay or modulation effects on their amp.
Bottom line
Orange Crush12 is a high quality, sturdily built, awesome sounding, and little amp. It provides great sound due to the analog circuit and high-quality components. You will be surprised how loud this amp can be; keeping in mind that it has a six-inch speaker. Some of the players might want to have some effects on their beginner amps, but we encourage them to rather buy some cool pedals since this amp sounds great. There are other options for a beginner amp that have a lot of built-in effects, but either their price is high, or their sound quality is low.
What We Recommend and Why
If you are a beginner guitarist and you want to grow fast as a musician there is no need for wasting time and money. If you are truly interested in becoming a professional musician, we suggest that you should buy yourself a decent amp right in the beginning.
A complete beginner, if practicing, can start gigging one year after picking up the guitar for the first time (depending on how talented and ambitious you are), that’s why we recommend the Fender Mustang. It’s an amp that is great for home practice, but also for rehearsals and small venue gigs. It is sturdily built and sounds great.
